DREUBEN@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Douglas Scott Reuben) (02/08/91)
I noticed that NYNEX/Boston was charging airtime and a daily charge
for simply ACTIVATING (not using) FMR, so I complained to GTE
Mobilnet. They were very understanding, yet said that this was the way
things were, and that only a few system actually did this.
Unfortunately, NYNEX/Boston is one.
I was told that if I wish to take this matter further, I should write
to:
Ilene Sandrafield (not sure of the spellimg, they didn't spell it for me)
GTE Mobilnet
616 FM 1960 West.
Suite 400
Houston, TX 77090
So I took them up on it, and wrote her the letter which follows.
If they don't correct this soon, I'm pretty much willing to junk GTE
and FMR, and use the Roam America service that the "A"s are offering.
I spoke with the person responsible for instituting "Roam America" for
McCaw/Cell One, and we had a twenty minute conversation all about how
Roam America works and a few specific details on the system's
operation. I am impressed enough by what he told me that I think it is
more than a viable alternative to FMR, and thus, failing to get a
satisfactory result from GTE (who I am otherwise satisfied with), will
look into this "Roam America" thing. (I called 800-426-2229 and asked
for info on Roam America -- the guy seemed genuinely interested in
talking about the system, and was quite knowledgeable as to where it
was in place, where it was pending, some problems they were having,
etc. )
Anyhow, without further delay, yet another addition to my collection of
"Letters to Mobile Phone Companies" :) ....or rather, :( !!
-------------
DATE: 6-FEB-1991 00:58:59.45
FROM: Douglas Scott Reuben <DREUBEN@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU>
SUBJECT: SEND TO: GTE Mobilnet, Houston
TO: dreuben@mcimail.com
Dear. Ms. Sandrafield,
I was referred to you by Mr. Rudy Kadett at GTE Mobilnet, San
Francisco, after an inquiry I had made about FMR activation charges on
the NYNEX cellular system in Boston, Mass.
After traveling to Boston numerous times and using Follow Me Roaming,
I noticed on my GTE bill that I had been charged airtime for EACH
activation/ deactivation, and as a result, also incurred a "daily
charge" of $3 for each day that I had activated FMR at least once.
I have never looked favorably upon the practice of a daily roamer
surcharge, yet, this seems to be a rather unfortunate fact of life
when roaming these days, one which I reluctantly pay so that I may use
my phone in foreign systems.
However, I flatly refuse to pay a daily charge as well as airtime for
the "ability" to activate FMR, even if I receive no calls via the
service nor initiate any outgoing calls myself. Regardless of what
your literature indicates (and after carefully scrutinizing GTE/SF's
past mailings on the subject I find no indication that some systems
will actually bill for FMR activations), the practice of assessing a
charge for FMR activations goes too far.
There have been plenty of times when FMR was "slow" or "sluggish", and
thus I had to press *18 repeatedly so as to invoke FMR properly.
Moreover, as you may know, FMR deactivates at approximately 12:15AM,
local time, each night. This thus requires that I hit *18 for EACH
day that I am in the area, thus incurring a dialy roam charge and a 1
minute airtime each EVERY day.
NYNEX charges $3/day for their daily charge, and $.75 per minute
airtime. This results in a handy $3.75 automatic charge each day I am
in the system and choose to activate FMR. I find this appalling.
It is not enough that I must pay $3 for the "privilege" of using their
system (a charge which I think we all know is MUCH higher than the
cost of verifying my ESN/MIN will ever be), yet they are so
outrageously greedy that they must make sure that they get this from
their FMR roamers even in the event that the a roamer receives/places
no calls on a specific date.
In my conversation with Mr. Kadett, I was told that GTE would not hold
me to my service contract should I wish to repudiate it due to these
FMR charges, yet I would earnestly prefer to remain a customer of GTE
Mobilnet/SF. It came to my attention that some efforts had been put
into drafting a new roaming agreement between GTE and NYNEX/Boston, so
as to eliminate these petty charges, yet nothing came of it. I am thus
writing to you so that I may strongly request that GTE undertake a new
effort to come to an agreement with NYNEX/Boston so as to address this
issue.
When other "B" companies such as Southern New England Telephone/LINX
in Connecticut offer a "no-daily-roam-charge and $.60 per minute
airtime" package for anywhere in the United States, or the "A"
carriers offer a service similar to FMR (Roam America), yet one where
there are no activation charges, I find it increasingly hard to remain
with GTE. I would think that in light of these newly emerging (and
less costly) alternatives to GTE's FMR service, GTE would desire to
take measures to make itself more competitive.
Let me once again stress how much I do appreciate the service and
value which GTE Mobilnet provides, yet these excessive and unwarranted
FMR charges can not continue, and I will take whatever action is
necessary to avoid them, including, unfortunately, leaving GTE for
another cellular firm.
I thus await your response as to what action, if any, you propose to
take to remedy FMR activation charges with NYNEX/Boston. I shall base
my continued use of GTE Mobilnet on your reply.
Thank you very much for your time and attention in this matter,
Douglas Scott Reuben
-------------
GTE was rather prompt in its previous reply to me (about FMR midnight
deactivations and delays in re-establishing FMR), so hopefully they
will respond similarly to this letter.
Doug dreuben@eagle.wesleyan.edu // dreuben@wesleyan.bitnet