BUCKS WATCH
1-800-FREE411 Makes Paying For Directory Assistance Obsolete - A new service called 1-800-FREE411 which launched last week could make paying for directory assistance a thing of the past. What’s more, by letting the service connect you (again, free of charge), consumers can make long distance calls for free, according to the company. Sound too good to be true? It may not be, if you are willing to sit through a 10 second ad. The service is funded not by consumers paying to access it, as with conventional directory assistance, but by companies that pay to have callers hear their ads while they wait for listings. Companies can also pay to have their company listed when a customer asks for a particular type of service, such as a plumber in New York City or a stereo shop in Los Angeles. If the caller chooses one of the companies listed, that company is billed and the caller pays nothing. What is great for consumers is that 1-800-FREE411 has commercial, residential, and government listings available, all for free. In addition, 1-800-FREE411 will connect the caller for free (most directory assistance services charge a hefty fee). The caller can then make their call, have a conversation, and not be billed. This makes making a long distance call free. When we tested out the service, we were able to get several listings in the Washington, DC and Richmond, VA area and our calls were connected as advertised, though after approximately 5 minutes of conversation the service cut us off. While it remains to be seen if 1-800-FREE411’s business model will hold up to increased usage by consumers, it’s definitely a money-saver for consumers right now. As with most new services, we caution consumers to check with their long distance service provider after using the service to make sure that they are not, in fact, being charged for the call. For more information on 1-800-FREE411, click here.
TRAC AND YOU
Find the Quickest Path to Humans for Cell and Wireline Customer Service - Does it ever seem like cell phone and wireline telephone companies’ customer service lines are trying every trick in the book to keep you from talking to a real, live person? Chances are, they are. Since paying for humans to staff call centers costs money, most telecommunications carriers try to let their automated systems -- interactive voice response (IVR) systems in industry jargon – do as much work for them are possible. Fortunately, there are some great resources available to consumers who want to spend as little time talking to machines as possible. Here are some good tips on how to get to human customer service as quickly as possible for some of the major wireless and wireline carriers:
- BellSouth – (1-877-678-2355) Dial "*" then "0"
- Cingular Wireless – (1-800-331-0500) Choose the option for closing your account. You will reach the same customer service representatives as everyone else, but much more quickly.
- MCI Local – (1-888-624-5622) Dial "*" twice. After you are told that this is an invalid number, dial "*" four times to be put in queue to speak to a real person.
- MCI Long Distance – (1-800-444-3333) Dial "0-0". After the jingle, press “0-0” again. When the IVR voice says she wants you to say "yes or no," press "0-0" again. The IVR will ask a third time for a "yes or no." Press "0-0" again to be put in queue to speak to a human.
- Sprint/Nextel – (1-888-788-5001) Dial "0-0"
- T-Mobile – (1-800-937-8997) Enter your phone number
- Verizon Wireless – (1-800-922-0204) Dial "#" then "0-0."
For additional lists of IVR workarounds for banks, insurance companies, PC manufacturers, retailers, and airlines, click here.
WIRELESS WATCH
Wireless Billing Complaints Down, Says FCC - In the second quarter of 2005, consumers complaints about wireless billing and rates declined by 7.5% said the FCC this week. While this decrease pushed the overall number of complaints down in the second quarter, consumer complaints about advertising and marketing, early termination fees, equipment, and service quality were all up, noted the agency. The increasing number of complaints in those four categories is part of an ongoing trend of consumer dissatisfaction with their wireless telephone service. Versus the first quarter of 2005, consumer complaints about advertising and marketing were up 5.4%. Early termination fee complaints were up 5.1%. Equipment and service quality complaints increased by 0.2% and 13.9%, respectively. What these numbers suggest for consumers is that while wireless carriers may be doing a better job at rectifying long-standing billing issues, their overall service experience continues to be lacking. The large increase in service quality complaints is especially worrying and points to the possibility that efforts by wireless carriers to improve coverage are falling short. For additional information on this study, click here.
VOIP WATCH
Mobile Calls for “Free” With VoIP Over EVDO? - IAn interesting round of tests has been going on recently among wireless device aficionados who have been using Verizon Wireless’s new EVDO wireless broadband service to make mobile telephone calls for “free.” EVDO, launched in 2003, is the first true nationwide wireless broadband network, which now covers 140 million people, according to the company. The service, currently priced at $59.99 per month with a 2-year service contract and paired with a qualifying voice plan, offers speeds averaging 400-700 kbps. These speeds are high enough to carry a voice call over typical VoIP technologies offered by third-party providers like Vonage or Skype. In essence, a user could pair EVDO with Skype or Vonage to make voice calls through their laptop computers while on the move without using up airtime minutes. Admittedly, using this bulky setup to make voice calls is much more inconvenient than simply pulling out a cell phone. Also, after paying $40 per month for the cheapest Verizon Wireless voice plan, $100 for the EVDO card itself, and a $20 activation fee in addition to the $59.99 EVDO subscription fee, there are no cost savings over regular cellular service for anyone but the heaviest users. However, the prospect of using wireless broadband networks to circumvent the cost of cellular airtime by using VoIP technology could eventually lead to some significant cost savings for consumers as wireless broadband devices become smaller and subscription fees come down. In fact, German wireless broadband carrier E-Plus recently partnered with Skype to offer Skype’s free VoIp service as a bundled package with E-Plus’s €39.95 ($48.13) per month data service. At this price, the E-Plus/Skype bundle would seriously undercut the prices many conventional American wireless voice carriers charge for voice service alone, much less voice and data together. Look for this kind of disruptive pricing model to become a reality should the rumors of Google’s impending national wireless broadband network become a reality. Click here to read more about this so-called "GoogleNet."
INTERESTING LINKS
FCC Main Page: http://www.fcc.gov
FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm
List of State Regulatory Commissions: http://www.naruc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=15
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