john@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (John Higdon) (03/27/89)
A few weeks ago I brought up some of the slimy practices of PacTel
Cellular in Los Angeles. Here is what has got to be the flip side of
those practices.
Here in the Bay Area we have to cellular providers: GTE Mobilnet
(wireline) and Cellular One (non-wireline), which is owned in part by
Pacific Telesis, the holding company for PacTel and Pacific Bell. GTE
Mobilnet is the larger of the two systems with over 90 cell sites
compared to Cellular One with only 60.
Cellular One has a great arrangement with Pacific Bell. No matter where
you are in the Bay Area, if you call any Cellular One mobile prefix you
are charged only as a local call. This even works from utility-provided
pay phones: any call to a Cellular One mobile phone is twenty cents.
On the other hand, if you try to call a GTE mobile prefix you get a
recording that says, "There are long distance charges associated with
this call. Please redial your call, preceded by the digit '1'." You get
this recording even if you are calling a GTE mobile prefix that shows
in the directory as being local to the telephone you are using. I have
yet to find a Pacific Bell pay phone anywhere in the Bay Area that does
not do this.
When you follow instructions and dial the '1', you get a reorder. This
is to be expected in 408 since a '1' is not used for long distance. If
you precede the number with '0', you get the Pacific Bell ka-bong where
you can enter your calling card (and be charged ????). If you call the
Pacific Bell operator, your call will be placed and twenty cents will
be collected.
I used to think this was an honest programming error in a particular
central office until 1) I reported it four times and nothing was done,
and 2) I found out that it is widespread. Another thing is that this
recording that you hear is heard under no other circumstances. If you
actually dial a long distance call you get asked for money. If you are
in 415 and forget to dial a '1', you are simply told that you must dial
a '1' and there is no mention of "long distance *charges*".
Do you suppose little things like this might nudge potential cellular
customers over to Cellular One? From non-coin phones, things seem to
work properly. I'm not quite sure where to start my campaign, but it
seems that a call to GTE Mobilnet might be in order. I'm sure they will
be interested to know how the operating company is thwarting their
business. The next call will be to the Pacific Bell pay phone division,
and that will be followed by a strong letter to the CPUC.
Any other suggestions?
--
John Higdon
john@zygot ..sun!{apple|cohesive|pacbell}!zygot!john