Common Features of Unreliable Prepaid Phone Cards

Prepaid phone cards are those cards you see in convenient stores, supermarkets, shopping malls and in the Internet. They are being sold in different denominations for your long distance calls. This card comes with a toll free access number that you use when you want to start a call. You will also be given with the personal identification number (PIN) that you use to activate your card's account. You dial these two numbers plus the number of the person that you wish to talk to and you can start your calls. You can now enjoy with your calls at lower price and you can save your money.

The per minute rate in your prepaid phone card may vary depending on the service provider. There may be additional fees involved in different calls that you made. Some prepaid phone cards may be good for your calling needs and perfect for your calling situations, but there are still other cards out there that we can consider as 'scams'. We cannot avoid some phone card companies and service providers that take advantage of unsuspecting buyers.

There are certain characteristics that your prepaid phone card may possess that can be considered as a scam. They can be unadvertised or not so obvious charging of additional fees. They can reduce your calling minutes and you get fewer time to make your calls.

One of the most common features of an unreliable prepaid phone card is the connection fee. Every time you start your call and you get connected to the other party, you are charged with an additional amount and the rates tend to be higher. Another one is the daily, weekly or monthly maintenance fee for the the sustenance of the telephone network used to transfer your calls. Service fee includes activation, set up and delivery fee of your card. Other cards levy the minimum call length. You will pay additional amount for longer call but if you make shorter calls, you will be charged with the connection fee. Avoid also the surcharges when using a pay phone or a mobile phone in some prepaid phone cards. You only get to use fewer minutes in your card.

A reliable prepaid phone card usually have smaller billing increments. You are charged to the next one calling minute if you did not consume the whole minute while you call. You are also provided with the expiration period of the card after your first use.

You are provided with the PIN every time you purchase the card. There are cases that this PIN will not work since it is not valid. If this problem happens for your succeeding purchase, then the card is part of the scam. Better choose and buy another card different from the brand that you used previously. In some cases you can return this card for refund but there are times that you can no longer find the prepaid phone card retailer and you get your money wasted.

When you make a call, sometimes you get a busy tone. There may be lots of customers using the access number and you cannot connect to the number of person that you wish to talk to. If this problem continues, switch to another prepaid phone card brand. This is not a good sign of a reliable card. Your card has a low connection quality.

For your concerns regarding the product, the company or service provider should provide you with a customer service number. A representative should be ready to pick your calls and address to the queries that you have. If there is no number given or you cannot reach the provided number, that is another scam and your card is unreliable. Take time to change your card. Choose a reliable card.