Paying to receive calls

Can just imagine them trying that in this country...

At least in Europe the consumers would tell them precisely where to get off if they tried something like this.
 
So what do you do if "we invite you to apply for... " companies phone you? You'll not only waste ure time answering your call, but also ure money...
 
They have been doing this in the US for ages, it's a 'cheaper' monthly cell option - you choose whether to answer or not.
 
What about the poor who seldom have money on their pre-paid phones, but can still accept calls when required?

The freedom to receive calls for the poor brought by pre-paid will be destroyed if receiver payment is required.
 
Bradbowlllama said:
They have been doing this in the US for ages, it's a 'cheaper' monthly cell option - you choose whether to answer or not.
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Its a totally different business model though. In the US calls to cellphones don't cost more than calls to fixed lines, here they charge the caller more so they make money on the interconnect.
 
In the US you also pay to receive SMS messages as well. The sender pays and the receiver pays.

... and we thought Telkom were the only ones to charge us double.
 
Syndyre said:
Its a totally different business model though. In the US calls to cellphones don't cost more than calls to fixed lines, here they charge the caller more so they make money on the interconnect.
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I wasn't aware of this - I always thought cell calls were considered expensive to US folk.
e.g.
http://nextelonline.nextel.com/NASApp/onlinestore/en/Action/SubmitRegionAction
450 inclusive minutes for $69.99 pm (R560) - additional time charged at 45¢/min (R3.60/min)

They do have unlimited calling plans though ($100 or R800 per month!) and their ptt is far cheaper...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23237744/

http://www.mobileburn.com/plans.jsp...0&wMaxCost=200&wMinMinutes=0&wMaxMinutes=4000
The cheapest per minute on that is still 40c US = R3-20!

I can only imagine that their incoming plans are more expensive to make outgoing calls. And there is no way of telling who is paying for what when you call someone...
 
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Bradbowlllama said:
I wasn't aware of this - I always thought cell calls were considered expensive to US folk.
e.g.
http://nextelonline.nextel.com/NASApp/onlinestore/en/Action/SubmitRegionAction
450 inclusive minutes for $69.99 pm (R560) - additional time charged at 45¢/min (R3.60/min)

They do have unlimited calling plans though ($100 or R800 per month!) and their ptt is far cheaper...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23237744/

http://www.mobileburn.com/plans.jsp...0&wMaxCost=200&wMinMinutes=0&wMaxMinutes=4000
The cheapest per minute on that is still 40c US = R3-20!

I can only imagine that their incoming plans are more expensive to make outgoing calls. And there is no way of telling who is paying for what when you call someone...
Click to expand...

The advantage with a lot of those plans is you get free night & weekend calls I guess. I'm not arguing they're cheap, I'm just saying calling people on cellphones is cheap. To me it makes more sense for the caller to pay as we do here.
 
Syndyre said:
The advantage with a lot of those plans is you get free night & weekend calls I guess. I'm not arguing they're cheap, I'm just saying calling people on cellphones is cheap. To me it makes more sense for the caller to pay as we do here.
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I know its counterintuitive but I'd pay for incoming calls if it meant I could have a local number (ie on 041 for PE or 021 for Cpt) and all the perks that come with that.

I was recently looking at renewing a tmobile package and even the basic one gives you 300 anytime minutes as well as unlimited evening/weekend minutes and unlimited calls to any 5 numbers you choose for about the same as we pay for a talk 120.
 
bwana said:
I know its counterintuitive but I'd pay for incoming calls if it meant I could have a local number (ie on 041 for PE or 021 for Cpt) and all the perks that come with that.
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Not sure I understand you. What perks would that equate to?
 
That would seriously suck. I get so many wrong number calls from zulu/whatever people that it would cost me a fortune.
 
bwana said:
I know its counterintuitive but I'd pay for incoming calls if it meant I could have a local number (ie on 041 for PE or 021 for Cpt) and all the perks that come with that.

I was recently looking at renewing a tmobile package and even the basic one gives you 300 anytime minutes as well as unlimited evening/weekend minutes and unlimited calls to any 5 numbers you choose for about the same as we pay for a talk 120.
Click to expand...

Not bad, I make probably 80% of my calls to 5 numbers so that would work out quite well. If you really want a local number you can get 011 numbers on SIP and then run a client like fring on your phone. Not quite the same though.

Moederloos said:
Not sure I understand you. What perks would that equate to?
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I'm guess because its cheaper for people to call you?
 
bwana said:
Local calls are usually subject to a lower rate.
Click to expand...

Ah. OK.

However, I receive way more calls than I make. I reckon most people do (perhaps a poll :D ).

Paying for calls I receive would push my bill up, no matter how low the outgoing call costs go.
 
Moederloos said:
Paying for calls I receive would push my bill up, no matter how low the outgoing call costs go.
Click to expand...
Maybe, maybe not. It depends on the number of inclusive minutes you get as those apply to incoming and outgoing calls.
 
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