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Take a look at your long distance carrier and find
out more about your long distance company and long distance provider
Your long distance carrier can make or break you. Find out if your
long distance carrier has a monthly charge, monthly minimum charge
or per-use charge. Are discount services available for low-income
consumers with your long distance carrier? Does you long distance
carrier offer a service contract? Find out what discount
long distance rates you can get when you compare them. It is
free to compare the long distance rates from the different long
distance carriers. This way you can see how much money you can save
on long distance depending on the long distance carrier you choose.
Before you choose your long distance phone company, ask this and
more. The long distance provider you choose should be able to answer
all of your questions. A long distance carrier wants your business,
so in order to get your long distance business, you should make
them work. If your long distance company or long distance provider
is not giving you the answers you deserve, then it is time to switch
to another long distance carrier.
Your Long Distance Carrier
Your long distance carrier and long distance phone company have
a bad reputation with consumers because some long distance carriers
are getting rich based on one simple ploy. That is, confuse the
customer until you don't even want to look at your long distance
phone bill. When people are confused they are less likely to take
the time to read their bill and the staff at the long distance carrier
knows this.
Following is a list of item's that a phone company or long distance
carrier will use to get as much money as possible from you.
The Universal Service Fund Fee
You are charged a USF fee on every state-to-state and international
call. Every long distance carrier must pay the government almost
7% for this fee, but a long distance carrier will sometimes charge
you up to 12% for the USF fee. That's a 5% profit the long distance
carrier is making from every customer.
Monthly Fees
There is nothing illegal about a long distance carrier charging
a monthly fee and if you make numerous long distance calls every
month, paying a monthly fee to get a cheap per minute rate might
not be a bad idea. The problem is, a long distance carrier can try
to keep people focused on the per minute rate and then the monthly
fee is buried in the small print.
Is your long distance bill included with your
local bill?
Many companies charge you a $1.50 fee just to include your long
distance bill with your local telephone bill.
Operator assisted call
If you have an operator place your long distance call, this little
service will cost you much more than if you dialed it yourself.
Slamming
This is where your service is switched without your permission.
Telemarketers have recorded phone conversations, asking the customer
any question where the answer would be "yes", then using
that "yes" to switch the customers long distance service
without them knowing about it.
Not every long distance carrier in the country is trying to rip
you off. There are companies that are up front about your charges
and will make it as easy as possible for you to get the lowest rates.
At the same time, there are many companies that are getting rich
from doing everything they can to confuse you to the point that
you want to hire an attorney just to tell you what your phone bill
means. Find a long distance carrier that is willing to work with
you. Sometimes that long distance carrier is a small long distance
carrier that can still give you the personal attention you need.
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