T-Mobile Prepaid Weird Problems on 521

[oaooao]

T-Mobile store staff had no clue and I am having a hard time accessing the T-M support forum, so maybe somebody here can figure it out.
I am on the prepaid 100mins/unlimited everything else for $30/month.

This morning I made several attempts to call a local number and received recorded messages that the balance was too low for completing the call.
But My Account showed 68/100 calls used. The store people confirmed that the balance was OK, but could not explain. When we tried the call again it worked.

The account also showed that when I talked to the person earlier, I consumed 6mins. But I talked 2-3mins at the max. The 521 does not show the duration of calls, so there is no way to verify that I am not overcharged. Is there any way to get call length history? Or maybe some app that provides it?

Thanks.

 

[calfee20]

I am on the same plan, same phone and at the end of a call that red bar that says end call has a call duration in small numbers near it. I will make a note next time I make a call for the exact location if I remember.

 

[Ordeith]

I am on the same plan, same phone and at the end of a call that red bar that says end call has a call duration in small numbers near it. I will make a note next time I make a call for the exact location if I remember.

Does WP 8 store this data historically anywhere?

 

[Mystictrust]

Apps such as RapDialer (I'm not terribly fond of it, but it's the first to come to mind) keep track of outbound call times, provided you open the app and use it to dial the call or select the contact to call.

There are other apps that do this as well. I don't think you can track incoming call lengths with any app, but PLEASE somebody prove me wrong because that would be awesome

PS: There is at least one pure VoIP app out there that calls regular numbers via your data connection, with no extra charge such as for Skype out, and the called party doesn't need any special app to receive the call. I'm in beta for one called Spare Phone... Search the forums here and see if you can get in the beta if interested for when funds run out.

 

[oaooao]

Thanks. Although it does not sound very convenient if the info is not saved.
I found an app called Call Duration Free which does it and saves the data, but I have not used it yet. There is a paid version.

 

[oaooao]

That sounds like a solution, but I could only find it for Android -- do you perhaps have their email or web site?

 

[Mystictrust]

That sounds like a solution, but I could only find it for Android -- do you perhaps have their email or web site?

I do not. Try going to windowsphone.com if you want to use your PC, and search the app name there. It's most definitely a Windows Phone app.. I had no idea there was an Android version

 

[oaooao]

That's OK, I found them.

They asked for my email address used here and said they'll include me in the beta.

Thanks.

 

[calfee20]

I don't believe I am still up and awake. I just finished my first 30 days with my 100 minute plan. I used 87 minutes but I still have my landline. Thanks to wifi calling I will be canceling my landline next week. I don't know but I suspect any call counts as a minute, 5 or 10 seconds there is a minute. The first 50 minutes seemed to go by quite fast. You know a lot of small calls for testing and figuring out wifi calling After that it seemed to go right. While I have the landline I will call myself a few times and see what happens, short calls.

 

[calfee20]

Update. It is the way I thought. I made 4 calls 3@15 seconds each and one at 2:17. T Mobile has charged 6 minutes. So one second = one minute.

 

[Mystictrust]

Update. It is the way I thought. I made 4 calls 3@15 seconds each and one at 2:17. T Mobile has charged 6 minutes. So one second = one minute.

Ah, I did not know that some people still aren't aware that calls are rounded up to the next minute. There USED to be a variety of carriers that would have per second billing - YEARS ago. I think T-Mobile had it before they were called T-Mobile (Voicestream days) but not anymore. I'm not even sure if there are any other carriers out there anymore in the US that offer "per second billing". Sorry mate. You'll either have to utilize VoIP solutions or switch to another plan if you can't handle it.

 

[Guzzler3]

Dealing with T-mo, I can tell you that their WiFi calling DO count against your minutes on their older/grandfathered Prepaid plans. Skype to Skype, or other VoIP to VoIP software only count against your data usage.

Now with their new "Prepaid" plans, you have unlimited talk minutes so it doesn't matter.

The only other thing that sucks with the new 521 WiFi calling is that if you loose your WiFi connection, it drops the call. It won't automatically switch to the cellular network like older phones that supported their WiFi calling. Also if you start on cellular for voice and come in WiFi range, it won't jump to WiFi Calling.

 

[Apply_Logic]

Spare Phone is an app that let you make phone calls using your WiFi or data with you google voice number. I recommend it for you it's about $3 but worth it. Good lucky keep me posted.

 

[redeyss]

Skype (cell) to any cellphone counts against minutes on tmobile prepaid plan? Please clarify/explain? Thx!

 

[Mystictrust]

Skype (cell) to any cellphone counts against minutes on tmobile prepaid plan? Please clarify/explain? Thx!

Skype to Skype calls are free. Skype to an actual phone number costs money (for "Skype Out" minutes). You pay Microsoft for Skype minutes, not your cell carrier.

This thread seems to be very scattered with topics...

 

[redeyss]

I can attempt a tie in that helps all, hopefully. I am interested in a 521 on tmobiles $30 plan and think I can do it if I can use Skype for outgoing calls. I have a $3 subscription and a Skype number that comes up as my cell on others caller id. Above comments lead me to believe that Skype will use minutes instead of data when I call another cell or landline from my cell. Can anyone confirm or deny that?

 

[Mystictrust]

I can attempt a tie in that helps all, hopefully. I am interested in a 521 on tmobiles $30 plan and think I can do it if I can use Skype for outgoing calls. I have a $3 subscription and a Skype number that comes up as my cell on others caller id. Above comments lead me to believe that Skype will use minutes instead of data when I call another cell or landline from my cell. Can anyone confirm or deny that?

Deny. Skype is not tied in with cellphone carrier minutes whatsoever. It strictly uses data. This may be some misinformation floating around with someone explaining how Skype VoIP is deeply integrated with the phone and that Skype calls "come up as a regular phone call, without the app being open"... and I imagine someone misinterpreted the meaning and kind of spiraled the wrong info out there. BUT... I can assure you, it is data only.

You can put the phone into airplane mode, turn on Wi-Fi, and make Skype calls all you want. That's the next best piece of evidence I can provide for it not using minutes, unless you call T-Mobile and ask them directly.