mirror-textfiles.com/bbs/CBBS/1990/900121.ch

CBBS(R) 4.0.3b
01/21/90 22:10:03

Y/N: want CBBS "1st time user" info?^U
?^U
?^U
?n;ward;christensen;odraw;;fullc;piss

Logging name to disk...
You are caller 212109; next msg =43061;  372 active msgs.
Prev. call 01/20/90 @ 23:06, next msg was 43058
Recording logon for next time.
Use FULL? to check assignments
?^U
?xxxxx
"Mine" command checking fo
>Function:?dir c:log;dir c:killed;dir summary;type-30 log,ward c;or;*;short
LOG.   3 
KILLED.  50 
SUMMARY.  26 
01/20/90,23:09:08,212076,X,WARD CHRISTENSEN,,2
01/20/90,23:18:39,212077,2,PAUL ROSSMAN,Palatine,3
01/20/90,23:22:44,212078,2,PAUL ROSSMAN,,4
01/20/90,23:55:47,212079,1,SCOTT KELLEY,chicago,
01/21/90,02:34:33,212080,2,CHARLES BETHLEY,,16
01/21/90,07:36:48,212081,2,JAMES SCHMIDT,,
E#43058,
E#43059,7
01/21/90,07:44:06,212082,2,JAMES SCHMIDT,,0
01/21/90,09:48:19,212083,1,FRANK MADIGAN,,5
01/21/90,11:22:31,212084,1,LARGO RICHTER,Lake Forest/Il,3
01/21/90,11:43:53,212085,2,JIM THALE,,4
01/21/90,12:04:55,212086,3,KEN STOX,,6
01/21/90,12:12:09,212087,1,RICHARD STOMPER,,2
01/21/90,12:20:18,212088,1,RICHAR STOMPER,Chicago,1
01/21/90,12:47:40,212089,1,BILL WOLFF,,5
01/21/90,13:36:40,212090,2,TONY ANTONUCCI,,2
01/21/90,13:44:24,212091,1,FRANK MADIGAN,,1
01/21/90,13:51:04,212092,2,SCOTT KELLEY,,3
01/21/90,14:04:20,212093,1,FRANK MADIGAN,,13
01/21/90,14:24:11,212094,2,LOUIS CLARK,OAKPK,13
01/21/90,14:42:58,212095,1,SHEL HARRIS,,2
01/21/90,17:28:48,212096,1,MIKE ART,chgo/il,
>Help: GRAPHICS,
01/21/90,17:57:44,212097,2,DAVID ROMAINE,darien/il,11
01/21/90,18:16:19,212098,2,MICHAEL SKURLA,,2
01/21/90,18:22:23,212099,2,ZOLDAD NEZIROMIN,Chicago/ IL,2
01/21/90,18:41:58,212100,2,TED KEKATOS,,3
01/21/90,18:56:55,212101,2,JEFF RIZZO,Allston/MA,13
01/21/90,19:41:01,212102,2,DAVE LAWN,chgo il,1
01/21/90,19:53:07,212103,1,JERRY HASLETT,,1
01/21/90,20:13:28,212104,2,JEFF KIZILBASH,DEKALB IL,4
01/21/90,20:28:54,212105,1,JOE PEREIRA,,12
01/21/90,20:45:03,212106,2,CRAIG LEDFORD,chicago/ I,4
01/21/90,21:17:22,212107,2,KEN WALANSKI,,3
01/21/90,21:24:18,212108,1,BILL WOLFF,,
E#43060,1
01/21/90,22:10:07,212109,2,WARD CHRISTENSEN,,
43058 01/21/90 JAMES SCHMIDT => ALL: "CHECKFREE EXPERIENCES"
43059 01/21/90 JAMES SCHMIDT => ALL: "CHECKFREE EXPERIENCES (CONT)"
43060 01/21/90 BILL WOLFF => JAMES SCHMIDT: "R/CHECKFREE EXPERIENCES"

 - End of summary - 

Retrieving flagged msgs: C skips, K aborts.

Msg 43058 is 30 line(s) on 01/21/90 from JAMES SCHMIDT
to ALL re: CHECKFREE EXPERIENCES

 About a month ago I posted a message asking for comments from
CheckFree users. At that time I received only one response asking for my
experiences after becomming a user of the service.
 Well I have been using CheckFree for about 1 month and although
this may be too short a time for an indepth commentary I have made a few
observations I would like to share.
 Basically CheckFree is a service whereby you can make payments
electronically to just about anybody/anything you can send a check to. I
purchased the software from Babbages for $25. If you are a Quicken or
Manage Your Money user you can get it for $9.00 or less (free). After you
install the software (they call it serviceware) you must send in an
application form they supply along with a voided check so they can set
up their system with the MICR codes from your account (and notify your
bank).
 They claimed the turnaround time for the application would be
less that a week, well 3 weeks was the actual time.
 There is a monthly charge of $9.00 which allows up to 20
payments per month, any additional payments are billed (to your checking
account) at $3.00 for each additional 10 payments or fraction thereof.
At first $9.00 seemed a bit expensive but the real cost is actually
$4.00 if you subtract the postage you would save, but there is a slight
additional cost of a local telephone call each time you schedule
payments. At 2400 baud via a telenet gateway most transaction batchs would
take less than a minute. There are NO communication charges other than
the phone units.
 Once a payment is ented into the system the only way you can
cancel, change or otherwise modify it is to call their customer service
dept via a long distance call to the east coast. This is a possible
negative aspect but I understand a new serviceware version is being
distributed to all users that permits EMAIL to the customer service

Msg 43059 is 23 line(s) on 01/21/90 from JAMES SCHMIDT
to ALL re: CHECKFREE EXPERIENCES (CONT)

department and it then becomes a local call. I have yet to receive the
upgraded serviceware.
 So far all the payments they have made for me have been on time
and honored by the respective Merchants (their name for payees). They
print a check on a Laser printer and then mail it First Class to the
address you specified when you defined the merchant to the system. Your
name and account number are prominantly displayed on the check. I
understand that some larger companies can handle payments as EFTs
(electronic funds transfers) but I have yet to see one processed
 this way.
 When the checks clear my bank they include the cancelled checks
along with the statement so I see the CheckFree Checks among the checks
I write by hand. Unfortunately they are not electronically numbered and
they get bunched together at the bottom of my statement in order of the
date they cleared my bank. This has made it a bit difficult during
reconcilliation (sp?) of the account. I have to go by amount and the
date as opposed to check number.
 At this point I can only say that for the most part CheckFree
seems a viable method to pay bills and I will continue the service. BTW
there is a 30 day free period that comes with the service for those that
want to try before they buy.
James Schmidt
Morton Grove, Il

Msg 43060 is 01 line(s) on 01/21/90 from BILL WOLFF
to JAMES SCHMIDT re: R/CHECKFREE EXPERIENCES

CheckFree sounds interesting. What computer(s) does it run on? <BW>
dup. chars.
>Function:?