DREUBEN@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Douglas Scott Reuben) (11/14/90)
Hi- I too got a notice in my bill from GTE Mobilnet (San Francisco). They said that ALL international calls were blocked. Again being dumb I called up GTE (and after waiting for 20 minutes, as usual...), I asked if that included Canada. The sales rep. said "Yes, any call outside the lower 48 states..." (Does she really mean this? IE, we can't call Alaska and Hawaii direct? Doubtful...) I told her that I would like to call Canada at times, and that if I use my calling card, then I will get billed more because: (A)- There is an 80 cent surcharge on AT&T Card calls. (B)- If I dial 0+416-555-5555, I pay airtime, even if no one is there. IE, once I access AT&T's Calling Card system, charges begin, since AT&T's Calling Card system doesn't pass along answer superivision on a call-by-call basis. (I doubt that this is possible, or even desireable on their calling card system). So, if the number is busy, or there is no one there, I pay airtime anyhow, which I shouldn't have to. (IE, that's not what I bargained for in my Business Club or whatever they call it when I initially signed up for that type of account.) She seemed to know where I was coming from, and said "I see how this could be a problem for you ... I'll have a sales rep or manager call you back to see if we can arrange to let you make Canadian and 011 from YOUR mobile phone number." So I guess they can allow this from individual phones. I've noticed Metro One (the generally overpriced rip-off "A" outfit in New York, the one that has NO *611/611 number for Customer Service - you must dial the 800 and pay airtime - which as a recent poster here noted can be as high as 95 cents per minute! - but anyhow..) ... so Metro One in NYC has an option that you can toggle on or off at their switch to block "011" calls. (And other types of calls as well.). Could this be what GTE is doing? IE, it turned off "011" (and Canadian) access for everyone, and then turns in back on for those who complain on a case-by-case basis? If this is so, it sounds pretty silly to me... Yet they were VERY polite to me and almost apologetic about all this, and noted that since I roam a lot, it should not affect me too much, since they can only block such calls in their system, not in everyone else's. (IE, you can dial 011 and Canada from non-GTE system, it would seem ... It works fine from New York City's "B" System - NYNEX, and Connecticut's "B" system, SNET.) So hopefully I won't have to send GTE a letter about this! :-) And while John Higdon may be right that this is sort of a poor showing by GTE Mobilnet, he hasn't seen anything if you want to talk about *MY* favorite mobile company, Metro Mobile! :-) After sending them a *5* page letter asking WHY they charge airtime for Call-Forwarding, I got a call back on my answering system from a "Mr. Linderman". He said "Hello, Douglas? This is Mr. Linderman from Metro Mobile. I am returning your call ... errr ... letter ... errr calling about the letter you sent last week." That's it. No callback number, no extension. Metro Mobile has like 6 800 numbers, and a number for their main national heaquarters in New York City. I call ALL of them - no Mr. Linderman. THEN, as I am about to hang up, I am told "We do have a Chairman of the Board named that, but I *doubt* he would call *you*!" Err ... yeah, GEE! Thanks! I guess I should know that us peasants never get such calls! So compared to Metro Mobile of Connecticut, GTE Mobilnet/SF is a dream! (Not to mention Ameritech which sounds quite responsbile as well. Hmmm ... Since GTE also charges airtime for Call-forwarding (and waiting, and three-way, and voicemail - checking and receiving!) I wonder if I can 're-cycle' my Metro Mobile letter and send it along to GTE ... ?! The letter is sort of generic - just cross out the "Metro Mobile" and put "GTE" in there instead! :-) Should I *really* be spending more time complaining about cell service than I actually spend using the silly phone anyow??? :-( Doug dreuben@eagle.wesleyan.edu dreuben@wesleyan.bitnet