Did you recently move the country on the H1B visa? Are you wondering why your phone bill is so high? Getting a telephone connection in the United States is easy. The problem starts when you get a phone bill which is much higher than what you expect to pay.

Many new residents have experienced the problem of setting up a phone and getting elephantine bill. They are unaware of the peculiarities of the internet and telephony system in U.S.

  • First, your service provider (AT&T, Vonage, Verizon, Comcast, etc) will offer different phone plans to you.
  • Second, you do not have to go anywhere to apply for a phone. You can do it over the phone itself.
  • Third, when you sign up over the phone you will be lured to into purchasing an expensive plan. You must be firm on what you want and understand what the service provider will charge you for.

More than often the total phone bill will include cost of services you never asked for or ordered by mistake. Read these tips to get a phone connection at home.

How to apply for a Phone Connection wisely?

Think about what you need the home phone for. Do you need it only for local calling or long distance calling? Would you like to get internet with the phone as well or would you prefer VOIP? Many companies offer different data plans to address all these needs. Before signing up do some research on the available plans. Ask your friends what kind of services are really useful, name of the different plans, and a reliable long distance telecom company.

  • When you apply over the phone clearly ask for the services you need.
  • Talk slowly and follow the process one step at a time. Do not confuse the associate with too much information.
  • Ask questions if you are in doubt. There is no harm in asking questions like "Can you tell me about the cheapest deal?" or "Does the cost include taxes as well?"
  • If you are thinking of using another provider for long distance calls, call the provider and ask for the current data plans or go online and check out the latest deals on their website.

A free local telephone directory will be delivered to your place. Call your telephone company if you do not receive it. The directory is also available at many shopping stores free of charge. Many times you will find extra copies at the leasing office of your apartment complex as well.

Does the Vonage Data Plan works for Indians?

Yes, India calling is included in the 'Vonage World' plan. Starting June 2009, Vonage is offering unlimited international calling on its data plan called 'World Vonage'. This plan allows you to call your friends and family in India for a fixed monthly cost of $24.99+ and gives you free local calling as well. You need a high speed internet connection (DSL or cable). For more information visit:

http://www.vonage.com/residential_calling_plans/vonage_world/

Tips

  • You can ask for the monthly bill to be mailed to you by post. Alternatively you can also view your bill online and make an online payment.
  • As soon as your connection has been set up confirm the local and long distance calling rates with your provider(s).
  • Check your bills carefully. If there are any errors on your bill call the service provider. If the associate is unable to solve your problem, ask to speak to the floor manager.
  • In case you are charged extra, call the customer support number (this is usually printed on the bill) and insist to get your credit back. This may take time but there is a good chance that you will get your money back. If you threaten to call your credit card company to stop the payment, someone will listen to you and solve your problem.
  • If you are using a different service provider for international calling verify the rates for different countries.
  • The key to use your phone service wisely is to know what you will be charged for local calls and long distance calls. The term 'long distance' can be confusing.
  • You may get a call/e-mail that offers you cheaper international rates if you switch from your current service provider. Be careful in talking to the caller as he may be a scammer or a private marketing agency trying to sell you something that you do not want. The golden rule is that if you want to change the service provider, always call them yourself.
  • A vast majority of time these calls are scams and the caller tries to convince you to give over personal details such as your address, bank account number or credit card information. Beware of such calls and immediately hang up the phone.

Beware of Telecom Frauds

  • Do not make international calls thinking that you are dialing a local number. Generally, all international calls begin with "011".
  • There are a few locations outside the U.S. whose telephone numbers may look like domestic calls even though these are international calls and international rates apply. For example phone numbers starting with 809, 284 and 876 as area codes are Caribbean numbers.
  • There are many scams that deceive consumers into calling international numbers.
  • All phone numbers starting with 900 have high rates.
  • You must be cautious with adult web sites that more than often tempt you to call a 900 number where u will be charged a premium rate. You will realize this only when you receive you bill.

FAQ

Q. I am using Reliance to make calls to India. I am considering switching to Vonage for making unlimited international calls. Is this a good idea?

Recently Vonage has introduced a new data plan called Vonage World that allows you to make unlimited international calls (VoIP) for a fixed monthly payment. You get free long distance calling to landlines and cellular phones in India. For more details check

http://www.vonage.com/residential_calling_plans/vonage_world//

Q. I received a call today and the caller tried to sell me a long distance plan. The caller asked for my personal information to sign up. I hung up even though I liked the data plan. Did you do the right thing?

Yes. If you are really interested in purchasing the data plan, ask the caller for a legitimate web link and phone number. Search for the company online and then make a call once you are sure of the legitimacy of the company.

  • do not give out personal details over the phone
  • keep your bank account details safe
  • be sure you know who you're talking to
  • hang up if you suspect a hoax call.

Q. I am living in California and I have a problem with my telephone bill. Where should I complain?

First you must contact your service provider and try to get the problem solved. If you are unable to settle the problem with the service provider and still believe you have been billed incorrectly, you may contact the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) at 1 800 649-7570 to register your complaint. The addresses of the CPUC are:

Consumer Affairs Branch, 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102, or,
320 West 4th Street, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

Glossary of Telecom terms

  • Smartphone:

    A smart phone is a wireless device that combines advanced telephony capabilities enables you to use the internet on your phone. Iphone, Droid, and Blackberry phones are examples of smart phones.

  • Long distance call:

    Calls made to another other area code within US.

  • International calls:

    Call outside of America.

  • Pre Paid cards:

    The prepaid phone cards allow you to pay in advance for your phone usage. You can use pre paid cards as per you own need-there are no contracts, no deposits, etc.

  • Connection fee:

    Fixed connection charge per call by the service provider.

  • Caller ID:

    Shows the telephone number of the incoming call.

  • Voice mail box:

    A facility offered by the service provider with a nominal monthly fee to record and store voice messages of the missed calls for you. It is located on your telephone exchange.

  • Call forwarding:

    Allows you to forward a call automatically to another number.

  • Call waiting:

    enables you to attend an incoming call while you are engaged on other call. After a beep, you can put the first call on hold and answer the second call. If you do not want to accept the second call, it will be automatically routed to voice mail.

  • Toll free number:

    Numbers starting with area code 800, 888 etc. are toll free numbers, as these numbers are not billed to the caller. Owner of this number is responsible for its billing.

  • Voice over IP (VoIP):

    A technique for transmitting voice (analog) calls over a TCP/IP network with little or no quality difference from the traditional carrier circuit switched network.

Important Telephone Numbers

911: Police, Ambulance, Fire brigade or any other emergency.
411: for online telephone directory service.

Related Links

In case of Unauthorized, Misleading, or Deceptive Charges Placed on Your Telephone Bill check this link: Understand your Telephone bill and read FCC Top Ten Telecom Tips

Check these web sites for their different plans and rates: AT&T,MCI, Sprint