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Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 10:31 AM   #1
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Best calling card rates

We use a calling card for long distant calls plus my wife's cell phone. I have been using ATT card, but now when I go to recharge it they have upped the rates. I'm ready to switch, but to who?? Duane
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 11:09 AM   #2
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Re: Best calling card rates

I used to use a thing called 'onesuite' and I think some people still do. You can get referral minutes and so can they, so check them out and then wait for a current user to crop up and make a deal on the referral.

They had about the cheapest minutes, local access #'s, an 800# to access and so forth. I programmed the local access # and code into my home phones autodial all by itself and as a prefix to all the other LD calls. Worked fine while I was using it.
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 11:32 AM   #3
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Re: Best calling card rates

I second that -- www.onesuite.com

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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 11:38 AM   #4
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Re: Best calling card rates

I think vagabond had a topic on the "other topics a while back on calling cards...

http://early-retirement.org/forums/i...p?topic=5023.0

As I recall, it is cheaper to buy a new ATT card from sam's club vs. calling to recharge....I also program the number into my speed dial....keep saying that I am going to try VOIP with cheap long distance....
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 11:38 AM   #5
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Re: Best calling card rates

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cute 'n Fuzzy Bunny
I programmed the local access # and code into my home phones autodial all by itself and as a prefix to all the other LD calls. Worked fine while I was using it.
Great minds think alike. That's what I did also.
My original card I carried in my wallet, but now you can't see the numbers clear anymore. I'll check out onesuite. Thanks.....Shredder
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 11:42 AM   #6
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Re: Best calling card rates

How much are you people spending on long distance phone calls?

More to the point, how much is OneSuite.com saving you?

We spent a grand total $33.68 on 800 calling-card minutes in 2006, and we still have over 200 minutes left...
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 01:08 PM   #7
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Re: Best calling card rates

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nords
How much are you people spending on long distance phone calls?

More to the point, how much is OneSuite.com saving you?

We spent a grand total $33.68 on 800 calling-card minutes in 2006, and we still have over 200 minutes left...
I used about $40-60 a year on my old CC. Used to be only $20 then my wife started using it. I really don't know the ins and outs of her cell phone rules, something like more minutes on every fourth thursday or something. But I do know she is using the calling card more........Shredder
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 01:39 PM   #8
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Re: Best calling card rates

For several years I used the ATT card from Sam's Club which was 3.47 cents/minute. A couple of years ago, when ATT instituted a 15% surcharge for recharging the card over the phone, I switched over to a MCI card from Costco, which is 2.85 cents per minute with no surcharge for recharging over the phone.
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 01:45 PM   #9
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Re: Best calling card rates



The local 99 cent store sells
a 99 cent LD card.

99 cents = 99 minutes

It has a 90 day from 1st use
or 6 months from purchase
expiration date.

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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 02:20 PM   #10
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Re: Best calling card rates

You guys must be psychic.

We have a Sam's card at .04/minute and don't make many long distance calls, so I was in the Nords camp when I read this. Not a big expense. Not going to sweat it.

Then I talked with DH who used the card this afternoon. Apparently since the ATT merger our minutes are now converted to service units and will be worth less - I still have to figure out the conversion. Anyway, when we finish up the time we have, we will likely switch to OneSuite.
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 03:40 PM   #11
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Re: Best calling card rates

MCI card at Costco 3.5 cents per minute. Maybe go through $40.00 /year. DW keeps putting $20/ month on the budget spread sheet. I just laugh and say more wiggle room in the budget.
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 05:02 PM   #12
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Re: Best calling card rates

I've been pleased with mobilecaller.com.

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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 05:03 PM   #13
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Re: Best calling card rates

I had an AT&T card quite a while back...don't remember for certain what the per minute rate was, but I think it was like 2 cents/minute.

I've been using a cellphone as my primary phone for about 12 years, and my rate plan includes free long distance, up to 1500 minute (25 hours) a month....whether at home or on the road. So calls across the street or across the country all cost the same. With the cellphone I'm always "home" whether I'm in Key West, the Canadian Rockies, or NYC.
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 08:52 PM   #14
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Re: Best calling card rates

I am surprised "cell phone" isn't the answer for more people. I always use a cell phone for LD in the US. I thought calling cards went out of common use about 10 years ago. For international calls, I use Skype on a PC, which works well and is still pretty cheap even though they raised their rates recently.
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 09:35 PM   #15
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Re: Best calling card rates



I don't own a cell phone and get by just fine without one.
I have unlimited LD on my land phone.

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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-17-2007, 10:58 PM   #16
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Re: Best calling card rates

And speaking of that, thats the way I ended up going most recently after giving up on VOIP. The short story on the latter is that I got tired of being put in the middle of my ISP and the VOIP providers, with both claiming any issues were the fault of the other. "My life as telecom tech support" was simply not to be. My advice is, if it works for you right off the bat, great...otherwise send it all back and get your money refunded. If at any point it stops working and a couple of quick calls doesnt get it fixed, send it back and eat your losses.

AT&T (aka "sbc") gave me unlimited local and local long distance on my land line phone for $15 a month. Good enough.

The cheapskate in me made me long for my vonage line @$24/month, but not the weeklong delays in getting return calls for support questions. I also longed for my $29/mo at&t callvantage, but not for the "box" rebooting itself a few times a week and ringing my phone, usually at 3am. I even longed for my $12/mo Sunrocket connection and its delight in garbling my voice and that of the people calling me, along with regularly introducing a few seconds of delay. Why, it was almost as good as using cheap walkie talkies! I was ready to start saying "over..." when i was done talking!

Anyhow, this costs twice as much, but it works.
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-18-2007, 02:04 AM   #17
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Re: Best calling card rates

I've been using onesuite for several years. I'm quite happy with it.
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-18-2007, 11:22 AM   #18
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Re: Best calling card rates

If you want cheap go with a Chinese provider. We use dialnopin, 1.9c/min in the US with your local access number, and really cheap to other countries.
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Re: Best calling card rates
Old 01-21-2007, 04:05 PM   #19
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Re: Best calling card rates

Quote:
Originally Posted by Helen
I've been using onesuite for several years. I'm quite happy with it.
I've been using it for over a year. It has some reliability issues. Sometimes it take me 2 or 3 tries to call Canada from Alaska. Seems to run in waves. After the 3rd try, I give up and use an MCI card. Costs more, but far more reliable.

That being said, 95% of the time it works fine.
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