Telephone calling cards

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irv

Guest
I have come across an internet website that sells calling cards at a very low cost per minute to the D.R. Would you believe 9 cents per minute? Well I've sent in my first $20.00 just to chedk it out. If anyone is interested let me know and I'll report back.

Irv
 
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R T Firefly

Guest
9 cents a minute isn't bad, but see if there is also a per-call connection charge, or a minimum call length. Many unscrupulous companies use hidden charges like these to use up your cash faster.

What is the site?
 
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irv

Guest
Yes there is a per call charge but at 9 cents a minute compared to 55 cents a minute is a nice savings. you should stay on the line at least ten minutes though.

The site address is: www.pkcomm.com

Irv
 
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Jim Hinsch

Guest
PK Communication VoCall quoted US$1.50 connect fee and US$0.09/min. Voz Latina is US$2.00 connect fee and US$0.07/min., offered by Codetel/RSL Com, as posted earlier.

A 10 minute call is cheapest with the Tropicard at US$2.00 vs. Voz Latina at $2.70 vs. PK Communication at US$2.40.

At 14 minutes, the PK Communicationis VoCall breaks ahead (Tropicard at US$2.80 vs. Voz Latina at $2.98 vs PK Communications VoCall at US$2.76).

At 26 minutes, the Voz Latina breaks ahead (Tropicard at US$5.20 vs. Voz Latina at $3.82 vs PK Communications VoCall at US$3.84).

Since many of your calls to the DR will not get through on the first try, yet you may still be charged a connection fee (it has happened to me) it is not a good idea to go with a connection fee unless you like to gamble. It also doesn't say if the PK Communication card (VoCall) can be used to call FROM the DR.

Jim Hinsch JimHinsch@CSI.COM
 
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scaramooch

Guest
You are right, all this MFs. are all a rip offs. I just called the DR with a phone card I just bought for $20.00 that supposebly charge 12 cents a minute. I was on the phone less then a minute and they shaved twenty minutes out of the total phone card. Those phone cards are no good unless you are going to talk a long period of time, if you are going to talk for less then five minutes, you are better off using your long distance carrier, which they charge about 55ct a minute without any bullshit connection charge
 
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Jim Hinsch

Guest
No, just use a calling card like the Tropicard, which has no connection fee or other hidden charges and charges only US$0.20/min.

Jim Hinsch JimHinsch@CSI.COM
 
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Loren

Guest
I just tried to use the nickel card to call San Pedro de Macoris, and the call would not go through. It said "This is not a valid number, please enter a different number..." and the message was obviously from the calling card company, not the Dominican Republic. The number I was calling was to a residence, but they just got their phones turned on with Tricom instead of Codetel. I suspect this has something to do with it. The NXX is 809 339-XXXX.

Has anyone else had this problem? I want to use another calling card that will get through, but I need to know I can call this number. I know that Tricom and Codetel do cheesy things to each other, but that should not affect us calling from USA. Are there any cards that will be immune to this problem?
 
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scaramooch

Guest
Loren I bought a nickel card over the net, and I took a trip to Oregon and while staying in a motel I decided to call the DR from my room, I was unsucesfull on getting thru, finally I called the customer service, well to making a long story short, I could not connect from my motel room,also its the same old shit, where they promise a lot of minutes,but by the time you make a few phone calls, half of those minutes will be gone on connection charges. Like I said those cards are only good if you are planning to call an individual for a long time.If you are planning to make severall phone calls, you are better off using your long distance carrier, unless you try Jim Hinch untested by me phone card.
 
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Loren

Guest
I usually talk for at least 20 minutes or 1/2 an hour, if not more. Often, I will call on a regular line to make sure that the person is there, then call back with the calling card. Because of the way I call, Calling cards are a good value for me. I was always aware of the connect charges.

I have also used the tropicard that Jim offers for many months. I usually purchase those before trips, as I am making many short calls to travel agents, hotels, other friends, etc.

