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They can be seen hanging behind the counter at the minimart, those brightly
colored phone cards for calling Latin America, Africa and Asia. Often, they are
the only reliable way for immigrants to stay in touch with their families.
However, many buyers of these cards are being ripped off to the tune of millions
of dollars a year.
Some cards fail to deliver the promised minutes. Others tack on confusing fees
that may not be listed in the microscopic print on the back of the card. Still
others round up each call to the nearest threeminute mark.
"Sometimes they give you all the minutes. Sometimes they dont. Then you have to
switch to a new card," said Augusto Revolorio, a Miami Beach grocery stocker. He
buys the US$2 or $5 cards regularly to call his mother and four brothers in
Guatemala. "It costs me more to complain on the phone and be late for work, so I
just rip up the card and buy a new one."
Lack of Regulation
A 2004 study led by University of Georgia economics professor emeritus Julia
Marlowe found that the costperminute rates for prepaid calling cards were on
average 87 percent higher than those advertised.
Because many immigrants like Revolorio dont have time or are afraid to go to
authorities to complain and the money they lose per card is small little
has been done to crack down.
"Every time I check, the telecommunications industry is a highly regulated
industry. This one they dont want to regulate," said Gus West, head of the
nonprofit Washingtonbased Hispanic Institute.
Thats beginning to change. In the past year, attorneys general in Florida,
California and several other states have begun to take a closer look at the
phone card industry, as has the Federal Trade Commission . In October, Rep.
Eliot Engel, DN.Y., introduced legislation to regulate the business .
The push comes in part from an unlikely source communications giant IDT. The
Newark, N.J., company settled its own decadelong classaction lawsuit in
January over allegations it failed to adequately disclose its charges. Now, it
is leading the call for regulation at the state and federal level.
"What wed like to see is an honest industry, where everyone is held to the same
standard that we hold for ourselves," IDT head Jim Courter said.
Swindled by the Minute
The most popular cards among immigrants and the ones least likely to deliver
promised minutes are those offering super cheap rates to countries such as
Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti and India.
Norbert Dominguez of Miami said he buys about six $10 cards a month to stay in
touch with his mother and 4yearold daughter in Cuba. Each card promises 18
minutes but usually delivers closer to 12, he said. Thats an actual cost of
about 83 cents a minute, versus the promised 55 cents. Still, it is cheaper than
the typical longdistance telephone rate of $1.15 a minute.
"Its the cheapest way to call, because other ways are very expensive but in
the end, theyre still swindling us," Dominguez said.
Dominguez said he has complained with little success. "They give you a customer
service rep, but its never someone with authority," he said.
An AP reporter had a similar experience when asking about a hotpink card $5
card emblazoned "Pa Llamar" (For Calling) that delivered only 60 of 148
promised minutes to Central America. Miamibased Blackstone Calling Cards, the
company that advertises and distributes the cards, referred the reporter to ADMA
Telecom, which provides the actual connection.
An ADMA customer service agent who identified himself only as "Ernesto" said the
companys overtaxed computer system sometimes misreads the call destination.
"If you are calling for Nicaragua, it could charge you the rate for Haiti. The
caller has to call us and tell us that there was an inconvenience with the call,
and we fix the problem," he said.
When pressed for more details, Ernesto referred the reporter to a supervisor,
who in turn gave another phone number Blackstones.
Customers Are Never Satisfied?
Oscar Munera, an independent distributor of calling cards, said that despite the
problems, the cards are a bargain.
"Fifteen years ago, you couldnt even call Colombia because it was so expensive.
Customers are never satisfied," he said. He said people could avoid problems if
they read the fine print.
However, the fine print isnt always available, readable or in the consumers
native language.
"There is so much variation in cards and fees that you cant just go to a store,
look through the selection and make an informed choice," the University of
Georgias Marlowe said.
Engels bill would require clear and standardized disclosures of all charges on
the back of the card or in ads, ensure companies provide promised minutes, and
prohibit charges for unconnected calls.
"Were not attempting to have huge regulation, but I just want the average
person to know what theyre getting," the congressman said.
Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/60283.html
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