Edward_Greenberg@cso.3mail.3com.com (06/25/90)
Regarding hotels charging for 800 numbers, Patrick writes: >[Moderator's Note: It does *not* apply 'only to payphones', or only to >anything else. It is a dispicable practice which AOS companies get >away with because no one will sue them to make them stop doing it. PT] Actually, it is usually a despicable practice that the HOTELS themselves are getting away with because nobody will vote with their pocketbooks to make them stop doing it.
covert@covert.enet.dec.com (John R. Covert 26-Jun-1990 2110) (06/27/90)
From: Greg Monti
Date: 26 June 1990
Subject: Re: 800 Surcharge
> Regarding hotels charging for 800 numbers...
Yes, hotels can get away with charging $0.25 to $1.00 or so for 800
calls because people just pay them. It's small compared to the price
of the room, and most business travelers wouldn't complain much.
If you are dialing an 800 number to get to your LD company's switch,
the charge is a downright *bargain* compared to what the hotel's AOS
would charge you if you direct-dialed the call from your room! The
AOS would inflate the price of each minute of the call by 200% or 300%
while the charge for the 800 call only inflates the price of the first
minute.
This brings up a related subject, that of COCOTs whose keypads are cut
off after dialing, thwarting you from using any long distance company
but the AOS which kicks back to the premises owner. As long as this
number isn't itself blocked, there is exactly one reasonably-priced
long distance company *that I know of* which can always be accessed
from phones like this: US Sprint.
If you dial their FONcard access number (800 877-8000) and then do
nothing, the dial tone will expire after 15 or 20 seconds and you will
be connected to a Sprint operator. Just say you're calling from a
rotary phone and give the numbers you're calling from and to and your
14-digit Sprint FONcard number. Local operating company (and AT&T)
cards not accepted. There's a premium operator-assistance charge of
around 50 cents (on top of the 75-cent FONcard charge) for the whole
call. But it avoids the per-minute AOS inflation. Handy. Sprint
calls this "rotary access."
This could work with other LD companies *provided* they (1) offer
routine operator services and (2) they have an 800 number to reach
that operator. MCI misses on item (1). AT&T misses on item (2).
Greg Monti, Arlington, Virginia; work +1 202 822 2633bernhold@qtp.ufl.edu (David E. Bernholdt) (06/28/90)
In article <9339@accuvax.nwu.edu> covert@covert.enet.dec.com (John R. Covert) writes: X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 457, Message 3 of 12 [ description of US Sprint operator assisted dialing for customers on rotary phones ] >This could work with other LD companies *provided* they (1) offer >routine operator services and (2) they have an 800 number to reach >that operator. MCI misses on item (1). AT&T misses on item (2). MCI has had similar capabilities for a while now. I very rarely have occasion to use it, so I don't remember the details and costs exactly, but the method was essentially the same as Sprint's and I seem to recall that if you said you were on a rotary phone, they wouldn't charge the operator-assist fee. David Bernholdt bernhold@qtp.ufl.edu Quantum Theory Project bernhold@ufpine.bitnet University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611 904/392 6365 P A T R I C K A. T O W N S O N (The Cheerful Iconclast) ptownson@cs.bu.edu ptownson@chinet.ch.il.us ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu Unique Zip Code 60690-1570 MCI Mail: 222-4956 AT&T Mail: !ptownson