Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-ncis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ucbvax!nessus.UUCP!dkpurks From: dkpurks@nessus.UUCP (System Administrator) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: PC Pursuit pricing amendment Message-ID: <8901050251.AA14569@nessus.telenet.com> Date: 5 Jan 89 02:51:52 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 117 ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS and ANSWERs to COMMON QUESTIONS REGARDING PC PURSUIT PRICE CHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT. To ALL PC Pursuit customers: There has been an overwhelming response to the recent price change announcement/letter (see related bulletin). So much so that my personally responding to EACH in a timely manner is an impossibility. However, we are reading all the mail. This bulletin contains some related new announcements, as well as answers to common concerns. First, the following announcements: 1. WE HAVE DECIDED TO WAIVE THE LIMITATION OF ONE ACCOUNT PER PERSON. There is now NO LIMIT to the number of PC Pursuit accounts that can be ordered/owned by a single person. Thus, if you have determined that a 60 hour usage cap (or 90, or any multiple of 30 hours) is more appropriate for your typical usage, you can order the appropriate number of accounts. 2. In order to provide you with plenty of time to determine what your requirements are, WE HAVE DECIDED NOT TO BILL YOU FOR ANY OVER CAP USAGE UNTIL MAY 1, 1989. The fixed monthly charge will still increase to $30 as of February 1, 1989. However, you will not be billed for any non-prime time usage over 30 hours until the month of May 1989. Please note that the actual statement for May usage won't appear until mid June. 3. When we begin billing for monthly usage over 30 hours (beginning with May's usage), WE WILL SUBTRACT THE AVERAGE TIME IT TAKES TO CONNECT (APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE) FROM EACH CALL BEFORE ADDING UP THE TIME. Therefore, you will not be charged for a call to a BUSY line (as long as you disconnect the call immediately upon seeing the "BUSY" message). The exact amount of time to be subtracted will be announced within the next few weeks. Addressing other common concerns: 1. Many people are suggesting that it is the 30 hour monthly usage cap, not the fixed monthly increase to $30, which concerns them the most. Because PC Pursuit must be transformed to a profitable service to continue offering it, the primary alternative left was to have a higher fixed monthly price with a higher CAP (or a much higher fixed price and no CAP). Raising the fixed monthly charge penalizes those who use the service less than 30 hours a month (which is statistically the vast majority). We do not believe that the smaller volume user should subsidize the more serious (higher volume) user. Thus, we have the 30 hour cap, which is appropriate for the new $30 fixed monthly charge. To accommodate higher volume users, we have waived the 1 account per user limitation (see above). 2. When over cap usage billing begins in May 1989, a detailed statement will be mailed to you no less than 10 days prior to your credit card (or checking) account being debited, if your account is to be charged for more than just the fixed monthly charge. 3. The announcement inadvertently states that all cities *now* support all three baud rates. The target was to provide all baud rates to all cities by the end of the year. Unfortunately, some cities have had deployment delays. Latest schedules target the end of January to complete deployment. 4. Some customers were sent terms and conditions that (through a typesetting error) do not include paragraph 7(d) -- which is clearly missing since these copies show 7(c) followed by 7(e). Unfortunately, 7(d) states our policy of 30 days notice for prices changes (or other changes). Some have concluded that since their copy of the Ts & Cs do not include this paragraph, that Telenet can not change the pricing for them. I truly apologize to those who have an erroneous copy. However, the law clearly (and appropriately) provides for any business to be able to change its pricing structure, and/or service offering in any way with reasonable notice. The Ts & Cs simply clarify our implementation of "reasonable notice". Lack of this paragraph does not remove the basic business right to change pricing (or other changes) with reasonable notice. Everyone here at Telenet wants to work with our customers. The announcements provided here are to accommodate the concerns of many of you, and are a direct result of input received from you. I urge each of you to take advantage of the next few months (before MAY) to determine what your typical monthly usage actually is. Our statistics clearly show that most of you should not be effected by the 30 hour usage cap. If you find that your usage is higher, you now have the option to order multiple accounts (blocks of 30 hours per month) before over cap billing begins in May. Sincerely, Peter Naleszkiewicz Outdial Services Product Manager -- Dave Purks PC Pursuit Technical Coordinator Telenet Communications Corp ..!uunet!telenet!dpurks