You’ve got a big family back home to talk to and it can get expensive fast, especially around the holidays. There’s never enough time to talk given how expensivelong distance calling is, even in this day and age. You need a reliable solution that fits within your budget.
Finding a reliable way to call Ethiopia can be quite the struggle given how high the costs major carriers offer. The FFC in the U.S. cautions that many pre-paid calling cards come with problems and the situation is no different in Canada. The FCC lists some of the common issues with calling cards you might buy at the convenience store:
#1 Hidden Costs – Calling cards are notorious for hidden fees, with some companies claiming as much as 40% of the money you spend on talking time in hidden fees. Don’t be fooled by low rates when you’re going to lose that much money on hidden fees.
#2 Bad Connections – From poor call quality to dropped calls, calling cards are notorious for bad connections.
#3 No Customer Service – Ever had problems with a calling card and tried to call customer service? Usually there is none, you just get a busy signal or no answer at all. That’s because most calling card companies are small operations made to make a quick buck through hidden fees.
#4 They Go Out of Business – Another problem with an industry dominated by small and short-lived players is that often companies go out of business. Just because you’ve paid for the card doesn’t mean they’re going to be around to provide the minutes.
You can protect yourself by comparing calling cards for calling Ethiopia from Canada or looking into alternative companies that are more transparent and provide better service than calling cards. One alternative is G3 Telecom, which takes the prepaid long distance calling model and adds great quality, transparent rates, no contracts, and customer service. Here’s what a better alternative to calling cards looks like:
#1 No Fees, Transparent Rates – Not only are there no hidden fees, but you can quickly look up rates from your location. It makes calling Ethiopia from Canada easier to budget for, so you know exactly how much you’re going to pay. When you prepay with G3 Telecom, your balance of minutes also carries over, so you don’t need to worry about paying for unused minutes.
#2 Better Call Quality – When you want to talk to your family, nothing is more frustrating than not being able to understand them because the sound quality is so bad. You’ve only got so long to catch up and you don’t want to spend it asking them to repeat themselves. Fortunately, you can find an affordable way to make long distance calls without sacrificing call quality. Look for a company that partners with major carriers to handle their calls. It makes a world of difference.
#3 Real Customer Service – Expect 24/7 customer support from your long distance calling service. It really does make a difference when you have a problem, whether it’s with billing, your connection, or the app. Don’t let the phone companies leave you out to dry when you have an issue.
There are new ways to make long distance calls for less. Take advantage of cheaper, more reliable services now.