AT&T'S 800 NUMBER BELONGS (OOPS) TO MCI

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 15, 1993                   TAG: 9301150175
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: Cox News Service
DATELINE: ATLANTA                                LENGTH: Short
AT&T'S 800 NUMBER BELONGS (OOPS) TO MCI
The companies are not friends - and certainly not family. But when you call one of AT&T's 800 numbers, you're using the services of its biggest competitor: MCI.
The 800 number - 800-950-4710 - has been used in ads as the one to call for the $500 rebate offered to purchasers of AT&T's VideoPhone.
The number's prefix - 950 - should identify it to industry insiders as one belonging to MCI. Until asked about the number, however, AT&T didn't realize it was using MCI's service.
"We were not aware that an MCI number was being used," said spokeswoman Diane Swilling. "It does not excuse us, but we didn't know."
She said AT&T hired an outside firm to handle the rebate. That company hired still another to take care of the telephone calls. The third firm uses MCI.
AT&T plans to switch numbers - this time to one of its own.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB