I know I'm not alone in feeling as though I'm in the Dark Ages when it comes to figuring out phone services and various calling plans. I'm truly not a Luddite, but with the plethora of phones, phone cards, calling cards, long distance phone service options, and local phone service options available, how is the average consumer supposed to make an informed decision? There are times when I find myself longing for the old days, when AT&T was the only game in town - or the country, for that matter. Sometimes, I just feel like screaming for help.
Recently, I received a call from my phone company about a week ago. It turns out that my DSL contract is up at the end of the month. The funny thing is I didn't even know I had a contract for DSL. I thought I just signed up for it, get my service, and live happily ever after (well, sort of). The sales representative on the phone started asking rapid-fire questions about my current phone service and rattled off different types of phone service and rate plans. To be honest, I was completely stunned. First, I didn't understand why, if she was from the phone company, she didn't already know my calling plan. Second, I have a deep distrust in this phone company, and simply wanted to keep my service, and for her to go away. After the call, I feared my next phone bill, because she might mess with my plan up. But thankfully, it stayed the same.
In the meantime, I decided to hold my breath and dive into the world of telephony in an attempt to figure out what options are out there. What I've discovered is that there are many new technologies and plans available for virtually every need. For example, dial around is a great option for people who want to save money on domestic and international long distance while still using their own phone (cell, home, or business) and not changing companies. It combines the convenience of a calling card with many of the features found with traditional long distance.
Right now, I'm deciding which option to use for low cost international calls, since I have some relatives overseas. Although my cell phone service touted low international rates, my last bill was astronomical. I'll definitely never call them from my cell phone again.
