TelcoBusters.com Telephone Tips:
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Use
the phone during off peak hours. Off peak varies from provider
to provider so check and save. |
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Choose a carrier with a short billing increment. A 6 second
billing increment is on average 15% cheaper than a long distance
carrier with a 60 second billing period. |
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Check if each call has a surcharge and if the surcharge is
applicable at all hours. |
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Get
phone cards from a third party service provider they are often
cheaper than your local phone company. |
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Some services reduce the cost of calls after a fixed amount of
time like 10 minutes. If you are going to be making long calls
this may be an option. |
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Rates within an individual country and particularly within
states in the USA are often more expensive than state to state
or country to country. This is done to subsidize the long
distance rates as far more "local" calls are made. |
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Use
our search engine to see if there is a cheaper way to make your
calls. |
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Operators advertise discounts which look really impressive. Be
careful what rate they are discounting. For example 20% off a
peak rate is a lot of money while 20% off the lowest weekend
rate is not nearly as significant. Do offered discounts apply to
all rates at all hours?? |
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Check if there are minimum time charges. You need to know if you
are being charged by the second or the minute. Minute charges
are calculated to the end of the minute you were in when the
call stopped - even if you are five seconds into the new minute.
Some providers have a 3 minute minimum. |
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Similarly check if there is a minimum call charge irrespective
of the duration of the call. This is particularly applicable to
local calls which are often of a very short duration. |
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Is
there a minimum monthly charge? You are going to have to pay
this whether you use the time or not? |
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Can
you leave your telecommunications provider without a problem or
are you locked in for a cash or time limit? |
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Beware of incentive check providers. They can have very
expensive long distance rates to subsidize the check which looks
so attractive. |
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Do
you get free directory listings? |
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Statistics show that not having a chair next to your phone
reduces the cost of calls!! |
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Calling mobiles or cellular phones is very expensive in some
countries and even more expensive if you are calling
internationally mobile to mobile. |
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Hotels and inns often inflate phone rates massively. If you have
to phone home your mobile may be cheaper! |
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And
the last one keep a pen not a pencil next to the phone and tie
it onto the phone with a piece of string. Keep a pad next to the
phone. |
