Seems that there are many different principles applied to cell phone contracts in different parts of the world. In NZ we seem to have three basic types...Prepay, which says what it is, and some companies require an annual 'top-up' of at least $10 or $20 and one here none. Contracr - pay a set monthly fee and have 1-200mins free off peak, and more extensive contracts negotiated to meet the callers needs, and, needless to say, the phone company's!!! Mine costs me $20p.a., but have to top up if funds get used up. Last Xmas, Vodafone offered a dollar for dollar bonus, so I hopped in with a lump sum which they doubled! As a pensioner I have to watch what I/we spend, but the cellphone is very handy in any sort of emergency. Off topic, I bought a watch recently that has a ten year battery life - I'll be 81 next month, so I thought I had better buy a couple of spare batteries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Ripley? Believe it or not. LOL Rick H Tech Rose - LoveBytes wrote: > I too was appalled when I first got a cell phone and found out that I had to > pay for incoming calls as well as outgoing calls. What a racket. And the > phones and charges were higher then. I had purchased the phone as I drove > 40 miles each way to work -- <Please delete this line and everything below.> To unsub or change your email settings: //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk To access our Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/