am299bv%sdcc6@ucsd.edu (Ravinder Bhumbla) (10/05/90)
I called the AT&T operator today to find out a way to get around the blocking of calling card calls to India from payphones (my university, like many others, does not allow any calls except local and 800 ones. It also does not allow access to long-distance companies through 10xxx and I was trying to find a way to call India from my campus). I was directed from international information (800 874-4000) to the long distance operator (00) to her supervisor. The supervisor told me that AT&T had nothing to do with the blocking and it was done "at the request of the country that was being called". To my incredulous reply that I couldn't believe that a country like, say, Liberia could ask them to block calls from a downtown Los Angeles payphone, she replied that "that was their prerogative". Now my question is - was she right or, was she just lying to me and it is the long-distance telephone company that blocks access? If she was lying, can someone give me an address in AT&T that I could write to complain about her. If she was right, could someone explain to me the reason behind other countries having the power to block access to them. I can understand not accepting collect calls where the called country would have to pay, but I would guess that in case of calling card calls it would be the long distance company that would suffer in case of fraud. p.s. - I don't know if Liberia *can* be direct-dialled - for some reason it was the first non-western country that popped to my mind! Ravinder Bhumbla rbhumbla@ucsd.edu Office Phone: (619)534-7894 [Moderator's Note: The operator/supervisor was absolutely incorrect. I've had them try to tell me they had nothing to do with the blocking and that 'the local telco requests the blocking...'. I mean, how stupid does AT&T think their average user must be? No matter who you call with some authority/knowledge in the matter at AT&T, you will never get the same answer twice, and you will never get a *truthful, candid* answer at all! You will never get anyone to provide you with a complete list of foreign countries/US areas redlined let alone even admit that they are illegally discriminating against a large number of telephone users based on their ethnic or national origin. You think for a minute and tell me if you think the management of a telephone administration in some country would say to AT&T, "We do not want to accept calls coming from your country which originate at the corner of Walk and Don't Walk Sts." The employees at AT&T you spoke with assumed you were stupid and would not consider doubting what they said. The truth of the matter is that AT&T corporate policy -- not the local telcos; not the telephone administration in some country, but AT&T exclusively -- says people from countries X, Y and Z are likely to commit fraud. Such gross generalizations are of course highly offensive to most Americans. And look at your situation: through no fault of your own, you are greatly inconvenienced and discriminated against while living in our country. I guess AT&T assumes no one can stop them, or make them obey the law. There are things that can be done: A consortium of attornies should file a class action suit against AT&T for starters. If AT&T refused to process your call when you were using their 'Universal Card' (universal that is, unless you are a native of India, Israel, Korea or a few other countries trying to call back to your homeland) then you can take your complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, which regulates credit granting practices in the USA, since AT&T unlawfully discriminated against you in the use of their credit card. You can also file an informal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, asking that AT&T be forced to completely document their redlining activies. You can, and definitly should also contact the telephone administration in affected countries and ask them to file a formal complaint against AT&T for its refusal to pass traffic to them in accordance with applicable international agreements. Mention that AT&T tried to blame *them* for not accepting your call! The Federal Trade Commission will also accept complaints about fraudulent advertising, in view of the fact that AT&T claims their Calling Card can be used to call *anywhere* in the world. When you contact the FTC, FCC or telephone administrations, carefully document your claim with the time, place and destination of your call. Include the names and titles of any employees of AT&T you speak with. Let's force the issue! PAT]