A bizarre question.. but I hope you can help

[MarieVeronica]

Dear CAF… this is a bizarre question… but here it is.

I have a relative in California… who is struggling, financially. So much so, that she no longer has phone service in her apartment. She recently made several “Collect Calls” to me… which I accepted, not knowing that they would be SO expensive. :nope: That “string” of calls cost several hundred dollars, which I struggled to pay off. I told her… “NO MORE Collect Calls”.

Now, she is asking me to call her… at a PUBLIC PAYPHONE. But I’m scared to do it… for fear that the charges will somehow be like “Collect Call” charges.

Does anyone know what the Phone Company charges on a long distance call TO a public payphone?

Thanks and God bless.

 

[whatevergirl]

If she doesn’t have a working phone, how is she able to make a collect call from her home? Was she making the calls from a payphone? (collect)

I believe if you call her from a payphone, then you’ll have to have the change ready to pop into the phone, or the call won’t go through. I don’t believe she can make a collect call to a payphone, so unless you have the change before the call…(and an operator will come on asking for more money throughout the call) you won’t be able to call her.

I’ll be praying for your friend to get back on her feet, financially, soon. You sound like a good friend to her, though!

 

[Peacefulwishes]

Can you mail her a phone card and have her call you from a payphone, using the phone card?

I’m sorry you were burdened with such an outrageous bill! Yikes!

 

[Lainey63]

Why doesn’t she ask to borrow a friend’s cellphone. Long distance is usually free

 

[yellowbird]

I think you can call from your phone to public payphone and it will only be a long distance charge - but NOT a collect call.

How awful that you had to pay all the $ in collect calls?! Are you giving your friend advice? Is she taking it? If she’s just venting about her life, maybe she needs to find someone much closer to her situation she can speak to?

 

[yellowbird]

I believe if you call her from a payphone, then you’ll have to have the change ready to pop into the phone, or the call won’t go through. I don’t believe she can make a collect call to a payphone, so unless you have the change before the call…(and an operator will come on asking for more money throughout the call) you won’t be able to call her.

!

The OP has a phone… she isn’t going to call from a payphone, I believe she was asking what the fees would be to call TO a payphone?

I didn’t even know payphones existed anymore. When my cell died recently, I had a terrible time finding one…

 

[whatevergirl]

The OP has a phone… she isn’t going to call from a payphone, I believe she was asking what the fees would be to call TO a payphone?

I didn’t even know payphones existed anymore. When my cell died recently, I had a terrible time finding one…

Oh ok I see. Yes, I know…I don’t even see them anymore, except at airports.

 

[Catholic90]

If you have a cell phone, you can usually get a family plan and add an extra phone for $9.99 a month. Then phone to phone calls are free within plans. So basically, for $10, the 2 of you could talk all month.

You would have to set up “rules” with her on how she could use that phone so she would not go over minutes calling others, etc., but it might be worth looking into.

 

[yellowbird]

If you have a cell phone, you can usually get a family plan and add an extra phone for $9.99 a month. Then phone to phone calls are free within plans. So basically, for $10, the 2 of you could talk all month.

You would have to set up “rules” with her on how she could use that phone so she would not go over minutes calling others, etc., but it might be worth looking into.

I would NOT get a phone for someone else. Espeically someone who is having terrible financial troubles.

 

[MarieVeronica]

If she doesn’t have a working phone, how is she able to make a collect call from her home?!

I assumed she did it from her cell phone. She has one of those “top up” type phones. Not a regular cell phone. Hmm. Now… I’m wondering if she wasn’t truthful with me.

The problem is she lives out of state… from us. She’s in California… and we’re in the south eastern U.S.

But I was just worried about the charges TO a payphone… if that is what she’s asking me to call.

 

[yellowbird]

I assumed she did it from her cell phone. She has one of those “top up” type phones. Not a regular cell phone. Hmm. Now… I’m wondering if she wasn’t truthful with me.

Maybe she was calling you collect from the payphone? Your phone bill should show the number she was calling from?

 

[MarieVeronica]

Maybe she was calling you collect from the payphone? Your phone bill should show the number she was calling from?

