pre-paid phone cards

[gypsyman]

Here is another example, of, you get what you pay for. Being on the road on the weekends, and not really liking cell phone's, I use pre-paid calling cards to call home. Couple weeks ago, needed one, so found a Penny card at a Speedway gas station. Cost-$5.00, so I should have had 500 minute's. Used it 4 times. Less than an hour of talk time. Last time I TRIED, to use it, it had 80 minute's when I started, in less than 5 minute's, it went to zero time left. When I called the 800 number to find out why, all I got was a recording, please call back later, when we're here. Buy cheap-get cheap!  gypsyman

[DalesCarpentry]

Before I had a cell phone I bought the same kind of cards and been pissed off at least a few times. There are things in fine print or something that they think justify it. Dale

[rex6666]

I have a friend that sells cards that are good for 12hrs=$$$ 24hrs=$$$
you can call any where, trick is when you make the first call the time
starts 12hrs or 24hrs. i told him it seemed crooked he says in no place does
it say 12 or 24hrs of talk time. You can talk for 12-24 hours but it shuts down
at the the end of the time you bought.

[kevthebassman]

Sounds like your friend is a crook.

[Siskiyou]

I used prepaid phone cards from Costco for years without a problem.  I used them all over the West from motels and pay phones.  A far better deal then paying the premium that motels charged when the calls were added to the bill.  The 1-800 numbers were not being billed by the motels.

I later found that the private pay phones did not like them or the 1-800 number I used to contact my employer on. 

By 2002 it was clear that the pay phone was a thing of the pass with many companies going out of the pay phone business.  On one trip I cut across Hwy 95 in Western Nevada.  It was like being caught in a badly written mystery with dangling pay phone receivers, blowing dust, and tumble weeds, along with closed out businesses.