Talk:Collect call

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Merge[edit]

I think this should be merged with Toll-free_telephone_number Rockvee 04:56, 17 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

These are two completely different things.--Esprit15d 12:04, 17 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Please see merger discussion at Talk:1800 Reverse. Biscuittin (talk) 16:37, 10 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"More collect calls are made on Mother's Day than any other day."[edit]

Does this refer to worldwide, or just the US? It's important! 86.143.53.184 14:59, 13 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This would probably be clarified in The Book of Useless Information, which is the source cited. Tra (Talk) 15:39, 13 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It still needs to be mentioned in the article, though. Anyone got the book and can look it up? 81.153.106.164 03:05, 22 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Trickery[edit]

There should be some mention of how you can squeeze a message in during the name bit, to get a free call out, then the person can just refuse the charges. There were even commercials for some phone service implying you wouldn't need to do that anymore. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.73.70.113 (talk) 02:48, 2 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Title of this article[edit]

According to this article (and my own experience), only one country calls reverse-charge calls 'collect calls'. Why, then, is that the name of this article? Unless somebody can provide a reasonable justification, I'll rename this article to 'reverse-charge calls' and redirect 'collect calls' to it. MikZ (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 11:39, 10 May 2011 (UTC).[reply]

Okay, so the Canadians say 'collect call' as well. Still not enough to prevent the name-change. MikZ (talk) 20:07, 11 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed, it should be changed to reverse charge call. 81.151.3.184 (talk) 16:08, 1 February 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Redirect from "Home Country Direct" is inapt[edit]

The article makes passing mention of Home Country Direct, but is not by any stretch of the imagination an article about HCD. It is therefore inappropriate to have Home Country Direct redirect here. It is better to leave H.C.D. with no article at all.

Lincmad (talk) 03:23, 21 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It may be quite malapropos here, but it's interesting to notice the differences in the UK and US English. Like reverse charge call and candy floss versus collect call and cotton candy. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.147.164.87 (talk) 12:50, 5 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]

There's nothing specifically UK about it. Most of the world calls it a reverse-charge call; personally I've only heard 'collect' in the US and Canada. I've had to translate this term for Americans in Scotland and South Africa. MikZ (talk) 6:07, 12 July 2012 (AEST)

History[edit]

The artical misses a history section. Is it there was a similar system for telegrams?--78.49.177.72 (talk) 07:24, 24 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

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Etymology[edit]

Why was the word "collect" used for these calls? I would be interested in any known etymology for the term, because nothing was being collected by anyone. Reduced to its bare motives and results, the caller was "passing the buck" to the called party and compelling them to pay for the call. The closest relationship I can think of for "collect" is: "Hey, operator? I don't want to pay for this, so I want you folks to COLLECT the charges from the bloke I'm calling!" GBC (talk) 01:08, 20 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Well, you’ve got it. The operator places a long distance call that is not paid for, for which the charge has to be collected. Remember this was in the days of coin-operated phones. (To call Los Angeles from New York, station to station (the “ststion” is technical jargon for the phone), it cost $2.40 for the minimum 3 minutes, so you deposited 9 quarters, 1 nickel, and 1 dime. The different coins made different noises as they fell into the cash box, so the operator listening could tell how much you’d deposited.) But I digress. deisenbe (talk) 02:07, 20 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]