Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!haven!umbc3!cbw1!brian From: brian@cbw1.UUCP (Brian Cuthie) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: PC Pursuit pricing amendment Message-ID: <132@cbw1.UUCP> Date: 7 Jan 89 17:47:25 GMT References: <8901050251.AA14569@nessus.telenet.com> <2384@isis.UUCP> Reply-To: brian@cbw1.UMD.EDU (Brian Cuthie) Organization: CBW, Columbia, MD 21046 Lines: 100 In article <2384@isis.UUCP> aburt@isis.UUCP (Andrew Burt) writes: >In article <8901050251.AA14569@nessus.telenet.com> dkpurks@nessus.UUCP writes: [...] >> 1. Many people are suggesting that it is the 30 hour monthly >> usage cap ... which concerns them the most. > >Yes, it is. Particularly since PCP was sold as a service with "unlimited" >usage. Given that there are around 500 hours a month available for usage >under the old rules, 30 is awfully small. > >If the cap is in place to discourage heavy usage, let's discuss what "heavy" >usage is. (If this is really the issue then I would say that "heavy" would >be using more than half the available time, or greater than 250 hours a >month. If you want to place a cap at that level then the objections would >die down from many people.) > >Thus, amend my proposal to read: > >A. $1/hr for connect time, with a $30 minimum (that is, > a $30 flat fee for the first 0-250 hours). > >B. $1 for each additional hour above 250 hours. > Huh? If in fact, there are 500 hours of usage under the old rules, what makes you think that 'heavy' usage should account for half of those hours. From what I have read (no, I don't use PC-Persuit; and no that doesn't mean my opinion is less valid either) there are serious resource contention problems with PC-P. If, for a second, you assume that GTE probably get's more than a few calls per day to complain about unavailable resources (such as dial out modems) then it just *may* be possible that part of their plan here is to make the rate structure such that it drives those people who simply connect and hang around for a few hours to be more efficient. Increasing the number of 'flat rate' hours doesn't solve the problem. Since the dial out modems appear to exist only for PC-P, and it takes bucks to increase the size of those pools, guess who has to pay ? >> ... Raising the fixed monthly charge >> penalizes those who use the service less than 30 hours a >> month (which is statistically the vast majority). > >I don't care for ambiguous terms like "vast majority". Is that 50.1% or 99.9%? So WHO CARES if it's 50.1% or 99.9%. It's still a majority and if you're not a member of the majority, then you are a member of the minority. >> 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. > >Here I have a MAJOR objection. I really don't count the minutes I'm >logged in, nor does it look like I'd be able to *accurately* count the >minutes even if I wanted to (which I don't, but that's not important >since I **can't**). > >I feel it is incumbent on Telenet to inform me, WHILE I'M LOGGED IN, that >I am about to exceed my usage cap (be it 30 or 250 hours). A warning >one hour, five minutes, and at the point of exceeding it would only be >fair. This is historically untrue. Most local telephone companies offer a service that is called message rate. You are alloted a certain number of calls (65 here in Maryland) and have to pay some fee ($.09) per call after that threshold has been met. Cellular telephone is based on usage. I have a plan which provides a certain number of free minutes beyond which I must pay $$$. Do they tell me when I've crossed the threshold ?? NO WAY! They want to make money and they hope I don't notice. They are under no obligation to warn me simply because I don't count/time my own calls. GTE has been clear on what they think the service should cost. Don't expect them to pamper you because you lack the ability to accurately count the number of hours on their system. It is *their* system and they have a right to charge for it. Fortunately this is a country where you have *many* other choices. If you don't like the rates then don't use it. >Geez, I consider a movie in a theater expensive at $6/person, and that's >about $3/hour. Let's keep things in perspective, here!) Yea, let's. What does the price of a movie have to do with this !? >Andrew Burt ncar!isis!aburt -brian -- Brian D. Cuthie uunet!umbc3!cbw1!brian Columbia, MD brian@umbc3.umd.edu