Remote Call Forwarding-Legal Cost Saving Alternative

[egs]

I scanned this forum for information about remote call forwarding but did not find any posts related to this wonderful LEGAL method for reducing phone calls from prisoners. I, too, had a loved one in prison in NJ who called me in PA--cost me over $15.00 for each 15 minute call....that is, until I went to remote call forwarding[RCF].
Our organization, ...And Justice For All, publishes free information about how to set this system up, but I will try to summarize here. If you want a copy of the information on RCF, send us this request and a SASE to: AJFA, PO Box 4608, Phila. PA 19127. We DO NOT make any money from any phone company for providing this information!!!

Remote Call Forwarding [RCF] uses a virtual phone number that is local to the prison where your loved one is located. The phone number is not a physically installed telephone line...this number exists only at the exchange center for that town or city. This specially created phone line will be set up to automatically call forward to your home phone number [No matter where you reside!!!].

A most important question....Can you REALLY save money?
To find out if you can save money by establishing a remote line it’s best to get out your calculator and do some simple math.

How many calls do you receive a month? Add up the charges. The local phone Company will typically charge you anywhere between $5 and $18 per month for the RCF line. Installation fees will vary so it’s important to check around if you have more than one choice of local Phone Companies.

Collect call fees will be charged to the local Phone Company, rather than to the long distance carrier, so rather than pay the $3 connect fee, plus .50 per minute [or more], you will probably pay between $1-2/for the collect call to the remote phone line [and perhaps a few cents per minute]. You will also pay the long distance charge [typically is .5-.10/minute]. So, if the local Phone Company charges you an average of $2 for the call and you talk for 15 minutes at .10/minute, your charge for that call will be $3.50! Compare that to the cost per call on your current phone bill—you should experience at least a $5.00 [or more] savings per call!!!

Remember to add the cost of the monthly maintenance fee for the local phone line and you’ll see the break-even point at 3-4 calls per month. If you recieve more calls per month you will experience even more savings!
In addition, you have the satisfaction of knowing that NOT ONE PENNY of your hard-earned money will go to improve the profit margin for the State of New Jersey [or your State's prison system] and their contracted long distance carrier[s]!

AND FINALLY....
If you only receive one or two calls per month RCF will not be cost-effective for you unless you wish to increase the number of prison collect calls you receive...and do so at a substancial
savings.

STEP ONE
A. Obtain the area code and phone number of the prison where your loved one is incarcerated.
B. Call directory assistance and obtain the phone number of the local Phone Company that would service the same local phone exchange as the prison. The identified Phone Company’s residential service center does not have to be physically located in the prison’s city/town. For example, if the local Phone Company is Bell Atlantic, you can call their toll-free number. They can handle your order for any location in their coverage area.
C. Call the local Phone Company and ask to speak to a representative who can set up a remote call forwarding line. Once connected to this representative get their name for future reference.
1. Obtain the cost for setting up this service and any other associated costs [i.e., monthly maintenance cost]. If you have the option of more than one local phone company for this area get compartive pricing to obtain the best financial deal. Often the phone company will waive the set-up costs—you may have to ask them if they can do this.
2. Once you have obtained the costs, you may want to terminate the call to evaluate if you can afford and/or want to spend the money on this system. You may need to compare your current phone costs with the RCF costs; typically you will see substancial savings with RCF but it is best to figure this out before proceeding.
D. If you decide to proceed with RCF:
1. Tell the representative you want to establish a local phone number for you in the same city/town where the prison is located and that you want this local line to include remote automatic call forwarding to your home phone number.
2. You will want to make sure the number is semi-private or unlisted, since anyone who calls the newly set up phone number will be able to ring through to your home phone number at your expense. In NJ there may be a monthly charge for an unlisted phone number.
3. You also want to be absolutely sure that the representative DOES NOT block collect calls!!!
STEP TWO
You need to inform the Phone Company what long-distance service to include for your remote-forwarding line. This is where a little homework on your part will pay off!
Before calling the local Phone Company you need to select the long distance carrier you want to use for these calls. Investigate the various options before calling the local phone company to set up your service. For example, if you receive most prison calls on the weekends the long distance carrier that has reduced weekend rates may be your best and most economic option.
STEP THREE
The representative will need a billing name and address [this is you]. They may ask if you want this line terminated at a phone number already established or terminated at your home phone number... say “Yes”.

