Collect calls

[Joanne1970]

I am wondering how collect calls work and how much I am paying for them. My son calls me from New Brunswick and I am also in New Brunswick 

thank you 

[darlicious · Accepted solution]

@Joanne1970 

Is your son borrowing someone's phone to make a "collect" call and just dialing your number while asking an "operator" to place a collect call to you? Do you get an actual operator asking you to accept a collect call from " a recording of your son's voice stating his name" and you then accept the call?

It would be interesting to test this using a landline to place a collect call to a pm customer....if I knew of someone who still has a landline?

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[esjliv]

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@Joanne1970 wrote:

I am wondering how collect calls work and how much I am paying for them. My son calls me from New Brunswick and I am also in New Brunswick 

thank you 

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@Joanne1970  - If your son is able to call you, you are not paying anything for calls that come through to you from him. You don't get a service here at Public Mobile unless you already paid for it.

Collect calls won't be allowed on this prepaid service.

If the person trying to call you has a smartphone, they could download a free wifi calling app (Fongo or Textnow) and they can make calls for free using this service.

[hTideGnow]

HI @pkaraa   but there is no collect calls here in PM.  Collect calls require a postpaid account for charging.  

For those who have collect calls, they don't just charge the regular lost distance fees but connection fees or other fees, PM just does not have those Add-ons option

[Yummy]

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@pkaraa wrote:

@Yummy The phone you are calling from is connected to automated service to get your name and the number you are dialing then their system dials the receiver's number and asked them to press "1" to accept the collect call.

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OK but I still do not get it. Lets say I want to call from 416 area code number in area code 780. Assume I have no free long distance plan but can call anybody and be charged for. So what do I do? Just dial whole 780-etc.? But it will connect and ring right away???!!

[pkaraa]

So if the calls are coming to PM cell, it is what it is. No extra charge should be on the bill.

@Yummy The phone you are calling from is connected to automated service to get your name and the number you are dialing then their system dials the receiver's number and asked them to press "1" to accept the collect call.

That's how I have used it many many years back in US.

[CountyDownIeUk]

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@Joanne1970 

Are you both in the same city? Or are you in the same toll free calling area?

[Yummy]

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@hTideGnow wrote:

You accept the calls and the carrier bills you after.  But this is not how PM works.  

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OK. But whom you call to ask other party if they accept your collect call?

[hTideGnow]

HI @Joanne1970   

there is no collect call for PM.  PM is a prepaid service and does not offer that.  Collect call  only works on postpaid service.  You accept the calls and the carrier bills you after.  But this is not how PM works.  

[AE_Collector]

That’s is a very good question. So you are saying that you already do this successfully and if so obviously it is working. Being a prepaid service at PM, there is no way to recover the fee so I am going to go out in a limb and say any charges are falling between the cracks. There is (or was.. not sure anymore) the same scenario when on cruise ships that have their own cellular at sea system. For voice service only, your cell company is billed by the cell at sea service and then your cell company has a rate to charge you for using the service. Telus would be charged but they have no way to bill a prepaid customer so there is no extra charge. I can only assume that some scenarios happen so infrequently that solving it hasn’t made it to the top of their “To Do”” list yet.

AE_Collector

[Yummy]

From my knowledge, collect call is when somebody calls you and you accept charge.

But this is very interesting question! I hope somebody would know correct answer how would PM handle collect calls.

So when your son calls you it is a 'long distance' call for him? But how do you initiate collect call when there is no 'operator' anymore? Whom you call to connect you?