kerns@ihlpb.ATT.COM (02/02/89)
I had another problem with International Calling Cards. While in Europe last month, I had no trouble using a public telephone in France and Germany - and getting connected to a US operator using my trusty AT&T calling card. In Switzerland, you can't use a public phone on the street, but must go to a PTT office where they can connect you. But Austria was a different story. On a public phone on the street I couldn't use my calling card, because the operator had to call me back - and there are no numbers on public phones. So I went to the PTT office and explained that I wanted to call a US number using my international calling card. They claimed there was absolutely no way they could do it. (They were willing to collect the call charge right there, or make a collect card.) So I called from my hotel, and was hit with a 300% surcharge when I checked out. $70 for my hotel bill, $90 for my phone call - about 15 minutes worth. Last time I call anyone from a hotel, especially in Europe. John Kerns AT&T Bell Labs