I bought a prepaid long distance phone card on Friday, October 5, 2007. You’ll notice that today is October 31 of the same year. The card came from a company called Smartel. I usually buy this type of card when I travel, as I don’t have a cell phone and its the cheapest way to make calls from a payphone, usually. Normally, I had gotten a $10 card from my local gas station, which would usually net me 15-20 reasonably long calls.
This $5 card got me one 3 minute call! Why? I called the toll free number on the back of the card when the system advised me that my account had no money (and told me to call customer service). It turns out that my “account” had $4.10 in maintenance fees. I found out that a domestic call costs me $0.39 if I use the toll free access number (which I did since there was no local access number) and $0.30 per day after the first call was placed, which was explained by the call center rep that it covered the cost of running the call center! The card did not come with this rate related information attached to it, so I advise that if there’s no fine print, then they’re hiding something!
So, now I have to try and make my call from home, during business hours. If I’d have only plugged quarters into the payphone…
This company should be renamed ScamTel!!!!
I made the call from home. At $0.05/min, it cost me about $0.10. I like how Aliant entices you to take their long distance service by offering it with no fee and removing the “network access” charge when you have a bundle.
I’m glad I don’t make any Long Distance calls (Ever).
You know the saying, “If it’s to good to be true. Then it is?”
I think that applies here.
Do you remember trying to explain them AT&T charges from way back in the ‘Need a Job’ days?
Don’t remind me of these private telecom companies. I get mad when I even hear the word. I’ve given my change of address at least a dozen times in the last 2 months and I still get my bills in the old address and I’ve been disconnected to boot.
Yes, John. I remember not knowing those charges. Those people got slammed. There’s no two ways about it. But, after seeing how easy it is to be hooked into a contract with a gas marketer in Ontario, I can see how it probably happened. I bet they all got signed up because they either signed something or because they said, “Yes.” to a telemarketing call, just to get rid of some persistent slippery person.
Enemy Targeted…..
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Locking on…..
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!!! FIRE !!!
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Paris is now dead. Target Destroyed!
Thank you, my friend…