Be in touch, with your phone company - Haaretz

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Sun., February 10, 2008 Adar1 4, 5768

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Anglo File

Be in touch, with your phone company

By Barr Hayoun

Tags: Israel, Banks

Being a wise consumer is hard work and Israel's telecommunications and television companies don't make it easier, with the bewildering array of options and package deals. TheMarker has done some legwork for you: talking with the mavens and comparing prices. Here are some tips for staying in touch with your loved ones, friends, colleagues - and wallet.

When going on vacation, suspend your subscription. Why pay for a product you aren't using? Yes allows you to suspend payment for a minimum of a month, maximum of four months, not that the pleasure is free. Suspension costs NIS 15 a month. Bezeq International suspends for free. Note that if you have a commitment period, the commitment will be extended by the suspension term.

Be consistent. Meaning, buy as many services as feasible from the same provider, but don't fall for packages with products you won't use. A package offering long-distance calls, Internet and landline phone service may be terrific, unless you never call abroad.

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Mark the deal's termination date on your calendar. When your cheap rates expire, generally, the company won't call to merrily remark that it's about to make a lot of money off you. Suddenly your bill will climb by as much as 50%. It's your responsibility to call them and get a new deal.

Survey the market. You might try www.kamaze.co.il (Hebrew) for data on package options and prices. It does the work, you save the money. Now let's break down telecommunications by sector and see who offers what for how much.

Internet

Commitment is good. Most Internet service providers offer cheaper rates (usually 20% off) to users who commit, generally for six months.

Know your usage pattern. Don't pay for broadband you won't use. Most households in Israel surf at 1.5 mega.

Haggle. TheMarker and kamaze find that haggling pays. New clients can hack 15%-37% off the initial price they're offered, while veterans can wrest discounts of 26%-58%. How do you negotiate?

New customer: Don't start the chat with demands. Sit there and listen to what the representative offers. Then tell him about the gorgeous deal the competition offered you. At this stage the rep will offer you some sort of sweetener. Hang tough: listen (again) and then reject the offer. Ask to speak with somebody who can offer you a better deal. Either your call will be transferred or they'll get back to you with another offer.

Existing customer: If your contract term is over, call and say you're shifting to the competition because its prices are better. If you can't do that, at least call and demand another good deal. Usually you can get a better one than new customers get. If you belatedly discovered that you've been paying extra for months, it pays to demand a refund.

Wireless router: To buy one from your Internet service provider will cost NIS 650-940, not including installation fees of about NIS 200. Or, you can buy one at a store for NIS 150 and up, and install it yourself with the help of online assistance. The downside is, nobody's there to help with the process and security definitions.

Long-distance

Join a company and save more than 80%. Never mind where you call, it absolutely does not pay to call via any of the companies unless you've joined them. All it takes is one call to one of the companies.

Xphone is usually the cheapest. Kamaze says that among the long-distance carriers, Xphone is usually the cheapest for subscribers. But do compare, especially if you have specific calling destinations. Sometimes one of the companies has a special deal for that destination.

Check for special sales before holidays. Presents and one-time deals abound at those times, for new and existing customers. For example Bezeq International ran a special deal ahead of Valentine's Day, charging just NIS 0.14 per minute to a variety of places.

Search for a package that suits you. The first deal that the salesperson offers may not be the most suited to you. Sales representatives are directed to push deals that pay most for the company. Listen, then describe your needs and ask which deal would fit best.

Put that cellphone down. Use wireline to call abroad. With the exception of calls to the U.S., usually cellular rates are significantly higher than regular phone rates on long-distance calls.

Try Skype and Jaja. Usually the fee for calling abroad using Skype and Jaja Internet software is cheaper than using the phone. Note that Skype rounds out upward to the nearest minute, and you have to prepay at least NIS 53 (10 euros). Also, use it in six months or lose it, "it" being the prepayment.

Regular phones

Xphone wants to break the market. Bezeq, HOT and Golden Lines also supply regular phone services but Xphone is due to start in two months. Check its prices.

Get and send faxes for free. You can get a temporary fax number at www.myfax.co.il.

Install Skype, Jaja or MSN Messenger to chat with anybody anywhere in the world, as long as they have the same software installed.

Join Spikko: Internet-based software to call any phone number abroad, cellular or regular, for free, after you join the club.

Choose a package that suits your needs. You can save up to hundreds of shekels a month. If you talk less than 55 minutes a month, "HOT Neto" is the best deal, if you also hook up to HOT cable or Internet. If not, then "Didn't Talk, Don't Pay" (Lo Dibarta Lo Shilamta) by Golden Lines is best. If you talk 56-680 minutes a month, you still want "Didn't Talk, Don't Pay" by Golden Lines.

If you talk 680-2,200 minutes a month, HOT's "Speak Freely " (Daber Hofshi) is the package for you if you subscribe to HOT cable or Internet. If not, up to 800 minutes "Didn't Talk, Don't Pay" (Lo Dibarta Lo Shilamta) by Golden Lines is best, but from 800 minutes you want Golden Lines' "Midabrim Hofshi".

If you talk more than 2,200 minutes a month, Golden Lines' "Midabrim Hofshi" is best.

Want to stay with Bezeq? Again it pays to check your usage patterns. Less than 100 minutes a month: Choose "Kav Kal." From 100 to 215 minutes a month, select "Kav Muzal". If you talk more than 215 minutes a month, go for the basic Bezeq package.

Cellular

General tips: In any case, cellular is costlier than landline. Don't use the cellphone at home. If you're on your PC, send text messages using Spikko (from next month) or ICQ. Buy your cellphone at an independent store, not from the carrier, but make sure the device comes with warranties. And insurance isn't recommended. Usually, fixing the phone once in a while is cheaper.

Lock in a discount deal on long-distance calls. A Pelephone call from Italy to Israel will cost NIS 23.96 a minute unless you join the discount deal, at which the price drops to NSI 6.45 a minute. "Frequent flyers" can get good rates at Orange and Cellcom.

Filter calls when abroad. You pay for incoming calls, remember. An incoming Cellcom call when you're in Brazil will cost NIS 6.86 a minute and if it's the local liquor store inviting you to a wine-tasting, you won't be happy. Filtering involves getting a code that callers have to enter to reach you. If you didn't give them the code, their call can't go through.

Portability costs. If you break your contract with a cellular provider (switch to another), you probably face a hefty fine and will have to buy a new phone, too. Just keep that in mind when your provider annoys you.

Haggle. Before switching, try to call your original provider and yowl. TheMarker and kamaze negotiated for customers at all four companies (Pelephone, Cellcom, Orange, MIRS) and we saved them NIS 20-180 a month. To haggle effectively, be patient and remember: Knowledge is power! Knowledge of your usage patterns, that is, and of rival offers. Without knowing these, it's pointless.

Wait for February to end, because the 36-month usual commitment will be slashed to 18 months, strengthening your bargaining position.

Consult www.Pelezol.co.il to elucidate the best cellular package for you out of the hundreds that the companies offer.

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