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From: ecl@mtgzy.att.com (Evelyn C Leeper)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: On Who You Owe When Slammed
Message-ID: <15448@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 16 Dec 90 20:12:54 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 884, Message 10 of 10


In article <15416@accuvax.nwu.edu>, telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM
Moderator) writes:

> When calling long distance, your local telco uses a form of shorthand
> for your instructions: 1+ will be considered an abbreviation for the 
> 10xxx of your choice until you tell them differently. Somehow or
> another they get those instructions incorrect. Maybe someone else did
> legitimatly ask to use Pat, but the telco got the digits transposed on
> the work order and mistakenly thought you wanted to use Pat. Maybe Pat
> mistakenly or deliberatly told them you wanted to use his service.

> If the carrier deliberatly did this, then we have different
> circumstances than if the local telco did it in error. In the latter
> case the LD carrier is not at fault and should be paid, and in fact
> under the law they can force you to pay if necessary by suing you,
> although it is unlikely one would do so for a few dollars.

No, in the latter case, the local telco can damn well pay the LD
carrier.  As an example, my parents have AT&T as their LD carrier
because I work for AT&T.  (Whether this is a good reason is not at
issue.)  They authorize their local telco to pay AT&T for default LD
calls.  If their local telco screws up and routes their calls via
Sprint, why the hell should my parents have to pay Sprint -- the
"competition" -- money for the telco's mistake -- particularly since
the telco is a monopoly?!

The break-down in the employee analogy is that if the employee screws
up enough, you can dump him.  You're stuck with your local telco.


Evelyn C. Leeper  |  +1 908-957-2070  |  att!mtgzy!ecl or  ecl@mtgzy.att.com