Edward_Greenberg@cso.3mail.3com.com (01/10/90)
Latest ad is for a service that will "add your name" to a
communication to your legislators announcing your feelings (pro or
anti) on the abortion issue. Call 1-900-xxx-xxx0 for one view and
1-900-xxx-xxx0 for the other view. In letters 3 pixels high for about
10 seconds, it states that the call costs $4.95. Otherwise, no audio
mention of the cost.
The announcer is a pretty lady with a soothing voice telling how
important the issue is, and how the supreme court has put it back in
the hands of the legislator and how disasterous it would be if your
voice wasn't heard. Unsaid, but implied is the threat that if the
other side calls in more times than your side does, legislators will
be influenced against your position.
Boy, this industry has hit new lows in sleeze.
-edgSeth Zirin <shz@packard.att.com> (01/10/90)
In article <2755@accuvax.nwu.edu> Edward_Greenberg@cso.3mail.3com.com writes: >The announcer is a pretty lady with a soothing voice telling how >important the issue is, and how the supreme court has put it back in >the hands of the legislator and how disasterous it would be if your >voice wasn't heard. Unsaid, but implied is the threat that if the >other side calls in more times than your side does, legislators will >be influenced against your position. There are worse ads in the NY Metro area. 1) A "free" information kit for people with bad credit that desire a credit card. The call costs 6.95 and the warning is visual only and lasts 1 second. 2) Information on buying cars seized from drug dealers for $100. They show new Vettes, BMWs, etc and the call costs $59.00! Again, there is no audible warning. 3) WOR in NJ seems to bombard their evening viewers with ads for various date and love lines. They state that only women will be on the line. Since we never see ads geared towards women that claim only men will be on the line, we can only assume that the women are employees of the service provider and are not women calling in on some other number. Using 900 for these calls was a bad idea. Anyone dialing an off by one to a toll free 800 number can get zapped. Imagine trying to get credit for a $59 wrong number from one of the fly by night "telephone companies."
gws@cbnews.ATT.COM (Gary W. Sanders) (01/10/90)
In article <2755@accuvax.nwu.edu> Edward_Greenberg@cso.3mail.3com.com writes: >X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 18, message 4 of 8 >Latest ad is for a service that will "add your name" to a >communication to your legislators announcing your feelings (pro or >anti) on the abortion issue. Call 1-900-xxx-xxx0 for one view and I noticed another sleazy thing that is happening in the 900/976 world is on pricing. I have seen a number of ads stating a price of 50 cents a minute, that is about 1/2 of what other services are charging, but if you look closely there is a "*" and very small print at the bottom of the page that says cost is based on 1/2 minutes. The other sleazy item is get minimum number of minutes, you get this "great rate" but there is a 15 minute minimum on the call. With many of these chat/talk lines running $60 to $75 an hour I dont see how people can really spend that kind of money. Are people really that lonely? The quality of the phone lines and quality of the service overall is very poor. Gary Sanders (N8EMR) AT&T Bell Labs, Columbus Ohio gws@cblph.att.com 614-860-5965
judice@32.186.enet.dec.com (Louis J. Judice 11-Jan-1990 0916) (01/11/90)
Ok, here is a mega-buck idea for a 900 service... Set up an 800 number, 1-800-RATFINK and advertise that people should call to report crimes, indescretions, income-tax evasion and other nasty behavior. Then set up the 900 service, with a $49.95 charge and advertise that if you call it, we WON'T use any information we collect on you! It's sort of a post-de-regulation, post-devestiture variant of the Monty Python skit about the "Blackmail" show. /ljj
john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) (01/11/90)
Seth Zirin <shz@packard.att.com> writes: > 3) WOR in NJ seems to bombard their evening viewers with ads > for various date and love lines. They state that only women > will be on the line. Since we never see ads geared towards > women that claim only men will be on the line, we can only > assume that the women are employees of the service provider > and are not women calling in on some other number. While there are female employees of the service provider lurking on the line to keep things under control (get rid of obnoxious callers, keep a sagging discussion going, etc.), the ads are set up in this manner because it is difficult to get men to call. They need to make it look like the line is teeming with women, and it usually is. > Using 900 for these calls was a bad idea. Anyone dialing an off by > one to a toll free 800 number can get zapped. Imagine trying to get > credit for a $59 wrong number from one of the fly by night "telephone > companies." As the weary recipient of many 800 number misdials, let me say that this would be a great incentive to dial the right number, don't you think? But unlike other evils in the telephone jungle, the 976/900 sleaze market is something you can easily avoid. When your car quits on some lonely road and the only phone for miles is a misprogrammed COCOT, you're screwed. When your local telco is gouging you for local service, it's already too late. If you can't get any modern features because your telco is more interested in profits than modernization, well... On the other hand, 976/900 are easy to do without: just don't dial them. I have to say that regardless of how sleazy the TV spots are, no matter how much they charge for their questionable "service", or how much money I *could* waste by calling them, I have not lost one cent to these people. This is a truly *optional* evil. You need go to no pains to avoid spending a single dime. For this reason, I can't get too excited about this particular telephony annoyance. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !
deej@bellcore.bellcore.com (David Lewis) (01/11/90)
In article <2755@accuvax.nwu.edu>, Edward_Greenberg@cso.3mail.3com.com writes:
[description of latest sleazy ad for 900 service -- "important issue,
add your name to the list of people in favor", 3-pixel high
notification that it costs $4.95 and will be billed directly to your
phone bill -- omitted.]
That's nothing.
You know those ads you always see in the back of magazines about
buying vehicles from the government for $49? Where, basically, you
send them $5 and they send you a copy of a GSO printout of vehicle
auctions.
Lately on NYC TV I've been seeing ads for a "service" which will
provide you information on how you can get vehicles from the
government for exorbitantly low prices... starts sounding familiar...
of course, this is TV advertizing, so they call it an "association" or
something, and give you a fancy embossed credit card-type membership
card with your name and "membership number"...
The kicker? The "membership fee" is like $57.95. The number to call
is a 900 number. In small print at the bottom of the screen is the
disclaimer "fee will be directly charged to your phone bill."
In other words, you call, they collect the money, send you a pile of
stuff you could get for about $0.85 by writing to the GSO, and when
you find out it's worthless, you have very little recourse...
Sigh. P.T. Barnum is alive and well and selling 900 services...
David G Lewis ...!bellcore!nvuxr!deej
(@ Bellcore Navesink Research & Engineering Center)
"If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower."PMW1@psuvm.psu.edu (Peter Weiss) (01/15/90)
Found in ALT.PEEVES - From: bobc@attctc.Dallas.TX.US (Bob Calbridge) Newsgroups: alt.peeves Subject: 1-900 come-on Message-ID: <10917@attctc.Dallas.TX.US> Date: 10 Jan 90 03:56:38 GMT Organization: The Unix(R) Connection, Dallas, Texas I just saw one of the most disgusting commercials today. Disgusting because it seems to say that anyone who falls for the line is a sucker. But I'm sure there are a few people who will follow through. If anyone out there does so plase post the result. The commercial has some jerk saying that there is a 1-900 number at the bottom of the screen. Whatever you do, don't call it. The guy jumps up and down repeating this plea. Finally he says he's getting down on his knees to plead for you not to call the number. Another voice is heard telling you to call the number. Guy number 1 hollers "NO! Don't listen. This guy is crazy." There is no mention of what you would hear on the other end. Of course, there is a charge for the call. I think it was about $2.95 for the first minute. Any takers? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- = More stupid questions available on request from = - bobc@attctc Your humble servant (real humble) - =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=