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Long Distance Phone Cards..Money saver.

turboturbo Member Posts: 820 ✭✭✭✭
edited August 2002 in General Discussion
Just a bit of info, hope it saves you money, it does for us.

This morning I recharged my ATT long distance credit phone card another 1,000 minutes at a cost of 3.4 cents per minute,

It took me almost exactly i year to use up the previous 1,000 hours.

Last June MCI, wound up with my long distance phone service, on a trial offer they gave me for 60 days, claiming they could save me money.

The first months bill was $64.00, twice what my wife and I were paying normally.

I cancelled the service and my wife purchased the ATT card.

If I could get one for my local phone service I would in an instant, I notice my local phone service bill amounts to about 12.00 per monthe , but when you add state and federal excise taxes it increases it to about 27-29.00 per month.

On TV they are always advertiseing 1-10-10 #'s they charge .05 cents perminute, this card is cheaper than that.

Another thing, my son, who lives way across town doesn't have a phone in his residence, he claims it cheaper to pay for his cell phone, which gives him 600 hours per month during the day, and 3,000 long distance and anytime evening/weekend minutes, and no additional charges for roaming, all for $39.50 per month.

This would be an even better deal if I spent all my time on the phone.

Anyhow there seems to be some good options out there.



"The great object is that every man.... everyone who is able may have a gun." Patrick Henry

Comments

  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    turbo, I started using the AT&T cards a few months ago when I discovered how much cheaper they were than even the best of the 'bargain' rates by discount carriers. Cell phones are becoming competitive with land lines (finally!) & I expect to switch over soon.

    One thing, FWIW, I discovered w/ the AT&T cards is that I could call internationally from a US hotel room at the best rate AT&T offered for my home phone - roughly 5 to 10% of the nominal tariff.
  • bama55bama55 Member Posts: 6,389 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I use Marathon as my long distance carrier. www.marathoncom.com/index.html
    Where others charge a
    "monthly service fee" of up to 4.95, Marathon charges 2.95, only if
    you make a long distance call. Their rates for Alabama are 9.5 out of state, and 9.0 instate. Also, they give 15% of the bill to the Pro Gun organization of your choice. If you don't make a LD call they don't
    charge you the 2.95. For the last year or so, I have used the AT&T
    phone cards from Sam's, 3.4 cents per minute. By using the card,
    I don't pay the 2.95 LD carrier fee. I have argued with MCI and others about that several times. They just don't believe it. Also,
    when I tell them what I do, they say they can still save me money.
    I ask how, and when they explain it, I point out that it wont save
    me money. They still try to get me to change. Though I haven't had
    a call from one in a few months, maybe they have given up.

    Don't send flowers when I die. Send money now, I can buy more ammo.
  • turboturbo Member Posts: 820 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    PS,

    I took a trip to Oregon in July and took the card with me, the same rate of 3.4 cents per minute applied, from my hotel room.

    Their is a free service that comes with the card, whereby if someone steals your phone code #, they will freeze or lock out any calls being chrged to the card, when the outgoing cal are made from a different # after the second call, but, one can simply call the customer servce 800# on the back of the card and reactivate the card by giving them the pin security # on the back of the card.

    So it's quite convenient to carry it around in one's wallet.

    They do charge a bit more when calling from a public telephone.

    By the way SAMS CLUB sells these originally for $40.00, for the 1,000 minutes, but if you recharge by using your credit card, it's $34.00 for the same 1,000 mins.

    Good luck

    "The great object is that every man.... everyone who is able may have a gun." Patrick Henry
  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Turbo, at least up in the NH boonies, it's still 3.47 cents the first time.
  • bullelkbullelk Member Posts: 679 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    SaxonPig,

    I dumped AT&T after 40 years with them. I would never do business with them again. I don't give a GD how much I have to pay.

    I switched to IDT, long distance is .05 cents a minute 24-7 and in state is .08 cents. The beauty of it is they bill in 6 second increments. That adds a lot to the savings. They also give you a calling card and the rate on that is .10 cents also billed in 6 second increments.
  • texshootertexshooter Member Posts: 1,002 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    At one time, I had AT&T. Then, I saw a list of organizations they contribute to. Being 4-5 years ago, they may have changed...at that time , the list showed them contributing to anti-gun causes.
    If anyone has updated info, I would like to know.


    National Rifle Association Endowment Member-Texas State Rifle Association Life member
  • mvandmvand Member Posts: 26 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    There are so many variables in charges it's very difficult sometimes to determine the best rates (minimum call legth, billing increment, in-state rates,....). Also, there are more options available than most of us are aware of. It's hard to beat the cards, especially for the low users. But also note that calls are rounded to the next full minute on most, and sometimes the rates may vary with time of day.

    I am paying $.039/minute instate, $.049 out-of state and have also used a very good flat-rate plan that varies between $.01 and $.07 per minute.

    There is a useful "best-rate calculator" at http://www.ld.net/?options4u to give you choices.

    For some of you, the best choice may be the flat-rate service I mentioned, found at http://www.onefeeld.com/16509601

    Hope this helps.

    Mark.
  • Spring CreekSpring Creek Member Posts: 1,260
    edited November -1
    Sam's Discount has for 3.47cents, but you pay sales tax on first purchase.
    Recharge the cards by phone and no sales tax.

    JOIN THE NRA
    SUPPORT THE NRA
  • anderskandersk Member Posts: 3,627 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've tried a few, and the fine print just kills you. Now I'm trying the Sam's Club phone card. Looks like a pretty good deal to me.

    Ken
  • sfettysfetty Member Posts: 349 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    SaxonPig, are you happy with IDT? I am currently with MCI and I am definitely changing long distance providers. MCI has to be one of the highest out there. Those calling cards sound like a pretty good deal also.
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