Phone bills in the US

[O2BNSD]

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTrXFPtBDVS4uwoGfUBbACBzs4iVTYyYVurujO0EZBOyzYUnymV

Best phone they ever made. You could go off shore 200 miles with direct line of sight from Hawaii and make a call.

Oh my gosh....The Brick!!!!! That was the very first mobile phone I ever had!! How funny?!

[Guest Sachi001]

My mom and I have a close relationship - I can talk to her about anything and everything.

Now if it is a certain friend of mine - sometimes I do that... I tell her I'm driving and that I'll call later when I'm not in the mood to talk to her. This is a friend who is a bit crazy. She honestly believed the fires that were near Plantersville, TX (where the Renaissance Festival is held each year) was caused my God because of the people who run the Renaissance Festival were doing witchcraft. I don't know if any of you have seen the Hairspray movie... but this friend of mine reminds me so much of this mom in the movie

Is that the Faire in Waxahachie Texas? Did I even spell that right?

[Mahone]

We in the US have a different philosophy. If we don't want to talk to you, we say goodbye and hang up the phone. If it is a vendor, we can tell them to put us on their 'do not call' list, and they are not allowed to call again. If it's your mom, and you just don't want to waste your minutes on her, tell her you are driving and will call later, then conveniently 'forget' to call back.

Lol.

So BT charges the landline user for calling a cellphone? How do they know? Are cell numbers different?

Yes. All mobile phone numbers begin with 074, 075, 077, 078 and 079 (076 is used for pagers). That's another thing that confuses me about the US phone numbering system... the apparent inability to distinguish what type of phone you are calling.

I assume you can at least tell which network you are calling from the phone number in the US? The phone network needs to know where to route the call simply based on the phone number.

[pam]

I don't know how many times I have told Mahone that, he seems not to believe me and have to ask other people :).

Mahone, you might as well learn now before December and your marriage comes around....Nelly is always right.

[pam]

Lol.

Yes. All mobile phone numbers begin with 074, 075, 077, 078 and 079 (076 is used for pagers). That's another thing that confuses me about the US phone numbering system... the apparent inability to distinguish what type of phone you are calling.

I assume you can at least tell which network you are calling from the phone number in the US? The phone network needs to know where to route the call simply based on the phone number.

If calling a home phone, you don't know which network you are calling. Everything is based on area code or geographical areas.

With mobile phones, you used to be able to somewhat tell which service provider they used by the phone numbers. Now that you can transfer your existing number from one carrier to another makes it almost impossible.

[KrazyKay]

Is that the Faire in Waxahachie Texas? Did I even spell that right?

Waxahachie is about 4 hours from Plantersville in Texas

[Gwen]

Maybe it's because I'm in a smaller city but the first 3 numbers will tell you if it's a land line or cell. There are only 2 options for each. lol Now if I'm calling an out of town number I couldn't tell you.

[KrazyKay]

Maybe it's because I'm in a smaller city but the first 3 numbers will tell you if it's a land line or cell. There are only 2 options for each. lol Now if I'm calling an out of town number I couldn't tell you.

In Houston here, there is no way to tell if it's a land line or cell - unless you know the person and know if it's their cell or land line. We have to dial the area code - even if we are calling our next door neighbor. Then with the next three numbers... you can't tell. An example - when my parents used to live here (they moved out of state a year ago), their land line number after the area code was 435 and their cell number after the area code was 435. The last 4 digits were different for each of course... but they did have their land line routed to the cell phone so if someone called the land line and there was no answer, then the phone company routed the call to their cell phone.

My husband and I do not have a land line... we have Uverse with the wireless internet and TV... but no land line. We don't see a point in a land line when we can be reached on our cell phones at home or out.

[MorningStar]

All I have is my landline. I had a cell phone about a decade ago and got rid of it to save money.

[Mahone]

If calling a home phone, you don't know which network you are calling. Everything is based on area code or geographical areas.

With mobile phones, you used to be able to somewhat tell which service provider they used by the phone numbers. Now that you can transfer your existing number from one carrier to another makes it almost impossible.

That is essentially the same as it is here, although I took from JohnDoes post that you weren't able to tell which numbers were mobile numbers. I see from subsequent posts that this varies lol.

[john doe]

That is essentially the same as it is here, although I took from JohnDoes post that you weren't able to tell which numbers were mobile numbers. I see from subsequent posts that this varies lol.

These days, essentially you can't tell which numbers are mobile and which are landlines. The only way you can really tell is to know the historical landline exchange numbers from the old days when they used to be geographical in an area. As cell phone use has exploded, the cell phones have taken up a lot of prefixes, to the point where the average person can't keep up with it anymore. You can tell by the area code the general area where the person activated the phone number, but that's about it. And the numbers made available to the cell companies varied by region and area code. There is no magical prefix that is common to all areas of the US that will tell you whether you are calling a cell phone or a landline. And as Pam said, now in the US you can carry a cell phone number with you when you switch carriers, so there is no way for the layman to know for sure what network you are calling.

