They're everywhere! Just look:

1.  You rarely hear in-state rates advertised.  Click here to find out why!

2.  Look out for those 10-10-RIPOFFs and 10¢ Sticker Calls! Thousands of consumers fall for this one every month!  Mailings provide handy little stickers listing a 7 digit code to be affixed to each of your phones. You are promised 10¢-per-minute calls without having to change your long distance carrier. What you discover after reviewing your first bill is that you have just been taken to the cleaners! Hidden in the small print are the conditions that almost everyone misses (see 3, 4 and 5 below).

3. Many of these long distance providers charge for 3 minutes up-front, even if the duration of the call is only for 1 second!  On average, this changes the advertised rate of 10¢ to an actual rate of 18¢ per minute. The least amount you will be charged for any call is 30¢!

4. In addition, many of these companies charge you up to $5.00 every month!  This adds even more to your average cost per call. (For an example of how this works, click here) If you received these stickers in the mail and tested the service to make one call, you could have been charged up to $5.00 for the monthly "activation fee" plus 30¢ for the call. That 10¢ call you thought you were making just cost you $5.30 per minute!

5. Want to know how to make a "dime" worth 18¢? Just sign up for one of those "dime-a-minute" promotions and wait for your first monthly bill! Here’s their gimmick: The lower rate calls can only be made between certain hours (typically 7 PM to 7 AM) or on certain non-business days. Your other calls are charged as high as 25¢ per minute. And in most instances, all calls are billed in full minute increments (see why this is bad)!  Don't fall for it!

6.  Most calling cards carry a surcharge, sometimes called a "Bong Charge" or "Per-Call Charge" as an extra fee, over and above the stated charge per minute. If you have one of these cards (usually issued by the Big-3 and others through heavily advertised promotions), you can be billed a fee of up to $1.00 for each call you make. Always look for a calling card that carries no surcharge. For an even better deal, make sure you combine this with a low per-minute rate and 6-second billing. Here's one!

7.  Long distance companies are notorious for using short-term incentives to capture your business. You might get a good rate for a few months, but beware... you WILL pay higher rates for all calls not covered by the promotion. In addition, your rates WILL increase once the promotion period ends and you will most probably never know when that happens...until after your bill arrives!

8.  AT&T has been enticing people to switch to the highest rates in America by mailing out checks. Other companies offer frequent flyer miles in exchange for high telephone rates. How do you think they can afford to cover their costs? It's simple! Compare the amount of money you'd "overpay" in exchange for mileage points and you'll soon discover that you would have had enough cash to pay for the ticket plus the hotel, and maybe some new luggage, too! Think about it... AT&T, MCI and Sprint have a combined annual advertising budget of more than a billion dollars! Where do you think this money comes from?

The bottom line: Your Best Protection Is to Become an Informed Consumer.