churchfield1@aldncf.alcoa.com (B CHURCHFIELD) (03/23/89)
In the past couple of months I have seen a lot of people complaining about what a rip COCOTs are. I think maybe not every one knows what a COCOT is, especially based on some of the descriptions I have seen given. A COCOT is a Customer Owned Coin Operated Telephone, I have seen some complaints of ATT operated COCOTs which to me sounds like a conflict of interest. Yesterday I couldn't spell COCOT, today I is one. When I purchased my phone I was told I needed to go through an AOS (alternate operator service) in order to get call supervision. Some people that I have talked to since say this is not so, but the point is it is the AOS that is overcharging on calls. In most states the AOSs are not regulated therefore that can charge what they want or at least what ever the traffic will bear. Most people get into COCOTs to make money but, other than AOS I don't think one can get rich. I went into this blindly based on articles I had read in trade publications, if anyone knows of any good reading on COCOTs I would appreciate the info .