eddy@jafus.mi.org (Eddy J. Gurney) (01/31/91)
In article <16557@accuvax.nwu.edu> Bill Huttig <wah@zach.fit.edu> writes: > In article <16510@accuvax.nwu.edu> eddy@jafus.mi.org (Eddy J. Gurney) > writes: >>$25.00 service charge, and that the rate was $2.75/month. Calls will >>be billed at $0.29/minute during the day and $.2175/minute during the >>evening. This sounds very similar to the numbers you have now, and >>cheaper than MCI's personal 800 service, which is $5.00/month and > MCI's personal 800 number is MUCH cheaper ... no $25 service charge > ... only $2/mo (with Primetime) and .225 a min day and .1083 evenings/ > weekends (with Primetime). Even at the $5/mo rate it would take over > eleven months to make up the difference; and the calls are .25 day and > somewhere around .20/min other times. According to the information I received from MCI, the "PrimeTime plus Personal 800" costs $9.50/month. This entitles you to one hour of calls to and from your home during plan hours. Calls to your 800 number outside plan hours are billed at $0.225/minute. After the first hour, calls to your 800 number during plan hours are $0.1083/minute. Without the "PrimeTime" option, the charge is $5.00/month, and calls are always $0.25/minute, regardless of time of day. It does appear that MCI is cheaper with the PrimeTime option. However, the main disadvantage I see to MCI's personal 800 service is their use of "security codes." Although I'm not certain, I would assume that once a caller dials "your" 800 number, they must dial (presumably from a TouchTone(tm)-equipped phone) an access code to active the ringing of your home phone. The Telecom*USA numbers do not require this. I was not aware of the $25.00 hookup fee until I had answered half of their questions. I agree that the $25.00 charge makes the offer less appealing. Eddy J. Gurney, N8FPW -- eddy@jafus.mi.org -- The Eccentricity Group
reb@uunet.uu.net (Phydeaux) (02/01/91)
In article <16510@accuvax.nwu.edu> eddy@jafus.mi.org (Eddy J. Gurney) writes: >Just a quick note to let you know that I also called Telecom*USA and >requested an 800 number with them. They said there is a one-time >$25.00 service charge, and that the rate was $2.75/month. Calls will >be billed at $0.29/minute during the day and $.2175/minute during the >evening. This sounds very similar to the numbers you have now, and >cheaper than MCI's personal 800 service, which is $5.00/month and >requires users to enter a "security code" so "you control who calls." >This sounds to me like an excuse to let multiple users share one 800 >number. :-) When I spoke to MCI they told me that it was $5.00/month and ??/min - *UNLESS* you had MCI as your LD carrier. In that case, you would not have a monthly charge and you could use their hourly calling packages (I forget what theirs is called) for incoming *and* outgoing calls. Hourly calling in the evening and on weekends, xx% discount on incoming calls during the day. Unless the drone I spoke to didn't know what he was talking about (highly likely) it would seem that that's the way to go. reb *-=#= Phydeaux =#=-* reb@ingres.com reb%ingres.com@lll-winken.llnl.GOV ICBM: 41.55N 87.40W h:558 W.Wellington #3R Chicago, IL 60657 312-549-8365