dave@uunet.uu.net (Dave Horsfall) (07/28/89)
Printed in the Sydney Morning Herald, 11/7/89 (that's 11 July 89 :-) ``Paying her bill at an otherwise-satisfactory motel on the Southern Highlands, a Fairy Meadow reader found she was charged 60c for a local phone call from her room. She pointed out that the call she made had not been answered, but was shown a computer print-out showing she had spoken for 30 seconds. She protested that when she dialled, all she got ws a recorded Telecom service saying she couldn't dial STD on that phone. "Ah," said the manager triumphantly, "but you listened to the message."'' --- I know that you do get gouged by hotels for phone calls, but don't they even check for call supervision? Is it possible there is no indication that the call failed, and a recorded announcement is mistaken for the called party answering? -- Dave Horsfall (VK2KFU), Alcatel STC Australia, dave@stcns3.stc.oz dave%stcns3.stc.oz.AU@uunet.UU.NET, ...munnari!stcns3.stc.oz.AU!dave
klb@lzaz.att.com (K.BLATTER) (07/31/89)
> for 30 seconds. She protested that when she dialled, all she got ws a > recorded Telecom service saying she couldn't dial STD on that phone. > "Ah," said the manager triumphantly, "but you listened to the message."'' > > I know that you do get gouged by hotels for phone calls, but don't they > even check for call supervision? Is it possible there is no indication > that the call failed, and a recorded announcement is mistaken for the > called party answering? Nope, traditional PBX's like those used in Hotels have no idea if a call was completed. A PBX only knows when the caller picked up the phone and the digits that he/she dialed and when the caller hangs up. PBX's use a timeout feature to assume when a call would possibly be completed. Then they start billing from that time -- usually about 45 seconds. When I travel and I want to call home, I pick up the handset, dial the number quickly, when the other end answers, I spout off the hotel and room number quickly and then hang up. I have done this several times and haven't been billed for one of these calls yet. -- A nice way to get back at the slimeball hotel operators that choose AOS's! Kevin L. Blatter AT&T - Bell Labs Disclaimer - I don't know what my employer thinks of such practices, so I can't very well speak for them.
lars@salt.acc.com (Lars J Poulsen) (08/02/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0267m07@vector.dallas.tx.us> klb@lzaz.att.com (K.BLATTER) writes: >-- A nice way to get back at the slimeball hotel operators that choose AOS's! On a recent visit to Phoenix, I stayed at an otherwise very nice hotel that had AOS (NTS, I think). When it was time to call my wife, I called the receptionist and asked how to access ATT and MCI. She told me to dial 9-10288+ for ATT (9 was the access code for (free) local calls). In a flash of inspiration, I dialed 9-950-1022+ and the call went through. No billing on the room bill. Serves them right. / Lars Poulsen <lars@salt.acc.com> (800) 222-7308 or (805) 963-9431 ext 358 ACC Customer Service Affiliation stated for identification only My employer probably would not agree if he knew what I said !!