eCallplus.com no contracts on cell phones

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

fornax

Diamond Member
Jul 21, 2000
6,866
0
76
Hm, I didn't see any $10 airtime cards on their website.

dkcs, when was the last time you bought a $10 card?
 

dkcs

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
245
0
0
$10 cards

I've never bought from them but others over at FW have and seem to be happy with the service. The first time you make a purchase they aparently have to mail you the card with pin number but on future purchases they can email you the pin number. They accept paypal also if you don't have access to a credit card.


darren

 

GnatGoSplat

Golden Member
Apr 5, 2001
1,155
1
81
This deal is getting colder by the minute.
My wife discovered her phone was randomly losing minutes. She had used 1 minute of airtime, but lost 31-minutes!!!
So she calls the tech support # listed on the Ecallplus site.

They tell her the reason is because they are charging 1 minute for each text message RECEIVED!!! In actuality, they are even charging her almost 2 minutes for each text message received! The CSR was not very polite and said this is the way it is. They "just found out AT&T was charging them for text messaging last week" so they are just passing the cost onto the consumer. However, AT&T Free2Go Wireless does *NOT* charge for text messages received, they only charge 10-cents for each text message SENT! So my wife explains the FREE 2-way text as explained on the Ecallplus website in the Ecallplus FAQ CLEARLY states "
* Text messaging service is free for both incoming and outgoing messages with no limitations.". The CSR said there's nothing she could do about it. So my wife asks if she can just get a refund, because free 2-way text is the ONLY reason she switched from Free2Go to Ecallplus (we use the phones as text communicators during the work day). The CSR says, "that's something you'll have to discuss with the reseller". My wife says, "I bought the starter kit and service from your Ecallplus website!" So then the CSR says, "well, you'll have to call Ecallplus then". So my wife asks, "what do you mean? If you're not Ecallplus, what company is this then?" and the CSR replies, "Locus Communications" (or something similar sounding). Then she gives my wife a number to reach Ecallplus, but their number says to email them at Customercare@ecallplus.com. D'OH!!! What a hassle! My wife is gonna email them later on tonight, but not expecting much.

If this is all true, AT&T Free2Go is a MUCH better deal!!! Their per-minute rates are about the same too.
 

dkcs

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
245
0
0
After reading this I sent my phone 15 text messages apx. 10 hours ago and still have not had a single minute taken away from my account...

 

kewl

Senior member
Jun 29, 2001
220
0
0
I was skeptical about the story about ecallplus charging for text messages.

I sent two SMS messages and two E-mails from my phone just to test it.

It took about 30 minutes for them to finally charge me but yep... my account was charged four minutes for the four text messages. Bummer.

The better news is that I also tried the international calling thingy. I called England. Yep, it works. Good connection too.
 

dkcs

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
245
0
0
I just got the same results when sending from my phone, oh well was good while it lasted!


 

ww4397

Golden Member
May 14, 2001
1,178
0
0
Originally posted by: dkcs
I just got the same results when sending from my phone, oh well was good while it lasted!


So then, are the minutes charged only when sending messages? No charge for receiving messages?

Please confirm.
 

GnatGoSplat

Golden Member
Apr 5, 2001
1,155
1
81
They are charging my wife 1 minute to SEND a message and 1 minute to RECEIVE a message!
Seeing as how minutes are 40-cents each (I think), AT&T Free2Go is the better plan. They charge 10-cents to send, ZERO to receive!
 

dkcs

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
245
0
0
I sent my phone 15 messages and never had a minute deducted, on the other hand I sent 3 messages FROM my phone and was charged for the minutes. If free2go is prepaid how do they charge you .10 for each message sent?

 

GnatGoSplat

Golden Member
Apr 5, 2001
1,155
1
81
AT&T Free2Go IS Prepaid. The 10-cents just comes off your balance. Anytime you call 611 to inquire about your balance, the recording reads it off in dollars and cents, not minutes. So on their lowest price plan ($10/45-days), I think the rate is 40cents per minute. So after sending 4 text messages, you've lost 1 minute.
 

kewl

Senior member
Jun 29, 2001
220
0
0
Here is the response I got to my E-mail complaining about text message charges:

"ATT is now requiring us to charge for text messaging service.
But, we'll add the minutes right back to your account, when you call 877-205-8600.
We are sticking to our commitment to offer free text messaging service.


Best Regards,

Customer Care
eCallPlus.com"
 

jrichrds

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,537
3
81
Originally posted by: kewl
Here is the response I got to my E-mail complaining about text message charges:

"ATT is now requiring us to charge for text messaging service.
But, we'll add the minutes right back to your account, when you call 877-205-8600.
We are sticking to our commitment to offer free text messaging service.


Best Regards,

Customer Care
eCallPlus.com"

They should be automatically crediting customers for each minute charged due to a text message if they really do have a commitment to offer free text messaging service.
 

