GUYDOSRM@splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu (Ray Guydosh) (02/05/91)
I received a mail promotion for MCI Primetime accompanied by a gift -- a Twenty Dollar check in my name. From the promotional literature: "Don't forget to endorse your check before depositing or cashing it. With your signature, you authorize MCI to notify your local telephone company to switch your primary long distance service to MCI PrimeTime (SM)." And from the back of the check, under the space for endorsement: "With this signature, I authorize MCI (R) to switch my Dial-1 Long Distance Service to MCI PrimeTime, and I authorize MCI to notify my local telephone company of this choice for the telephone number listed on the front of this check. I understand that I may choose only one long distance company for this telephone number, and that if I choose more than one company, none of my choices will be considered valid." I already DO have more than one long distance carrier on some of my lines, none of which are MCI -- as far as I know, that is. ;-) I suppose that they really mean "no more than one Dial-1 carrier". But what are the implicatons of "if I choose more than one ... none of my choices will be considered valid." If that were true, that would help eliminate the slamming practice, right? Also, as it turns out, the telephone number "listed on the front of this check" is a telephone number that I haven't "owned" in seven months. I suppose that if I cashed the check, MCI might "slam" the number's new "owner". (Don't worry, I'm not going to cash it.) Ray Guydosh, GUYDOSRM@SNYPLAVA.BITNET (Even if the header says something else.)