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The Telecom Digest for June 4, 2013
Volume 32 : Issue 121 : "text" Format
Messages in this Issue:
Re: Cellco cheating with Prepaid? (Neal McLain)
Re: Cellco cheating with Prepaid? (Mark Smith)
Re: Cellco cheating with Prepaid? (Retired)
Re: Cellco cheating with Prepaid? (Dave Garland)
Bugging telephones in 1955 (Dave Garland)
Re: Cellco cheating with Prepaid? (tlvp)

====== 31 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======

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Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2013 11:28:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: Neal McLain <nmclain.remove-this@and-this-too.annsgarden.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Cellco cheating with Prepaid? 
Message-ID: <435000d0-caaa-437a-825a-0f32fd696341@m8g2000yqf.googlegroups.com>

I haven't noticed any unusual usage, but I probably wouldn't notice it
even if it happened.  I maintain two Tracfone accounts, each one
renewed annually for $100/year including 400 minutes plus 400 bonus.
Neither phone uses anywhere near 800 minutes per year, so rollover
minutes just keep piling up.  As of today, my wife's phone shows >3300
unused minutes, and mine shows >2400.

Neal McLain




Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2013 08:33:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mark Smith <marklsmith@yahoo.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Cellco cheating with Prepaid?
Message-ID: <1370187192.66280.YahooMailNeo@web122306.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>

On Sunday, June 2, 2013 9:38 AM Frank Stearns <franks.pacifier.com@pacifier.net> wrote:

> Along with land lines I've had wireless in one form or another for
> more than 15 years, initially done as a 1 or 2 year contract; in later
> years month-to-month. In the past 18 months I've gone all prepaid.
> 
> For my call patterns (no data, no text) this is wayyyy cheaper. A
> US$100/1000 minute, 12 month prepaid from T-mobile typically lasts 6-7
> months. This translates to roughly $16/month, with no additional junk
> fees. Contrast this to the most minimal "post-paid" T-Mobile plan of
> $30/month, with another $10 in fees and taxes tacked on.
> 
> I also moved recently and ported my old land line number to a cheap
> Tracphone prepaid. This account acts as a "place holder" until I can
> decide what to do with that old number, which I've had for 30+ years.
> 
> Here's what's odd. With all those years, I know my calling habits
> fairly well, both inbound and outbound. It seems that in the past two
> months way more wireless minutes are being used than should be the
> case, based on 16 months' prior experience with prepaid.  The T-mobile
> minutes seem to be going by at 1.5x what they should; the Tracphone
> minutes seem to disappear at 2x (on a "double minutes" phone -- how
> ironic). No one but me has access to these phones.
> 
> Maybe I'm imagining all this or am not accounting for something. But
> before I start some elaborate external logging to verify actual usage,
> have there been any rumblings about Cellcos attempting to subvert
> their prepaid customers? Any rumors or actual cases of Cellcos padding
> the meter (or making it run faster) to burn up any extra prepaid time
> they can?
> 
> Is there any auditing that takes place, something like the state
> Weights and Measures office certifying the accuracy of the pumps at
> the corner gasoline station?
> 
> Cellcos no doubt hate users like me, who have noted the unused minutes
> each month, switched to prepaid, and cut the gross revenue on the
> account (sometimes significantly). If enough folks did this I could
> understand Cellco motives to engage in accounting skulduggery.
> 
> Mainly curious if any other prepaid users have sensed something like
> this and if so, how they've pursued it.

I think Tracfone does whole minute increments,
so if you go a second over it
costs a minute.
 
