henry@GARP.MIT.EDU (Henry Mensch) (09/26/87)
US Sprint is my primary long distance carrier, and they are offering a
new type of calling card called a "FONCARD" (with a bar over the "O").
The card is rigid, silver in color, with black and red print. My name
and number are embossed on it (the number has fourteen digits in two
groups of three followed by two groups of four. this number bears no
obvious relation to either my US Sprint account number nor my
telephone number). The card is a shiny silver, which means it gets
covered with unsightly fingerprints as soon as you remove it from the
bit of cardboard it is attached to.
On the back of the card are instructions for use on tone phones, and a
magnetic strip (similar in appearance to those on the back of bank
credit cards).
The directions on the back indicate to me that it works just like
their old-style travel service (whatever it was called). The only
difference I can see is that you always call an 800-number (instead of
a local access number).
Does the strip on the back of the card mean this card will be useful
in existing telephones which can read such magnetic stripes?
Now, is there any sort of usefulness this card is good for that I've
missed?
# Henry Mensch / <henry@garp.mit.edu> / E40-379 MIT, Cambridge, MA
# {ames,cca,rochester,harvard,mit-eddie}!garp!henrysr16+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU (Seth Benjamin Rothenberg) (09/28/87)
Reading the fine print, I found that the FONCARD is valid only for calls on Sprint's Fiber Optic Network(FON). To use the FON costs roughly twice what it costs to use the regular nextwork. I threw mine out. Seth Rothenberg sr16@andrew.cmu.edu
LENOIL@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU (09/28/87)
I had asked Sprint for one of their charge cards. My name is Robert Lenoil; I live in Mountain View, California. I received a Foncard in the name of Robert Menoil, mailed to the city MountainViewRracks, California. I called Sprint and asked to have a new card issued to the correct name and address. The operator politely informed me that to change the address, they would have to close the existing account and open a new one. Also, since their computer would not allow two accounts to have the same number, my new number, instead of being my home phone number plus a 4 digit pin, would instead be a random fourteen digit number. I politely told the operator that my AT&T credit card works just fine, does not require dialing some 800 number, and is issued in my name and mailed to the correct address; please cancel my account and don't bother opening a new one.
kent@DECWRL.DEC.COM (09/29/87)
Advantages? I can see only disadvantages. It used to be that I could go to most any phone in most any large city and dial 950-0777 and get a Sprint dialtone. Then I entered my 9 digit access code, which was short enough to memorize, and dialed away. Now, I have to either memorize a new access number + a fourteen-digit pseudo-random string, or carry the card with me. I *hate* carrying cards like this. They bulk up my wallet and are an incredible security risk. Lose it and grant some sucker free reign over your phone bill. I'd like to know what bright boy at Sprint thought this up, so I could write him a nastygram personally; so far I've only been able to point my venom at Customeer Disservice. Even Ma Bell knows better than this. chris ----------
ejs%acorn@LIVE-OAK.LCS.MIT.EDU.UUCP (09/30/87)
> Date: Mon, 28 Sep 87 13:36:47 edt > From: sr16+@andrew.cmu.edu (Seth Benjamin Rothenberg) > Subject: Re: my new FONCARD > Reading the fine print, I found that the FONCARD is valid only > for calls on Sprint's Fiber Optic Network(FON). To use the > FON costs roughly twice what it costs to use the regular nextwork. > I threw mine out. > Seth Rothenberg > sr16@andrew.cmu.edu I just called a customer service representative at US Sprint (phone number is 1-800-531-4646, if anyone else wants to call) and asked about the FONCARD and cost. I learned that the FONCARD can be used just like any other telephone credit card, and that, just like any other credit card, there is a surcharge for using it. The surcharge for inter- and intra-state calls is $0.55. Evidently, MCI and AT&T have higher surcharges for inter-state calls. For those of us who have been old, loyal GTE customers, this $.55 surcharge is new, but I guess unavoidable, since all the other long distance companies charge surcharges. I complained about the new access code, and the CSR indicated that US Sprint is receiving a lot of complaints, but, as I expected, he indicated that the long access codes are for our security -- to prevent unauthorized use of credit cards.
