Re: “Card Companies Called Out,” March 6–19 issue:

One doesn’t only have to make calls overseas using a prepaid calling card to get scammed. Using a calling card between states can cheat us out of part of the value of the card or number of minutes noted on the card.

There are some calling cards that subtract minutes if they’re not used within a specific amount of time. For example, if the caller uses a card meant for 60 minutes, but speaks for less time, then puts the card aside for future use, he may be unpleasantly surprised to find that upon subsequent use, the balance of unused minutes has either expired due to delayed use of that card or that minutes have been subtracted between uses. Sometimes a charge is tacked on to the cost of a call, referred to as a “connection” charge.

Many cards have numerous rules, restrictions, and instructions written on the back in type size so tiny, it discourages reading through it all.

Your article refers to a report released by The Hispanic Institute on international calling cards delivering only 60 percent of their stipulated usage. Perhaps there’s an agency out there that can do a study on national usage of these cards. Interstate callers also experience deception.

Having terms and conditions written on the card doesn’t alleviate the problem. Card users will still suffer a loss of minutes and/or partial cost. The result is that these so-called bargain cards aren’t a bargain at all.

Shouldn’t there be a crackdown on card companies that dupe the public?

Judy Noy

Norwood