One of my Dominican friends who lives here in Ohio says that he uses 10-10-502 to call his wife and gets a diminutive rate. I have used that number, but have not yet got my bill so I dont know how good it is. (It wont work with my Fianc?s Tricom #, either though.) I am doubtful that Jim's card will access that number because of the dirty tricks Tricom & Codetel play on each other.

Who has the cheapest regular long distance service from the USA to the DR? That is what I am looking for!
 
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Jim Hinsch

Guest
PT-1 offers direct dial at US$0.25/min. Search the archives for more info. The Tropicard works from payphones in the DR, and Codetel connected home lines, which I have personally verified. As far as I know, TriCom does not offer land-line service, so that is a non-issue. If anybody has a friend with a TriCom serviced cell phone, E-mail me the number and I'd be happy to try it out.

Jim Hinsch JimHinsch@CSI.COM
 
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jerry

Guest
I had that problem to Santo Domingo. Her old contact number was 558-xxxx. Used Walmart AT&T for like $.30. Her new number is 334-xxxxAnd now the walmart AT&T is $.70. the Talk USA says it is not working. IDT is okay and my MCI account (home and phone card) have no problems. Walgreens use to be about $.30 but they just changed over to MCI and it is about $1.00 per minute. There are a couple others cards that use to work but do not work now. Will be trying one of Jim's cards here shortly to see what happens.

Jerry
 
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jerry

Guest
Do the phone companies down there have their own prefix? I will have to ask tonight whos telephone service she is using. But her prefix is 334, in Santo Domingo, if a person can tell by that.

Jerry
 
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Loren

Guest
Tricom does offer residential and commercial phone service as well as internet, cellular and paging. They are also pioneering wireless local loop technologies in the Dominican Republic.

Jim, I will e-mail you the number, I hope that it works with Tropicard. Thanx.

-L
 
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Loren

Guest
Tricom residential service

Here is further info on the Tricom residential service. I was referring to. They have some interesting packages where they bundle a phone line, internet, cellular and international long distance together.

<A HREF="http://www.tricom.net/html/prod_serv/telefonos/residenciales.htm">http://www.tricom.net/html/prod_serv/telefonos/residenciales.htm</A>
 
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jerry

Guest
Loren

Let me know if it works out. Wendy has tricom also. Her last phone was codetel. So that might explain the problems i have now with the other calling cards.

Jerry
 
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Loren

Guest
I will try the tropicard. Jim says it should work. I am also trying some of the 10-10-XXX dial around services that we have here in the US. Ironically, my Sprint cell phone calls the number fine, but it hurts at $.91/minute!!! (My last bill was about $1000)

I am going to e-mail Tricom to see what they have to say. An acquaintance of mine owns a long distance company in New York (Axicomonline.com) and he said that Codetel had blocked his callback services from the DR, and he had to have a personal discussion with the CEO of Codetel to rectify the situation.

They are introducing competition to the market in the DR, but it is a mess with Tricom and Codetel playing dirty tricks on eack other. You can call some numbers from some phones but not others, if you buy a local DR calling card, it wont work on certian DR numbers, hotel phones cant access certain numbers; its a mess.
 
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scaramooch

Guest
Loren a $1000,00 dollars???? You could have gone to the DR twice. Those long distance romances are costly ain,t they???
 
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Loren

Guest
Yeah, you ought to see how many used calling cards I have piled up! She recieved her INS approval, so hopefully she will be here soon (At which case it gets more expensive...she will need a whole winter wardrobe from scratch!) I will be down there in September to see her, then hopefully the next time will be to bring her back, maybe in September or October, depending on our old buddies at the US consulate and how fast they process her stuff.

It could be worse, at least she is always home with mom watching soap operas when I call her! I made a surprise visit one time, scared the crap out of the whole family because it was such a surpise but they were glad to see me.

Wish us luck.
 
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Jim Hinsch

Guest
As I confirmed by E-mail this morning, I was able to call the TriCom number in the DR you sent me using the Tropicard.

Jim Hinsch JimHinsch@CSI.COM