Who thinks the cell phone providers are talking up a good deal, when they tell you to ditch your landline? OK, raise your hands now?
Have you gone landline-less? Do you use your cell phone for all calls? If you pay unlimited for unlimited minutes on your cell phone, you can stop reading now.
If you do have a cell phone plan with a limited number of minutes, keep reading.
Do you ever end up near the end of your billing period and find that you must make more daytime calls? Do you think the cell phone provider didn't know that was going to happen? And do you think it's licking its chops as it anticipates your spending $0.40/minute for those calls that you simply must make?
When do cell phone users blow past their monthly billing cycles? How about during times of illness or grief? They think, "Who cares? I have to make these calls." And they don't care - until the bill arrives a month later. And when the cost for the overage minutes is $50-100 or more, it's too late. Most cell phone carriers do not make "bereavement" adjustments.
Or when your lawyer calls or that nasty letter from IRS shows up. You dial the tollfree number for IRS and wait. And wait. And wait. And you don't want to hang up, because they might answer just as you disconnect.
By planning ahead, you can make your phone calls and avoid Cell Phone Hell.
Do you know that you can make free telephone calls from your computer? Of course, you have to be AT your computer to do this. So, next time you have to call IRS and think you are going to have to wait on Hold for a long time, use this.
Go to www.gmail.com
Click on More
Click on Even More
Scroll down to Home & Office
Click on Talk
Click on Download Google Talk (follow the instructions)
On your Gmail homepage, scroll down
On the left, click on Call Phone * (if you don't see this, search on Google for info on how to make the first call; after that, it will be there)
Go to www.gmail.com
Click on More
Click on Even More
Scroll down to Home & Office
Click on Talk
Click on Download Google Talk (follow the instructions)
On your Gmail homepage, scroll down
On the left, click on Call Phone * (if you don't see this, search on Google for info on how to make the first call; after that, it will be there)
See dial pad; ignore $0.10;
Dial the number on the keypad or with your computer keyboard.
Click on Call
The $0.10 will change to Free
Dial the number on the keypad or with your computer keyboard.
Click on Call
The $0.10 will change to Free
2 comments:
If you do find yourself in a situation where you are going to be using more minutes than your plan allows, it may be possible to avoid the overages by calling the provider. I have worked with one of the major providers and know that it is their policy to allow you to call in at the end of the month and change you rate plan for the month to one with a different number of minutes and backdate the change so that you don't get any overages. You just have to call them and tell them that is what you want to do. Even if you miss the end of the month, they will still do it and adjust the charges as long as they only have to adjust charges for 1 month.
I have also dealt with one of the other major providers and I know that you can change your rate plan at any time and make it backdated. You can even do it from the app that they provide on your phone.
Thanks for that information.
Also, if you are a Sprint customer and call before the end of your monthly billing period, you can buy 100 minutes for $5.00 under its Overage Relief policy. But you must call before your billing period ends for that month.
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