I have long distance with my local phone company. They started charging a monthy fee (+taxes on those fees), even if wee don't make any calls. We use our cells phones for all long distance calls so I'm paying for something I never use. Are there any long distance companies I can swutch to that do not charge any monthly frees? The per minute rate doesn't matter since I'll never use it.

We dropped long distance about 5 years ago so that you can not even make a long distance call from our regular phone. If someone tries to make a long distance call (besides 1-800 or 1-888 numbers), a recording will say 'that call cannot be completed as dialed' (or something like that).

Everyone who lives here knows to use the calling card (we use www.onesuite.com, online rechargeable at 2.5 cents per minute... CHEAP) or their cell phone.

You are not *required* to have long distance coverage with your local phone company. It is entirely optional and they don't tell you that!

I tried to cancel long distance all together, they wouldn't let me. They said I have to have their long distance or switch to another long distance company. They also charge a fee for switching long distance companies so it'll take several months to make up for paying the switching fees. I'm on my way out the door, but I'll call them again when I get home and request to talk to a superviser and see if that will get me any where.

We have internet through them and had to sign a contract, if it wasn't for that we'd drop them and get everything through our cable company. Small town, only one phone company and at the time, the only way to get internet.

Swirch to vonage for your phone service. My bill went from $80 to $35ish and we have all the bells and whistles. You can keep your own phone number. It is GREAT!!

Like Cuthie, we use onesuite. I like it because you can actually have a budget for your long distance. Want to spend no more than $10/month? Just put $10 on at the beginning of the month and when it is gone, its gone. I have the 1-800 in my speed dial and it automatically dials my pin (as set up on the site) so it is easy to use.

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

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I haven't had long distance with my local company for years. I dropped them as soon as they started charging a monthly fee.

I also use OneSuite. But I don't make that many long distance calls. So I think when my time runs out, I won't top off until I use the time up that I'm accumulating on my cell.

I use Virgin Mobil for my cell phone I have to top off $15.00 every (3) months and since I only use my cell for emergencies or when I'm meeting friends and need to get hold of them, I don't use all the time on that either.

The unused minutes on both Virgin Mobil and OneSuite carry over each time I add money.

I use BigRedWire.

http://www.bigredwire.com/visitors/welcome.jsp

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Check with your LD provider (mine is AT&T and they have all of their plans listed online) and you might be able to find a cheaper LD plan. I very reluctantly am paying $2 per month for the "privilege" of then paying 10 cents per call should I choose to make an LD call.

We seldom use it (like most people, we usually use our cell phones and I have a free calling card from my Discover cashback bonus) but I hate the idea of being unable to make an LD call in case of an emergency (like trying to reach our son's college) so I have sucked it up and pay the $2 per month.

My parents, though, haven't had LD on their phones for years and only use calling cards.

This is who I'm using - http://ecare.pngcom.com/site/

Powernet Global - I'm paying around 5.9 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, regardless of where I call. They bill in 6 second intervals and I don't pay any monthly fee. My last long distance phone bill was for like $1.44 or something - 2 calls, plus the tax etc. You'll have to see what the current rates are but we've had them for years and I'm happy with them.

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Meddle ye not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crispy, and taste good with Ketchup!

We use AT&T and we get unlimited LD. Local, calling features, DSL and LD runs about $85 a month.

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Thanks for the suggestions. The company was taken over by another company. So I decided to try calling again. I also have a block so our long distance can't be switched unless I call first, so I needed to call them anyway (got slammed by AT&T a while back). After waiting on hold for about 25minutes, I got to talk to a really nice lady. She said I could cancel the long distance with them but they couldn't block long distance calls, so if someone made a call any company could pick up the call and charge a couple dollars a minute. Then she told me about a bundled package they have for $57/mo. It included the internet, phone service with caller Id we were already getting plus call waiting, and a bunch of other stuff we'll never use along with 2 hours of long distance, cheaper then what we were paying so I switched to that plan. Why don't they tell you about these things? Called my Mom to let her know so she can switch her plan over too.

She's also sending me information on a dish network promo they have ($45/mo for 2 dual receivers which will run 4 tvs), plus another $5/mo discount on our phone bill for bundled service, plus $10/mo credit for 10 months from dishnet work. It'll be cheaper then what we're paying for cable now (about $75 for digital, which I was planning on dropping so it'd be $58/mo for basic). Want to read all the fine print before I really consider it though.

Wasn't happy waiting on hold for 25 minutes, but should save about $10/mo on the phone bill plus 2 free hours of long distance and all the extra features on the phone. Might also be able to save a little more by switching cable. And combine bills, so one less I have to worry about paying (paying 14 diferent bills the way it is).