Read the Fine Print Before you Sign Up -
Long Distance Tricks You Need to Know About
Long distance for Christians shouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Unfortunately, many companies advertise themselves as "Christian," but the reality is they are not in any way Christian-based. Long distance phone companies have many ways to take advantage of their customers. Here are just a few ways that your phone company can make an extra big profit on your account.
1. Monthly Fee
Many phone companies have discovered the monthly fee as a great way to disguise their attractive long distance rate. Check it out for yourself. AT&T, MCI and Sprint are famous for their $4.95 monthly fee. The same with Excel and Lifeline. You're going to be forced to pay those fees every month whether you make any long distance calls or not. None of the companies we represent charge a monthly fee for their long distance. When you figure in the monthly fee, you're paying a much higher rate per minute that what is being advertised.2. Minimum Usage Fee
It is common to have a minimum usage fee, but some companies are not up front about this. A minimum usage means you get charged extra if you don't meet a certain level of usage. In some cases, they only mention it during the actual signup process, and even then it's not clearly stated. There are many companies that tout "no monthly fee," but they often don't mention the mininum usage fee.3. Automatic Credit/Debit Card Payment
Many companies offering low rates require that you give them a credit or debit card and authorize them to automatically charge your card each month. Our companies DO NOT require automatic payments.4. Rounding up the Call
The big phone companies have been taking advantage of people for years by rounding their calls up to the next minute. Here's an example. You go into a donut shop and order a cup of coffee and a donut. It comes to $1.35. You hand the cashier two one dollar bills and he kindly thanks you and begins to wait on the next customer. Hey buddy - where's my change? With the big phone companies, there is no change!If you make a 61 second call with AT&T, MCI, Sprint, Excel or Lifeline, you'll be billed for a full two minute call. At a l0¢ a minute rate, that's 20¢ for a one minute and one second conversation. They've kept the change! With the companies we represent, you only pay for the time you use. One second or six second billing can save you as much as 40% on your monthly long distance bill. Take advantage of these very real savings. The more calls you make, the more you save.
5. Inflated In-State Rates
This is a great way to really confuse the customer. Offer a seemingly low out-of-state rate, then hit the customer with a high in-state rate. Most people never know the difference until they get the bill. Our in-state rates are much lower than our competitor's - check them out on the Rate chart.6. Nights and Weekends
Many long distance plans are specifically geared to confuse the customer. They offer low rates after 7:00 at night but their daytime rate is outrageous. Or, you can get 5¢ weekends, but pay high rates the rest of the week - plus pay a monthly fee and have your calls rounded up to the next minute! It's all a big game and you're the victim. Our programs offer the same long distance rates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Your low rate is an all-the-time rate. No games, no gimmicks.7. Short-Term Promotions
Many companies are using low rates and specials to gather a lot of customers quickly. Three months later it all comes to a crashing end and your rate goes back up to their standard rates. They're counting on the fact that most people don't pay that much attention to their phone bill and they can probably get away with it for a few months. It's a pain to switch long distance carriers. Most people just don't want to be bothered, even if it costs them money. These short term promotions usually become long term nightmares!8. The $100 AT&T Check Scam
AT&T is famous for luring they're customers back to the fold with a nice big check. Why do you think they can afford to do this? It's simple. They've been overcharging their customers for so long they can afford to be generous once the customer leaves the fold. They're simply giving the customer back the extra money they've been taking for years. But consumers are wising up. AT&T has lost a lot of market share because they aren't that competitive any longer. Say no to AT&T with your checkbook! Where was AT&T when you were paying too much for long distance? Cashing your checks every month!9. Dial Around Codes
Another rising trend in the industry is to dial a prefix before you place your call. The television is inundated with 10-10-321 and millions of other prefixes. Just so you know, many of these dial around codes are just AT&T, MCI and Sprint selling their wares through another vehicle. Lucky Dog is another name for AT&T. 10-10-321 is MCI, 10-10-297 is Excel/Telco. One way or another, they're going to trick you into becoming their customer.Many of these programs have many hidden costs. Some require your call to last for at least three minutes or in some cases, up to 20 minutes. You have to keep your eye on your watch or set a timer to make sure you don't run overtime. Have you noticed that the fine print on the television commercials only stays up for a few brief seconds? It's what you don't know that can hurt you. Are you really saving money with these types of programs? Why not get a low rate all the time with no fees and 6 second billing?
10. Calling Card Surcharges
Many of the calling cards on the market today charge expensive front-loaded surcharges that make their low rates not so low after all. AT&T's cards have a surcharge of .89¢ for the first minute and then 31¢ a minute for the call. Be careful with these cards. They are not the best way to make a long distance call when you're on the road. We offer low priced calling cards with no company surcharges.11. The Calling Unit Scam
This is the latest gimmick on the market and maybe the biggest rip-off of all. Is it safe to assume that 6.9¢ means 6.9¢ a minute? Not any more. Several unscrupulous companies are using calling units instead of per minute rates. A 30 second call could mean 6.9¢ x 2.5 calling units. One of our clients (who is now saving with us on all 11 of their phone lines), could not get a straight answer when they asked what a billing unit was. They didn't want them to know! You wind up paying more than l7¢a minute for that call and you never know about it! Even their fine print is confusing. Unless you know what to look out for, you will get burned by these companies.12. Low Per-Minute Rate with a Connect Fee
One of the best scams is a super-low per-minute fee with a "connect fee". Since the average long distance is not very long, this actually costs you more money! Keep in mind that connect fees apply even if you get an answering machine, in which case you'll actually be paying WAY too much for one minute.13. Lifeline's 2.9 cents/minute Long Distance Plan
This plan has a $4.95 monthly fee, AND, if you use more than 500 minutes in a month, then they bill all your minutes at 6.9 cents/minute! So, this 2.9 cents per minute plan actually ends up costing you more than our 3.9 cents/minute plan, in virtually every scenario. (If you used exactly 499 minutes of long distance, the Lifline 2.9 cents/minute plan woud actually cost you about 3.9 cents/minute, but if you use less then 499 minutes, then it costs more, and if you use more than 499 minutes, the Lifeline long distance plan costs A LOT more. Don't be fooled! This plan is not anywhere as good as it sounds. Since the average long distance customer uses a lot less then 499 minutes per month, the Lifeline 2.9 long distance will end up costing you a lot more than 2.9 cents/minute. By the way, Lifeline long distance in-state and local toll rates are also A LOT higher than they need to be. In some states, they're nearly twice as high as our rates. Also, you might want to read more about Lifeline long distance.