pag@hao.ucar.edu (Peter Gross) (09/29/90)
With all the recent brouhaha about MCI slamming, I though the net might be interested in my experience with ATT slamming. I had chosen MCI as my dial 1+ service for their "Call-Canada" plan which was substantially better in rates and times of coverage than the ATT equivalent. The MCI sales rep told me to call 1-700-555-4141 to check when the changeover was made. Sure enough, in a week or so, my line was switched to MCI. So I told my wife she could now start calling all her Canadian relatives and friends with abandon. Many calls later ... local phone bill arrives (from US West). Long distance bill from ATT. HUGE bill due to Canadian calls (I was told by someone that a daytime call to Canada is more expensive than Tokyo). I call 1-700-555-4141 and sure enough, we had been slammed back to ATT. I would have attributed it to accident had we not been inundated with ATT telemarketing calls trying to get us to switch back from MCI. So MCI is not the only guilty party in this nasty game. BTW, ATT was very apologetic and cooperative -- they agreed to refund based on their "ReachOutWorld" plan (.20/min) on the Canadian calls. peter gross pag@scg.boulder.co.us [MX-able] ..ncar!scg!pag [uucp] pag%scg@ncar.ucar.edu [Internet]