Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: tel@cdsdb1.att.com (Tom Lowe)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: AT&T VoiceMark(sm) Messaging Service
Message-ID: <4667@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 2 Mar 90 14:49:30 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 139, Message 3 of 10


> >[Moderator's Note: Does anyone know if they are still incapable of
> >accepting their own (AT&T) credit card for these calls from other than
> >the Atlanta area?  PT]
 
> Not only do you need to have an AT&T calling in the Southern Bell
> billing area (or use MasterCard/Visa), but they cannot handle their
> own corporate calling card clients.  Even thought the return address
> for AT&T billing is in Orlando, FL the statement of charges is always
> sent from Cincinnati, OH.
 
> [Moderator's Note: And yet, see two items in a Digest earlier today
> from readers who used Bell telco cards from New England and California
> without any hassle.  What gives here?  Is the VoiceMark man reading
> this?  PT]

I'm here!

Actually, both were from New England as far as I could tell.

The deal is, AT&T doesn't handle their own billing yet.  All billing
is dished out to the RBOCS.  We only have a contract with Bell South
to do VoiceMark billing at this moment in time because that's where
our initial offering is.  "For competitive reasons" I can't say when
other areas will be available.

We will accept certain corporate cards (or RAO Cards as we call them)
(RAO = Regional Accounting Office) if the first three digits (Area
Code) belong to Bell South.  There are also RAO Cards where the first
three digits do not correspond to an Area Code.  Instead, they are
specific RAO Offices that pass their billing to a certain RBOC.  For
example, RAO Cards beginning with 694 get billed by New Jersey Bell.
We will not yet accept these cards for several reasons.

The only call I found around the time Ken Rossen made his call that
had anything to do with New England was was a call to a 617 number
using an RAO card from the Bell South Area.

I didn't have enough information to track down John Levine's call, so
I'm not sure why it worked.

If either Ken or John would like more information about their specific
call, please email me the destination number of your call and the
approximate time/date of the call.  The same goes for anyone who has a
problem or question.


Enjoy!

Tom Lowe
tel@cdsdb1.att.com
201-949-0428
VoiceMark:  1-800-562-MARK