Some carriers run obscure ads about rate increases in newspapers and a few states require that customers be notified of intrastate rate increases, but no mandatory disclosure of long distance rate changes is required on the federal level. MCI's rates for the call have more than doubled. Comparing a 10-minute daytime interstate call from Chicago to Los Angeles, the organization found that the way you dial a collect call can have a big impact on its cost. Using these numbers reduces the cost, but they still cost far more than collect calls in 1991. The basic rates for a 10-minute daytime calling card call from Chicago to Los Angeles has increased dramatically in the past decade.
Most companies now offer discount plans for calling card users.
Many of the plans allow you to avoid the standard per-call surcharge common with calling cards. Consumer Action, founded in 1971, is a national non-profit education and advocacy organization with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. These figures compiled by Consumer Action show the total cost of paying basic rates for the same four interstate calls of varying duration made in each of the standard rate periods and the savings that would be possible by choosing an effective calling plan. A list of the individual calls is available upon request. These figures compiled by Consumer Action show the total cost of the same four interstate calls of varying duration made in each of the standard rate periods.