Is this legitimate cell phone billing practice?

[scarfase99]

call starts at 8:35pm, charged for 179 daytime minutes. um....doesn't the call change to nite after 9pm? so judging by their theory, if i start a call at what, 4am, and just don't get off until noon, does it still only count as a night call?

does that sound like crap to anyone else? do all the companies do this?

had i known i could just have easily hung up & redialed the person, i just didn't think the company could be THAT sleezy

 

[JC86]

never noticed those charges with my cingular bill . . . sounds really shady to me . . . did u try calling to dispute this?

 

[drinkmorejava]

It's for all calls starting after 9, they make it pretty clear when they say it. I've always wondering about calling near the end though.

 

[herbiehancock]

All the companies do that........the call is billed as to the time frame it started, never mind if the call overlaps day/night calling times. Best thing to do is wait a half-hour or hang up and call again when your night minutes start.

Surprised you didn't know that...it's in ALL their TOS.

 

[scarfase99]

havent' tried calling to dispute, but should be interesting. my contract is just about to expire, so if they don't remove the charges I'm jumping ship. i posted this more if anyone had experience & to let others know so they don't get duped like i did. luckily i had a lot of rollover, so it was only $45 extra, but it's the principal that it is BEYOND SHADY

 

[compnovice]

I think that's always been the practice... Start time of the call determines your billing rate..

So yes you can begin your call at 4am and continue till noon and still not get billed for it..

 

[DaWhim]

they will give you free call when you make a call at 5:59 or whenever before the off peak hours end

 

[AreaCode707]

I bet their systems can't accomodate knowing which minutes are daytime and which are nightime other than by the starting time of the call.

 

[mugs]

Don't know if that's standard, but I've always assumed that's the way it'd work.

 

[KarenMarie]

i did not know that is how it worked.

I never pay attention to what time it is or how long I have been on the phone.

good to know, though.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

This is standard practice for all wireless companies.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: scarfase99
havent' tried calling to dispute, but should be interesting. my contract is just about to expire, so if they don't remove the charges I'm jumping ship. i posted this more if anyone had experience & to let others know so they don't get duped like i did. luckily i had a lot of rollover, so it was only $45 extra, but it's the principal that it is BEYOND SHADY

duped? what, clear english isn't good enough for you? they all work this way and always have.

 

[scarfase99]

well, clearly i'm not the only one that thought that, so i don't think it's clear english. i consider myself a pretty intelligent guy and just never gave it much thought other than thinking "free after 9pm"

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: HotChic
I bet their systems can't accomodate knowing which minutes are daytime and which are nightime other than by the starting time of the call.

Aren't you a systems analyst or business analyst or something along those lines? I'm surprised to hear something like this coming from you. You define the business requirements, then design the system. You don't design the system, find a deficiency, and slip a line into the contract to cover it. There's no technical impediment to splitting up a call between multiple minute "types," it's just easier to throw it all in one bucket.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: HotChic
I bet their systems can't accomodate knowing which minutes are daytime and which are nightime other than by the starting time of the call.

Aren't you a systems analyst or business analyst or something along those lines? I'm surprised to hear something like this coming from you. You define the business requirements, then design the system. You don't design the system, find a deficiency, and slip a line into the contract to cover it. There's no technical impediment to splitting up a call between multiple minute "types," it's just easier to throw it all in one bucket.

Yeah, I am a business analyst, which makes me guess that they don't have the technical workings to make this happen. Just because you can do it and it's easy to do doesn't mean a company has it in place - lots of times the nitpicky details of an enhancement like that, and the politics, and the prioritization, means that it doesn't happen. It might only take a half hour of work on the part of a developer, but the business side of things will argue over it for months and not be able to find funding for it. The simplest things get put off because of the stupidest reasons.

So the systems should be able to accomodate it, and probably could easily be made to, but I still bet they don't and that's why the policy is as it is.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: HotChic
I bet their systems can't accomodate knowing which minutes are daytime and which are nightime other than by the starting time of the call.

Aren't you a systems analyst or business analyst or something along those lines? I'm surprised to hear something like this coming from you. You define the business requirements, then design the system. You don't design the system, find a deficiency, and slip a line into the contract to cover it. There's no technical impediment to splitting up a call between multiple minute "types," it's just easier to throw it all in one bucket.

