THE RPTR HAD TO REQUEST CONFIRMATION OF AN ASSIGNED ALT 4 TIMES WITH AN APPROPRIATE DELAY BTWN REQUESTS BEFORE HE COULD EXTRACT A CONFIRMATION.

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WE WERE GETTING VECTORS FROM ZDC ON 134.02. I THOUGHT THE CTLR SAID 'TURN L TO 330 DEGS; DSND TO FL290.' THE FO READ BACK 'TURN L TO 330 DEGS; DSND TO FL280.' I ASKED THE FO TO MAINTAIN FL290. (THE CTLR DID NOT CORRECT THE FO'S READBACK.) THE FO ASKED FOR A CONFIRMATION OF THE ALT; BUT THE CTLR DID NOT ANSWER HIS QUESTION. HE WAS FAIRLY BUSY WITH OTHER ACFT; SO SEVERAL SECONDS PASSED BEFORE THE FO ASKED A SECOND TIME FOR A CONFIRMATION OF THE ALT. THE CTLR STILL DID NOT ANSWER. SEVERAL ACFT WERE CHKING IN; THE CTLR GAVE SEVERAL INSTRUCTIONS; AND FINALLY THE FO WAS ABLE TO AGAIN ASK A THIRD TIME FOR A CONFIRMATION OF THE ALT. THE CTLR DID NOT ANSWER; BUT GAVE MORE INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT. THE FO WAS SURE THE CTLR SAID 'FL280;' AND I WAS CONSIDERING ALLOWING HIM TO DSND. (THE FO HAD READ BACK 'FL280' ALSO AND RECEIVED NO CORRECTION FROM THE CTLR). FINALLY; AFTER 1-2 MINS OF CONFUSION; THE FO ASKED A FOURTH TIME FOR ALT CONFIRMATION; AND THE CTLR SAID 'MAINTAIN FL290.' NOW; HE COULD HAVE CHANGED HIS MIND; WHEN HE SAW THAT WE WERE STILL AT FL290; BUT I DOUBT IT. THIS WAS AN EXAMPLE OF OVERWORK/CARELESSNESS THAT I SEE TOO OFTEN IN CTLRS: THEY DON'T LISTEN TO READBACKS HALF THE TIME.