|
Your international long distance service does not
have to be so expensive if you find a good long distance provider
Simply because you are making an international long distance phone
call does not mean that you have to spend a lot of money. When searching
for a long distance provider, make sure to compare rates so that
you can find the best deal on international long distance. You can
compare discount long
distance rates for free and find the long distance provider
you want. It is easy to find affordable international long distance
service. This free service we provide allows you to look at what
a certain long distance provider is charging. You can compare their
rates and choose the international long distance plan you like the
most.
You can also get an international calling
card . An international calling card can help you save money,
if you are still looking for the perfect international long distance
service. Unscrupulous companies will sometimes try to take advantage
of you when making an international long distance call, so it is
a good idea to use your international long distance provider. We
only refer you to reputable organizations that can give you an international
long distance service that is reliable.
International Long Distance and
International Telephone Number Scams
Be cautious when calling an unfamiliar telephone number - it could
be a costly international long distance call. Consumers nationwide
are being lured into calling international long distance telephone
numbers through advertisements and other promotions for interesting
or important information. Ads may promise information and entertainment
services ranging from psychic readings to chat lines to employment
opportunities. You may be unaware that some of these numbers are
actually costly international long distance "pay-per-call"
numbers, where a portion of your international long distance charge
goes to pay for the information or entertainment you receive over
the phone.
You could end up with a hefty phone bill if you call such an international
long distance telephone number. That's because each country sets
its own telephone rates and there's no limit to the per-minute charge.
The companies urging you to call have an incentive to keep you on
the line as long as possible because they receive a portion of the
international long distance charge. The more often you call -and
the longer you stay on the line - the more they profit.
Know Where You're Calling
It's not always easy to tell if you're calling an international
long distance telephone number. In most cases, you have to dial
"011" to begin your call to a foreign country. But there
are locations outside the United States and Canada, many of them
in the Caribbean, where you simply dial the area code and number
to reach your party. And there are scam artists who have taken advantage
of this confusion by promoting calls to "809" numbers
in the Dominican Republic. While these telephone numbers may look
like domestic long distance calls,
international long distance telephone
rates apply.
Be a Smart Telephone Shopper
These international long distance telephone services are similar
to "900" number services because you purchase information
or entertainment over the telephone and pay for it simply by dialing
the telephone number. Providers of both 900 number and international
long distance pay-per-call service make money based on the number
and length of calls generated to the pay-per-call numbers. However,
one very important difference is that the protections afforded by
FTC's 900 Numbers Rule - clear disclosures about the cost of the
call before those costs are incurred - do not apply to international
pay-per-call numbers.
If you are deciding whether to call an international long distance
pay-per-call number, you should also know that:
You won't hear a free preamble stating the cost of the call. Nor
will you be given an opportunity to hang up without being charged.
Ads for international pay-per-call numbers rarely, if ever, reveal
the precise amount that you'll be billed - this can result in a
big surprise when your bill arrives.
Your telephone service may be cut off if you don't pay the charges
for international long distance calls. There's no easy way to block
access to these numbers from your telephone.
Beware of Scams
Some international long distance pay-per-call numbers are promoted
in uniquely deceptive ways. You may receive "urgent" messages
left on answering machines, pagers, or computer e-mail, trying to
get you to call the international number. The messages tell you
to call a long distance number for more information. In many cases,
the return-call number is an international pay-per-call line, with
a three digit exchange that looks like an American or Canadian area
code. The message may falsely claim that a family member has been
injured, that you've won a prize, or that there's a problem with
your credit. If you return the call, you may be unwittingly putting
money into the pockets of scam artists.
How to Protect Yourself
If you see an ad for an information or entertainment service, or
receive an urgent message to return a call, follow these precautions:
Be skeptical about area codes you don't recognize, especially:
809 (Dominican Republic); 758 (St. Lucia); or 664 (Montserrat).
There are dozens of other area codes (most in the Caribbean) which
connect callers to an international long distance telephone call.
Check your telephone directory or call the operator to determine
if the area code is for a domestic or international location before
calling.
Be wary of ads for information or entertainment services which
make such claims as "not a 900 number," "no premiums
apply," or "LD rates apply." The advertisers of
these services would like consumers to believe that these pay-per-call
services are not as costly as 900 number services when, in fact,
they may be even more expensive.
Tell family members they need your permission to call domestic
or international long distance services. For example, children
should be cautious of telephone numbers outside your immediate
area code and numbers with more than 10 digits.
Promptly check your phone bill for international long distance
charges you don't recognize. If your bill contains an unauthorized
call, contact your local telephone company as well as your international
long distance carrier. The telephone company may provide a credit
or refund, but they are not required to do so. However, your notification
will help the telephone companies identify telephone numbers which
are the source of abuses.
Related Articles
Long Distance Phone
Provider
International Calling Card
|
