Phonecards On-Line - Written by Alan H. Cohen

March 23, 1997


Issue 72

Phonecards On-Line is written and distributed by Alan Cohen


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News and Views

Administrative Note

I often get requests for back issues of Phonecards On-Line. All 72 issues are archived on the web, the address is http://www.cardmall.com/pol/phonline.htm

Destiny Situation Resolved

The following is a press release from the California Attorney General’s Office:

Attorney General Dan Lungren, Alameda County District Attorney Thomas J. Orloff and Monterey County District Attorney Dean D. Flippo today announced a joint settlement in a lawsuit filed against Destiny Telecomm International.

Under the terms of the agreement, the company will pay $1.6 million in civil penalties, refrain from paying commissions based on the recruitment of new distributors, and offer refunds to all distributors who joined the program before April 10, 1997. Additionally, the company has agreed to create a 90% refund plan for all future distributors. Under the terms of the settlement, the company has not admitted to any wrongdoing.

HT Technologies

Although there has been no official press release from the company, a number of readers of this publication along with members of the on-line collecting community have written that their HT cards no longer work. I tried a random sampling of eight of their cards - Two worked, while six gave me busy signals. This is very disturbing, as the majority of their cards that I tried are not working. As was written a while back, HT filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection, but no new news has been offered. For those of you with HT cards that do not work, I would suggest contacting the International Telecard Association for assistance. They can be reached at 800-958-7824, or inquiries@telecard.org

Omnitel out of business?

Murray Church, the publisher of Moneycard Collector, reports that "We have received reports which we have been unable to confirm that OmniTel is out of business. Anyone with information to share with us on this is asked to call Tom Williams, editor of Moneycard Collector at 513-498-0879, et. 327."

Stolen Merchandise Alert

From: Murray Church, Moneycard Collector Magazine

Buz and Betty Houghtaling, owners of B&B Collectables in Alta Loma, California, informed Moneycard Collector that they have suffered a major theft of phonecards from their inventory. They have asked us and the International Telecard Association to inform the industry with a view to recovering the stolen items.

Richard Hahn of the Rancho Cucamonga (Calif) Police Department states that Sean Gerson who operated a business called "Rookie Cards" has been arrested and charged with the theft.

Police are now using phone records, courier shipping records and bank records to trace all of the sales which this individual made since the date of the theft.

Materials were stolen over a lenthy period of time, but the majority of it was taken in late February. The cards were comprised mainly of Disney Vista United cards (more than 20 Contact '96's), Coca-Cola material (especially B&B's own 1996 program), McDonald's (Frank & Sons #1, etc.), and Event Masters cards. According to Buz Houghtaling, none of the loss is covered by insurance.

Anyone knowing anything about this theft or in posession of materials that they believe may have been a part of this theft is requested to contact Detective Richard Hahn of the Racho Cucamonga Police Department by phone (909-477-2800, ext. 2856) or fax (909-477-2899).

Card Mall Phonecard

The Card Mall Collector Phonecard

Announcing The Card Mall Collector Phone Card

For more information, please contact the editor at alan@cardmall.com or (888) 783-MALL

MCI/Forbes Easter Egg Set

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 1997--With Easter only days away, MCI and Forbes Magazine have teamed up to produce an exclusive set of one dozen collectible prepaid calling cards commemorating the FORBES' Imperial Egg Collection(TM) by Peter Carl Faberge'. The 12 gold and jewel-encrusted eggs adorning the MCI PrePaid cards are owned by Forbes Magazine and are the largest private collection of the Imperial Easter eggs in the world.

"These regal works of art by Peter Carl Faberge' are one of the most spectacular collections of fine art ever assembled, and could not be a better choice to adorn MCI PrePaid cards during the Easter season," said Jeff Lindauer, general manager, MCI PrePaid Services. "We're grateful to Forbes Magazine for sharing these rare treasures with phone card collectors and art lovers alike."

"Thanks to MCI, you can now collect Faberge' Eggs for a lot less than what we paid for them," quipped Christopher Forbes, vice chairman of Forbes, Inc.

A "Must-Have" for Collectors

The unique MCI PrePaid Card collection features 12 exquisite Imperial Easter eggs created for the last two Czars of Russia and hand-crafted by the House of Faberge', the world renowned jeweler. The collection includes:

The limited edition phone cards are available today in four, three-card sets at an introductory price of $50/set. In addition, a very limited number of the full FORBES' Imperial Egg Collection by Peter Carl Faberge' containing all 12 cards are available at an introductory rate of $175. After June 30, the cards will be priced as follows: $60/set of three and $240 for the limited twelve-card set.

To enhance the value of the cards to collectors, each one of the 3,000 cards produced is individually numbered for authenticity and includes a scratch-off covering over the personal identification number on the back of the card. The cards are a must for avid phone card collectors and connoisseurs of fine art, and make nice gifts in Easter baskets.

The FORBES' collectible prepaid card series took top honors as the "Best Series" at the American TeleCard Expo awards.

The FORBES' Imperial Egg Collection from MCI PrePaid can be ordered by calling 1-800-840-6715. Each card is sequentially numbered and wrapped in customized packaging with a short description and history of each Egg included in the set. Retailers interested in purchasing cards for resale can call 1-888-294-7909 for more information.

Tuff Stuff Collect

Finally, after three weeks, here is the correct phone number to order is 800-883-6779. However, their lines are answered Mon.-Fri. from 8:30-5:30 Eastern. All other times, be prepared to leave a message.

Seasons-a mail order catalog

Seasons-a mail order catalog is giving away a 15 minute US phone card with any order. Their toll free number for catalog request is 1-800-793-0668. Their order number is 800-776-9677 to get the phonecard you ask for # 47192. It's really colorful with confetti look. The stuff in the catalog is pretty neat stuff especially for girls or Mom's day presents maybe.

From: Debi Stultz

TDK Tapes

I was in WalMart today in Delray Beach, FL and got a free 10 minute card (TDK Talk10 CARD) in a package of TDK audio tapes. It is a paper card and says the services are provided by Cable and Wireless, Inc. The expiration date is 9/30/97. I don't know if this is common with this type of card, but it says calls to 700, 800, 900, 950, 976, international numbers and directory assistance are not available with the card.

From: Larry Nielsen

Suisse Mocha

You can get a free Suisse Mocha phonecard in specially marked tins of General Foods International Coffees. They are a 10 minute phonecard, service by MCI. The best part about the card is the PIN # is exposed! So you can use the card and it will still remain MINT!

From: Kurt Kemmling

Until Next Week,

Alan

Distribution

Phonecards On-Line is written and distributed by Alan Cohen. It is a weekly newsletter devoted to phonecards - Current news, viewpoints, and reviews of new issues. It is distributed free of charge, and available two ways.

1) On-Line on the World Wide Web. The address is: http://www.cardmall.com - All back issues are archived at the web site!

2) Direct e-mail. Send a message to: phoneline@cardmall.com

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