UCAN News
Editor's Note: Since this interview by NBC's "Consumer Bob" Hanson aired on Thursday, it has been picked up by numerous NBC affiliates across the country. To see the video, visit WBIR, Knoxville, and NBC13, Burmingham.
Should you dump your landline?
UCAN's Executive Director Michael Shames says canceling your home phone long distance and/or your entire home phone service can save you a lot of money in the long-run. Shames' estimate is that "about 95% of all Americans pay too much for their phone service". Shames continues to state that we "rarely use all of the features we pay for". UCAN does caution consumers who have bundled plans to check with their providers to make sure other services in the bundles don't have terms and conditions tied to them that could be costly if a portion of the service is terminated. Michael Shames provides the option of terminating your home phone service completely and using a cell phone. The other option is to cancel the long distance service on your home phone and use prepaid calling cards purchased from a major chain store so you can return cards that either don't work or are misleading.
UCAN has been monitoring the ever-increasing rise in landline phone service. If the California Public Utilities Commission allows AT&T to raise its Basic Phone Service rates, prices could end up being absurdly high. AT&T has already raised prices for its optional services like Call Waiting, Caller ID, Non-Published numbers and other services.
In economic times such as we're experiencing today, family budgeting is a necessity whether you're employed or not. Therefore, it might be well worth your time to assess what you're spending on all of your phone services, check the terms and conditions for bundled package plans, and make a decision as to how to reduce many of these redundant and unnecessary costs. You might be surpirsed!
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I use a company with very
I use a company with very low rates, what I consider fair billing practices (billed by the second), and ease of use. I don't have to deal with phone cards and remembering pins. I just pick up my landline and dial. I can even use my cell phone and only be charged for the minutes used when I'm calling Europe. My landline long distance company charges me the same amount on my cell phone as my landline. I avoid my cell phone company's extra charges and much more expensive international calls. With my long distance company, a one hour telephone call to Western bedroom furniture Europe is only $2.88, the same as it would be to call from California to New York. That's it; no monthly charges and if I were not to use the service in any given month there are no charges at all. I don't get billed for that month.
havent Had a land line in 10 years
I dumped this antiquated technology 10 years ago in favor of a cell phone. BEST THING I EVER DID!
Canceling Home Phone Service--maybe not yet.
In this day and age, when all telecommunications companies are the "used car salesmen" of the new century, I still find landline companies more reliable and a bit more honest than cell phone companies (but not much). I find it more difficult to hear on a cell phone and not as comfortable to use. Yes, I do have one. However, I use it mostly when I travel. When I'm home, nothing beats the comfort of a landline. As for paying for long distance, there are a lot of choices out there. I use a company with very low rates, what I consider fair billing practices (billed by the second), and ease of use. I don't have to deal with phone cards and remembering pins. I just pick up my landline and dial. I can even use my cell phone and only be charged for the minutes used when I'm calling Europe. My landline long distance company charges me the same amount on my cell phone as my landline. I avoid my cell phone company's extra charges and much more expensive international calls. With my long distance company, a one hour telephone call to Western Europe is only $2.88, the same as it would be to call from California to New York. That's it; no monthly charges and if I were not to use the service in any given month there are no charges at all. I don't get billed for that month. While I understand where Mr. Shames is coming from, and his ideas are certainly valid, I believe that he left out one concern and that is the convenience factor. Even if, on a yearly basis, it costs a few dollars more to have both a landline and a cell phone, the convenience factor levels the playing field for me. Everyone has different calling needs and, unfortunately, it takes some studying and planning to get phone service that is right for a particular individual or family. I'm just glad UCAN is there to help.
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