This system has worked for virtually thousands of families/friends of prisoners in almost all States.

ONE FINAL NOTE: Please check w/your incarcerated loved one before setting up this system. There is at least one southern State [Tennessee] where the prison system has "outlawed" this practice [not legal, but done anyway] and the prisoner who's family sets this up may receive a charge for doing so! This is the only negative I have heard about RCF in the 5 years we have shared this information!

Feel free to post your questions/comments/thoughts about this wonderful LEGAL cost-saving alternative to prisoner phone calls

Elaine [aka "egs"]
AJFA

[Daveswife]

sounds great to me!!!! Thanks!

[freedom anjel]

OOOHHHHH!!! I like this. I will get started on it next week, cause I get 2-3 calls a day at 6.20 for every 15 minutes. I am certain that I can save some dinero!!

[witchlinblue]

Do you know if I can call forward to a number outside of the USA ?

[egs]

In response to the question if you could set up remote call forwarding to outside the US...hmmm, that's a really good question!
I am really just thinking "out loud" here but it would seem to me that if you [in Canada, yes?] are using the same long distance provider companies as is used in the US [i.e., Verizon, AT&T, MCI, Sprint], that yes, it could be done.

There might be some international snafu that may apply, but what can it hurt in the trying? I for one, would really like to know if you were able to set this up to Canada, or not!

Elaine [aka egs]
AJFA

[witchlinblue]

Well I know from the way its set up now Sprint USA bills my Bell Canada account (sprint is who is handling the collect calls from the prison James is in). We have Sprint in Canada but it is completely separate and they dont work together, as I found out recently when I tried to get information on the rate I was being billed. Im really not sure how this would work but I'll tell you I havent stopped thinking about it, my recent 1300 + phone bill is kind of fueling this big time. I think my biggest problem would be for a local phone company near the prison to let me have a line since Im in Canada, but I figure its worth a try if I offer to pay everything the whole time I will need it up front which will hopefully be June. I just wished I knew someone that lived near there that I could have help me set this up. From what Im figuring out, it will cost me so much less this way if I can do it. One phone call from James is costing me over 26 - 28 bucks for 15 min. So you can imagine how it can add up pretty quick. Right now I have to watch even what I eat in order to pay bills. I have his dad helping me out with some of it though but still it all makes me really sick big time. If I can find a way to make this RCF thing work it really would be a blessing beyond words. I still cant even visit him since they still havent gotten back to me over the third visitation application Ive sent (2 have been lost ) though I have it confirmed this time that they actually received it. James is basically freaking out with worry. Even when I get the visitation approval I dont know how I could possibly afford it or even have a way to get to that remote piece of nothingville. So,,guess I vented again,,,I will post anything I find out regarding this, since Im sure Im not the only person outside USA getting collect calls.

[Ken]

Hey,

I recently spoke with several services that do remote call forwarding and yes, they will do it to Canada. I live just outside of Toronto and I checked to the point of actually signing up. What eventually stopped me was the exchange rate on US money for us right now. By the time you take the installation fee and the monthly rent for the local line and the monthly admin charge and then the connection fee and the l/d charge - all in US dollars, I was no better off. Now the clincher! You MUST have a US address to bill the virtual phone to. The companies that I spoke to will not take a credit card or prepay or anything like that. You MUST have a US address for the bill to go to.

If anyone is interested, I have a few web sites and phone numbers to about 5 or 6 different companies that do this.

Also, although I have not investigated this, but for us Canadians, could there be a service here that would do the same thing? I don't know anyone in prison in Canada so I don't know if Canadian prisoners and families suffer the same horrible charges?

Let me know if you want more info.

Ken

[JodyAnnShaw]

Great... I'm sending for information on this in the morning... it sounds wonderful. Right now I pay $17.34 for 15 minutes..... Thank you for the info.

