Reusing phone numbers
March 15th, 2006, 02:47 pm
A few weeks back I decided to get a cell phone. Ever since then I have been getting calls from someone with a 520 area code (Arizona I believe). When ever I answer these, its either a recording in Spanish or its in English saying this is a “prepaid phone call from a county prison inmate.” I don’t know anyone in prison (nor Arizona) so I usually hang up at this point.
I’ve also got one phone call from someone in Florida. I don’t know anything about this number since I wasn’t able to answer it and they haven’t called back since.
Today I got a call from the local area code. It was someone looking for a Kevin. My brother’s name is Kevin but he shouldn’t be giving out my phone number. It turned out it was a different Kevin and this use to be his number.
This annoys me a little because I am doing a prepaid plan (I don’t use it all that often so I thought that prepaid would be less expensive over time). I buy the minutes before I use them instead of having a monthly contract. When I get these calls its wasting my very expensive minutes. It would be nice if the cell phone companies would hang on to these numbers that were already being used for one year or atleast 6 months so that people have a chance to realize the person doesn’t have that number anymore.
On an unrelated note, I scored 6,876 in Solitaire. That game took me 111 seconds to finish. A new record for me.
By Fountain of Apples on March 15th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
I also have prepaid (with T-Mobile). That hasn’t happened to me, but my very-expensive phone which isn’t even 6 months old yet with all the extra features? Well, the extra features flat out don’t work, and never have; only the phone works. That is, it worked. 3 weeks ago, I stopped getting a reception from T-Mobile, and I still don’t have one. I’ve been keeping my minutes up-to-date though…
By Eric on March 15th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
T-Mobile is what I have too. I had a used phone which I am using so I didn’t have to buy one. Phones are expensive!
By smithy_dll on March 16th, 2006 at 1:53 am
You have to pay to answer the phone? Thats bull****. I would try to find a pre-paid provider that doesn’t do that, none in Australia do it to my knowledge. Also to my knowledge, all providers in Australia give you 6 months network access after your credit runs out on which you can recharge your credit, but still answer calls.
I am with vodafone on prepaid, you get 365 days to use your credit, and so far it’s been good and I’ve been happy with switching to them, and it cost me nothing to keep my number.
If I were in your position, since you haven’t had your phone long, I would seriously consider ringing up T-mobile and ask them for a new number.
By Xore on March 16th, 2006 at 5:37 am
My plan includes free incoming. I try to invite people to call me much more than i actively go a-calling, so while i still get the occasional person phoning for some guy named… Guy… at least it’s not wasting my minutes.
By Eric on March 16th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
Most plans here the minutes are both for incoming and outgoing. You have to specifically choose a plan with or pay for an extra feature to get free incoming. I get incoming text messages for free though.
By Fountain of Apples on March 17th, 2006 at 6:01 pm
David, unless you want to pay about $80/month for a special plan, you pay for incoming calls. That fact is basically a GIVEN for cell phones in the USA, always has been.
By smithy_dll on March 17th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
Thats absolute crap. No way in hell should you have to pay for incomming calls. I mean you don’t have to pay incomming on land line, why should it be any different for mobile communications. At least they don’t double dip on SMS messages!
If you are on pre-paid here you have to buy your home, but you can get heavily discounted ones that are network locked etc… If you sign up for a plan, you can get a free phone, even on small $25 per month plans.
I’m not saying Australia is perfect (because it isn’t), but at least we don’t practice the ludacris act of charging for incomming calls, I mean for $20 credit on vodafone I get 20 vodafone-to-vodafone minutes, 20c flag fall, 25c SMS messages, 1c per second call charge (charged by the second) and 365 days to use the credit, and there after 6 months network access on which I can still recieve calls, SMS messages and even MMS.
A difference I can see, it we are marketed ‘credits’, and you are marketed ‘call minutes’. The offset is that mobile communications seem to be cheaper for you guys than us, unless of course you pay more and get on one of those caps where you get like $700 worth of credit by paying something like $50 or $70.
One thing I can seem to find is how SMS messaging charges are deducted from your account :S http://www.t-mobile.com/prepaid/rates.asp
By Fountain of Apples on March 22nd, 2006 at 10:28 pm
Well, yes, unfortunately, you do have to pay for incoming. It is stupid, and really sucks when someone calls you and it’s a wrong number–you just paid for their mistake!