Dear New Customer,

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

When your technician is trying to make sure your service is up, including your phone line, and your cable modem, he needs to ring Head Office Installations to make sure all the signals are coming through. Without doing that, he can't ensure your system is working, especially the phone line.

I therefore am finding it hard to believe that you want me to reimburse you for the three local phone calls he made, which will have cost a total of about 60 cents.

Comments

[geekgrrl-ca.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised they didn't ask you to refund that call too.

[shifuimam.livejournal.com]

So I may be an idiot, but why would local calls cost anything? I saw on your LJ profile you're from Australia...how do things work there with phone service?

Just wondering. :)

metred local calls

[pne.livejournal.com]

why would local calls cost anything?

Because the phone company can get away with charging you for them?

Local calls have always been metred here in Germany, for example.

[methedras.livejournal.com]

Yeah local calls here in Australia are charged, normally about $0.18 - $0.22 a call, depending on your choice of phone company.

Never really occurred to me that anyone would offer them for free.

[shifuimam.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's...shitty. In the US, you pay a flat rate every month (my phone bill is only $19/mo for local service). The only things that cost extra are long distance calls and international calls, and you can pay extra for stuff like caller ID and call waiting.

Local service is unlimited, though.

Then again, we've also got about 2390682309482309 federal and state and county taxes slammed onto every bill we get from every utility and service provider.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

It has two advantages.

First, the call is a flat rate. It costs the same to talk for 60 seconds as it does for twelve hours. It really helped dialup ISP accounts get started in the 90s.

Second, this means that multiple short-length calls - including those which end up on answering machines - start to cost real money. Thus, telemarketing is almost nonexistent. I think I get perhaps one call a year, and it's usually (a) a political fundraiser, and (b) probably only calling me because I live in the capital city, on a phone exchange where the local demographics shade towards "moderately well-off". When I lived in a really cheap-ass area in the same city, I never got any solicitation calls at all.

On the plus side, it costs us nothing to receive a call on a mobile phone. I hear that's not the case in your neck of the woods?

[shifuimam.livejournal.com]

Man. no telemarketing..I wish. We now have federal AND state "do not call" lists, but they don't seem to do a whole lot.

Mobile phones...depends on your plan. I pay $45/mo for 450 anytime minutes plus free nights and weekends. If you go over your allotted monthly minutes, you can get charged anywhere from 25 to 45 cents per extra minute. Roaming is super expensive - usually 69 cents/minute, and international calls can cost up to like $3/minute, depending on where you're calling and who your phone provider is.

I definitely like the idea of no telemarketing, though. It's nice that the cost per call is the same no matter the length, though - here, you get raped on long calls with long-distance plans and stuff.

Thanks for the info though - I like learning about how other countries do things. :)

[dirtymatt.livejournal.com]

Doesn't it cost more to call a mobile phone than a land line though?

[shifuimam.livejournal.com]

Oh, I suppose I should also add that there's no such thing as "choice" when it comes to communications, at least where I live (Indiana). Cable, DSL, cable internet, and landline phone services are all monopolies right now. it's pretty lame - cable internet and cable TV are ridiculously expensive because there's no competition.

[lions-tambua.livejournal.com]

well, there IS some kind of flatrate for in-german-calls. you would have to subscribe an special contract. but normally its always paid for local calls.... everywhere in the world! (except usa) :)
Iam quite sure it was because someone once sued the phone-company why they bill him for the local call, he also could have gone to the neighbor and TALK to him for free, so why should he pay for using the phone instead >:)

[sketchydave.livejournal.com]

"Sure thing, Ma'am. In order to combat identity theft any billing disputes must be submitted in writing. We will also require a dated and signed copy of the phone bill with the calls and totals highlighted. The billing department will review your claim and if approvied, issue you a check for the disputed amount."

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

"Oh yes, we neglected to bill for the time for our systems/techicians to receive the calls at the other end and confirm at the service was working. 3 x technicians (or system time) at $60 per hour, with a minimum 15 minute charge equals $45. You will receive our adjusted invoice within 7 days, and your 60c charge will be credited to you at that time. We are looking forward to receiving your payment of $44.40 within 30 days."