freakin' phone rip-off

[jose bagge]

Business associate flies into Reagan and promptly drops his cell into the urinal...so he calls my cell collect from a payphone. I get a nice Indian gentleman on the line that says my cell will not accept collect calls, would I like to put it on my credit card. Sure, sez I- and i rattle off the number. HE THEN TELLS ME THAT THE CALL WILL COST $29.00 FOR THE FIRST 6 MINUTES, and connects us.

I was 5 miles away...!

Forget big oil- these rotten muva hunchers should burn in hell! I'll gladly pay full price for 2 gallons of fuel to light 'em up!

Made the BA buy lunch AND dinner- and order two damned desserts too as payback!

 

[Mike (WA)]

About 15 years ago, son rode his bike about 3 miles to small town when he was about 11- ran into a friend there who invited him to his place. Todd knew he needed to call home to get permission, but didn't have any change for the pay phone. So he called collect (local call), and you guessed it, our next phone bill had a charge for $3.50 for the call. Didn't scold, but suggested next time, just ask a responsible looking adult for a quarter and explain why you need it, most adults are parents, too, and will gladly give it to you.

I was hit up for a quarter by a young girl a few years later, to call home. Just handed her my cell phone instead. She glared, handed it back, and walked away.



Sounds like inflation has hit the pay phone industry, too.

 

[Coloken]

For many years now, it has been posible to own your own pay phone. You can charge any amount you want for some one to use it. Beware around small motels etc.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Verizon allows you to have a 800 number for free we gave it to the kids so they can call us anytime or where without the excuses.

 

[rrlund]

My wife called me from work one time. Reversed the charges and got some fly by night third party phone company involved. Cost me $20 for about 15 seconds. Worthless S.O.B.s didn't even tell me it would cost that much.Just asked if I'd accept the charges. An no,she wasn't calling from jail. As I understand it,that costs a fortune.

 

[hay]

i found a simple way to avoid the cell phone overcharges......i just got rid of the cell phone. if i'm on the road and need to make a call, just use a public pay phone and yes they still do exist in the republic of texas.

 

[MarkB_MI]

The only time someone should have to make a collect call is if they're in jail. Your associate needs to get with the program and get a calling card. Before cell phones they were mandatory for businessmen, but even in this day and age a calling card can get you out of a jamb.

 

[Kelly C]

You have to be warry of the cell phones and all the private pay phones now.
Cell phones are very competitive now. Not much proffit margin on the advertised rates. Use any nonstandard feature and you are going to pay though the nose. Dont dial 411 on one.

I dont know about all phone companies but the one I work for sold off all the pay phones. They dont have any thing to do with it any more. So if you make a collect call from one. WHo is collecting?