caf@cdi.UUCP (06/25/83)
Edited Data Capture from the Compuserve Communications SIG : Sb: #SW BELL TARIFF 18-Jun-83 17:19:51 Fm: Greg Leslie 71565,235 To: ALL A NASTY SITUATION HAS DEVELOPED HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE HEARING ABOUT ANY SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. A 16-YEAR-OLD BBS OPERATOR HERE ASKED BELL FOR A TRACER ON HIS DATA LINE SO HE COULD TRACK DOWN A BBS-CRASHER. BELL ASKED IF HE HAD A MODEM ON THAT LINE. WHEN HE SAID YES, BELL SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO START CHARGING A SPECIAL MODEM RATE OF $48.50/MONTH, WITH AN ADDITIONAL $3 FOR TOUCH TONE SERVICE. THIS OUTRAGEOUS RATE APPLIES TO ANYONE WHO TELLS SW BELL THEY HAVE A MODEM, WHETHER THEY USE IT ONCE A DAY OR ONCE A MONTH. APPARENTLY THIS APPLIES ONLY IN OKLAHOMA NOW, BUT BELL MAY DECIDE IT'S A GOOD WAY TO GET BACK SOME $$$. THEIR REASON FOR THE INCREASE IS A 1965 TARIFF THAT CHARGES HIGHER RATES FOR DATA COMMUNICATIONS. IN'65, THEY SAY, ONLY BUSINESSES USED SUCH DEVICES. NO CLASSIFICATIONS WERE MADE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN BUSINESSES AND HOME USERS (NOT MANY OF THOSE IN 1965). NOW, BELL HAS STARTED ENFORCING THIS TARIFF, AND HAS TICKED OFF A LOT OF MODEM OWNERS IN THE PROCESS. BELLL SHOWS LITTLE INTEREST IN RECLASSIFYING MODEM OWNERS SO THE BBS OPERATOR IS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST SW BELL. WRITING CAMPAIGNS ARE UNDER WAY, AND THE WORD IS GETTING OUT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANY OTHER SIG MEMBERS HAVE RUN UP AGAINST ANYTHING LIKE THIS.