From: artn@bert.eecs.uic.edu (Stephan Meyers)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: FAQ About 900 Numbers?
Date: 11 Jan 93 21:36:25 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 13, Issue 18, Message 11 of 18

I am interested in getting a 900 or a 976 number in the Chicago area.
The information about starting something like this up seems to be
pretty hard to get -- most of the "customer service" people have been
really rude, treating me as a crank caller.  I'm just curious, about
how it works, costs, etc, and maybe I'd start up a line.

	I have found out the basic startup and monthly charge (AT&T
wants $2300 install + $750/month + 30 cents/minute + 10% of whats left
after 30 cents/minute -- breakeven on a $1/minute call would be around
1200 minutes per month, or 40 minutes per day, without counting
startup).

	Of course, what I would really want is a service who has the
equipment, can help me set up a line, and would operate based on a
percent of the money (if they take 50% of the money, say, instead of
hefty startup costs, that's fine by me).

	It's strange, in fact, how hard this is to find out.  You'd
think one or two phone calls would do the trick, and that the phone
companies would be dying to sell you the service, but everyone is so
rude!

me:  Hi, I'm interested in finding out how to start a 900 line

them:  What sort of information would you be providing
	[as in "Are you another phone sex jerk?"]

me:  Ummmm, well, I'm kicking around some ideas, but I was thinking about
	something about the art scene in Chicago.

them:  You want customers in all 50 states to call you and find out
       about art.
	["you really think ANYONE would be interested in what you 
        have to say?"]

me:  Well, really just Chicago, but who knows?

them:  Well you'll have to call Illinois Bell about 976 number service.
	[she almost hung up on me]

me:  Well, I'd still like to know about the nationwide service, I'm 
     just trying to figure out what it costs, etc

	And then I finally got her to tell me how much it costs, and
after a little more prodding, she gave me a number for AT&T's
equipment leasing for 900 service.

	Arrgh!  It's a multi-billion dollar industry, and I want to
(maybe) buy something from you!  Give me a little respect, please!!!

	Anyway, as in the subject line, if anyone has an FAQ with
everything you ever needed to know about 900 services, please email
to:

artn@bert.eecs.uic.edu

Thanks!


Stephan Meyers | artn@uicbert.eecs.uic.edu
(Art)^n Laboratories, inventors of the Stealth Negative PHSCologram
(312) 567-3762


[Moderator's Note: The main reason they start the conversation by
asking what kind of service you wish to operate is because if you plan
on some sort of phone sex thing, they will  immediatly tell you they
no longer will bill for phone sex. They will give you the lines, but
you have to figure out how to do the billing, via some service bureau
or otherwise on your own. That little 'gotcha' discourages many
would-be sex line operators from beginning. None of the carriers will
bill for sex these days ... too much hassle and fraud.   PAT]