Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!hybrid!scifi!bywater!uunet!bu.edu!telecom-request
From: dave@westmark.westmark.com (Dave Levenson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: AT&T Universal Calling Card Number Unhipness
Message-ID: <72176@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Date: 13 Jan 91 02:24:02 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 31, Message 9 of 10


In article <16006@accuvax.nwu.edu>, zweig@cs.uiuc.edu (Johnny Zweig)
writes:

> I have had my AT&T Universal card for six months now (if memory
 ...
> phone works fine) -- does anyone know why the numbers for AT&T
> Universal VISA cards aren't distributed?  It seems kind of like a
> you-must-use-AT&T-long-distance-you-measly-mortal ploy to me (since I
> have 10ATT0'ed on numerous occasions to save my 10% at phone booths).

Why would anybody give you a free credit card unless there was
something in it for the giver?  Yes, they get the spiff from the
merchant who accepts it, but the real reason they wanted to blanket
the country with these cards, and the real reason they offer you a
toll discount when you use it, is that it keeps your toll traffic on
their network.  It wouldn't be accomplishing its real purpose if it
allowed you to use if on anybody else's network, would it? 


Dave Levenson		Internet: dave@westmark.com 
Westmark, Inc.		UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
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