GnatGoSplat

Golden Member
Apr 5, 2001
1,155
1
81
Originally posted by: kewl
Here is the response I got to my E-mail complaining about text message charges:

"ATT is now requiring us to charge for text messaging service.
But, we'll add the minutes right back to your account, when you call 877-205-8600.
We are sticking to our commitment to offer free text messaging service.

They credit them back, and then what?
They credited my wife's minutes back, then told her they were making note that she knows about the new policy. They are not crediting back the minutes automatically. It's too much trouble to have to call them every time to get minutes credited back.
 

kewl

Senior member
Jun 29, 2001
220
0
0
Originally posted by: kewl
Here is the response I got to my E-mail complaining about text message charges:

"ATT is now requiring us to charge for text messaging service.
But, we'll add the minutes right back to your account, when you call 877-205-8600.
We are sticking to our commitment to offer free text messaging service.


Best Regards,

Customer Care
eCallPlus.com"

Update:

I called the phone number which is apparently for icallplus not the reseller ecallplus. They said they will only refund minutes only once. I have sent an E-mail to ecallpus asking them to explain the discrepancy.

 

kewl

Senior member
Jun 29, 2001
220
0
0
Originally posted by: kewl
Here is the response I got to my E-mail complaining about text message charges:

"ATT is now requiring us to charge for text messaging service.
But, we'll add the minutes right back to your account, when you call 877-205-8600.
We are sticking to our commitment to offer free text messaging service.


Best Regards,

Customer Care
eCallPlus.com"

Here is the latest and (not so) greatest response from ecallplus.com. The party is over.

"We apologize for the confusion.
AT&T has recently changed their policy on us & we are just learning about the change.

Unfortunately, we'll be charging one minute of airtime for sending text messages.
We'll be correcting our website today.

Thank you for your understanding.


Best Regards,

Customer Care
eCallPlus.com"

 

GnatGoSplat

Golden Member
Apr 5, 2001
1,155
1
81
Ugh. My wife wasted $50 to switch to ECallplus soley for free 2-way text messaging. Now she has to switch back to AT&T Free2Go again.

I'm on still on AT&T Free2Go and I can send text messages for free (which is why I didn't switch to Ecallplus too). The only explanation I have is that my phone never accepted the Over the Air Programming (it still says "HOME" instead of "AT&T"). I wonder if all phones that don't accept OAP are able to send text for free?
 

jrichrds

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,537
3
81
I have 2 Free2Go AT&T phones...one that displays AT&T and one that still displays HOME.
I'll send a text message between the two and see if either gets charged for it.

(PS Does the charge show up immediately after you send it?)
 

AndrewPaulNet

Member
Jul 23, 2002
127
0
0
Depends on where you are I guess. I live in Miami and use MetroPCS....it's sorta kinda like prepaid. You buy the phone....150 and you get the first month free, afer that you pay 45 a month and it's unlimited calls all the way from Miami up to Boca Raton (Far, 2hrs driving distance on the highway). It's good for me cuz' I only need a cell to call my friends and family in Miami - I too am international and have well, OK fine I have bad credit! :) . Point being it's not a contract - no credit checks or anything. The catch? Well like prepaid you have to buy your international calling times ... which are good any way cuz it's .25c with no connection charges like calling cards have and if you don't renew for two months you lose your number.
But c'mon....if you can buy 100 minutes for 20, I'm sure you can shell out 40 for 100,000 (I think officially that's how much you get - but try to use that up in a 24hr day, 31 day month!
rolleye.gif
). If you're sayin.....ok, how bout if I don't live in Miami....well I went online searching for similar services and in most states if theres no metropcs theres one called Cricket or Kricket, I don't remember.

Those of you who live on Farms and in the bushes and waaaaaaaay out into nowhereville....I guess you'll need to stick with those, 'pre-paid' systems cuz' as the name suggests, these services only startup in concrete jungles (metro areas, cities, etc.)

Check it out and tell me what you think.

By the way - Yes, MetroPCS is as I said, sorta kinda like prepaid. Cuz' you are paying for service before you get it....doh, you're not gonna trust someone with no financial history or bad financial history with a service that costs you money, right? But, 35 (which is what you pay for base service meaning no caller id, text messaging or voicemail) or even 45 (thats fully loaded) for unlimited calltime is alot better than 20 for an hour and 20 minutes.

L8r.
 

daeagle5

Junior Member
Aug 15, 2001
3
0
0
So for someone who does not plan to send messages from their cell phone, which service do you think is the better deal? att or ecallplus?

thanks
 

daeagle5

Junior Member
Aug 15, 2001
3
0
0
number to sign up for ecallplus is 1-877-206-0088 and if you are a new user and sign up and purchase an airtime card of $20 or higher they will double your minutes
 

BurningRome

Member
May 27, 2000
88
0
0
Hi -
is it still a decent deal if you buy one of their phones (the Nokia or Ericsson) or is it only a good deal if you already have a TDMA phone hanging around?

TIA


pk