******ATTENTION ALL USERS PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT BULLETIN****** (1) Fri 29 Jun 90 8:46a Rcvd: Fri 29 Jun 9:07a By: Jeff Bailey, NET 4604 HOST (4604/0) To: Kevin Scott Re: BC TEL INCREASED PHONE RATES!!!!!!! St: Pvt Kill Rcvd ------------------------------------------------------------ @MSGID: 25:4604/0 6e88ca76 @Original: William Mastop cc: William Mastop Note: This is being Carbon copied to nets 1604, 4604 and 7604. Other nets will receie the notice within the week Re: Business rates for BBS's. Message to all Bulletin Board Users in BC Unfortunately, the rumors are true, and B.C. Tel is planning to charge Bulletin Service Operators BUSINESS rates instead of the current RESIDENTIAL rates. Charging business rates would mean the demise of many of your BBS'. Many of the BBS' that will be affected are run as non-profit public services at the expense of the sysop(s). But, it is not to late to change their minds, if ALL of us act now. I suggest that you start phoning B.C. Tel's Customer Service offices, write write to their headquarters, and send a letter to the CRTC. I have given all applicable addresses and phone numbers below, and they can also be found on page 4 of the 1990 Vancouver White pages. Most of you know that all this started when a local BBS asked B.C. Tel to instal 16 RESIDENTIAL lines for their BBS. As it turns out, this BBS is sponsored by a company to the extent that a user can order a product from within the BBS. When B.C. Tel asked this BBS to pay for business lines, they turned around and implicated ALL other BBS'. They overlooked the fact that many of the local BBS' were run by individuals, with no business areas! Also, B.C. Tel. is holding a public forum on July 10th. The time and place have not yet been announced, but B.C. Tel's Customer Service office should be able to tell you shortly. Give them a call, and ATTEND. Northern BBS users should DEMAND a similar forum in Prince George!!!!! We cannot wait until the change has been implemented, we must act NOW. Unfortunately, I will be absent for most of July, and will not be able to monitor this, so I ask ALL of you to act on this NOW. Contact your local office today and speak your mind. (Be nice and objective.) Please ask to speak to a manager! 1) Tell them that most BBS's are run as public services, by individuals, as a hobby. Tell them that you appreciate the service that the sysop provides, and the B.C. Tel.'s action is jeopardizing the BBS'. 2) Tell them that you are in support of them charging BUSINESS rates for company sponsored BBS'. Again say that most BBS' are run as a service, on a non-profit basis. 3) Tell them that B.C. Tel. has been aware of its customers problems in the past, and ask them to reconsider their actions. 4) Make sure that you thank them for there time, and leave them your name and telephone number so that they can contact you. Also, I have called them a few times now, and each time I got a run-around, BE persistent, ask people for their names, and don't give up until you have talked to someone in charge. THIS campaing must start immediately! Call Now! PLEASE POST THIS EVERYWHERE!!!! Addresses and Telephone #'s. Take a look at page 2 & 3 of the white pages. They list all of the info given below in more detail! ***************NOTE....NUMBERS EDITED FOR NORTHERN CUSTOMERS*************** CALL: Customer Service Lines - ask for THE supervisor. PRINCE GEORGE AREA OFFICE Residential 565-3411 (no charge for long distance) Business 565-3333 " " " " " ******************** Customer Service Manager - Ask for his/her name & number when you talk to the supervisor. Residential Business ******************** Customer Service Headquarters 432-3751 (or 1-800-663-6587) ******************** WRITE: Customer Service Manager CRTC Headquarters, B.C. Tel. and Ste 1500-800 Burrard 18th Floor Box 1580, Vancouver 3777 Kingsway, Bby. V6Z 2G7 V5H 3Z7 Muncher (Revelations BBS) Thanks to Shane Rosborough of Fantasia BBS ( A User ) For this message. People not in the Lower Mainland will have to find alternate phone numbers for these, but the mailing addresses should turn out to be the same ones anyways. Please note that BcTEL's business rates are approximately $50. Jeff Bailey, Net4604HOST. Signews Editor. (25:4604/119.0)