BEWARE - Long Distance Calls

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:20 pm

I meant to post this ages ago, but I thought it should be brought to the attention of future campers:

Beware of using any payphones in Huntsville for long distance calls. To call home, using my local calling card (which simply charges the long distance fees to my home account), they charged me $21.00 per minute to call home in Canada! Needless to say, my father was choked! He rang up the phone company and expressed his dissatisfaction. Thankfully, the outrageous prices were due to a computer glitch, and the price was only $2.10 per minute. That, in my opinion, and the opinion of everoyne I know, is still absurd! I can ring (or ring home collect from) Uganda, Micronesia, and Ziimbabwe (and over half the world) for less!

(I wouldn't want to receive a collect call from the Atlantic East/Indian Ocean (ship-based call) though, as that would cost $13.85/minute - ouch!)

Needless to say, DO NOT use your calling card on the payphones, especially for international calls - the rates are absurd! Instead, use your mobile phone (if you have one) or buy a pre-paid calling card from a vendor in Huntsville when you get there.

I did not have this problem when I used the same phone with the same calling card back in 1998 and 1999, so there have been some rather dramatic changes since then.

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:19 pm

Any counselor i've ever talked to will tell you that if you're going to use a calling card thats not mci you should use the local phones since its an 800 anyway. Thats what i've always done. Plus most calling cards will charge you like double your minutes if calling from a payphone even though that makes so little sense to me. However, if you're traveling from a different country and plan to purchase a calling card becareful what you get because a lot of them wont let you call outside of the continental US.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:25 pm

My calling card works by dialing the number with the area code and then typing in my own phone number and a PIN. Even if I called from a local phone (in the hotel) it still charged me $2.10/minute.

Lesson learned... I will use my mobile phone to ring home, since long distance rates will be cheaper that way.

Post by **Vincent** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:39 pm

A cell phone is the way to go, these days.

Working over the summer, it seemed as if everyone and their brother brought a cell phone with them to camp!

Perhaps not that many, but a great many kids (10 and 11 year olds, even) had them!

...wow...I must be old!

But, I digress.

The point is, one could always borrow a bunkmate's cell phone, possibly. Especially if they have a cell phone whose plan includes long distance at no additional charge (international calling would not apply though, obviously).

Pixie · Post by **Pixie** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 8:44 pm

Do they still have an MCI card machine in the Space Center? (I think it was somewhere near the food court...) It's not the cheapest way to go, but in the event that you can't bring a cell phone, you don't have to hunt all over kingdom come to find an MCI card. Personally, I went the cell phone route and just tucked it in my backpack-just make sure it's on silent

.

Oh...and thanks, Vincent. I can log in now. Gotta love AOL...

Post by **Vincent** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 10:48 pm

They do indeed have an MCI calling card machine! Two, in fact!

The first one is tucked away between the children's clothing shop and main gift shop.

The second one is indeed near the food court...right around the arcade machines, across from the entrance to the TCF that is closest to the museum.

So that is a good point that if you forgot a calling card or didn't decide that you needed one until you got to camp, you can still purchase one.

Drumrollz · Post by **Drumrollz** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:51 pm

:laughs:
I think everyone but Danielle had a cellphone on our X-Mas camp team Atlantis.

And we had 7(including Jerry) iPods.

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:41 am

No Jen was cell-less and i think hillary was too. I dont think Jerry's counts since he didnt really get it until after camp...

meg · Post by **meg** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:12 pm

Vincent wrote:...right around the arcade machines, across from the entrance to the TCF that is closest to the museum.

yeah. *tear* those are no longer around...

spacecampaddict28 · Post by **spacecampaddict28** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:24 pm

Trust me....I remember that neither Jen nor Hillary had cell phones....mainly because they used mine!

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 8:38 pm

Remembers Jen on New Years Eve (yeah it was still eve) *laughs really hard*

spacecampaddict28 · Post by **spacecampaddict28** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:09 pm

Me: Hello?

Other Guy: Where the *whoop whoop* is Jen?

Me: Who is this?

Other Guy: WHERE THE *WHOOP WHOOP* is Jen?!?!?!?

Me: Um, here she is...

MAYTAG · Post by **MAYTAG** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:58 pm

well back on topic ive always found just calling collect is the easiest way to go when i dont have a cell phone

tennisrox014 · Post by **tennisrox014** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 5:43 pm

i find a cell phone is nice because you can always have it with you even if you cant answer it all the time.