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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!ucdavis!deneb!ccs025
From: ccs025@ucdavis.UUCP (Martin Van Ryswyk)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Some phone numbers to call
Message-ID: <484@ucdavis.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Dec-85 18:58:46 EST
Article-I.D.: ucdavis.484
Posted: Mon Dec 16 18:58:46 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Dec-85 04:52:32 EST
References: <942@adobe.UUCP> <1013@osu-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: University of California, Davis
Lines: 28

> > Don't call them too many times, because they are 976 numbers
> > and sleazy magazines make money from them, but they are pretty
> > amazing to listen to:
> > 
> 
> I realize that this is a perverse issue for this newsgroup, so I will try to cross-post to net.consumers, but what does a 976 number imply?

A 976 number is a type of commercial account.  Wereas an 800 number
is free, and a 900 costs $.50, a 976 number has it's price set by the
company that sponsors it.  For instance if you call 976-2828 (at
least in the San Francisco area) you get a smutty message and are 
charged something like $2.00.  Other numbers give astrology info
etc..., with each company setting a different price.  One of the most
contoversial is a Dial-a-Santa which kids were calling at great
expense to their parents.  AT&T was sued and they paid for all the
calls already made, but now T.V. comercials come with a warning
that kids should ask their parents first.  It is very interesting
when a 976-smut number shows up on the bill and no one claims it!
Sorry if this ends up in the wrong newsgroup, I also tried to cross-post
it to net.consumer.  Oh yeah, did *any* of this make sense?:-)
 
-- 
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                   Martin Van Ryswyk
	 ..!{dual,lll-crg,ucbvax}!ucdavis!deneb!ccs025
       "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
                                                   -Spock
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