Wednesday, December 27, 2006

I got a pitch-mail today from Thomas W. Scriven for a new free VoIP calling service (another 712 plan) from the W-Group.  Y’all know I like free services, and I’ve spent a bunch of time figuring out the 712 model, so this one oughta be a lay-up, right? 

Except the clueless Mr. Scriven didn’t even take the time to figure out my name, addressing the mail to “Hey Alecs”.  I love the “confidential” notice at the end as well.  So which is it Tommy boy?  Confidential?  Or something you want me to write about?

Somehow I don’t think FuturePhone is going to feel too much competition from these guys. 

—

From: Thomas Scriven
Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 9:47 PM
To: alecs@exmsft.com
Subject: Hey Alecs

Hey Alecs,

I think this could be super useful for your readers:

Free International Calls to Mexico, China, Korea, Canada, The UK, Germany, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires Argentina, Singapore etc.. from your cell phone. No Catch.

Most have a heavy reliance of phone services of all kinds. A strong connection to family, friends and business connections back home lead many to pick up the phone and reach out often on a daily basis. But making phone calls has the propensity to be expensive, and the costs could be getting higher, making services such as The W-Group, Inc. (http://www.freecallstomexico.com  http://www.freecallstochina.com  http://www.freecallstotheuk.com  http://www.freecallstocanada.com ) a welcome relief for many.

Millions of International callers may see tax hikes imposed on traditional landline phone services under a new bill being proposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman. Currently, elder Americans and those who live where phone service costs would be astronomical have phone service costs subsidized by funding by the Universal Services Fund (USF). The Fund provides financial assistance to programs like phone service, schools and other need-related services across the country. The fee now imposed on the caller for the phone service is based on usage – the more calls made the more you pay. But a universal fare hike has been proposed that may occur regardless of how many calls are made. Three to five million Hispanic and Latino households in the United States could be included among the 43 million Americans would pay more in federal phone fees under the plan. Some may not be able to afford it.

There are other options in phone service, but they may also take a chunk out of an individual’s monthly budget, primarily if several calls are made internationally. While many mobile phone companies do offer free long-distance service at key times during the day, these long-distance minutes may not apply to the areas many international callers call outside of the United States and Puerto Rico, resulting in large charges. And e-mail or Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) may not be the answer either. While e-mail is a relatively inexpensive venture, many family members in home countries may have infrequent access to the Internet or none at all.

There is an economical solution for those who make frequent international calls. The W-Group, Inc, a new Los Angeles-based telecommunications company has devised a way to offer free calls from the U.S. to Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterey, China, Seoul Korea, The UK, Germany, Canada, Buenos Aires Argentina, Hong Kong, etc. Here’s how the system works. Those looking to place an international call simply dial 712-338-8849 (a number based in Iowa) from any phone, anywhere in the U.S. The caller will hear a voice first in Chinese, then in Spanish, then in English, telling them to enter their destination number. Caller enters the number they wish to call and they are instantly connected. The W-Group does not charge anything for call or the call connection. There is no sign up or commitments of any kind, and the caller can stay connected for as long and as often as they would like.

Through creative routing similar to the system used by the popular service, E-Fax, The W-Group routes the calls through Iowa, then re-routes the call to the destination internationally. The caller does not pay the international charge, only the normal long-distance charge, if any, to Iowa that is on their current phone plan (now-a-days, most phone plans include free long distance, so this call will be free in most cases). The W-Group actually makes its money off of the phone carrier, not the caller. The company already has the same system working for calls to China, the UK, Argentina, and other regions of the world.

For more information, visit http://www.freecallstomexico.com http://www.freecallstochina.com  http://www.freecallstotheuk.com  http://www.freecallstocanada.com .
As many as 25 new countries are opening up in 2007.
Thomas Scriven
The W-Group
1119 Colorado Ave, Suite 103
Santa Monica, CA 90401
 
This message and any attachments are confidential and intended solely for the addressee. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately. Any unauthorized use, alteration or dissemination is prohibited.

{ 10 comments }