I received this email quote from Tele-Net and was wondering if anyone else is using them and if it's REAL. My current calls are $8.79 for 15 minutes and they are telling me I can get these calls for around $4.25 each. I have "visited" evercom's website and understand how they are getting such high rates, but don't understand how their way of billing can be gone around.
Does anyone have any info they can share??????????


Tele-Net, Inc
PO Box 621642
Oviedo, Florida 32762
1-888-925-7800

September 30, 2002
STEPHANIE GONZALEZ



Dear STEPHANIE,

Thank you for calling Tele-Net, Inc. the Number 1 provider of discounted inmate calling in the US. With our inmate phone service you do not have to install any new phone lines in your house. You will receive your inmate’s calls just as you do now.

Your new inmate phone number for Mineral Wells PPTF,Mineral Wells,TX will be provided by SW BELL. You will incur a one-time installation charge of approximately $30, in addition, there will be a monthly fee of $16.50 for this number. Each accepted collect call will incur a collect call charge of approximately $2 per call. All of the above charges will be billed to you by SW BELL.

Our network carrier, Power Net Global (PNG), will send you a second bill each month for the minutes that you talk on this line at 14.9 cents per minute, subject to a monthly service fee of $3.95. These prices do not include regulatory taxes or fees.

A typical 15 minutes collect phone call from Mineral Wells PPTF,Mineral Wells,TX. will be approx. $4.25.

We require a nonrefundable processing fee of $39.00. This must be payable by money order to Tele-Net, Inc. Enclosed are two forms. Make sure all questions are completed. Please sign both forms and return them with your $39.00 money order in the self-addressed envelope provided. Upon receipt of your application, please allow 10 to 15 working days for us to complete your order.

If you have any phone bills placed for collection due to non-payment or you have a highly negative credit report, your credit will be denied and your processing fee will not be refunded.

We thank you for your interest in our inmate phone service. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact us at 1-888-925-7800.

Sincerely,

MARY
TELE-NET, INC.
SW BELL CREDIT POLICY
A DEPOSIT OF $50.00 IS REQUIRED
FOR THIS SERVICE. PLEASE MAKE
CHECK PAYABLE TO SW BELL AND
RETURN WITH YOUR APPLICATIONS

Steph,

Don't be fooled about the $4.25 per call because you ALSO have to pay them a monthly fee for the phone line and a monthly admin fee and note that they say fees and taxes not included.

Be careful to understand the FULL cost of this monthly or in some cases, depending on how many calls you receive a month you could pay more!

I am not saying that these services are not good, but be careful.

Also check out the thread called "Remote Call Forwarding" as there are instructions as to how you can set this up yourself without a company in between!

Good luck!

Steph,

To really cost this out you have to take the average number of minutes that you talk per month and divide that into the additional costs that are charged monthly to have this service. When you get that number then you need to add it to the minute charge!

Aside from the set up fees and the deposit...

They want 16.50 per month - 2.00 per call - and 3.95 per month service...

Assuming that you receive 10 calls per month? that is 10X$2.00 + 16.50 + 3.95 or almost $41.00 per month in charges above the 14.9 cents a minute for the long distance.

Assuming that you talk for 100 minutes total in those 10 calls (10 minutes per call) then you are paying an additional 41 cents per minute to this company. That makes your total per minute charge 55 cents per minute.

You are currently paying 8.79 for 15 minutes and that is 59 cents per minute.

This kind of service is cheaper ONLY if you are talking for hundreds of minutes a month so that the monthly fees are reduced further by volume of minutes.

Look closely at what the cost is before you sign up.

THANKS!!!!!! Y'all are great. I just got my phone bill from last month and there are 72 calls on there @ 8.79 per call. I'll have to do the math and see exactly where I stand and ask my husband if he wants to continue to call that month.
I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS PLACE!!
HAVE A GREAT DAY!!