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From: eddy@jafus.mi.org (Eddy J. Gurney)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Telecom*USA 800 Service
Message-ID: <16510@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 28 Jan 91 21:03:54 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 76, Message 7 of 9


Hi Patrick!

Just a quick note to let you know that I also called Telecom*USA and
requested an 800 number with them.  They said there is a one-time
$25.00 service charge, and that the rate was $2.75/month.  Calls will
be billed at $0.29/minute during the day and $.2175/minute during the
evening.  This sounds very similar to the numbers you have now, and
cheaper than MCI's personal 800 service, which is $5.00/month and
requires users to enter a "security code" so "you control who calls."
This sounds to me like an excuse to let multiple users share one 800
number. :-)

Like Steve Kile mentioned in an earlier message, it will be a couple of
weeks before service is connected.  I will let you know how things go if
you're interested.

I do have a few other questions though (some of which I forgot to ask
the sales rep.):  

One, do you have a lot of problems with people calling your 800 number
who you DON'T want to call?  (e.g., business-oriented telemarketers,
etc, ad infinitum, et al...)  "Distinctive Ringing" is not offered in
my exchange, so I won't know if I get to pay for the call or not. :)

Two, are you listed in 800 information if you have your own 800
number?  If so, can you tell them NOT to list you?  Three, if my line
is busy and someone calls on the 800 number, am I still billed for
their call?

Also, here at Michigan State U, on campus we have AT&T's ACUS as our ONLY
choice for a LD carrier.  So like you, I will be using two different LDCs for
different purposes. 


Best regards,

Eddy J. Gurney, N8FPW  --  eddy@jafus.mi.org  --  The Eccentricity Group


[Moderator's Note: Wrong numbers on my two 800 lines are rare. The way
I 'control who calls' is by giving the number to a very select group
of people: my brother and his wife, our parents, friends, etc. I had
the 800 numbers before I had distinctive ringing, with them being
diverted by the Telecom*USA switch into my first line. Once
distinctive ringing started two months ago, I had the 800 numbers set
to dial the distinctive number. *No one* uses the distinctive number
except my brother, his wife or myself when calling home from
elsewhere, *and* 800 calls diverted into it. Therefore the distinctive
ring indicates a call we want to receive and/or control. Telecom*USA
does not bill for incomplete 800 calls. If your line is DA or BY then
there is no charge. You have to actually answer. Distinctive ringing
also has a distinctive call-waiting tone; you can flash, accept the
call, put it on hold or do whatever you can usually do with
call-waiting, but of course you don't want to keep the 800 number on
hold very long if you can help it. 'Return Call' (*69) is not yet able
to return 800 calls, which are simply calls direct dialed to me out of
the Telecom*USA switch. Unlike most phone service where a free
directory listing is the default and a non-pub number is an extra
charge, Telecom*USA 800 numbers are non-pub by default. You can have
it listed in the 800 data-base if desired; I think they charge a few
dollars per month, or whatever SW Bell (SWBT operates 800-555-1212)
charges them.  PAT]