ALL: A recap of past slamming posts NC FL now CA - only 47 states left
To: Stephen D. French
From: John H. Flint
Jun 16 1996 10:54PM EST
Reply #516
I had the article that appeared in the Palm Beach Post faxed to me on Friday evening. I
quickly called my broker to enquire about the allegations seeing if he was able to root
out the nature of the problem. He informed me that TWT acquired a marketing
company's LD accounts in California named Heartline or Heartlife. It was this
company that was using the improper marketing techniques and no one from TWT.
They are to appear before the Cal. Public utility commission sometime this week to
give their side of the story. Don Booth supposively feels the issue will be resolved with
little consequence to TWT as they acquired the marketing firm after the problem
happened. Maybe Mr. Lewis can give his account of this potential problem.
John
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To: Stephen D. French
From: Joe Scotti
Jun 18 1996 8:30AM EST
Reply #547
We have contacted the NC Public Utilities Commission and confirmed that TWT was
in fact fine and "shut down" from providing LD services in NC. It was a slaming issue
and the fine wast $13k.
The NC PUC's telephone number is 919.733.9277.
Shareholders (including me) should be concerned and contact ISGI to obtain further
info on this. It is not the way an LD company should conduct its business. If it was
done by a telemarketing company, they should still bear responsibility!
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BPL's first response...
>Ans: When TWT receives LOA's (Letters of Agreement) from its national-wide
assemblage of Agents and Resellers, THAT LOA MUST HAVE SPECIFIC
WORDING ON IT related to the customer being fully cognizant of what he/she is
doing: Specifically, changing LD carriers!
The wording is very clear and approved by the FCC.
"Slamming" refers to an LD company that switches a customer to their "10XXX" code
without them even knowing it, usually when they respond to an "800" ad offering some
trip or a car. The LD company knows IMMEDIATELY who called them from the
information passed to them as a result of the "800" call.
Why would TWT "slam" customers when they have 25,000 signed LOA's coming in
via FEDEX every week from their Agent/Reseller Network???
That's the question.
Hope this helps.
Bob Lewis
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BPL comes clean...
To: David Luckie
From: Bob P. Lewis
Jun 18 1996 11:37AM EST
Reply #550
To All: Regarding the NC thing:
In late '94 or early '95, TWT obtained a big Reseller with a nation-wide list of
accounts. When these accounts were "PIC'ed" or switched to TWT, TWT's
provisioning software did not filter out the accounts that were in uncertified states.
The program "bug" has been corrected so that now accounts being sent in for
provisioning from Agents and Resellers can only be switched in the 36 states in which
TWT is Certified.
TWT agreed to pay a $13,000 fine for their mistake and cease and desist provisioning
business in NC until they are Certified. They have good legal representation there and
that application is awaiting audited financials for 1Q96, which must be received there
by 7/16/96.
NC is not as stringent on Certification of LD Carriers now as it has been in the past,
but due to TWT's earlier "screw-up", TWT is having a little rougher time. This action
does not reflect upon the moral/ethical practices of TWT but upon a situation where
the company was growing so fast that something slipped through the cracks. _ _ _ _
will happen!
Hope this helps!
Bob Lewis
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Hell of a programming bug. I don't even make'em that big.
Long on ISGI - till 9:30am Monday
JKeba |
