How to shop for a Telephone

The Telephone industry has been one of the most stable industries for investors, manufacturers and purchasers. Networking Club information and recommendations will assist club members when making local telephone service purchase decisions.

Telephones can be purchased, rented or packaged with a contract time period.

Consumers are required to pay an installation or activation fee to begin using the local telephone service. Usually a monthly fee is charged for unlimited calling to telephone numbers within a local calling area. The networks of telephone service providers are connected together so that all local calls are seamless when calling within local networks.

Local telephone service competition provides consumers with a choice of features, services and prices that can be designed for specific needs. Local telephone services include: 9-1-1 emergency service, message relay service for the hearing impaired, billing information for the visually impaired, access to local networks by long distance companies.

Optional local telephone services include such items as call display, call waiting, call forwarding, no answer or busy call transfers, call blocking, conference calling, voice mail, and access to 800/900 phone lines.

Consumers have to ask about the prices for each feature or service. What one-time initial service or activation fees are charged, what regular monthly service charges occur and what are the cancellation fees or special fees to add or cancel telephone features.

In Canada the big local telephone service providers are Bell and Telus with many smaller local phone companies providing competitive services. The big companies have service depots where consumers can activate numbers at the store, purchase or rent their phone equipment and pay their monthly telephone bill.

Consumers have to qualify based on credit for local telephone service. Sometimes a large deposit is required to activate a telephone number with a local telephone service provider.

Look for the Network Club "How to shop for the best prices" Seminar.