What's the book corporate America doesn't want you to read? Find out now -- or you could get scammed.

Airport payphones are ripping off travelers

July 22, 2008

Payphones may be an endangered species, but they are not unprofitable. Not if they’re in places frequented by travelers.

Payphone horror stories are not exactly a dime a dozen (or even a quarter a dozen) but they are nonetheless frustrating and generally preventable.

Hilda Vazquez was on a stopover in Memphis, Tenn., when her cell phone ran out of battery. Reluctantly, she reached for the closest payphone to make a call.

When I received my Visa bill, I had a $21 charge by IDL. Not knowing what charge that was I called and found out that it was for the phone call I made from Memphis.

It cost $1.29 for each minute, plus a $10 operator assist charge and taxes. This is a complete rip-off.

IDL’s shenanigans are extensively documented online. To the company’s credit, it offered Vazquez half her money back — but to me, that says more about the company’s questionable business practices than it does about its responsive customer service.

Lesson learned? Don’t touch that payphone.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

Tagged as: ,

10 comments

  • Jon

    No offense, but why would anyone ever use a credit card with a pay phone in anything other than a life or death emergency? Was that charge honestly a surprise??

  • Joshua Katt

    Cell phone batteries die and/or temporairly misplaceed. I don’t travel with pockets full of coins. Still no reason to be ripped off blindly.

    2 weeks ago, I was layover delayed in BWI for 4+hours and had accidently put my cell in my checked luggage. Now I needed to re-coordinate with other travels. An AT&T calling card I once used didn’t work (It might have been years since last use).

    But I could send text messages to others cell phone via my laptop and teleflip.com which saved the day!

  • Emanuel Levy

    Why don’t you buy a pre-paid phone card then use it rather can using a credit card on the phone?

  • http://www.craigdietrich.com Craig

    I agree with Joshua. On delayed layovers I’ll buy the $7 wireless internet at the airport. With the internet I can get work done but can also Skype to make calls to keep my cell phone minutes down. With a little snooping (around quiet gates) a wall outlet is always available to keep my laptop running.

  • Aimee

    Ah! The frequent business travelers have spoken! Time to defend the only-fly-when-they-must people!

    I don’t fly more than once a year, which makes it obvious that I fly only for a vacation. I don’t bring a laptop with me when I fly, and I would suspect that many people don’t when they are on vacation. (unless, of course, you are used to traveling with one, like frequent business travelers) No where in the article did it state that the woman had access to a computer. Many small airports have NO internet access at all, which also means no computer terminals to pay $20/ 5 minutes, or whatever they’re currently charging. I have to confess that I don’t know what Memphis does or does not have. However having a computer would do you no good what so ever in many airports if you have no internet access.

    What I see here is a infrequent flyer who simply didn’t know better. My mom would have made the same mistake. How long ago was it that a long distance call could be made for a handful of change? Come on guys, cut her a little slack. How would she know if it wasn’t clearly stated on the phone? Obviously we don’t know when our cell is going to die during those stupid layovers, or we would all carry pre-paid calling cards. At worst, she’s only guilty of being unprepared of anticipating the horrors of traveling by air. :-)

  • anonymous

    Ok – I’m gonna tell you all a secret – a secret to free internet access at every major airport in the country, along with free coffee, free snacks and sometimes, a free bufffet. Sometimes, even free long distance phone calls – PLEASE ONLY USE THIS IN AN ABSOLUTE EMERGENCY.

    Every major airport EXCEPT DFW, JFK and ORD have general aviation terminal OK – DFW and JFK have them, but there are no amenities. If you end up with a 4 hour plus layover, take the airport shuttle or a cab over to the general aviation terminal – there – you will find a fixed base operator, mostly likely Signature Flight Support, that serves the private airplanes. They generally have open wifi networks, a free coffee stand with snacks and soda.

    Don’t tell them I told you. . .and the amazing thing is that they’ll likely drive you back over to the airline terminal for free.

  • Wrona

    Heck I’m an infrequent traveler but even I know to go to a store and ask to get change to use the payphones instead of using a credit card.

  • Ed

    while in Hong Kong for a recent business trip, I had the occasion to visit one of their many huge shopping malls. The mall had a cell-phone battery charging device available at a concierge desk availabile to anyone to use. Basically, it was a machine with metal contacts, You take the battery out of your phone, place it on the machine, align the contacts to match your battery and in less than 5 minutes, you have a 80% charge.
    I don’t understand why something like this is not available in the united states in places where travelers need communications. I suspect that commerce drives the payphone lobby in the U.S.
    Ed
    web/gadget guru

  • Chicky

    @ Ed: That is a great idea, and you’re right. Every airport in the U.S. needs one of those chargers.

    I don’t fly that often, certainly not ever on business, but I ALWAYS carry a pre-paid calling card with me when I do, just in case. I can usually get 60 minutes for $5, which will, hopefully, be more than I’ll need. It’s a good, safe investment.

    Still, the people at IDL are making a killing on this little racket. It’s pretty disgusting.

  • Richard C

    check the fine print on those pre-paid phone cards, folks…you will almost always get dinged a 15 minute deduction of available minutes as a, you guessed it, a convenience-type fee, if you use a pay phone…

Previous post:

Next post: