Legitimate phone card companies and sellers have had to ride amongst a tide of unscrupulous operators who in many cases do provide a card, but generally they are not worth the paper they are printed on. So how can you protect yourself against pre paid phone card fraud? There are several precautions you can take to safe guard yourself against losing your money.
Four Security Tips
1. Check to see whether the company brand phone card has a point of contact. Very important particularly if you intend to be a long term user. Having a customer service base gives customers greater peace of mind in the knowledge that there is somewhere they can go if things go awry or to just simply seek further information.
2. Read the terms and conditions before purchasing your phone card. This has become a big issue recently where some customers have had no come back against less than fair practices. For instance, you want to clarify that there are no hidden fees or other costs involved with the card. It may look a cheap buy on the surface but is there something "unsavoury" lurking below the surface. You want and are entitled to full disclosure on all terms and conditions in most cases.
3.If buying a traditional phone card, be sure to check that it hasn't been tampered with. Check the pin and be sure everything is intact.
4. Generally, be satisfied in your own mind that everything seems to check out. Experienced prepaid phone card users often will test a new service by purchasing a token subscription and then trying out the card. This way, they can see just how user-friendly the service is and more importantly, if there is a service at all.
Is It Worth The Effort?
You may be thinking why bother using a phone card if there is so much due diligence to perform before purchasing. In reality, there isn't, when you compare shopping for a phone card to most other consumer goods. Performing some rigid checks isn't all that time consuming and can prevent you from losing money unnecessarily.
The advantages of using a prepaid phone card generally outweigh the disadvantages with extremely cheap call rates allowing people to communicate on a regular basis, not just state-to-state, but country-to-country. Once you become a little experienced at using a card service, the due diligence aspect becomes a breeze to perform.
Another tip... when you find a company that meets all the requirements you're after stick with them. Avoid the temptation to jump services because there is a slightly cheaper deal elsewhere.
When I first used an international prepaid phone card, one of the biggest hassles was having to dial a pin number before actually making a call. While this wasn't a negative by any stretch of the imagination, it became a real chore everytime I went to make a call.
My circumstances at the time dictated I make daily calls to my fiancee, who lived 16,000 miles away in the United States. The phone card was a benefit in maintaining a long distance relationship but living in the age of technology, there had to be a more efficient way. And there was.
Smart Phone Cards
Many companies are now offering the smart phone card feature as they continue to evolve and look for better and faster ways to make long distance calling not just affordable, but more efficient.
Pin free dialling is a bonus for regular phone card users. There's no need to enter a pin number again! The system works via a recognition service and when a user registers, he or she also registers one or more phone numbers which is recognized by the system everytime the user makes a call. It's that easy. The fact a person can register more than one number means they don't have to be restricted to making calls from the home phone to take advantage of the system.
Finding The Best Phone Card Service
Today, it's no longer a requirement to venture into a shop and register to use a phone card. The industry has moved to user friendly web services and many people are taking advantage of this. However, the industry developed somewhat of a bad reputation several years ago and while it's done a great job to clean up it's act in recent years, there are still a few things you should be looking for when signing up for a service.
Here's a shortlist of benefits you should look for when signing up for a smart phone card:
- Avoid hidden fees. You don't want to be paying any extra fees at all after the initial payment. This includes connection and maintenance fees and be careful you are not monthly fee plan!
- You want a service with not just good customer service but one which provides excellent service. Ask yourself can you contact the company either by phone or email, preferably both.
- When joining online, you will no doubt have to go through some security procedures to open up an account; if you don't, then move on to one which allows you to protect your account information. You will be able to access your account for various reasons including topping up your credits.
- I like this feature. Being able to obtain or view copies of your call records. This is particularly useful for business people who can then verify the calls they make for tax purposes.
The bottomlime when signing up online for a smart phone card is making sure your account is secure and customer service is accessible, even 24/7. If not, then look for a service which fulfils these needs, even if it costs a little extra!
Dean Caporella has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Golf Guide and Surveys. Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. What are the dangers in buying a This plus lots of phone card related news and. Dean Caporella's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.