Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!decwrl!hayes.fai.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: AT&T Calling Card Discrimination
Message-ID: <9738@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 14 Jul 90 23:02:53 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Organization: TELECOM Digest
Lines: 42
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 485, Message 2 of 6


Before leaving on my trip, I mentioned that I spoke with the Public
Relations Department at AT&T to obtain a reponse from them regarding
their practice of illegally red-lining, or discriminating in the use
of their calling card.

As noted in messages here in TELECOM Digest, AT&T states in their
advertising and in their tariffs that the calling card is universal
and can be used to call anyone, anywhere, using the AT&T network.

Anyone, that is, unless you are a Mexican living in southern
California wanting to call home from a payphone at the place where you
live ... or if you are an Israeli or Iranian citizen at JFK trying to
call home before you board your flight. Then, the presumption by AT&T
is you are likely to be committing fraud, so your call will not be
processed.

Is this type of discrimination by AT&T illegal? The last I heard,
credit could not be denied on the basis of national origin; nor could
neighborhoods be specifically red-lined and credit transactions
refused in those areas. And anyway, even if entire geographic areas
can be legally red-lined, i.e. the entire airport made off limits to
credit card calls, how does that explain the fact that from the very
same phones, calls to the UK and Sweden, to name but two examples, go
through with no delay? Likewise in southern California, if you want to
call Australia, that's just dandy with Mother ... but if Mexico or
Korea is where your family lives or your business is to be conducted,
you are out of luck.

At AT&T Corporate HQ, I spoke with Dave Bickley, 201-953-7614, who
promised me he would get back to me shortly with an answer. I left my
voicemail number, so he would always get an answer ... but that was
over two weeks ago, and he hasn't called back, despite my followup
phone call a few days ago.

I've a feeling this is going to eventually work into a class action
suit against all long distance carriers. If they want to offer a
calling card they have to be willing to honor it for all calls on
their network -- not just the calls they prefer to deal with.


Patrick Townson