DevilsPGD wrote:
>>> And using a calling card from a payphone can be significant these
>>> days since the payphone owner can now "legally" extort huge charges
>>> from the long distance carrier or card provider, who will then extort
>>> those surcharges from us.
>> No extortion involved. If someone held a gun to your head or
>> otherwise forced you to use the payphone, it would be extortion.
>> Since you choose to use a payphone, you choose to absorb that cost. A
>> cost, which is regulated, and which helps telcos continue to run pay
>> phones at all, since they're not generally considered profitable
>> anymore, at least around here.
> Utter nonsense. It IS extortion.
> When you are in an emergency situation (ie in a hospital) and they
> don't allow cellphone use or you don't have one, you indeed are forced
> to use their phone and pay their charges.
No. You aren't forced to make a call at all -- If you choose to make a call, then you will need to be prepared to pay for that call.
As others pointed out, all charges the customer pays on a pay phone
> are UNREGULATED. The pay phone provider can charge you whatever you > wish.
What a customer pays the pay phone IS regulated. What you pay your calling card is not regulated, but is disclosed by the calling card vendor up front. Read the fine print on your card (or at the point of sale)
Unlike normal businesses, pay phone providers do not have to tell you
> their prices; you only find out a month later when you get the bill.
> Imagine going food shopping with the prices unmarked and not knowing
> how much you spent for food until the bill comes. Would you tolerate
> that? But it's perfectly fine with pay phones.
How exactly does the pay phone provider bill you?
Unless you're putting money directly into the phone, chances are pretty good that the pay phone provider isn't even billing you directly -- your beef is with whoever is billing you.