Yeah, I am a business analyst, which makes me guess that they don't have the technical workings to make this happen. Just because you can do it and it's easy to do doesn't mean a company has it in place - lots of times the nitpicky details of an enhancement like that, and the politics, and the prioritization, means that it doesn't happen. It might only take a half hour of work on the part of a developer, but the business side of things will argue over it for months and not be able to find funding for it. The simplest things get put off because of the stupidest reasons.

So the systems should be able to accomodate it, and probably could easily be made to, but I still bet they don't and that's why the policy is as it is.

I'm talking about when the system was designed in the first place...

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: HotChic
I bet their systems can't accomodate knowing which minutes are daytime and which are nightime other than by the starting time of the call.

Aren't you a systems analyst or business analyst or something along those lines? I'm surprised to hear something like this coming from you. You define the business requirements, then design the system. You don't design the system, find a deficiency, and slip a line into the contract to cover it. There's no technical impediment to splitting up a call between multiple minute "types," it's just easier to throw it all in one bucket.

Yeah, I am a business analyst, which makes me guess that they don't have the technical workings to make this happen. Just because you can do it and it's easy to do doesn't mean a company has it in place - lots of times the nitpicky details of an enhancement like that, and the politics, and the prioritization, means that it doesn't happen. It might only take a half hour of work on the part of a developer, but the business side of things will argue over it for months and not be able to find funding for it. The simplest things get put off because of the stupidest reasons.

So the systems should be able to accomodate it, and probably could easily be made to, but I still bet they don't and that's why the policy is as it is.

I'm talking about when the system was designed in the first place...

Requirements change, programs are designed where nobody tells the developers. I've put systems up where they gave us only a few weeks' notice and no opportunity to do proper process and requirements documentation. It happens. It's not the right way to do things by a LONG shot, but when suits make decisions, that's what occurs.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: mugs

I'm talking about when the system was designed in the first place...

if you were designing a phone system and you were going to make calls free after a certain time, would you make the call free from when it was placed only and get extra $$ because people don't hang up right at 7 pm (and call back) and almost no one is on the phone at 7 am, or would you do it so that all airtime after 7 pm is free and not make the money?


and from sprint pcs's terms and conditions:

How We Calculate Your Charges For Billing Purposes
Regular Voice Calls: We round up partial minutes of use to the next full minute. Time starts when you press "Talk" or your Device connects to the network and stops when you press "End" or the network connection otherwise breaks. You're charged for all calls that connect, even to answering machines. You won't be charged for unanswered calls or if you get a busy signal. For incoming calls answered, you're charged from the time shortly before the Device starts ringing until you press END or the network connection otherwise breaks. If charges vary depending on the time of day that you place or receive calls (e.g., Nights and Weekend plans), you're charged for the entire call based on the rate that applies to the time period in which the call starts.

clear as a bell.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: mugs

I'm talking about when the system was designed in the first place...

if you were designing a phone system and you were going to make calls free after a certain time, would you make the call free from when it was placed only and get extra $$ because people don't hang up right at 7 pm (and call back) and almost no one is on the phone at 7 am, or would you do it so that all airtime after 7 pm is free and not make the money?

The former. That, and the fact that it's easier that way, would lead me to believe that it's not a deficiency but rather an intentional design.

Edit:

Originally posted by: ElFenix

and from sprint pcs's terms and conditions:

How We Calculate Your Charges For Billing Purposes
Regular Voice Calls: We round up partial minutes of use to the next full minute. Time starts when you press "Talk" or your Device connects to the network and stops when you press "End" or the network connection otherwise breaks. You're charged for all calls that connect, even to answering machines. You won't be charged for unanswered calls or if you get a busy signal. For incoming calls answered, you're charged from the time shortly before the Device starts ringing until you press END or the network connection otherwise breaks. If charges vary depending on the time of day that you place or receive calls (e.g., Nights and Weekend plans), you're charged for the entire call based on the rate that applies to the time period in which the call starts.

clear as a bell.

Just to be clear, you know we're agreeing with each other, right?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: mugs

Just to be clear, you know we're agreeing with each other, right?

right. my edit was in response to this:

well, clearly i'm not the only one that thought that, so i don't think it's clear english. i consider myself a pretty intelligent guy and just never gave it much thought other than thinking "free after 9pm"

 

[Viper GTS]

Since it works the same way at the other end of the peak time (in your favor) people really shouldn't bitch

Viper GTS

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Its always been like this..

 

[erub]

People who aren't on Cingular aren't worth talking to

kthxbye