VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Deirdre · Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 5:21 pm Post subject: Long Distance for ISDN

Do you guys get billed even if you never dial out?
I've been paying Sprint $20 a month for nothing for about a year.
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Frank F · Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 6:49 pm Post subject:

Yes, I get billed a minimum of $5.00 per month by Qwest.

Since I do not make outgoing calls (much) this was their minimum to provide the LD service to my two ISDN numbers.

Frank F
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Deirdre · Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 7:23 pm Post subject:

I could understand $5, but not $18 plus every month.
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Frank F · Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 7:32 pm Post subject:

D.B., you are just lucky I guess.

If you think Sprint overcharges, try AT&T. I started with them and was charged a minimum of $1.35/line per call AND a per minute charge. Monthly average of $93.00. I was not happy.

Frank F
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melissa eX · Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 9:33 pm Post subject:

I'm on MCI business for LD - $19 p/month. It comes with a certain amount of call time - domestic and international. So I guess I COULD call Banksey. But I can't quite figure out how much time I get for that. It's their lowest plan. The only other alternative is to drop LD completely on the ISDN lines. It's really not necessary if you never call out. But if you have to and you don't have it......

Of that $19 I think about $7 is taxes ! -- and there's another $2 for a 'paper billing fee'. Of course when I called and asked them not to 'paper bill' me but to e-bill me -turns out they're not set up for that. In fact, they're only set up for ..... PAPER BILLING. When I asked why I should bear the charges for their failure as a business to upgrade their infrastructure to the level most companies can now function on , all I got was a robotic answer of how it's not possible for the paper billing fee to be waived. In fact, no matter what question I asked, that's the answer I got. Hmmm , was I actually talking to a human?

Ok, that's my rant for the day.

Dan-O · The Gates of Troy Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 1638

Deirdre · Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 10:01 pm Post subject:

I am paying $18+ for making NO CALLS.

I am not fond of wasting money.
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Frank F · Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 10:30 pm Post subject:

Melissa, just so you understand a little more about having LD with ISDN - You DO have to have it or you cannot even get incoming calls (at least in the USA).

I know of at least one VO-BB'r who thought he had set up LD and was not getting outgoing calls to go through - except local calls. AND his/her incoming calls would only give him one side (or line) of the service. Once the Telco got things right - everything worked the way it should.

Oh, he/she switched LD carriers when the original Telco could not provide correct service.

The reason for "paper billing" is your Telco does not actually handle the service - it is sub-contracted to another carrier with the billing company's private label attached.

Frank F
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melissa eX · Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:22 pm Post subject:

Not sure about needing LD to be dialed into. I believe someone here does NOT have LD and has no problem at all with clients dialing in.

As for MCI and billing. Actually, MCI is now owned by Verizon. And MCI no longer provides residential LD service here. They'll push you off to Verizon. But for business they still provide LD. You have to have a business acct. to get ISDN - so I get billed directly from MCI. For MCI LD on ISDN here you have to make sure you get the right flavor of MCI. The're coded differently.

Interestingly enough on ANOTHER phone line I have - residential - I also have MCI LD - which is technically Verizon. But I get a separate bill on that from the residential division of MCI every month - the division that no longer exists. THAT MCI bill has no paper billing fee.

Of course none of the above helps Deirdre. Except whether it's actually necessary to have LD. I don't think it is Frank.

Dan-O · The Gates of Troy Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 1638

imaginator · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:50 am Post subject:

sprint. $11 mo. basic LD. 7 cents per min for outgoing calls.
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Bruce · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 7:10 am Post subject:

Deirdre, call MCI and AT&T, tell them you're interested in switching and get their rates, then call Sprint back and tell them. They'll likely drop your rate to match. They did it with me a couple of years ago down to like $7 a month.

Funny thing, I noticed the other day I wasn't getting billed by Sprint here in Oregon...asked my DW....she hasn't sent in the final paperwork (ooops) and so I've gone 6 months without LD. I haven't needed it, apparently, either.

B
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Deirdre · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 1:07 pm Post subject:

I'm on it, Bruce— thanks.
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