Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: MJB8949@ritvax.bitnet (Nutsy Fagen)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: MCI and Imaginary Calling Card Numbers
Message-ID: <4257@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 22 Feb 90 00:42:00 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 122, message 8 of 11


 
Several months ago, I ordered an MCI calling card in relation to a
frequent-flyer promotion.  Since I am a college student, I wanted a
calling card ONLY, preferably with no link to my parent's real phone.
(Like my imaginary 677-xxx-xxxx ATT calling card).
 
This simple request, however, blew away at least three MCI operators,
as well as got me bounced around several times before I gave in and
relinquished my parent's number 'for reference purposes only'.
 
When the card came, sure enough, it was my home phone number with a
PIN thrown on.  It also had my name spelled wrong :)
 
A quick call to MCI corrected the name problem, although I neglected
to mention that I wanted an imaginary card.  However, when my new
cards came, one was based on the real number, and the other was
completely new, based (I assume) on an imaginary 335-458-xxxx number.
An interesting note is that my home phone number is 315-458-yyyy.
 
Further, I called MCI back and requested they cancel the 'real number'
based card (based on recent horror stories of them automatically
switching unsuspecting victims over).
 
I will be sure to have my father check his next few bills, just to be safe.
 
 
Mike