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1 800 Collect Overview

COLLECT CALLS, 1 800-COLLECT and 1 800 CALL ATT LONG DISTANCE CALLS AND SURCHARGES (BONG).

Q. There are more collect calls on this day than any other day of the year?
A. Father's Day

1 800 Collect and 1 800-Call ATT are good programs for your long distance calls, such as calling home in an emergency, and if you only use it on rare occasion, say, once a year. However, due to the low cost per minute rates for your interstate and intrastate calls, the ease of establishing your own 800 or 888 number and the absence of surcharges (bong charges) for these operator assisted calls, it is far more cost effective to establish your own business or residential toll free number (for information please see our toll free 800/888 FAQ page).

In the section below we show you how to remove the perils of collect calls.

WHAT IS THE SCOOP ON THE MOST POPULAR COLLECT PLANS?
The heavily advertised "Collect" plans offer you a "big savings" and are good to use in an emergency, but not if you plan frequent calls to any specific number, such as a home or word number. Because they are "operator assisted" (well, mechanical operator) these services charge a connection fee in addition to a higher per minute charge. The connection fee can range from $1.50 to $2.50 per call.

If you would like to see the information on 1 800 Collect, just visit their web page at 1800collect.com

They do have good rates, but please read the fine print at the end, (You know the part about the $1.59 surcharge. Oh, and note that it is 49 cents per minute during the day...)

To quote, " 1-800-COLLECT has once again revolutionized collect calling. Introducing 10 cents a minute collect calling from 1-800-COLLECT.
10 cents a minute for collect calls every night.
10 cents a minute for everyone in America.
Who ever thought collect calling could be so cheap?
10 cents a minute from 1-800-COLLECT. Who else?
Standard connection fee of $ 1.59 applies. Interstate calls $0.49 between the hours of 7:00am-6:59pm M-F; $0.25 between the hours of 7:00am-6:59pm S-S; $0.10 between the hours of 7:00pm-6:59am M-S." end quote.

A one minute call can cost easily total $1.69 or more, while utilizing one of the many available plans we offer start at about 5 cents per minute. Now that is a big savings!

1+ Collect Calls, 1 800 COLLECT and 1 800 CALL ATT: Collect calls, surcharge, bong charge, operator assisted, 1 800-Collect, 1 800 Call AT&T

The most cost effective way to control the collect program costs is to establish your own 800 or 888 number. For details, see our 800/888 FAQ's page.

Another cost effective way is to obtain a discounted calling card