AN ACR MLG READ BACK THE WRONG ALT AND CLBED TO THE WRONG ALT. ATC DID NOT CATCH EITHER THE WRONG READBACK OR THE CLB. THERE IS A VIOLATION PENDING.

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ON FLT FROM PHX TO RNO WE WERE CLRED BY ZAB TO FL230. AFTER REQUESTING RNAV DIRECT BLD; WE WERE GIVEN A CLB CLRNC TO FL290. FO READ BACK THE CLRNC. I SET IT ON THE MCP AND THE FO VERIFIED. A SHORT WHILE LATER; WE RECEIVED AN RA ON THE TCASII ADVISING DSND. AT THE SAME TIME; ZAB REQUESTED OUR ALT. I ADVISED 290 AND ZAB ADVISED WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL280. MY REPLY TO THIS WAS NEGATIVE. AT THE SAME TIME; ACR A ADVISED OF AN RA TCASII ADVISORY AND WAS DSNDING. ZAB ADVISED ACR A TO MAINTAIN 290 AND ADVISED US TO DSND TO FL280. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE WERE ADVISED TO CONTACT ZAB UPON LNDG. IN TALKING TO ZAB; THEY ADVISED THEY HAD REPLAYED THE TAPE AND VERIFIED OUR CLRNC HAD BEEN FL280. IN CONCLUSION; I DO FEEL A CLRNC TO FL290 HAD BEEN RECEIVED AND COMPLIED WITH. WE WERE NOT GIVEN TA'S TO ANY CONFLICTING OR XING ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTING PLT HAS HEARD THE ATC TAPES AND HE AGREES THAT HIS FLT WAS GIVEN FL280 AND THAT THE ACFT READ BACK FL290. ZAB DID NOT CORRECT EITHER HIS READBACK OR THE FACT THAT HE WAS AT THE WRONG ALT AS SHOWN ON THE SCOPE. THE RPTR SAYS THAT ZAB 'HAS THE WORST RADIOS IN THE WHOLE WORLD.' THE FAA IS FILING A VIOLATION ON HIM. HIS COMPANY HAS FINED HIM FOR THIS TRANSGRESSION HOPING THAT THE FAA WOULD DROP THE WHOLE MATTER. NO SUCH LUCK; YET.