ergo@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Isaac Rabinovitch) (07/27/90)
The discussion of business rates reminds me of a story I heard some time back. Supposedly a Stanford dormie thought it would be cute to have the following annoucement on his answering machine: "You've reached Smith House, an experiment in modern living!" Pac Bell told him he'd have to change it or pay a business rate! ergo@netcom.uucp Isaac Rabinovitch atina!pyramid!apple!netcom!ergo Silicon Valley, CA uunet!mimsy!ames!claris!netcom!ergo
john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) (07/27/90)
Isaac Rabinovitch <claris!netcom!ergo@ames.arc.nasa.gov> writes: > Supposedly a Stanford dormie thought it would be cute to > have the following annoucement on his answering machine: "You've > reached Smith House, an experiment in modern living!" Pac Bell told > him he'd have to change it or pay a business rate! I would not be surprised if this actually happened. But for future reference it should be pointed out that they could have stood their ground and left the announcement any way they pleased without fear of class of service change. Not long ago this matter came up and it was necessary to obtain a copy of the tariff that applies to determining whether business or residence rates apply to an account. The document is about four pages long and deals with things like use to which the phone is put (personal, hobby, business purposes), where the phone is installed (apt. building or office building), and a number of other considerations. None of them involve: 1. Number of lines associated with the account. 2. How the telephone is answered. In other words, don't let a front line rep bozo ever try to intimidate you over how you answer your phone or over how many lines you want in your house. Those things are not a consideration for your qualifying for residence service. I have ten lines and answer the phone with a variety of messages for amusement. There are about to be four more installed. All of it residence. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !
peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) (07/31/90)
In article <10193@accuvax.nwu.edu> John Higdon <john@bovine.ati.com> writes: > Not long ago this matter came up and it was necessary to obtain a copy > of the tariff that applies to determining whether business or > residence rates apply to an account. None of them involve: > 1. Number of lines associated with the account. > 2. How the telephone is answered. Unless you answer the telephone with a modem carrier and have more than three lines, in Houston. Southwestern Bell has, with the willing connivance of the PUC and a local BBS sysops group, decided that BBS systems with more than three lines are "businesses". Basically, SWBell intimidated COSUARD into going along with this definition rather than a more logical one (like, you charge for the service) by threatening to treat uploads as payments. For a while they were trying to treat *all* BBSes as businesses. I guess there are things that even Pac*Bell won't stoop to, John. Aren't you amazed? Peter da Silva. `-_-' +1 713 274 5180. 'U` <peter@ficc.ferranti.com>