Could getting cheap long distance get any easier? NO!
Written: Jun 10 '00 (Updated Aug 24 '00)
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Well, adios prepaid phone cards and 1010 numbers for my home phone long distance! I have found priceline and I have been calling the world telling everyone about it!
Does it work? Is it really cheap? Yes, yes, and yes. Does it have a few drawbacks? Of course, this is priceline!
I love it I love it (in my best Roscoe P. Coltrane voice)
This is great! Priceline now offers bidding on long distance from your home phone. It works like this:
Step 1. Choose what kind of service you need.
Priceline has 4 areas you can choose from- the individual, the small business, for students (coming soon) and individual calls (meaning you bid on the cost of one phone call.)
I have used the individual service. Their prices are good for US calls, and then if you get your bid, you can exchange the minutes for international minutes, using the international exchange rate for phone minutes set up by the service that accepted your bid.
Step 2. Choose how many minutes you need.
You can choose in increments of 60 minutes up to 600 minutes, and then there is an option to name another number if you need more than 600. I was tempted to load up until I noticed drawback #1: your minutes are only good for 3 months. I don't typically use 10 hours of long distance in a three month period, so I decided instead to go with 240 minutes- that is the amount I estimate I use in out of state long distance in a 3 month period. (My cell phone has free in-state long distance, so I usually use that for all my in-state calls, which make up the majority of my long distance usage.)
Step 3. Register your phone line.
Here is where you tell them the number you will be calling from- i.e. your home number. You can register more than one number, but I would still call this drawback #2: you can only use the phone(s) you register. You can register other phones, (for example I can register my other phone line) but I am unsure about numbers with different area codes or that are not in the same house. (no sharing? I am unsure.) So, I cannot take this number on the road with me and use it- it can only be used from the phone number(s) you register it from. This is OK unless you are in an area like mine, where you have a changing area code. My area is getting a new area code, which is in effect now, but does not absolutely have to be used until October. So, I went ahead and registered my new number because you can use either area code to get me right now. WRONG. This has led to big problems- my caller ID through their system is coming up 606, so it does not recognize my phone number I registered which was 859. I had to go back, re-register, and it was a BIG MESS. Tip: if your area code is changing, register the first number as your old area code and the second registered number as your new area code. Then you should have no problems.
During this process you also need to choose a pin number and you need to remember this, or otherwise it won't work. It has to be a 4 digit PIN so guess which one I chose. Right! My ATM pin number. More on the PIN later.
Step 4. Name your price!!
This is the coolest part- isn't it? Here is the biggest benefit to this service: you don't have to pay any taxes or fees on the transaction. This is strictly a flat rate. So, what I did was to say to myself "how much am I willing to pay for long distance?" I figured $.07 a minute was reasonable and likely to get chosen. So, I multiplied $.07 x 240 minutes and came up with $16.80, which I bid. But it was so great to know that I would not have to figure in any fees or taxes, and that my total would not go up- it was $16.80 even after the transaction was finished. I love this! I HATE getting my long distance bill because all those stupid fees are so confusing that a law degree can't even help me, AND the people at the phone company can't even tell you what they are half of the time. SO, priceline gets you around this and you can just bid a flat rate. Isn't that awesome?
In this step you can also check a box that will allow you to have online call record keeping. If you check this box, you will be able to see how many minutes you have online with the phone company that accepts your bid. Very cool!
Step 5. Submit your request.
Hit the submit button and it only takes 60 seconds to find out if you got your bid. I am a big instant gratification junkie and I think this is so cool! But remember, this is priceline, which leads to drawback #3: your credit card is automatically charged if your bid is accepted. So, don't bid anymore than you have to, because like all Priceline bids, it is irreversible and if you bid too much you are screwed!
When your bid comes through, you get a request number which you need to hold onto in case you have any problems (like your area code is changing and you messed up the numbers.)Then, you get an email and it gives you a telephone number you will call to use this service, (and it also gives you a link to the website where you keep track of your minutes if you checked the box.) This is where it really feels like a calling card. You will call this card, enter your PIN (see I told you it would be important) and then you enter the number you are calling. Cool!! Could it get any easier?? NO way!
This whole process took me a total of 3 minutes! No problem. I would like to be able to use this number away from my home, but that is a small price to pay for such cheap service. You never have to pay for any fees, and you can base your bid on a flat per minute rate.
Go hit priceline and make it easier than ever to keep in touch!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lawgirl
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Location: Milwaukee, WI
Reviews written: 80
Trusted by: 198 members
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