Wegeng.WBST207V@XEROX.COM.UUCP (09/30/87)
I received one of the new FONCARDs about a month ago. My understanding is that Sprint introduced the new system, with longer acct numbers that you listen for a voice prompt before typing in, is to make it more difficult for computers to access their network (under the theory that this is how crackers find acct numbers, they keep trying random digits until one works). Personally, I dislike the FONCARDs for the same reasons as everybody else. Maybe it's time to call MCI... /Don PS. A co-worker whose home phone is in the same exchange as mine just received a letter saying that since Dial-1 service is now available they're turning off 950-XXXX access for his account. The interesting part is that our exchange won't have Dial-1 service for another two years (a call to the local TelCo confirmed this). I didn't receive a similar letter, so maybe it was sent in error. Otherwise Sprint will be losing at least two customers.
pete%wlbr@ETN-WLV.EATON.COM (Pete Lyall) (09/30/87)
In article <sVLdsjy00Uo6yAw0eV@andrew.cmu.edu> sr16+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU (Seth Benjamin Rothenberg) writes: > >Reading the fine print, I found that the FONCARD is valid only >for calls on Sprint's Fiber Optic Network(FON). To use the >FON costs roughly twice what it costs to use the regular nextwork. >I threw mine out. I called to see what the deal was and was told that the only difference charge-wise was that there is an initial .50 charge when you use the card. You can however terminate the first call and make subsequent calls without redialing, or being re-charged. Is anyone aware if this untrue, or if there are other gotchas?? -- Pete Lyall Usenet: {trwrb, scgvaxd, ihnp4, voder, vortex}!wlbr!pete Compuserve: 76703,4230 (OS9 Sysop) OS9 (home): (805)-985-0632 (24hr./1200 baud)
merlin@hqda-ai.UUCP (David S. Hayes) (10/01/87)
In article <870930-113144-2280@Xerox>, Wegeng.WBST207V@XEROX.COM writes: > Personally, I dislike the FONCARDs for the same reasons as everybody > else. Maybe it's time to call MCI... I dislike them for the $0.55 surcharge. I used to have a 9-digit Travelcode number, to use with the 950-0777 access service. The Travelcode calls did not have a surcharge. When Sprint sent me a FONCard, they turned off my Travelcode. I have not used my FONCard, and I will not use it, until they get rid of the surcharge. I used to make occassional personal calls from work. With the Travelcode, I could easily have them billed to my home number. Now, it costs 55 cents to do that. Result: I make no daytime calls, and Sprint loses the revenue from those peak-rate calls. I used Sprint for one reason: THEY'RE CHEAP. Now, maybe I'll give AT&T a call, and check out the "Reach Out America" plan. -- David S. Hayes, The Merlin of Avalon PhoneNet: (202) 694-6900 UUCP: *!uunet!cos!hqda-ai!merlin ARPA: merlin%hqda-ai@mimsy.umd.edu
bob@SDCSVAX.UCSD.EDU (Robert Hofkin) (10/03/87)
A Sprint representative told me that the 950 numbers would be going away soon. On a tangent, the Sprint bill I got today had as letter fro Robert H. Snedaker, Jr., the president, promising that the billing system will be back on scheduyle real soon now. Tough, I already switched to MCI. Five months of harrassment from the receivables management department (threatening legal action when I already had my cancelled check back -- repeatedly!) was too much. Quoth the service rep, "We hope our old customers come back, because we always intend to have the cheapest rates." You get what you pay for, apparently.
kent@DECWRL.DEC.COM (10/07/87)
Perhaps it's time for us to call Sprint Customer Disservice and flame at a few supervisors. They need to know why they're losing customers. chris