Hmmm. It probably did, “YB”. It was back around Christmas. I didn’t think to check the location of the “Collect” charges, at the time. Probably because I would have had to pay it either way.

But this time… she’s just asked me to call a number… and she’ll be there. No operator involvement this time. That’s why I’m assuming it’s a payphone.

It’s my sister, actually. She’s had a rough time of it in California. Please pray for her, friends.

Thank you all. :thankyou:

 

[yellowbird]

I’m sorry it’s your sister. That is very hard. I will pray for her for sure.

 

[kage_ar]

Some payphones are set up not to accept incoming calls.

If you want to keep in touch with her, the best solution is to purchase a pre paid long distance calling card. Send her one per month, decide on what you can afford and send her one in that amount each month. She can use it at the payphone free of charge.

You can also put a collect call “block” on your phone, where no one can call you collect.

 

[SMHW]

Dear CAF… this is a bizarre question… but here it is.

I have a relative in California… who is struggling, financially. So much so, that she no longer has phone service in her apartment. She recently made several “Collect Calls” to me… which I accepted, not knowing that they would be SO expensive. :nope: That “string” of calls cost several hundred dollars, which I struggled to pay off. I told her… “NO MORE Collect Calls”.

Now, she is asking me to call her… at a PUBLIC PAYPHONE. But I’m scared to do it… for fear that the charges will somehow be like “Collect Call” charges.

Does anyone know what the Phone Company charges on a long distance call TO a public payphone?

Thanks and God bless.

A call to a phone booth provided by a standard carrier (such as AT&T, Quest, or Verizon) should be charged the same as any other call you could make to a number in that area. I know there are some other phone booths out there sponsored by small private companies. I suppose you *might *have to worry about them. But probably not.

The one thing necessary, however, is that you can call the payphone at all. In some high crime locations calls to pay phones have been disabled. But I’m guessing your friend knows it will work.

I think that the idea of sending her a phone card may still be best. (Do they make them reloadable?) Then she can talk for a length of time but no more.

Personally, I’d tell her she has to go to the library and email or instant message you.

 

[Katie1723]

I assumed she did it from her cell phone. She has one of those “top up” type phones. Not a regular cell phone. Hmm. Now… I’m wondering if she wasn’t truthful with me…

It frustrates me no end when people cry poor mouth but always seem to have money for a cell phone. Aside from the fact that you are her sister, why do YOU have to send her a phone card? She has money to "top up " her phone, she has money to buy a calling card.

Kathy

 

[Catholic90]

It frustrates me no end when people cry poor mouth but always seem to have money for a cell phone. Aside from the fact that you are her sister, why do YOU have to send her a phone card? She has money to "top up " her phone, she has money to buy a calling card.

Kathy

If she has no landline, the cell phone is all she has. MANY people are going away from landlines and ONLY have a cell phone. To be honest, I’ve thought about going that route. We get so few calls on our home landline. Most people we know call us on our cell phones now. There are 5 of us and we have a family plan. The kids’ friends all call the kids’ cell phones, my DH’s clients and friends call his cell, and my friends call my cell.

 

[Catholic90]

I would NOT get a phone for someone else. Espeically someone who is having terrible financial troubles.

It’s her sister…depending on their relationship, I would consider it. It IS family! Besides, it sounds as if she already has a cell phone; so to convert it to a family plan might actually be cheaper.

 

[Katie1723]

If she has no landline, the cell phone is all she has. MANY people are going away from landlines and ONLY have a cell phone. To be honest, I’ve thought about going that route. We get so few calls on our home landline. Most people we know call us on our cell phones now. There are 5 of us and we have a family plan. The kids’ friends all call the kids’ cell phones, my DH’s clients and friends call his cell, and my friends call my cell.

My point is, if you can’t pay bills or buy food, how is it you can afford a cell phone? When I worked at a hospital, we had people who couldn’t afford baby clothes, but 99% of them had cell phones and digital cameras.

Kathy

 

[SMHW]

It’s her sister…depending on their relationship, I would consider it. It IS family! Besides, it sounds as if she already has a cell phone; so to convert it to a family plan might actually be cheaper.

If the sister *only *uses the phone to contact family members it is cheaper. If she starts making large numbers of calls to people who are not on the plan…