Quick Summary:
- Normally, a collect call can only be made to a landline (and that landline must be equipped to receive collect calls), cell phones cannot receive collect calls.
- Collect calls are EXPENSIVE and cost varies depending on time of day AND distance
- FedPhoneLine allows cell phones and landline phone to receive collect calls.
A Collect call is a telephone call that is paid for the person receiving the call instead of the person making the call.
To place collect calls, the caller must first request the operator to make a collect call.
The inmate dials the phone number and the collect call will be made.
If you answer the call, the automated system will ask if you want to accept the call.
If the charges are accepted then the bill shows up on the friend or loved ones next phone bill.
Here’s The Problem:
In Canada more people use cell phones than landlines (click here to read a Toronto Star article on cell phone usage).
Cellphones cannot receive collect calls. If someone is in bind and needs to make collect calls, chances are they will not be able to reach anyone.
Here’s How You Can Make A Collect Calls To A Cell Phone
There are services, like FedPhoneLine which are commonly called ‘trap lines’.
These services allow you to set up a virtual phone number which can receive collect calls.
The calls are cheaper than using a landline phone (depending how many collect calls are made).
Let’s use a simple example…
Someone making a collect call from Milton to Toronto would pay around $7-$11 for a 20 minute call. So if you talk 4 times per week for one month the cost would be: $112-$176 per month
FedPhoneLine charges a flat rate of $39.99 per month plus $1.50 per call (depending on which plan you get)
Meaning that if you made those same 4 calls per week, instead of costing you $240, your cost would be $69.19
How many times do you talk to your loved one each month and how much is it costing you?
See the video below which explains how FedPhoneLine works: