what does this mean for tel-net users

[Can't help it]

I went to visit my friend at Mule Creek this past weekend and this is what i found.
Effective February 11, 2003, MCI worldcom will initiate a new billing system. This new billing system will begin to block collect calls made by Cali Dept. of corrections (CDC) inmates who call family/friends telephone numbers until the customer establishes an arrangement under which MCI worldcom can bill customer.
It also go into charges
$50.00 for 6 call limit
$100 for 12 call limit
$150 for 18 call limit
$200 for 24 call limit
$250 for 30 call limit
So my question is, is Tel-net going to be useless?

[TxRenee]

I'm not sure but I know I have had it with MCI! I have MCI for local calls...I'm in the process of changing off MCI I want NOTHING else to do with them. They SUCK! lol
I have 3 numbers in my house and back in Sept I started calling MCI asking them to change ONE of the numbers by adding Caller ID and Call waiting to it. THis is now Jan 21st and They still have not made this change!! I called in Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. and Jan. I'm NOT calling them again just going to change to another company and pray that MCI goes BROKE..Flat up...BUSTED lol sorry had to vent
Maybe you could send email to Tele-Net and ask them

[Can't help it]

TXRENEE,

Finally someone was able to get me to laugh a little today. Boy o boy, it seems like they have really pissed you off.
My thing is i really want to sign up for the Tel-Net but from what i gather from the information i saw in a minute it don't seem like tel-net is going to be able to help anymore .

[Lysbeth]

Shoot, is that $50 total for 6 calls? That'd be heaven to me... w/ my calls from Alabama, 6 calls would be around $110-120.

You would really think MCI would be working harder to keep their customers since they're barely staying afloat right now as it is...

Lys

[Can't help it]

Yes maam,
$50.00 6call limit and ect,ect....

[Soul SLiver]

this is actually really screwy. That's the deposit they'll want from what I'm to understand...but there's OTHER fees that they're not telling you about.

By the way, if you have Pac Bell, this won't apply to you (the whole MCI mess) but if you have GTE, Verizon, Cox, it will. Any company other than Pac Bell and you're screwed.

MCI does suck..they suck in a major way. I'm with Renee on this one

[TxRenee]

lol I'm so glad I made ya laugh MCI gave me heartburn so bad just thinking about them!
I have tele-net and LOVE them so far I'v had No problems with them
Good Luck

Soul you have to come to Texas for the gathering I can hardly wait to meet you

[golf_buddy]

I have not seen this letter from MCI but I have seen some others which say that you may not be able to continue receiving your collect calls unless you sign up with MCI. This is very misleading. What they are really saying is if your local phone company does not have a billing agreement with MCI then MCI will no longer be able to bill your local carrier the collect charges. Since MCI can not bill your local carrier for the collect charges they must bill you directly, thus you will need an account with MCI.

How do you know if your local carrier has an agreement with MCI? If you are still with one of the original Bell companies (Pacific Bell, US West now Qwest, SW Bell, Ameritech, Bellsouth, Bell Atlantic) you should not have a problem and they should continue to bill through your local phone bill. But if yu have recently switched to one of these new services you will probably have to go and set up an account with MCI for your collect calls.

Why is MCI really doing this? They want you all to have to call them so they can sign you up for other MCI services. Have you heard of the MCI Neighborhood, which offers local and long distance in one package. If you haven't yet, you will as soon as you call in. In fact it would not surprise me if they copied one of AT&T tricks and offered you a small discount on you collect calls if you sign up with MCI Neighborhood. MCI thinks you have no loyalty in business any longer and even though they have screwed you and are still screwing you with the price of your collect calls that you will switch to them for your home service.

DO NOT FALL FOR THEIR SCAM AND DO NOT BUY ANYTHING ADDITIONAL FROM MCI. You do not have to change your home carrier. Tell MCI you only want an account for your collect calls period. Together maybe we can put them out of business for good.

Will this effect your Tele-Net number? NO, all of our customer's inmate numbers are set up with the local Bell carrier, so MCI should continue to bill your collect call as before. If MCI stops sending the collect charges to the local Bell carriers then you should set up an account with MCI for the Tele-Net number. This would not effect the cost of your calls. Now your collect charges would be billed by MCI instead of on you local bill. But do not do this without contacting Tele-Net first.

I hope this helps explain what is going on out there. If there is more to this letter you have I would love to see it.

Your Friend,
Richard

[TxRenee]

Whew!! TY Richard!! I'm so glad you are here...Now Please tell everyone that Tele-net is NOT ILLEAGAL lol
Oh and I have MCI as a local but getting ready to change all 3 of my numbers to AT&T that should not affect Tele-Net right?
Thanks so much

[Cameo]

I second that Thank You, Renee!

Yes, Thank You Richard for being so quick to respond and I hope many of our members take advanage of your great service!

Pamela

[Can't help it]

Thank you Richard,
I have no problem getting a copy to you. The only thing is i don't have a scanner here at work so it will have to wait until the weekend when i'll have no problem getting to one or better yet if you have a P.O.box i can hurry and put it in the mail.

[golf_buddy]

If I did not make it clear then I thank Renee for reminding me. NO IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO USE TELE-NET SERVICE. In fact if you go to my thread "FCC MAY REVEIW RCF NUMBERS" you will see that it is more likely that it is the prison personnel and the prison phone providers who are doing illegal things. The prison does not have the right to tell you where you can purchase phone service.

If you have written information you would like me to review, please send or fax it to:

Richard Owen
PO Box 620909
Oviedo, FL 32762
Fax 407-275-0829
Tel 407-275-3600

[Can't help it]

Okay golf_buddy,

I'm faxing now
can you please let me know if you received it.

[Cameo]

Richard could you give me your opinion and advice on this? I'm not quite sure where I found this several months ago, but it made me leary enough not to go with another service because this is the state where I have my friend and I wasn't willing to chance any 'problems'.
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However this may violate laws and regulations in some states, and may result in harassment from DOC or phone companies. In Virginia DOC policy restricts inmates from calling numbers that are not physically hardwired to a house. This includes 800 numbers, pagers, cell phones, pay phones, and numbers which are forwarded. The wife of an inmate there set up a call forwarding number, and ended up paying for it. She was denied vists to her spouse for three months, her place of work was notified of her husbands incarceration and crime, and her phone company will cut service to her husband if her payment is one day late.
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Please know as the moderator of this forum I FULLY support your service and will alway recommend it. Is Virginia the only state that this has occurred in, or can you post something about customers you serve in Virginia?

Thank you,

Pamela

[lulu]

oops, sorry, i thought i read that he said it was illegal. sorry