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From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: bothersome phone calls
Message-ID: <3503@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 23-Jul-84 09:49:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.3503
Posted: Mon Jul 23 09:49:21 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Jul-84 07:08:03 EDT
References: <36@whuxl.UUCP> <3313@brl-tgr.ARPA>, <4950@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Organization: Ballistics Research Lab
Lines: 33

>  From: dave@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Sherman)
>  
>  Yes, but we only get charged for calls to directory assistance when
>  the number is in the phone book (i.e., no charge if they can't find
>  the number, or if it's a new listing). So charging for directory
>  assistance doesn't reduce the cost of people calling for unlisted numbers.

If this is true, my point was certainly not justified. However, I cannot
agree that this is right. Such a distinction (between calls for numbers
which CAN be looked up, and D.A. calls for numbers which cannot be found
otherwise) has never been made here in St. Louis, MO (Southwestern Bell
territory). Also, soon after the practice of charging for D.A. calls was
instituted, I inquired about this specific point in a discussion on the
ARPANET TELECOM Digest (on USENET as "fa.telecom"), and was told by 
several seemingly-knowledgeable people that no such distinction was made,
and that it wasn't possible to so discriminate in the billing for D.A.
calls.

Maybe things have changed since then; this was at least a year ago, and
probably farther back than that. I hope so! It shouldn't be hard for the
telcos to have a button the D.A. operator hits to indicate that the call
in progress is "not chargeable", or for there to be some sort of procedure
to distinguish between cases where the caller really needs D.A., and
when he is just too lazy to use the book.

However, even if this is the case, it isn't universal. As far as I have
determined, here in SW Bell-land, after your monthly free D.A. allowance
is used, you are charged for every D.A. call made, without exception.

I solicit postings from anyone who knows the details of this matter,
or who has info on such distinctions made by other BOC's.

Will Martin