ZoneLD service

**carpenoctem** · 08-17-2001, 05:57 AM

Is anyone using this? Is it reputable? Reliable? I'm worried that they don't have a phone number or address listed anywhere. Please, my girlfriend is in Panama and it's costing me a fortune!!! I need cheap long distance!!Help me if you can!! Thank you!!

**carpenoctem** · 08-17-2001, 08:21 AM

If anyone has any info, I would really appreciate it. Sorry I'm being so impatient

**carpenoctem** · 08-17-2001, 12:27 PM

ackem! hasn't anyone tried this??

**cratervalley** · 08-17-2001, 02:33 PM

I have a friend at work who uses their long distance service at home - (I think its like 6 cents a minute) and also has a 800 number forwarding to a local like at 5 cents a minute. No setup up fees, account is updated online in real time. No complaints from what I've heard so far.

**carpenoctem** · 08-18-2001, 01:43 PM

thanks for your help!

**thenate1** · 08-18-2001, 05:25 PM

I just sighned up with them...I'll let you all know if I have any problems. I noticed that Clark Howard recomends them:

http://www.clarkhoward.com/topics/long_distance.html

He is pretty reputable and has that whole nationally syndicated radio program going on, I trust him.

**gandalf** · 08-19-2001, 06:37 AM

Have been using ZONELD for 6 weeks. I have no problems to report. They swtiched my lines and I am paying peanuts. I chose the cheapest rate, which means electronic billing and auto payment via CC. In return I get 4 cents/minute to 5 states of my choosing, 4.5 cents to the rest domestically.

You have to do a little work to get the international carriers set up, but I called Germany and the UK and the calls went through without hassle and the quality was great.

Also signed up for toll free # and calling card number.

Only beef I have is that intrastate calls in Florida are a bit pricey (13.5/minute), each state has different fees. But since I dont do too much in state long distance, it paid to switch.

I recommend them!!

**carpenoctem** · 08-20-2001, 05:28 AM

thanks for you help, gandalf, and nate--gandalf, by work do you mean just finding the cheapest countries for the region of the world you want and selecting them through the rate finder? or is there more they don't tell you about?

**gandalf** · 08-20-2001, 10:24 AM

For international calls they route your calls via a plethora ofinternational carriers. You need to figure out which countries you will call most, then look at the cost per call by carrier, by country. Then pick your 5 carriers. That is what I meant by work.

They claim to do least cost routing on every call. From the 2 cases that I used them, that appears to be true.

Cheers!

**cruelpupet** · 08-20-2001, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by gandalf

Only beef I have is that intrastate calls in Florida are a bit pricey (13.5/minute), each state has different fees. But since I dont do too much in state long distance, it paid to switch.

I recommend them!!

i dont see a list of states on their website....any ideas how much NY is?

can your own state be one of the 4 you choose????

**gandalf** · 08-20-2001, 11:00 AM

NY State is $0.095/minute. You can check out your state by going to http://www.zoneld.com At the bottom of the page is a rate finder. Select your state, then click on View Domestic rates underneath. In the resulting popup window is a line that says "Call to inside your state"

Cheers!

**gandalf** · 08-20-2001, 11:02 AM

Forgot... no, you can't pick your own state as 1 of the 5. Those are interstate rates (I thought of that too!)

Cheers!

**carpenoctem** · 08-20-2001, 07:34 PM

Again, thanks for the help----I signed up today, I'll let you know how it turns out for me.

**carpenoctem** · 08-27-2001, 09:34 AM

How long did it take for them to switch your phone line and start the service?

**gandalf** · 08-27-2001, 09:58 AM

A bit less than 1 week. They will notify you by e-mail when you are cut over.

**scorpio** · 01-12-2002, 11:53 AM

After 4 billing cycles I have found that all the little taxes and fees that they throw into your bill amount to around 18% of your actual talk-time charges.

Below is a complaint I just sent to them. There are several federal taxes (other than those listed below) which I am not disputing as they seem fair and standard.

-------------------------------------------------

Sir or madam:

Upon seeing my latest statement, I am exasperated to notice that a multitude of state and city(!) taxes are being tacked on my bill; I am already paying these taxes and fees to my local telephone provider, and there can be no justification for a long distance provider to charge those same fees.

Following is a list of fees and taxes that I want refunded. Amounts shown are from the Dec. 2001 statement, but I guess they have been charged since my first statement in September.

Fed Tele Relay Serv, Federal
$0.09
P.U.C. Fee, State
$0.02
Emergency 911 Tax, State
$0.02
State High Cost Fund, State
$0.02
CA Teleconnect Fund, State
$0.02
Univ Lifeline Charge, State
$0.02
Tele Relay Serv Charge, State
$0.02
Utility Users Tax, City
$0.62

I consider this type of careless billing abusive and reprehensible.

**gagsplus** · 01-12-2002, 03:38 PM

At the end of my invoice/detailed call lists I seen this comments:
Remarks:
1. Rates exclude universal connectivity charge, federal and state charges.

So this would me that they are going to charge you like you said. Frankly I don't mind for what I am paying. I am in Indiana and I made a 54 min phone call and it cost me like $2.77.

I will now laugh at any company that calls me and asks me to switch.

**pd123** · 01-12-2002, 10:40 PM

I was a click away from switching to them when I noticed that they force you to use them for instate long distance. They are good and cheap for state to state but way too expensive for instate. My mother lives 8 miles away and my local phone company for a fee of about $2 a month lets me have free unlimited calls to her number, if I would have switched then that same phone number at about 10 cents a minute would be more than $20 for the month, I have a few phone numbers I pay to do the same thing, my phone bill would be very high if I switched. I called them on the phone to say I want their service for state to state only, their rep. seemed a bit slow and not to anxious to help so I had to pass on them. I needed to switch because I had Essential and they were starting a new monthly minimium so, I chose Sprint because they had an offer for a free digital camera if I sign up. I think they charge 7cents a minute, no monthly fee. I really don't use them anyway, it is just for a backup, normally I use Onesuite.com for 2.9 cents a minute or my cell phone.

**WDEagle** · 01-13-2002, 07:10 AM

pd123,

I too was concerned with what appeared to be a requirement to sign up for local tool calls when I switch to ZoneLD. In the FAQ section (as well as other sections) they indicate that you do not have to sign up for it. After signing up, I called to confirm that it would not be included. The CSR said that my account did not include the local toll.

Here's the link to the FAQ on the local toll issue.

http://zoneld.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/z...cGFnZT0x&p_li=

WDEagle

**WDEagle** · 01-13-2002, 07:20 AM

pd123,

I too was concerned with what appeared to be a requirement to sign up for local tool calls when I switch to ZoneLD. In the FAQ section (as well as other sections) they indicate that you do not have to sign up for it. After signing up, I called to confirm that it would not be included. The CSR said that my account did not include the local toll.

Here's the link to the FAQ on the local toll issue.

http://zoneld.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/z...cGFnZT0x&p_li=

WDEagle

**WDEagle** · 01-13-2002, 07:22 AM

P.S.

Don't push the back button after posting a reply or you will generate a double post. D#@n ensigns!

**sbp** · 01-13-2002, 10:40 AM

{looks around for Noob potato peeler}

**alyosha** · 01-13-2002, 02:12 PM

Question about the taxes they collect: All long distance companies have lots of taxes which are not included in the quoted rate, except for prepaid talk time. The question is - when they set you up with five different long distance carriers - do they prorate those taxes, ro do they hit you with 5 time all the fixed taxes, like federal line surcharge?