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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!decvax!ittvax!bunker!max
From: max@bunker.UUCP (Max Hyre)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: AT&T "Calling Card"
Message-ID: <372@bunker.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Apr-84 14:45:23 EST
Article-I.D.: bunker.372
Posted: Fri Apr 13 14:45:23 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Apr-84 07:35:53 EST
References: cepu.220
Lines: 26

[Burp!]


     Funny thing about that--I got a call yesterday from AT&T (relayed from
a roomer at my home:  they were quite insistent about it) to say someone
had reported *finding* one of my Calling Cards.  They were quite upset
about it on my behalf, canceled the number immediately, and started the
process to mail me new ones immediately.  If I had needed it then, the rep.
would have gotten the new one from his terminal and given it to me for
(I presume) same day use.
     From this, I take it that 1) they are quite concerned about someone
ripping off your number (obviously--look at the $X,000 bill the might have
to eat), and 2) they're also eager to make cancellation and replacement as
easy as possible.
     As to how it might have happened--last year I lent my sister (who has
no phone) a card.  This year, the magic four-digit code was unchanged from
last year's, so the card continued to be good, and she misplaced it.  (I
haven't called her yet to verify.)
     All my Calling Cards (all in Bell territories) over the last 10 years
have been based on my home phone number, and the rep. referred to the
four digits that make it a credit card number as my PIN (Personal
Identification Number), as for a bank card, so I guess this is how Bell
(or whoever they are now) does it.

              Max Hyre
              (Somewhere in the vicinity of decvax!ittvax!bunker!max)