Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!gatech!mcnc!decvax!ucbvax!polyslo.UUCP!pbowden
From: pbowden@polyslo.UUCP (Prentiss Bowden)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: RISKS of using the "AT&T Public Phone Plus"
Message-ID: <8804081826.AA16017@polyslo.UUCP>
Date: 8 Apr 88 18:26:41 GMT
References: <8804050224.AA01237@garp.mit.edu>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: ll-xn!ucsd!sdsu!polyslo!pbowden@EDDIE.MIT.EDU (Prentiss Bowden)
Organization: Cal Poly State University -- San Luis Obispo
Lines: 29
Approved: telecom@xx.lcs.mit.edu

In article <8804050224.AA01237@garp.mit.edu> henry@GARP.MIT.EDU writes:
>
>stations, etc.  There is a card reader at the bottom of the phone which will do
>the right thing (purportedly) with your AT&T card (I didn't think to try my
>FoNCard), a bank card, or an AmEx/DinersClub/etc.

I once used one of these AT&T Calling Card phones in San Francisco while
waiting for a friends plane to arrive.  I walked up to the first available
phone and the last person to use it didn't completely hang up the phone either--
similar to what is explained here.  I dropped their call and placed a call out
on my card, but as usual I got an answering machine.  I DID try out my other
cards on my answering machine and it did MUTE the audio to the AT&T card phone,
it passed the info to my answering machine at the other end.  I tried it with
an ATM card and a FON card and both sequences were there.

>
>Hasn't anyone been burned by this yet?
>

I am sure they have... and I am sure that AT&T is probably not so forgiving to
see you place a "legitamate" call and then see perhaps one or more denied toll
charge calls.  Maybe SOMEONE out there might be able to deal with this, which
seemingly isn't just a localized (Boston and SF aren't too close) problem.
    ___
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