Outrageous Phone Charges!!!

by CaptainSchmideo 8 Replies latest jw friends

  • CaptainSchmideo
    CaptainSchmideo

    This is a bill I received from my phone company. This portion comes from another phone service, called ZPDI:

    No.DateTimePlace CalledNumber Code MinAmount

    Charges for xxx-xxx-xxxx
    Itemized Calls
    4-01 8-16 210P xxxxxxxxx from xxx-xxx-xxxx DSB 3.0 # 24.43
    COLLECT FROM MIRA LOMA CA 951 xxx-5975
    4-02 8-16 213P xxxxxxxxxx xxx-xxx-xxxx DSB 3.0 # 24.43
    COLLECT FROM MIRA LOMA CA 951 xxx-5975
    Total Itemized Calls 48.86
    Total Charges for xxx-xxx-xxxx 48.86
    Total Long Distance 48.86
    Itemized Charges and Credits
    Item
    No.DateDescription
    Charges for xxx-xxx-xxxx
    4-03 8-16 CUSTOM TELECONNECT REGULATORY ASMTFEE 1.45
    4-04 8-16 CUSTOM TELECONNECT REGULATORY ASMTFEE 1.50
    4-05 8-16 USF CARRIER ADMINISTRATIVE FEE 2.50
    4-06 8-16 FEDERAL UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND 5.72
    4-07 8-17 USF CARRIER ADMINISTRATIVE FEE 2.50
    4-08 8-31 CUSTOM TELECONNECT COLLECT CALL FEE 2.99
    Total Charges for xxx-xxx-xxxx 16.66
    Total Itemized Charges and Credits 16.66
    Total for Custom Teleconnect 65.52
    Taxes
    4-09 Federal .00
    4-10 State and Local 4.32
    Total Taxes 4.32
    # State taxable
    KEY TO CALLING CODES
    B Collect D Day S Station to Station
    Total ZPDI 69.84

    Two three minute calls, at 25.00 apiece, plus $10.00 apiece in "fees" and "taxes". And here's the best part! We weren't even home to accept those charges! That particular day, I was on vacation, and I took my entire family to a movie matinee! The calls went to my answering machine, and they still tried to charge me for them!

    Some things to learn from this: If you want to ensure that your family will ever speak to you again, don't call collect!

    If you ever find yourself answering one of these calls, ask the operator up front how much it is going be before you say yes. They are not required to volunteer the information UNLESS you ASK THEM!

    If you are going on the road, buy a calling card, or buy a cheap one-use cell phone. Even at .25 a minute, it's still cheaper than these robber baron rates.

    Always examine your phone bill, and don't accept unfair charges without a fight, saying, "oh, well!". I called this company, and got the charges removed from my bill,even when they tried to argue with me about it. If someone tries to mug me for $70.00 bucks, they better have a knife or gun, otherwise there's going to be a fight!

  • restrangled
    restrangled

    CS....I feel your pain!

    Our phone bill is suppose to be about $ 32.00 a month. Every month with Sprint (now Embarq) it just goes up and up and up.

    With no long distance calls it has reached the $70.00 mark, anything being above 32.00 are taxes and fees.

    I just switched to digital with my cable company. All long distance included for 24.00 a month....no additional crapolla added on.

    Here was Embarq's listed xtras for August: ....September's were higher!

    Emergency 911 Surcharge........ .50

    Federal Tax 1.47

    Local Comm. Services Tax 2.36

    State Comm. Tax 3.76

    Telecommunications relay serv. chg. .11

    Interstate Access Charge 6.50

    Federal Universal Service Fund. .73

    Storm Cost Recovery charge .85

    Line guard 5.45

    Late payment fee (one day) 8.00

    I'm an idiot for keeping them this long fee....................priceless!

    r.

  • greendawn
    greendawn

    Why are phone calls so expensive in the USA with all the competition going on between telecom companies? Alternatively free calls can be made from PC to PC or from PC to a phone (Voip) with a small charge.

  • jaguarbass
    jaguarbass

    My guess is the phone companies show you all the charges on your phone bill so you, the consumer, will either understand or complain and take political action against the politicians and all the taxes that they place on phone service.

  • pseudoxristos
    pseudoxristos

    here is a shameless plug for an organization I ran across a few days ago.

    http://keepusffair.org

    pseudo

  • worldtraveller
    worldtraveller

    Here's a long distance problem solver- I used to call someone in Buffalo NY (we are on the west). I bought a prepaid phone card from a pizza joint for 3 bucks. It is good for 3 months from first usage. I was able to phone east about 5 or six times. I even called Australia and Mexico City a few times on a card! Imagine a long distance plan for a buck or 2 a month. Worked well.

  • Sad emo
    Sad emo

    You have to pay for 911 calls?

    Phone rates in the UK aren't too bad really, you can get all kinds of deals which give you massive discounts on certain calls.

  • Scully
    Scully
    You have to pay for 911 calls?

    No, it is a monthly charge that everyone pays to subsidize the service.

    Collect calls are outrageously expensive. I've told my kids up front that if they ever attempt to call the house collect, I won't be accepting the charges. They can bum 50ยข from their friends and place a normal phone call. If anyone else calls collect, they're going to be SOL.

    Maybe a revised answering machine message could include the following: We do NOT authorize reverse charges for long distance calls under any circumstances.

    I've got a feature on my phone called Call Control that allows you to block outgoing long distance or international calls. I suspect that if an unauthorized collect call showed up on my bill, I could argue that since I've blocked outgoing long distance calls, I certainly would not authorize a collect call.

  • Sad emo
    Sad emo
    You have to pay for 911 calls?
    No, it is a monthly charge that everyone pays to subsidize the service.

    Thanks Scully - that makes good sense now

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