Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Mon, 15 Apr 91 15:52:54 EDT From: "Dennis G. Rears (FSAC)" Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: 900 Discussion on CNN Message-ID: Organization: TELECOM Digest Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 294, Message 6 of 10 Lines: 52 Robert Thurlow writes: > In drears@pica.army.mil (Dennis G. > Rears (FSAC)) writes: >> Why should anything be forced upon the marketers of the calls? The >> real underlying reason is to protect *STUPID* people from themselves. > Are you a technology professional? How many people do you know who > are not technology professionals? Do you think it is clear to all > callers that the '9' after the '1' means they'll get a line item on > their phone bill a month later? I know my family wouldn't all know > this. This has nothing to do with technology!!! In this world, there are countless legal schemes that are made to part a sucker with his money. 900 numbers are but one of them. I know I will get plenty of flamage for this but, If a caller does not realize there is a charge for 900 numbers I hope they *GET BURNED AND BURNED BADLY*! What do they think, somone is providing the "service" for free? Each person is responsible for his actions. > I think voiding parents of responsibility for their kid's actions is > stupid, too, but I either want free call-blocking so that I can make > a blanket decision, or I want a PIN number to permit me to know that > the call was not made by an untrusted person. I agree with the call-blocking, but still it is *your* phone, *your responsibility*. If TPC can provide the service great, if not, it is your problem to keep 900 dialers off of it, not TPC. >> Should every business be required to have a phone number so that >> people can complain? Of course not. Why should this be different? > From the business end of things, I demand to be told a non-1-900 > method of communicating with said company in the case of a dispute; > either a regular phone number or a postal address will do. I do not > want to get shafted by a company and have to depend on my telco to > tell me how to contact the company, as I think that would place the > telco in a conflict of interest that could make things touchy. To put it simply, you are in no business to demand, you have nothing to back up your demands with. You can refuse to call them but then again if you didn't call them in the first place you wouldn't have a problem. If you do have a dispute with them, write the TPC and tell them of the dispute. It is then up to the 900 company to collect directly from you. dennis