eli@pws.bull.com (Steve Elias) (10/26/90)
MCI's claim that they can give you an 800 number with the last seven digits being the same as your home phone # has got to be BS. MCI doesn't own all the 800 "exchanges", so there's no way they can assign the numbers as they say ... at least not for all customers. Also, doesn't their "security code" feature mean that people at pulse phones can't call? eli [Moderator's Note: Even if MCI *did* own all the 800 echanges, it should be easy to see the fallacy in their presentation: My home exchange 743 is duplicated in many area codes. If I got one of their 800 numbers, along with someone with the same number as mine in another area code, then what? If the security codes were not used properly by the caller, we'd wind up getting each other's calls. And what about my existing 800 number which begins 747? If a 747-subscriber somewhere signs up with MCI for 800 service, does this mean I now have to start using special codes to distinquish my calls from his? Steve is correct: someone at MCI got it *all* wrong! PAT]
wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher) (10/28/90)
|MCI's claim that they can give you an 800 number with the last seven |digits being the same as your home phone # has got to be BS. |[Moderator's Note: Even if MCI *did* own all the 800 echanges, it |should be easy to see the fallacy in their presentation: My home |exchange 743 is duplicated in many area codes. Who says how LONG the number is? 1-800 MCIHOME {tone} yxzx 743-1923 would do just as they say ... and NOT use up big chunks of the NPA. wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (305) 255-RTFM
john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) (10/29/90)
David Lesher <wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> writes: > Who says how LONG the number is? > 1-800 MCIHOME {tone} yxzx 743-1923 > would do just as they say ... and NOT use up big chunks of the NPA. Oh, but this is weenie in the extreme and a far cry from "your own personal 800 number". As a person who has a *real* 800 number, let me give you some differences. My number could be obtained from "800 555-1212". It is available from rotary phones. It is available from COCOTs that mute the pad after dialing. It is available from dial-less toll stations. It requires no special instructions. What you describe above is nothing more than a "call home" credit card arrangement -- not an 800 number assignment. To advertise it as such would be a little fraudulent. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !
la063249@zach.fit.edu (Bill Huttig) (10/29/90)
I called MCI several times. They still say that it is your home number with the area code replaced with 800. They also said that it will take 45 days because the local phone company has to 'program it'. I wish MCI would train their people better. The lady this morning at the Maryland office (I call there because the CS people in Atlanta are stupid <generally> and rude) said that the 800 service was a product of TELECOM*USA and was going to be billed on their computers. That is why they can't add it to existing accounts and it will take 45 days to set up. I think that they haven't finished the programming yet and that is why it will take so long. Bill [Moderator's Note: Telecom*USA offers no such package. What they offer are regular 800 numbers, from the block of same assigned to their company, which terminate on their switch in Iowa somewhere. The calls arriving there, DID-style (never a busy signal at that point, no matter how many people dial your 800 number at one time), are then outdialed to your regular number. It is all very transparent; the only thing an experienced 800 user would notice is there is a slightly longer delay in getting the distant end to ring -- like maybe five seconds longer -- since the call has to go into Telecom*USA's switch and back out again. Maybe this is the program MCI reps have in mind and are trying to describe. They probably mean to say "you get a regular 800 number but no line appearance at your end; it terminates on your regular number." PAT]
la063249@zach.fit.edu (Bill Huttig) (10/31/90)
>[Moderator's Note: Telecom*USA offers no such package. What they offer >are regular 800 numbers, from the block of same assigned to their >company, which terminate on their switch in Iowa somewhere. The calls >arriving there, DID-style (never a busy signal at that point, no I wonder what percent of 800 numbers are DID type? >matter how many people dial your 800 number at one time), are then >outdialed to your regular number. It is all very transparent; the only I assume MCI's version will do this also, so if you had lines in a hunt group or with busy/noanswer forwarding then you would have multi-800 lines. >thing an experienced 800 user would notice is there is a slightly >longer delay in getting the distant end to ring -- like maybe five >seconds longer -- since the call has to go into Telecom*USA's switch I can tell it seems like forever. I have one of their 800 #'s from ATC (800-780-xxxx). When you someone hangs up on the 800 number the line still rings for a short period of time. >and back out again. Maybe this is the program MCI reps have in mind >and are trying to describe. They probably mean to say "you get a >regular 800 number but no line appearance at your end; it terminates >on your regular number." PAT] MCI reps where not trained properly on it. I had a question and asked the 800 order dept to call me back on a 407-676 number which is one of my home lines. They called me back on my Ring Master number of that line which is 407-952-xxxx. I asked how they got the other # and they would admit to checking my existing MCI account ... (Thats the only place they have it) I wish MCI would offer the option of not haveing the four digit security code on the number. Also they could offer remote programming like C&W does. I have lost the number to Calble and Wireless. Could someone send it to me?