Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!dino!sharkey!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: gmc@mvuxr.att.com (Glenn M Cooley) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Billing and Answer Supervision Message-ID: <5198@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 15 Mar 90 15:15:55 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: gnn@cbnews.ATT.COM (glenn.m.cooley,wi,) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 14 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 175, Message 6 of 9 >And how is that any different from the typical electric, >water, or natural gas bill? Because unlike the telephone, each of these has a meter which I can read, measure, and verify my bill with. In fact, with my water bill, I read the meter and send the numbers into the water company (they check every so many years to adjust any discrepencies/deceit). And if I wanted, I could use a one cubic foot bucket to verify or show that the meter is or isn't ripping me off. But when the TELCO tells me to pay up for 15 message units, how do I know this is correct and if it isn't correct how do I prove it. Given the proven abusive nature of such companies I wouldn't be surprised is their computers are "accidentally" overcharging people.