Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!bu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Avoiding Unlisted Number Charge
Message-ID: <59811@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Date: 28 Jun 90 04:31:06 GMT
Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu
Reply-To: John Higdon <john@bovine.ati.com>
Organization: Green Hills and Cows
Lines: 38
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 461, Message 8 of 12


On Jun 27 at  2:35, TELECOM Moderator writes:

> [Moderator's Note: Generally, telling them the phone will be listed in
> your roommate's name (or mother's name, etc) will work provided the
> name is (in their sole discretion) reasonable, 'real sounding' and
> unoffensive. If they suspect you are merely trying to circumvent the
> charge for a non-pub number, they may ask you to produce the person in
> whose name the service is to be listed, or offer proof that the name
> is correct.  PT]

Pac*Bell seems to take a slightly different stance on this. Recently,
I discovered that because my billing number on a consolidated group is
not the "public" number (a recent change) and the billing number is
unlisted, the "public" number (in my .signature) can no longer be
listed. In essence, I am now forced to pay for unlisting even though I
would like to have one of my phones listed.

My options (as suggested by the Pac*Bell rep):

1. Deconsolidate the billing.

2. List the billing number in a phony name (to avoid unlisting
   charges).

3. Make the "public" number the billing number.

4. List the billing number in a phony name (making it a "listed class
   of service") and then list my "public" number in my real name.

Number 4 is my avenue of choice, although the rep suggested that I
would start getting junk calls directed to my phony "person" on my
private line. Note that not only will they allow a phony listing, but
the rep even suggested it.


        John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 723 1395
    john@bovine.ati.com     | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !