Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!watcgl!ksbooth
From: ksbooth@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Kelly Booth)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Luxo Jr. video
Keywords: graphics
Message-ID: <6230@watcgl.waterloo.edu>
Date: 10 Oct 88 02:52:10 GMT
References: <3191@pt.cs.cmu.edu> <431@arisia.Xerox.COM> <49@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP>
Reply-To: ksbooth@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Kelly Booth)
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 39

In article <49@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP> paquette@.ucalgary.ca (Trevor Paquette) writes:
>In article <431@arisia.Xerox.COM>, beach@arisia.Xerox.COM (Rick Beach) writes:
>  .. stuff deteled..
>> 
>> From Maryland, Alaska and outside the U.S., please call (301)528-4261.
>Why is it most American companies think that there is nothing north
>of the 49th parallel?? Most companies only get 1-800 numbers for
>the States and force thier Canadian customers to call long-distance.
>Granted the Canadian market is not a big as the American.. but it is
>there just the same.

To set the record straight, the fault lies not with Rick Beach (who is a
Canadian), but with ACM (no, the "A" does not stand for "American", but they
think it does).

Yes, I live in Canada (but am an American).

Now (the part worth posting):  If you live in Canada (or anywhere else),
you can reach US 800 numbers by calling a friend in the US who has a
semi-sophisticated phone system (usually this means a work phone).  SL-1
is an example (which I'll use here -- other Centrex-like systems have
similar features).

You call up a US friend who answers.  Your US friend hits "Conference-3" (or
"Conference-6") on his phone, then dials for an outside line (usually 9)
and then dials 1-800-***-****.  When the party answers, he hits the
"Conference-3" button again.  The three of you are now talking.  Your
friend hangs up.  The two of you are now talking.  [Note: This works equally
well if your friend is a she.]

Cost to you:  Long distance to your friend (drop a perpendicular to the
US and locate a friend there).

Cost to your friend: Zip (unless his/her company has a screwball accounting
system, in which case there may a minimal charge more or less equivalent to
a local brief call).

Cost to the 800 party: Whatever they pay from your friends's location in
the US, which they were (presumably) willing to pay anyway.