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American Morning
Minding Your Business: Does MCI Lie?
Aired November 22, 2002 - 09:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: The news this morning, though, MCI, again, a couple of things going on here. First of all, it looks like they're going to be raising rates for customers. Who will pay for this WorldCom bankruptcy? It looks we are, if you're an MCI customer. Some rates going up from five cents to nine cents.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: You say that so casually, from five cents to nine cents -- it's almost doubling.
SERWER: It's almost doubling. Hello. New late charges on bills. That's the one that always gets me, because they send the bills just in time so you're always late. That's a what I think, it's like, wait a second, I just got this three days ago.
ZAHN: You have a day or two to get it off.
SERWER: Right. I just got this three days ago, and here is another part of the story with MCI. The SBC, which is the telephone giant based in San Antonio, Texas has been in a war with MCI as far as getting customers. Now, MCI, SBC is charging that MCI is not playing fair. Listen to this, SBC is alleging that MCI customers, MCI is telling its customers that it bout SBC. So they have got to switch over, that they have to switch. That they can no longer handle long distance calls, that MCI is taking over SBC areas. You know how this stuff works, the most aggressive telemarketers in the world are the telephone companies themselves. They are always calling my house. Can you switch? Do you want to switch? We want you to switch.
And I want to SBC is alleging they are simply lying as far as trying to get new customers.
ZAHN: How can folks get out from under these price rates? Will it be really difficult for them to switch their service?
SERWER: It's not difficult. It's just like...
ZAHN: It's a hassle?
SERWER: It's a hassle. It's like changing banks. But if you really want to do it and you get upset, you just go over to AT&T or Sprint.
ZAHN: Are you going to do that?
SERWER: I have. I got mad, and it's worth doing, just to let them know that you're not going to take it.
ZAHN: All right, Andy.
We are not going to put up with it anymore.
SERWER: We're as mad as hell.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 22, 2002 - 09:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: The news this morning, though, MCI, again, a couple of things going on here. First of all, it looks like they're going to be raising rates for customers. Who will pay for this WorldCom bankruptcy? It looks we are, if you're an MCI customer. Some rates going up from five cents to nine cents.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: You say that so casually, from five cents to nine cents -- it's almost doubling.
SERWER: It's almost doubling. Hello. New late charges on bills. That's the one that always gets me, because they send the bills just in time so you're always late. That's a what I think, it's like, wait a second, I just got this three days ago.
ZAHN: You have a day or two to get it off.
SERWER: Right. I just got this three days ago, and here is another part of the story with MCI. The SBC, which is the telephone giant based in San Antonio, Texas has been in a war with MCI as far as getting customers. Now, MCI, SBC is charging that MCI is not playing fair. Listen to this, SBC is alleging that MCI customers, MCI is telling its customers that it bout SBC. So they have got to switch over, that they have to switch. That they can no longer handle long distance calls, that MCI is taking over SBC areas. You know how this stuff works, the most aggressive telemarketers in the world are the telephone companies themselves. They are always calling my house. Can you switch? Do you want to switch? We want you to switch.
And I want to SBC is alleging they are simply lying as far as trying to get new customers.
ZAHN: How can folks get out from under these price rates? Will it be really difficult for them to switch their service?
SERWER: It's not difficult. It's just like...
ZAHN: It's a hassle?
SERWER: It's a hassle. It's like changing banks. But if you really want to do it and you get upset, you just go over to AT&T or Sprint.
ZAHN: Are you going to do that?
SERWER: I have. I got mad, and it's worth doing, just to let them know that you're not going to take it.
ZAHN: All right, Andy.
We are not going to put up with it anymore.
SERWER: We're as mad as hell.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
