AN ACR B727 CAPT RPTS THAT ZLC USED ANOTHER ACFT'S CALL SIGN WHEN CALLING HIM. THE OTHER ACFT'S CAPT CONFIRMED THIS. THE RPTR DISLIKES THE ATC SIT AND THE CTLRS AT ZLC IN GENERAL.

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AT ABOUT XA40Z; WHILE FLYING AT FL310; ABOUT 90 NM N OF OGDEN VOR; INBOUND ON THE CARTR 1 ARR TO SLC; WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM ZLC 'ACR X ABCD; YOU'RE CLRED TO DSND TO FL240 AT MAX FORWARD SPD.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC VERBATIM. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; CTR ASKED US WHAT OUR ALT WAS AND I RESPONDED; 'ACR X ABCD; PASSING FL300 FOR FL240 AT MAX SPD AS REQUESTED.' THE CTLR COUNTERED THAT THE CLRNC HAD BEEN FOR ACR X ABCE AND IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO 16000 FT AT NORMAL SPD. FURTHER CONVERSATION CTRED AROUND SIMILAR FLT NUMBERS; ETC. UPON ARR AT SLC; I MET WITH THE FLC OF ACR X ABCE WHO REASSURED ME THAT THE CTLR WAS MISTAKEN AND HAD CLRED ACR X ABCD ORIGINALLY AS I EXPECTED. APPROX 6 MONTHS AGO; MY COMPANY NOTIFIED ME THAT THE FAA WAS FILING AN ALT VIOLATION AGAINST ME UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND SLC; ONLY TO DETERMINE LATER THAT THE ALLEGED VIOLATION HAPPENED TO AN ACR X CREW ON THE SAME FLT THE DAY BEFORE MINE; AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A MIXUP WITH REGARDS TO INTERP OF ZULU TIMES. NEVERTHELESS; THE SLC ARR CORRIDORS REMAIN ONE OF THE WORST PLT ALT VIOLATION TRAPS IN THIS COUNTRY DUE TO CTLR WORKLOADS AND EXPERIENCE LEVELS; AND COMPLICATED ARR PLATE PROCS. THE ARR PLATES SHOULD BE SIMPLIFIED; OR DONE AWAY WITH COMPLETELY. I HAVE NO SOLUTION WITH REGARD TO THE CTLRS.