Mark L. Smith 
marklsmith@yahoo.com

http://smith.freehosting.net

Http://marksfolkmusicphotos.shutterfly.com

________________________________




Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:31:05 -0400
From: Retired <Retired@home.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Cellco cheating with Prepaid?
Message-ID: <yuudnQH7FsokKzHMnZ2dnUVZ_uOdnZ2d@giganews.com>

On 6/2/13 9:38 AM, Frank Stearns wrote:
> Along with land lines I've had wireless in one form or another for
> more than 15 years, initially done as a 1 or 2 year contract; in
> later years month-to-month. In the past 18 months I've gone all
> prepaid.
>
> For my call patterns (no data, no text) this is wayyyy cheaper. A
> US$100/1000 minute, 12 month prepaid from T-mobile typically lasts
> 6-7 months. This translates to roughly $16/month, with no
> additional junk fees. Contrast this to the most minimal "post-paid"
> T-Mobile plan of $30/month, with another $10 in fees and taxes tacked
> on.
>
>

<snip>

I have had the same T-Mobile PrePaid Gold plan as you for 6 years now. 
Paid the $100/1000min charge one time at start. I make/get about 2 
short calls per month ! Usually maintain about 90 minutes/US$20 on the 
account, making minimum $10 recharges as needed. I have not noticed 
any issues with the minutes being deducted as used.




Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:49:05 -0500
From: Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Cellco cheating with Prepaid?
Message-ID: <koidl5$fs3$1@dont-email.me>

On 6/2/2013 8:38 AM, Frank Stearns wrote:

> For my call patterns (no data, no text) this is wayyyy cheaper. A
> US$100/1000 minute, 12 month prepaid from T-mobile typically lasts
> 6-7 months. This translates to roughly $16/month, with no
> additional junk fees.

I also use T-Mo prepaid, but I don't use the phone much, it's turned 
off most of the time.  My last $25 lasted a year.

> Here's what's odd. With all those years, I know my calling habits
> fairly well, both inbound and outbound. It seems that in the past two
> months way more wireless minutes are being used than should be the
> case, based on 16 months' prior experience with prepaid. The T-mobile
> minutes seem to  be going by at 1.5x what they should; the Tracphone
> minutes seem to disappear at 2x (on a "double minutes" phone -- how
> ironic). No one but me has access to these phones.

I have not experienced that with my stupidphone.  Two things that 
occur to me are, if it's a smartphone it may be doing things on the 
network that you don't know about, and especially if you're web 
browsing.  And text messages are pricey (IIRC @$0.25), though the ones 
from T-Mo are free.  I don't do txts.

I believe that charges run from the moment you press "call", but think 
all the carriers do that.

> Maybe I'm imagining all this or am not accounting for something. But
> before I start some elaborate external logging to verify actual
> usage, have there been any rumblings about Cellcos attempting to
> subvert their prepaid customers? Any rumors or actual cases of Cellcos
> padding the meter (or making it run faster) to burn up any extra
> prepaid time they can?

You can call to #999# check your balance, or I think you check online 
if you've registered with T-Mo.  While that wouldn't give you 
"elaborate" data, it would be enough to tell you if charges were 
occurring during periods that you knew you hadn't used the phone.




Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:38:35 -0500
From: Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Bugging telephones in 1955
Message-ID: <koiujv$nng$1@dont-email.me>

Top Secret technology of 1955, apparently made obsolete by the 
introduction of the 500 set.  Declassified in 2010.

http://cryptome.org/2013/05/ultra-sonic-listening.pdf




Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2013 22:45:10 -0400
From: tlvp <tPlOvUBpErLeLsEs@hotmail.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Cellco cheating with Prepaid?
Message-ID: <kojk37$oi5$1@dont-email.me>

Frank Stearns wrote:

> Maybe I'm imagining all this or am not accounting for something. But
> before I start some elaborate external logging to verify actual
> usage, have there been any rumblings about Cellcos attempting to
> subvert their prepaid customers? Any rumors or actual cases of Cellcos
> padding the meter (or making it run faster) to burn up any extra
> prepaid time they can?

All I'm aware of is that the time (for your outgoing calls)
starts when you press the green "send" button to start the
call, and ends once the tower realizes you've pressed the
red "end" button to hang up. What with rounding fractional
minutes up (to the next full minute), that may be adding an
unexpected extra minute to each call you make.

Received calls' timers may conceivably start when your first
"ring" indication reaches you (rather than when you answer).
And RingNoAnswer calls to you, that go to voicemail, probably
get both a minute counted for the call attempt itself, and
then however many minutes the forwarding to voicemail lasts.

Could the above help explain much of your "extra prepaid time"?

Cheers, -- tlvp






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