From: DREUBEN@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU (Douglas Scott Reuben)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: 800 Numbers Restricted by NYTel
Date: 26 Sep 92 21:12:39 GMT
Organization: TELECOM Digest
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 735, Message 9 of 13

On 24 Sep 92 16:52:40 GMT, henry@ads.com (Henry Mensch) wrote:

> I have a personal 800 number (with Sprint) that I know to work in
> NYC.  I go to a public phone on the street and dial the number ...
> imagine my surprise when I got an AT&T intercept asking me if I needed
> help.  I said "No, I don't need help; I dialed an 800 number," hung up
> and tried again ... same effect. Several tries on several NYTEL phones
> later, an intercept operator said that the phone was restricted from
> placing 800 calls.

Utter nonsense ... (BTW, are you SURE it was an AT&T recording, or
NYTel?)

NYTel may NOT restrict 800 calls from ITS payphones. Thus, if you are
sure (as you seem to be) that the payphone involved WAS a NYTel phone,
you have a right to place the 800 call. (I believe this is even true
for COCOTs in NY as well.)

Right away if you have difficulty just dial 0 (or 0# for faster
service), and a NYTel operator will dial the number for you, and wait
on line until she hears ringing.

Then, the next day, call 611. Report the payphone and the problem.
Since this is NYNEX, there is a 70% chance they won't fix it.

Day after that, call the NYTel President's Helpline, at 800-722-2300.
Tell them your EXACT problem, the phone you tried the 800 number from,
the 800 number, and a callback number. There is about a 50% chance
they won't fix it. You may want to mention to them that if it is not
fixed in 5 days (or however long you are willing to wait) you will
call the NY Public Service Commission. This generally helps if you
slip it it politely - they get VERY concerned when "The PSC" is
mentioned.

If the helpline doesn't get anywhere in the given number of days, do
NOT call them back and waste more time, just call the PSC at
800-342-3377. Tell them the EXACT problem (again ... :( ). This will
VERY likely get results.

I had a similar problem -- a NYTel payphone in Roslyn, NY
(516-621-9803) was BLOCKING all 10xxx calls, so you could only place
0+ calls with NYTel or ITI. No one at NYTel could do anything about
it, even though the people at the President's Helpline pretended as if
they had some idea of what was going on.  After three weeks, lots of
calls to 611, the Helpline, and the Payphone Business office, I just
called the PSC. Within *one* hour, I received call-backs from three
execs at NYTel, who got the information from me, and the problem was
fixed the same day.

I would still advise you to try 611 and the Helpline, as these are the
channels you are SUPPOSED to go through prior to the PSC, although I
guess you can just call the PSC directly and SAY you called 611, etc.

Finally, it MAY be that the payphone in question was due to be
disconnected, and left in service as a "public convenience" (read:
NYTel was lazy). Although NYTel must provide access through
soon-to-be-removed phones as well, the PSC will just say "Oh, our
records show that it will be disconnected, so no sense trying to 'fix'
it now ..." Of course NYTel can just have incorrect records, as I know
of a couple of NYTel papyhones which still block 10xxx access (or
rather the DMS-100 is blocking it for those lines) which were SUPPOSED
to be disconnected half a year ago. However, they are still in
service, and are still blocking. I haven't bothered the PSC about
these yet, ie, told them "Hey, these have been around for six months
since YOU told me they are to be disconnected soon ...".

BTW, anyhone live near Milton, Mass? If so, go to the NYNEX/NETel
payphone opposite the Baybanks, number 617-698-8643. For *two* years
it has been blocking non-AT&T 800 numbers, at least 800-899, 800-989,
800-966, 800-275, and more. I think I've called NETel about 30 times
regarding this, and of course, nothing has been done. (It is run off a
DMS-100 ... so is Roslyn, NY. Is this some sort of DMS problem??)

Isn't NYNEX just SO competant? And some people say GTE is bad ...:)  


Doug	dreuben@eagle.wesleyan.edu  //  dreuben@wesleyan.bitnet