Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote in
news:slrnfbuqsm.dtv.sjsobol@amethyst.justthe.net:

> Be forewarned. Several years ago Verizon Wireless charged me their
> then-standard $1.25 directory assistance charge for calls to 555-TELL.
> I complained quite loudly. I don't know whether that played into their
> decision to stop the practice.
>
> See, the problem is this. Dial 411 from a Verizon cell phone and they
> incur real costs. I know this because there is a Verizon 411 call
> center across the street from my house, a big campus where they
> employ tons of people (and they're always hiring operators here). So
> I don't have a problem paying for 411 or 555-1212 which is going to be
> answered by a Verizon employee; I don't expect them to pay for the
> facility and people and not make their money back.
>
> But they incur no such costs on calls to 800-555-TELL, other than the
> cost of connecting the call. I'm willing to pay airtime, but not the
> $1.25. They don't even incur long distance costs as the long distance
> is paid for by AT&T (the company that owns TellMe)!
>
> Verizon stopped this obnoxious, greedy practice a few years ago, but
> you will want to check your bill to make sure your carrier doesn't do
> the same thing.
>
>
>

Alltel hasn't charged me extra to call the Mobivox access number to
connect my cellphone to Skype and Mobivox's 1.9c/min international
calling........well, so far.

http://www.mobivox.com/