On 5/25/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Dean Collins</b> <<a href="mailto:Dean@cognation.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Dean@cognation.net</a>> wrote:<div><span class="gmail_quote">
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<p><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Sorry for a slightly OT question but I'm a total newbie
on the USA
carrier services.</span></font></p></div></div></blockquote><div><br>this is a biz list, asking about services businesses sell is hardly off topic :) <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-US"><div><p><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">What are the options for premium rate services in the USA – how
much do the numbers cost each month? Are there better providers/vendors than
others?</span></font></p></div></div></blockquote><div><br> 900 numbers arent portable. If a customer disputes the charges, its generally on the service provider to goto collections, which can suck all the remaining profit out. Carriers take a huge percentage of the per minute rate. There are laws regarding the advertising of the number and the first minute of the call, both FCC and FTC. Most mobile phones cant call premium numbers as well.
<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-US"><div><p><font color="black" face="Arial" size="2">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">I would estimate 95% of all calls will be
delivered via mobiles (if that makes a difference to the termination arbitrage charges)
as the 'locations' will be in public spaces.</span></font></p></div></div></blockquote><div><br>if they are real people calling for a real service its not arbitrage. Arbitrage is the act of buying and selling at the same time on the same item for a profit. Its more common in the stock market community, where the same thing (future, stock, etc) is sold on 2 different markets at the same time and there is a price difference. Since phone minutes are effectively a commodity it applies there too, but only if the same person buys and sells the same minute at the same time (ie they call themselves). Arbitrage however has a negative connotation now due to the lawsuits, even though in 2004 the FCC ruled that its not illegal. Its generally frowned upon in the industry since it angers people and generally causes problems.
<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-US"><div><p><font color="black" face="Arial" size="2">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;">Does anyone have some preferred vendors
they would recommend? My issue is that I'd like each 5 minute interaction
to top out at a fixed amount so people participating in the interactions on
their mobile don't get 'sticker' shock when they see the bill
(which is why I was hoping to fund it on arbitrage long distance calls alone
with no premium rate services).</span></font></p></div></div></blockquote><div><br>assuming they have a mobile that can call premium numbers, some states mandate equal access in that regard some dont comment on it, you could. Premium SMS would be a way to fund it on a mobile since in america most cant call premium numbers. You could have a flat rate associated with it if you wanted, either premium number or premium SMS. The SMS can be billed when you send or the call can be per call not per minute.
<br></div><br>Expect the carriers to take more than their fair share of the revenue generated for either premium numbers or SMS. <br></div><br>-- <br>Trixter <a href="http://www.0xdecafbad.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
http://www.0xdecafbad.com</a> Bret McDanel<br>Belfast +44 28 9099 6461 US +1 516 687 5200
<br><a href="http://www.trxtel.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.trxtel.com</a> the phone company that pays you!