Jodygirl

[gina]

this is really great info....I live in Jersy and my fiance is in NY-I'm going ot have to check into this-because recently the phone has been getting OUT OF CONTROL!
I'm know you all can realte to that though

[Cameo]

Gina, I just read you post and I wanted to share this info with you. You can also read more about the company in the thread: New Phone Company, Privatelines shutting down.

http://www.outsideconnectioninc.com/


Brianhelps, (a member here at PTO) is the president of this company and it is located in New York. I do believe he will be able to offer you a lot of savings on your phone calls. He is set up to assist families with inmates in New York right now. He is also working on setting up locations in Virginia, and I will go with his service immediately.

Please e-mail or call the 1 800 number and tell them you heard about his service from PTO. If he is available, I believe he will talk to you right away!

Let me know how it goes...

Pamela

PS...I believe David is working on something with Brian, as we speak, to promote this great service to all our members. It is a new service, and only available at the current time, with a few states, but the more members we get contacting him and letting him know what States they need this service in, the sooner he will be able to help!

[egs]

I have heard from LOTS of folks thruout the US [I've been dealing w/prison phone call issues for over 6 years] that many of these companies are rip-offs. They promise alot but in some cases, these companies are fly-by-night...that is, here today and gone tomorrow....WITH YOUR MONEY!!!! In other words, one gets scammed or "conned" [sorry for the use of that word! lol]. I hate to say it but going thru the conventional phone companies with remote call forwarding [see original post of this thread] is probably the safest bet. These less than ethical companies are taking advantage of those of us who are desparate to reduce our phone bills. Please remember when there is a "middle-man" company involved, someone else's pockets get lined with your money.

If it SOUNDS to good to be true...it probably is!!!

Please check out the company carefully before signing on...how long have they been in business, what States are they working with, what are the common problems they have experienced, how do they set up the system [do they work with other telephone companies?], etc.....

egs
...AJFA

[ateeyah]

Hello
My Questions are for Elaine or anyone else who may know,

First - thank you for all this information, question - how do we find out if Florida is a State that may have a problem with this? Second - this is legal - but do you have any idea what the prison will do if they determine this is a call forwarded? Presumably they would not be pleased as MCI and the FLDOC make a whole lot of money. I would appreciate any further information. Thank you

[ateeyah]

Ken this is the number to MCI that you need to dial from Canada - I posted it in another forum and don't know where ;-) MCI Inmate Telephone 1 800 937-1048
Also can you send me the list of phone companies you spoke about here earlier in this string to my mail box address (e-mail address removed per PTO policy)

Thanks again

[egs]

Ateeyah, et al,
As far as I know there is only one state where the DOC has blocked the use of RCF and that is Tennessee [their actions are not legal but who says DOC's watch their "p's and q's?"]. Secondly, I checked out the RCF process with four different attorneys[3 do lots of prison-related work and know lots about prison systems, etc...]. All 4 said the process is legal b/c there is NO WAY for a prisoner to manipulate the RCF system. In fact, the way RCF works it is totally transparent to the caller. For example, if I started a business in Philadelphia but wanted to market myself as "local" to possible customers in southern NJ, I would set up a remote call forwarding system so the caller from south NJ would call a local phone number--unbeknowst to the caller, the call they placed is being forwarded to my business line in Philadelphia! The caller does not pay a long-distance charge--the long distance bill is charged to the owner of the RCF telephone lines. BTW, this is exactly how and why RCF was started in the first place!!! Today, many businesses use toll-free phone numbers [since the price for such has been reduced] but when the price for such service was very expensive, RCF was used by many businesses.
Hope this information is helpful....
egs
AJFA

[Ken]

ateeyah,

Thanks for that number! I will try it today - I had a long conversation yesterday with MCI and I told them of a friend that had a similar problem between Canada and a US Prison and that Global was involved and you fixed it by calling the Warden and it was just a "routing" problem. She was interested in this information and took notes and said that she would pass it on to her supervisor. I am not hopeful that it will work...? I have no faith at this point.

I took the advice of another that has experienced this problem before many times and I have gotten a second number and sent that to my partner. Hopefully it will cure the problem - it has for this other person. I will know by Monday if the new number works.

Today however I will be on the phone with MCI again and if I don't get any satisfaction then I am going to try to escalate it to a higher level... Yeah, like they care...