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Conference govt02::basingstoke

Title: * BASINGSTOKE - Gateway to Wessex *
Notice:BASINGSTOKE - John Arlott lived here - then left, I wonder why
Moderator:COMICS::CORNEJ
Created:Wed Jul 27 1988
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:925
Total number of notes:5875

556.0. "How to save your phone bills" by ROCKS::HOBBS () Thu Apr 30 1992 02:13

Have you received a note through your door asking you to send �9.75 to find 
out how to save up to 100% of your phone bill?

Apparently the "unique method" is simply not to make the calls.  If you'd 
like to pay me the �9.75 instead of Freshwater Associates of course I'd 
gladly accept it.  Alternatively you could try my technique of making it 
hell for Freshwater Associates.   Get some counter cheques from the bank 
which don't have your name.  Remove a digit from the account number using a 
razor blade (a little tricky but you can get a good finish by applying some 
white wax from a candle on white paper cheques).  Sign it with a bogus name. 
Use the Thompson Directory to find out the highest house number in a road 
near you and use an address with a house number that doesn't exist.  Send off 
your bogus cheque and hopefully Freshwater Associates will get charged by the 
bank for the bounced cheques!

Mike
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556.1TASTY::JEFFERYKevin holds a place for those who pray.Thu Apr 30 1992 09:175
Mike,

what did you expect?

Mark.
556.2How?UBOHUB::HOLLANDS_CThu Apr 30 1992 12:377
    Mike,
    
    How did you find out what this "unique method" actually was? 
    We've been racking our brains trying to work out what it could be!
    
    Cathy
     
556.3PAPERS::PARRYTrevor ParryThu Apr 30 1992 13:056
Yes I got the piece of paper.

I'm interested to find out how, but not if it costs me anything,
so I'll ask aswell, How did you find out ?

Tp
556.4It was in the papersLARVAE::MUTCHBe kind to your mindThu Apr 30 1992 13:194
    It was in the newspaper last week. They send you back a letter telling
    you to write to BT and ask to have your phone disconnected.
    
    Graeme.
556.5TVUBOHUB::BOARDMAN_KI sponge no more than I drinkFri May 01 1992 15:362
It was also exposed on a recent That's Life program...Keith

556.6TASTY::JEFFERYKevin holds a place for those who pray.Sun May 03 1992 14:145
RE: .5

Whats wrong with what they are doing?

Mark.
556.7re .-1: Legally or morally?AUSSIE::GARSONMon May 04 1992 01:190
556.8People in glass houses ?COMICS::BELLHear the softly spoken magic spellTue May 05 1992 10:0112
  
  Nothing wrong at all.
  
  It's the same set of business skills exhibited when persuading a customer
  to fork out for "Installation services" and to get a bozo who knows nothing
  about the product walking in and typing "@SYS$UPDATE:VMSINSTAL ...", taking
  all the default options and walking out again :-)
  
  If there wasn't "one born every minute", this company would suffer along
  with the rest ...
  
  Frank
556.9AUSSIE::GARSONWed May 06 1992 01:016
    Well to take a different tack...
    
    I've noticed several times in UK newspapers advertisements for
    devices(?) that enable you to make free calls. Is it legal to buy?
    sell? use? these things. Do they even work or is this also some sort of
    scam?
556.10DangerousCOMICS::WEGGSome hard boiled eggs & some nuts.Wed May 06 1992 09:3118
    � I've noticed several times in UK newspapers advertisements for
    � devices(?) that enable you to make free calls. Is it legal to buy?
    � sell? use? these things. Do they even work or is this also some sort of
    � scam?
    
    	They are not illegal to buy, sell or own, but of course it is
    	illegal to defraud British Telecom in any way.
    
    	The other problem is, they're tracable. If you use it on your own
    	phone, you'll very soon get a visit from the authorities, and it is
    	no longer possible to use them from phone boxes. 
    	
     	I know someone who used one (from a phone box before BT changed
    	them) to phone relatives in Australia. Later his relatives received
    	a call from BT trying to find out who it was who phoned them.
    
    	Ian.
    	
556.11the answer according to the GazettePAPERS::PARRYTrevor ParryFri May 15 1992 09:5721
RE: .0

Well this doesn't appear to be the same scam as telling
you not to make any phone calls.

Front page of the Gazette had an article on how the
company is being investigated by the trading standards
authority.  What the papers says is that for �9.75 you
get a single piece of A4 paper telling you to collect
used phone cards then sell them to a 'collector', claiming
that phone card collecting is a growing hobby.

The only way I can see that this would cut your phone bills
is if you made all your calls using a phonecard, then
managed to sell it to a collector at a profit.  But what
kind of collector is going to pay more for a used phonecard
than a mint one ? 8-}

Well at least I saved �9.60 by buying the Gazette.

tp