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ShirishSharma's profile

Tutor

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7 Messages

Tuesday, October 21st, 2014 5:48 PM

Closed

Hidden charges

I am visiting US on business and got a go phone with 10 cents per minute plan.

 

I was never told that Toll free numbers is US will be chanrged at the same rate.

 

AT&T is looting unsuspecting travelers without divulging all the terms of use before sales !!

 

 

kdfederer

ACE - Expert

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12.9K Messages

9 years ago

Wireless phones go by the minute. It doesn't matter if they are toll free numbers or not. Whenever the phone uses the wireless service, it is charged minutes. the only numbers that are not charged, are the AT&T numbers (ie: 611, *225# (balance), *3282# (Data) and the like)

Tutor

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7 Messages

9 years ago

Was i complaining about AT&T charging for TOLL FREE numbers ??? if you got that idea let me clarify - No i was not !

 

 

Dont want to be harsh but this is why AT&T even after so many years in the business is a bad choice for consumers.

 

I am complaining about why this was not told to me while selling the SIM card ?

 

Shirish

 

falfiee

Scholar

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152 Messages

9 years ago

You seem to understand that you are using minutes so I'm not understanding why you would be surprised.

Tutor

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7 Messages

9 years ago

All around the world it is a general practice by all Wireless companies that TOLL FREE numbers are really TOLL FREE.

 

It is only with AT&T; rather in US may I say that people dont see TOLL free numbers as TOLL FREE and consumer is expected by default to know that.

 

So even though i have contestion about the TOLL free numbers being chanrged, if it is a practise here, its fine. But why not tell the the customer ?

 

And the agent who replied said that a few numbers with certain prefixes are free, people may ask why are they free, why is call to emergency services free ? Answer is simple because they are meant to be free and are taken care off by someone else like government. By same logic why charge for TOLL free numbers. And even if you do - tell it before Selling !

 

 

Tutor

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7 Messages

9 years ago

And oh yeah ... the number i called was AT&T Conferencing services so called TOLL FREE (toll free as claimed by themselves) number * Toll-Free Number (in USA): 866-370-1666.

kdfederer

ACE - Expert

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12.9K Messages

9 years ago

In the United States, toll free numbers are only toll free from LANDLINES, not cell phones. On cell phones, when you use the wireless network, you are charged the minutes you use, no matter if they are toll free or not. It has ALWAYS been that way since I had a cell phone.

If the people you received your phone from are not knowledgable about how foreign companies charge for cell phones, they would not have known to warn you that the toll free numbers would have cost you minutes. 

Tutor

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7 Messages

9 years ago

 

 

The simple question that eludes you or you dont want to answer is why would not as a service provider AT&T tell me this when they sold the SIM card?

 

You are now telling me that this is how it is in USA, no issues with that. But why did I have to find it out by myself ? There have to be most important terms and conditions listed out at the top of the contract which get lost in the fine print.

 

And someone gave me the phone or not, or I bought an unlocked phone that should not bother AT&T. You are selling a SIM card, tell me ALL charges. Do not assume.

 

I am not asking for any refund but take the responsibility of selling your products with half truth. 

Tutor

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7 Messages

9 years ago

I think AT&T understands what i am asking them to take care of when they sell, So i dont expect any of thier employees to respond.

 

 

kdfederer

ACE - Expert

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12.9K Messages

9 years ago

Like I told you before, if they didn't know about not charging for toll free numbers in other countries, they wouldn't think about telling you such a thing. I didn't know that other countries didn't charge cell phone minutes on toll free calls. It had always been that way in the US. If they have to list everything that you would get charged for, it would take hours to get a SIM card if they had to explain EVERYTHING that would cost you money.

As far as everyone in the United States knows, if you use the cellular network, you will get charged, no matter what number you call. 

The ONLY minute free numbers are the AT&T coded ones that I referenced before where you can call customer service (611), check your balance, data, and the rest. AT&T also has a toll free (800) number, but if you call that on your cell phone, it uses your minutes.

Did you ask the sales person if you called a toll free number if it would use your minutes? How did the sales person know you were going to use toll free numbers? Just because something is done one way in another country doesn't mean it works that way everywhere else. 

 

Resendetra

Scholar

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124 Messages

9 years ago

It can be different anywhere you go. Most other countries have free mobile to toll free calling and some charge mobile minutes or even restrict mobile to toll free calling.
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