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From: larry@kitty.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Submission for comp.dcom.telecom (Hotel telephone usage surcharges)
Message-ID: <8705130328.AA04018@seismo.CSS.GOV>
Date: Tue, 12-May-87 23:28:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: seismo.8705130328.AA04018
Posted: Tue May 12 23:28:10 1987
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In a recent article lav@mtsbb.UUCP (L.A.VALLONE) writes:
> > Last week I stayed at the Days Inn in Alexandria, VA while on TDY.  I
> > was surprised to find that, plainly marked on the phone cradle, they
> > charged 30 cents for 800 numbers as well as for local calls.  Can they
> > charge a "service fee" for toll-free calls?
> > 
> > [The Sheraton Boston charges 60c for every 3 minutes on local calls,
> > 950 calls, calls to the operator (except toll calls), calls to 911,
> > and calls to 800 numbers. Apparently they can get away with it. --JSol]

	The "service fees" mentioned above are collected by the hotel from
which the calls are made.  These are usage charges for the telephone in the
guest room, and have no bearing upon the actual cost of making the call.
	Since these charges constitute a "resale" of local telephone
service, most if not all states through their respective Public Utilities
Commissions regulate the maximum amount that a hotel can charge for guest
telephone usage.
	Bear in mind that these hotel surcharges are not as outrageous as
they may seem - for local calls, at least.  In New York State, the measured
business message rate for daytime calls through New York Telephone is
around $ 0.10 per minute.
	In my opinion, charging for operator, 950 and 800 calls at the same
rate as local station calls is unfair since it really costs the hotel NO
money.  However, the problem in many cases is that the PBX used by the hotel
does not have the SMDR intelligence to differentiate between a free call,
and a chargeable local station call.  So, if in doubt, the hotel charges for
ALL calls...

> Does anyone know if 800 calls can be "charged" to an AT&T credit
> card, thus eliminating the service charge?

	Since the "charges" for these toll-free calls are surcharges imposed
by the hotel, AT&T has nothing to do with the matter.  It is unlikely that
AT&T will collect money for a hotel under these circumstances.
	I agree that say, $ 0.20 per minute is a ripoff for what should be
a toll-free call, but the hotel seems to hold the cards in the matter as
long as state Public Utilities Commissions permit such surcharges.  Even
if enough people complained to PUC's to reduced the surcharges permitted
to hotels, the hotels would probably just turn around and compensate by
raising their basic room rates.  It's probably a no-win situation...

<>  Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York
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