When staying in a hotel - DON'T USE THE PHONE!! (rant lite)

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

The Visa bill this month shows five (count 'em, five) charges between $12.50 and $14.60 - each.

Each charge is for ONE (1) five minute phone calls which Ms. UIBP made while staying in a hotel in Pennsylvania on the way up to upstate NY for vacation.

$10.00 out of each charge was for a $7.00 Operator charge. There was also a $3.00 facility charge (read 'kickback') per call which went to the hotel.

The name of the company taking all this money from my pocket is US Long Distance Communications (USLD). They have even posted their rate schedules to the Internet. Their Customer Service lady was very nice and professional and verified the charges exactly as they were on the bill. Can't do a G*D-domm thing about it, so why not be nice?

I am going to bite the bullet on this because (1) my wife really had no choice in the matter - her cell phone died, and (2) its not easy to call from a payphone when you have a toddler with you.

I will bite the bullet, take the screwing.

But I will never forget.

[flamingyouth]

1. That's insane!!!

Is this a major chain hotel, I assume? Talk about highway robbery.

I just got really chapped dealing with my bank today. I'm trying to compose myself so I can tell the story without swearing like a longshoreman.

[CO Liberal]

2. Get a Calling Card

It's the easiest way to control costs. In fact, the company I work for issues calling cards to all employees who may travel so we won't get stuck with absurd phone bills.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. Even with calling cards...

Some hotels charge through the nose. I found that out $15 after the fact.

[dofus]

3. This is one of the two reasons

I got a cell phone several years back, to avoid outrageous hotel charges. Of course, when Mrs UIBP's phone died, she was at the mercy of the hotel. Giant sympathy from me. Next time she needs to be absolutely certain she has her charger with her. My phone lets me make calls while it is recharging.

[Shanty Oilish]

4. A letter helps...

at least will make you feel better. But if there is no DU rule against it (check because I don't know) you might name the miscreants and some part of 20,000 people will know what they did.
I also go to epinions.com when I'm sorely disappointed in commerce. Don't know if they do hotels, but try.
Worst experience I ever had with a hotel: one day my bathroom sort of blew up and I had to go somewhere overnight while repairs were made. The nearest hotel refused to give me a room on the grounds that I lived locally. I wasn't hooking, after all, and got the distinct impression I was suspected. :grr:

[SoCalDem]

6. Las vegas hotels are charging a $1.00 per room per day phone charge

whether or not you even USE the damned thing..:(

[tridim]

7. Don't use the "24 hours of porn for $19.95"

This happened to a FOAF while in Vegas for a bachelor party. He assumed he could turn it off and come back later to watch more. No such luck, the fine print specified 24 hours in one session. He ended up getting charged the $19.95 times 5. So the lesson is, if you order 24 hours of porn, you should just leave it on all day and night. :)

Then there was the time I drank 4 bottles of $5.00 water at the Bellagio. It looked complimentary to me!

[ronnykmarshall]

8. Learned this the hard way.

The night of our wedding, one of my friend was WASTED and called his mom in Sonoma (north of SF) from the BATHROOM! I love his mom and I didn't want to make a fuss about it.

The next day I checked the online bill........ $35!!!! Luckly he sent us a wedding gift from Tiffany's.

[NJCher]

9. calling cards

Yep, Cheapster Cher says calling cards and pay phones. I will indeed go out of my hotel room to make a call if it saves me $15.

I currently have about 100 30-minute calling cards that I purchased for 1.4 cents a minute. Can you beat that?


Cher

[NJCher]

10. also

I don't think you should pay. I think you should come up with something to get yourself off the hook. Call up again and scream, whine, complain, whatever. Threaten to put up a Web site or whatever you have to do but make it your objective to pay about 20 percent of this bill. Complain the connection was bad and you couldn't hear anything and that's why you had to talk so long. WHATEVER!! But do not hand money over to pirates like this.


Cher

p.s. today I had a serviceman try to charge me $240 for half hour's work. I just laughed right in his face and gave him a hundred cash and a bag of organic veggies and sent him on his way.