Be Aware Of These Phone Card Facts When Purchasing
Today, we are lucky to have so many options for communicating with friends and relatives overseas, many of which are free.
The internet has enabled you to communicate both verbally and visually utilizing only an internet connection, which is ideal if you and the people you are speaking with have a fully developed internet infrastructure in place.
Unfortunately, this is not the case in the majority of countries around the world; attempting to complete a video call to a developing nation is difficult at best, as developing countries frequently experience poor internet connections and power outages, all of which contribute to a frustrating experience.
Introducing Phone Cards
Even in this day and age of technological innovation, an antiquated device like the simple phone card would be expected to fade away.
Phone cards are still widely used for a variety of reasons, including:
- The elderly age, who grew up with phones, is hesitant to embrace internet technologies.
- As previously said, even if a country has limited internet service, it still has advanced phone technology.
- Phone cards are extremely inexpensive, allowing customers to save up to 80% or more on their calls depending on where they are contacting.
- They are easy to use. Simply dial the access code, enter your PIN, and then phone the person you want to speak with.
However, there are some things you should be aware of while using phone cards because, as with any company, there are always hidden expenses somewhere.
In fact, I recently uncovered a study conducted by an Australian consumer watch group that discovered some intriguing discoveries regarding how part of the phone card industry operates, and I thought I'd provide my view on each one because I've purchased a lot of these things during my travels.
1. Nine percent of purchased phone cards had poor call quality.
I've had more than my fair share of technical troubles over the years, which is why knowing how long it will take to remedy such issues is critical.
I have very few problems these days because I know what to look for and have my phone card shops prepared for when I visit next.
2. Only 28% of phone cards featured in-store information concerning rates, terms, and conditions.
"Most customers only look at the per-minute fee; this is a mistake; phone card businesses know this and employ deception to lure them into buying the most expensive phone cards." nzphonecards.co.nz, JT
As simple as phone cards are to use, actually obtaining them requires a lot more thought.
This is due to a few phone card firms employing less than acceptable business tactics, which catch many customers off surprise.
While most customers focus on which card is the cheapest, this is how unscrupulous phone card businesses trick them into purchasing the most expensive call rates.
Furthermore, you want to know what happens if you encounter a technical problem, which can occur. Will you receive a refund, or will the phone card provider be able to remedy the problem, and how long will it take?
As you can see, it would be difficult to fit all of this information into a single phone card, and the shop may not know the answers to most of these questions, which we'll discuss next...
3. 94 percent of salespeople were unable to provide customers with information on calling rates for their phone cards.
I've bought a lot of phone cards over the years, and I can tell you that most dealers don't know the answers to even the most basic inquiries.
Typically, you will ask the retailer a question, and they will then begin picking up and reading the information on the phone cards - something you can plainly do yourself.
Basically, if the information you're looking for isn't on the phone card, you won't be able to rely on the phone card store to assist you.
My recommendation is to buy from a specialized phone card store or an online phone card supplier where you may compare rates, read FAQs and terms and conditions, and also contact the customer support team.
When purchasing a phone card, bear the following in mind
- Rate per minute
- Call rounding is how frequently you are charged; few phone cards charge you every minute on the minute; most phone cards charge you every 3-4 minutes, with others charging you every 15 minutes.
- Connection or disconnection costs - this is a price payable when a call is successfully connected.
- Service costs are fees that are levied to the customer whether or not they use their phone card. These are charged on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