You need to remember that our population is approx. 5 times that of the UK and the UK in land mass is smaller than Oregon, which is only our 9th largest state. Our systems will necessarily be more complex, different, and varied than what you use there, just to meet the needs and demands of our citizens.

[Mahone]

You need to remember that our population is approx. 5 times that of the UK and the UK in land mass is smaller than Oregon, which is only our 9th largest state. Our systems will necessarily be more complex, different, and varied than what you use there, just to meet the needs and demands of our citizens.

I understand that. I'm still not sure I understand the concept behind charging both caller and recipient, but I understand why the numbering convention is a lot more complex - any system that has expanded way beyond the boundaries of the original design has this issue (another good example would be the internet).

[pam]

I understand that. I'm still not sure I understand the concept behind charging both caller and recipient, but I understand why the numbering convention is a lot more complex - any system that has expanded way beyond the boundaries of the original design has this issue (another good example would be the internet).

This is my theory and I could be totally off base but here it goes.

Each cell phone carrier has to pay for the use of satellites, towers etc. in order to have their customers receive or make calls.

I have my service through Sprint. Any calls that I make to another person that has Sprint there is no charge. Sprint is already paying a fee.

So having said that..I make a call to someone that has T-Mobile from my Sprint service. You now have Sprint and T-Mobile involved. Both companies having to pay for the use of air waves per se. They are naturally going to pass that charge over to their customers.

[Dravin]

I'm still not sure I understand the concept behind charging both caller and recipient

Because both are using their respective services, though ultimately it's because that's what our contracts say. There is a pecuniary interest in the contracts being that way, whether it is to compensate for costs or simply to increase profit I honestly don't know. Not that it must be that way, just that it is.

From my perspective it doesn't seem weird to be charged when someone calls me, I'm using my phone to talk to someone regardless of if I initiated the conversation or not, but then it is the system I'm used to. Your system seems to be more mail like. The person 'sending' the conversation pays for it not the person 'receiving' it. Another way to possibly think about it is the US is like watching a movie at the theater, everyone involved pays to see the movie (or engage in the conversation), while the UK is like renting a movie, only the person who got the movie (initiated the phone call) is being charged and not all his buds in the room.

[slamjet]

Actually, Pam, my Sprint plan lets me call and receive any call from any mobile phone carrier without charge.

Fly in the soup, my specialty.

[pam]

Actually, Pam, my Sprint plan lets me call and receive any call from any mobile phone carrier without charge.

Fly in the soup, my specialty.

Mine just takes it off of my allowed minutes that I'm already paying for in my plan. But any Sprint to Sprint does not use any minutes.

[Mahone]

This is my theory and I could be totally off base but here it goes.

Each cell phone carrier has to pay for the use of satellites, towers etc. in order to have their customers receive or make calls.

I have my service through Sprint. Any calls that I make to another person that has Sprint there is no charge. Sprint is already paying a fee.

So having said that..I make a call to someone that has T-Mobile from my Sprint service. You now have Sprint and T-Mobile involved. Both companies having to pay for the use of air waves per se. They are naturally going to pass that charge over to their customers.

I know why they do it, just not sure I can see the advantage over alternative methods.

Because both are using their respective services, though ultimately it's because that's what our contracts say. There is a pecuniary interest in the contracts being that way, whether it is to compensate for costs or simply to increase profit I honestly don't know. Not that it must be that way, just that it is.

From my perspective it doesn't seem weird to be charged when someone calls me, I'm using my phone to talk to someone regardless of if I initiated the conversation or not, but then it is the system I'm used to. Your system seems to be more mail like. The person 'sending' the conversation pays for it not the person 'receiving' it. Another way to possibly think about it is the US is like watching a movie at the theater, everyone involved pays to see the movie (or engage in the conversation), while the UK is like renting a movie, only the person who got the movie (initiated the phone call) is being charged and not all his buds in the room.

I see it as more like the postal system. I think people would be pretty peeved if they had to pay 50% for each piece of junk mail arriving through their door

Another random analogy: a friend needs your help to do something, so they come to collect you in their car, take you to their place, you help them, and they then drive you back. They then try and charge you for 50% of the fuel. Even though they only wanted you there so you could do them a favour, you're landed with 50% of the cost of them getting your help. Not fair really.

If you call someone, it's your choice to call them, therefore you should pay the bill for both networks involved in my opinion. It's not always the recipients choice to take the call.

Edited July 23, 2011 by Mahone

[Dravin]

It's not always the recipients choice to take the call.

Unless phones in the UK answer themselves it is the recipients choice to take the call.

Edited July 23, 2011 by Dravin

[Mahone]

Unless phones in the UK answer themselves it is always the recipients choice to take the call.

