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Saturday, 01 March 2008

Private Label Phone Cards

As drug chains continue to play up convenience, it s perhaps a no-brainer that they begin to market store-brand telephone cards. What's Hot: drug chains begin to market store-brand telephone cards.
Rite Aid and CVS, in partnerships with MCI, each have store-branded telephone calling cards, which both chains promoted aggressively this past holiday season. And now Walgreens has introduced its own calling cards in partnership with IDT Corp., a multinational carrier and telephone company.
The new Walgreens phone cards, launched last quarter, are being sold in $10, $20 and $40 denominations in all Walgreens stores.
Carol Hiveley, a spokeswoman for Walgreens, said the calling cards "provide an exceptional value to our customers." For $10, she noted, consumers get 100 minutes of phone time, 250 minutes for $20 and 600 minutes for $40.
The cards give chains a chance to generate incremental sales from shoppers already in their stores, as well as a store brand-specific new item to promote in their ads. And because price points reach as high as $40, the cards also give chains a chance to maximize their selling space because the phone cards can be merchandised compactly on a power-wing or simple clip-strip.
Turns, one Walgreens store manager said, are very much above average.
The cards a so make ideal traffic-builders during the holidays, when friends and families maintain greater contact. Both Rite Aid and CVS this past Christmas ran buy-one-get-one promotions for their calling cards. As an everyday value, Walgreens offers a 10 percent discount to refill its phone cards in its stores.

Thursday, 10 January 2008

Minnesota Sues Sprint on Behalf of Bitter Customers

Minnesota is suing Sprint Nextel after receiving hundreds of complaints from state residents claiming they were duped into extending contracts. "The company has used hidden trip wires to trap unwary consumers into lengthy contracts simply because they made small changes in their plan," Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson said.
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson sued Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) Thursday, accusing the wireless carrier of extending customers' contracts without their informed consent.
Swanson said she had received hundreds of complaints from Minnesota residents, including some who said they were threatened with a US$200 cancellation fee for trying to get out of contracts they thought had expired.

'Hidden Trip Wires'
"The company has used hidden trip wires to trap unwary consumers into lengthy contracts simply because they made small changes in their plan," Swanson said.
She said Sprint, based in Reston, Va., with operational headquarters in Overland Park, Kan., violated state laws that require consumers receive enough information and give knowing consent before contract terms are altered. She said she did not coordinate her action with officials in other states.
Some Sprint customers who accepted a "courtesy discount" were unwittingly agreeing to stay with the company longer, according to court papers. Others had contracts extended when they added more minutes to their plans, even though they received assurances the change wouldn't affect their contracts' length.
Swanson said she is investigating complaints against other wireless companies, but she declined to say which. She decided to sue Sprint first because it was cited most often by angry constituents, she said.
Seeking Restitution
She is seeking restitution for victims and wants the court to penalize Sprint up to $25,000 per incident.
Sprint spokesperson John Taylor said company attorneys were reviewing the lawsuit and could not comment. "It is Sprint Nextel's policy to go over the contract with the customer so they understand all aspects of it" before it is agreed to "or before the customer initiated changes are made to their account," he said. Taylor said the company sends written confirmation of all account updates and allows customers who change their minds to opt out.
Swanson announced her lawsuit, filed in Hennepin County District Court, at a state Capitol news conference where she was surrounded by people who felt duped by the company.
Contract Issues
Among them was certified financial planner David Peterson of Andover, who said he received a letter in July thanking him for extending his contract on four phones. When he called to question the action, he said he learned from a customer service agent that his contract was lengthened for apparently inquiring about a plan discount -- something he denies took place.
Peterson said he was able to reverse the charges, but only after he and his wife spent hours dealing with the company. "I was livid at the way they handled this. They've treated us extremely poorly," Peterson said. "I'd like to give their CEO a big swift boot in the patootie."

Source: Phone Card Blog

Friday, 14 December 2007

Calling Cards

Calling cards (phone cards) make life simple for many people today. In the past, people were limited to using pay phones to make long distance phone calls, or to making collect calls from their own home phone. Calling cards allow users to put a certain amount of money on a card that enables them to make long distance phone calls whenever they choose.
Calling cards resemble credit cards and may be used to either prepay for your service or you can pay as you go. With a standard calling card, you can use the card and the charges for your phone calls will appear on your monthly bill. Many people find that this is a great way to make phone calls when away from home.
When choosing a calling card you will need to assess your individual needs before determining which type of card is best for you. Also, consider how much each call will cost when using a standard calling card as opposed to using a prepaid service.
You may also choose to purchase calling cards that use a Pin or a Pin Free service. With a pin free service you never need to remember a number to use your card. When using a pin free service, you will register the phone number that you will make calls from. As long as your calls are from the registered phone number, you won’t need to enter a pin. This offers great advantages to those who don’t like to remember pin numbers.
Many phone cards also offer online services. These offer wonderful benefits for those who would like to access their account information online or verify their call history. If this is a concern of yours, consider choosing a calling card that offers an online call history feature. Another feature that you can use with many calling cars is the ability to use speed dial. By accessing your account online, you can store several numbers in your account. Then, when you need to make a phone call with your calling card, simply enter in your speed dial number and your call will be connected. There are many options to choose from when considering calling cards. Make sure that you choose a card that best fits your needs.

Thursday, 29 November 2007

Phone Cards - They're So Much Cheaper than Land Lines

Human are social being; they need to communicate with others. Yet, the ways of communication evolve. You have tried chatting. You have tried sending letters through postal mail. You have tried using electronic mail. But still, nothing beats calling and talking to your friends, family, and loved ones. And since your work contract prescribes you to travel a lot, you realize that you have been spending too much time on the road. And you also realized that the telephone has now become your best friend.
Your work has certainly kept you away from your friends and family. However, you are very grateful to prepaid calling cards. These calling cards, phone cards has certainly enabled you to contact and to talk to your friends and family despite the distance that separates you.
Different prepaid calling cards are being offered and sold in the market. There are some prepaid calling cards that offer a local coverage while some offer international coverage. You can use most of these prepaid calling cards with your own mobile phone or landline. You can even use some with any payphones in your area or current location. Most of these prepaid calling cards offer 24/7 coverage so no matter which time zone you are in, you can still call your friends and family.
Phone cards can be found in many places. They are in convenience stores, airports, and other places that have high traffic. Calling cards are sold with different minute allotments and at different rates. A person can purchase calling cards with a certain amount of time on the card. Prepaid calling cards have the minutes already paid for, so as they are getting used, a person can see how much time they have left on the calling card. Once the minutes that were purchased on the calling card are used up, the calling card can be thrown away.
That's why we all love Phone Cards