telecom@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Patrick Townson) (11/08/88)
An organization has been advertising lately which bills itself as "the world's most advanced long distance and voice messaging system....designed especially for the frequent business traveller..." They claim to offer these services - Send/recieve voice messages to anyone, anywhere in USA - 24 hours daily. Take advantage of reduced long distance rates. A personal 800 number if desired. Place conference calls without operator assistance. Forward your calls to any telephone, including cellular. Remote call forwarding. Recording of conversations from any phone to any other phone(s). Weather reports for major cities and current stock market reports. They do not give rates in their advertising except to say that they believe you will be so impressed with their service they are willing to give the first ten dollars worth away free -- your choice of the various services, I assume -- to help you get aquainted with them. Charges after the first ten dollars worth will be billed to a credit card, so if you intend to investigate this, you will want to be judicious in your use of the service until you have a complete understanding of the rates and policies, etc. It appears to me to be an answering service, albiet a fancy one, which is national in scope rather than limited to a certain community or geographic area. They do not give an address in their advertising. The phone number to call for information and to sign up is 1-800-289-1500, and you are to ask for 'extension 545', which apparently is keyed to the November 14 issue of [Insight Magazine]. If any of you take them up on their offer of ten bucks worth of free service and/or subscribe, please summarize your experience in a message here. Thanks.