Not entirely fair, as the recipient is bound by technical restrictions (you can't always tell who is calling if the caller decides to withhold their number or it's a number you don't know, but could still be an important call) and by etiquette (it's not polite to tell someone you don't want to talk to them, or don't think they are worth paying the phone bill for).

[pam]

Seriously Mahone..why are you up in the middle of the night worrying about how the US pays for calls? :)

[Dravin]

Not entirely fair, as the recipient is bound by technical restrictions (you can't always tell who is calling if the caller decides to withhold their number or it's a number you don't know, but could still be an important call) and by etiquette (it's not polite to tell someone you don't want to talk to them, or don't think they are worth paying the phone bill for).

Etiquette may influence the choice you make but it is your choice.

For the record my response in those circumstances:

Blocked/Hidden Number - I don't pick it up, and I do that on principle even if I have plenty of minutes.

Unknown Number - You choose to answer it and risk burning a minute on the Cable Company confirming your cancellation or you let it go to voice-mail and screen it (which admittedly also uses minutes to check but you can usually screen a few messages per minute).

Don't want to talk to the caller - Ignore the call, heck I can block the number in my phone (or my provider) if it is say the annoying guy down the street who is always calling to discuss the PTA with me or something. Or if it is someone I don't want to talk to at the moment (say I'm in the middle of a good TV show and I don't have a DVR), I ignore the call. I'll call/contact them back when/if I so desire. That I have a phone does not compel me to answer it every time it rings.

Low on minutes - Depending how low and how often I talk to the person I'll answer real quick to say, "I'm sorry but I'm low on minutes right now , I'll catch you next month (or at Church/Online/School/This Weekend*/Later Tonight*)" or I'll not pick up the call at all and just shoot off an explanation in the other venue/medium.

Interestingly enough quite a bit of the above thinking applies to my land line as well.

If it's a business phone then the company needs to have adequate minutes and if you go over because of business they need to be prepared to pick up the tab. If you run your own business then plan your minutes accordingly, possibly with an unlimited minutes plan. It boils down to a business risk, the reduced cost of a lower plan versus the risk of going over.

I don't think my thoughts on the matter are particularly out there for over here, so that might explain some of the difference. Two very different philosophies about the 'requirement' to take a phone call. If I felt I had to respond to junk mail I'd probably be irked at having to pay for the postage for all the letters I'm sending out in response.

*Quite a few plans over here offer some form of unlimited nights and weekends (or a separate pool of minutes for those times that are tracked separate from your anytime minutes).

Edited July 23, 2011 by Dravin

[pam]

I deal with phone calls on the job all night long. The last thing I want to do when I am not at work is talk on the phone. So I let the phone go to voicemail or will call someone back at my convenience. Especially since I sleep during the day and that seems to be when most want to call me.

[john doe]

Not entirely fair, as the recipient is bound by technical restrictions (you can't always tell who is calling if the caller decides to withhold their number or it's a number you don't know, but could still be an important call) and by etiquette (it's not polite to tell someone you don't want to talk to them, or don't think they are worth paying the phone bill for).

I almost never answer a phone call if I don't recognize the number. And if the number is blocked or unknown, there is no way I will answer it. If I answer the phone it is because I know the person calling and it is likely that their communication with me will be beneficial to me in some way. If the unknown caller really wants to talk to me they can leave a message and I will respond (or not) when it is convenient for me.

We Americans are not so hung up on phone etiquette that we feel we have to cater to people who are interrupting our day. We expect callers to understand that most of us don't answer the phone for just anybody who decides to call at any time of day. And that's just for phone calls, we haven't even touched on texting.

[Mahone]

Dravin that's a little pedantic (re: choices - sounds like a lesson about agency at church)

A lot of companies withhold their number, due to having internal extensions that don't have a corresponding external number (in other words, all external calls get routed through a single number to save money). They block the number, so people that miss the call don't call back and end up talking to the poor switchboard operator who usually has no way of telling who actually called them from within the company.

While a lot of companies are only trying to sell their products, and got your number from goodness knows where, there are some companies that you do actually need to talk to. Filtering out all of these calls could be something of a problem. An example of this is when one is applying for jobs. When I worked at the temple voluntarily for a little while, calling people back was something of a problem too, as many people put a block on all withheld numbers (the temple withholds their number for the above mentioned reason), and they then get mad because I didn't call them back.

Leaving calls to go to answer machine is also something of a problem (at least for me) because as Dravin said, it deducts minutes/money just to call the answer machine. It then deducts more minutes/money to call the person back.

If I ever end up on such a plan in the USA, I can see myself ignoring pretty much all calls apart from one or two people, and expect everyone else to e-mail or text (unless you get charged for receiving SMS too). I really don't like the idea that I can get charged for a phone call that someone else initiated. Maybe it's just me lol.

Edited July 23, 2011 by Mahone

[Mahone]

Seriously Mahone..why are you up in the middle of the night worrying about how the US pays for calls? :)

I have no choice you understand. My decisions are all hers unless it goes horribly wrong, in which case the decision was all mine