Our team is always ready to find the best services for our customers. That's why our international phone cards are the best! Our partners always provide the lowest rates and highest quality of service possible. Customer service is important to us and our partners. The following information is designed to help you make an informed decision:
Consumer Information
Phone cards have certain advantages that make them popular. They are portable, they can be economical, and they can help you control your spending. However, if you are not careful, phone cards can end up costing you far more than your present long distance carrier. We believe we have found the most reputable and reliable prepaid phone card company available today. Based on the number of complaints we have received versus the number of cards we have sold, we KNOW them to be the best. However, the following information may prove useful, especially if you choose to purchase a card from other providers. You can see a list of them in the dmoz.org's phone card section.
Common pre-paid phone card complaints are:
- Access numbers or PINS that do not work;
- Issuers who go out of business, leaving cardholders with a useless card;
- Customer service numbers that are busy or do not work;
- Toll-free access numbers that are constantly busy, preventing use of the card;
- Rates that are higher than advertised;
- Hidden connection charges, taxes and surcharges;
- Cards that debit minutes or units even when you do not connect with the party you are calling; and
- Poor quality connections.
Consumers can avoid many of these problems by checking out a few things before purchasing the pre-paid phone
card.
- Ask if the retailer will stand behind the card if the telephone service is unsatisfactory.
- Look for the rate for domestic and international calls on the on the web site's. These
rates may vary depending on where you call. Pay close attention to connection fees and maintenence fees (explained below).
- The pre-paid phone card industry is highly competitive. Beware of very low rates, particularly for
international calls. They may indicate poor customer service. The lowest rate is not always the best rate. Most reputable companies will have numerous lines into countries. Ask the provider.
- Look for disclosures about surcharges, monthly fees, and per-call access in addition to the rate-per-minute or
unit. Some cards add a surcharge to the first minute of use, otherwise known as a connection fee.
- Check for expiration dates. Most cards expire one year after first use. If there is no expiration date, a card
usually is considered "live" until all phone time is used. However, some cards may have a maintenance fee. If a card has, for example, a weekly maintenance fee, then it loses value over time. Your 20 dollar pin number my only be worth a few dollars if you do not use it up quickly.
- Look for a toll-free customer service number. If the customer service number is not toll free or displayed, it
may be difficult to contact the company if you have a problem with the card. A busy signal on the customer
service line may be a tip-off to a rip-off. When purchasing a phone card on the Internet, make sure there is an email address and/or contact form. Customer service numbers are usually available only to paying customers, but it can't hurt to ask if you will be given one after you receive your card.
- Make sure the web site you purchase your card from is secured. You can tell if it is a secure web site by looking at the address in your browser's address bar. It should start with "HTTPS" instead of the normal "HTTP". The "s" stands for "secure'. Many browsers also display a lock to show that a credit card entry form is secure.
-Billing Increments: This is how the company charges your time. They may round off to the next minute, or may charge in 6-second increments. They may also charge in 3 minute increments. So, if you talk for 4 minutes, you are charged for 6 minutes.
- Be aware of total minutes offered for a card. If the card has a connection fee or multi-minute billing increments, then you will not get the maximum number of minutes. In other words, you get the maximum value from a card if you use up all the time on ONE phone call.
Using pre-paid calling cards for making long-distance telephone calls is worth taking a look at. But as with any
new product or service you are trying for the first time, proceed with common sense. The Federal Trade
Commission has written a brochure entitled Buying Time: The Facts About Pre-Paid Phone Cards. You can
obtain a copy of this brochure by calling the FTC toll free at 1-877-FTC-HELP.
