I am trying to put a real story that happened to me. I have been using a different calling card to make calls from US to India. In hope of getting cheaper and better service, I wanted to explore more options. Then came amantel.com in the story. I saw an advertisement in a desi tv. The advertisement appeared wonderful. Before giving a try, I tried to check on their website www.amantel.com . Here is the advertisement you can see for yourself
The offer says, you can make 1000 minutes calls to India for 5 dollar bucks. By no means this offers seems bad on face value. Then, I created an account and tried paying the amount hoping I cracked a best deal before thanksgiving day. But who knew that there will be hidden fraud embedded. While making online payment, the message said there is processing charge of extra 2.99 dollars. This bugged me, so I tried to cross check the offer again. On top summary the words says
Wish your family and friends, with Amantel.com’s Bumper Sale Special(Call India @ 0.5 cents/min and Call Pakistan @ 2.9 cents/min)
Some facts about our Bumper Sale:
>> No hidden fees! >> No membership fees!
>> No activation fees! >> No additional taxes!
>> No contract! >> Rechargeable!
>> Pin less Dialing! >> Speed Dialing!
Please note.. summary mentions no hidden fees. But when you go down below on page after reading hundred of words and Q&A in collapseable style, in a small line you will find there is extra processing fee of 2.99 dollar.
After calculating, I thought that the offer is ok, if not so great. So decided to go ahead with checkout. Made the payment, but I could get the service activated only after calling the service center. ffffffffeeeeeeewwwwwwww .
Well I made the first call to a mobile number (at india time night) for around half an hours . It went well. Next day I tried to call an Indian landline number, then I suddenly realized that the remaining minutes message after dialing a number says that I have around 350 minutes remaning, way below my expectation. I was expecting 960 minutes to be remaining. To understand the gap, I called amantel service center, and there come the surprise. 1000 minutes is valid only for India mobile, and is not applicable for landline. I understood the trap in my mind and laughed at own for being fooled.
Well after that I was waiting just to use all the remaining calls, before I could say bye-bye to amantel. But there was another bomb to explode. I was making calls happily, I found minutes are going down, and I found the remaining minutes to India landline is around 100+ minutes. Suddenly I got an email from credit card company that amantel had recharged my account. I hurried and checked my amantel online account and found that they have recharged account for sales price $10, and added service charge of 2.99 dollar on that. meaning grand total of 12.99 dollars. But the question was why the auto-recharge happened, when there was still a balance in account. I checked here and there to findout why it happened, thats where I found in payment mail sent from amantel stating “Anytime, PIN balance falls below a minimum balance of US $3.00, the PIN will automatically charge your Credit Card for the specified amount”. Just tried to calculate from start. I bought product for $5 (if service charge of $2.99 is excluded). Just after using $2 i.e 60% balance still in account, amantel forces for recharge. How much efficient service ? story doesn’t ends here. I tried to call service center assuming it might be error transaction, but it came as a surprise from customer executive that the payment processing is as per their expectation. shocking !!!!!!!!!! where is it written ? answers comes, it is mentioned in terms and condition that there is going to be mandatory recharge for first time. That means, the mandatory minimum cost I have to bear is $5 + $2.99 + $10 + $2.99 = total $21 dollar. The product which had face value of $5 now required me to pay extra cost upto $21.
For all those who want to go with amantel calling card, please note the another trap as they put in their own word “Rounding will be 2 minutes” unlike all other company where rounding is 1 minute.
Please suggest me what should I do next. I tried to check on their website, I don’t find a way where I can stop the auto recharge feature. 
Please help me how to come out of trap.
Please note that the minutes remaining figure quoted are approximate, as I am unable to support this with call history. The call history details couldn’t be located on www.amantel.com.
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i am trying to call the access number , phone is disconnected, tried calling the customer service busy tone , phone out of order.
TOTAL rip off.
thanks for information buddy
Yup amantel sucks. Don’t fall for it.
I’ve been using indiald.com for quite some time with no issues from Toronto as well as Las Vegas. They are a genuine company and the calls get through 99% of the time. The amantel site from what it looks like is a low-class company and you found it the hard way.
This is a fraudulent phone card. Nigerian and Ghana customers must learn from people like me who have fallen for cheap phone cards to Africa. Beware and do not be deceived. Do not give your credit card information away or less this company will reap you apart.
Every time i visit here, the’re always a good topic, thanks making excellent post.
Thanks from Transferring Credit Card Balances
amantel is a reap off and if you can stay off from this sucklers like amantel. I don’t know why the fcc is allowing them to operate in the first place.
Please Please dont go for this service.If you call landline they have someminutes and for cell phone its different.Sometime it says you have 300 minutes and sometime 500.Totally bad service and you have to try atelast 4 times for call to be connected.
Now a days these guys started new thing for auto recharge without any permission and when I call customer service they said its return you have to read and bla bla.
Dont waste time and money on AMANTEL and PhoneIndia also they to have same auto recharge and my previous minutes are gone somewhere.
There is same kind of issues with India LD monthly plans. Check this out:
http://www.howtodialinternationally.com/india/country-codes/indiald-review.aspx
I would suggest you to apply for charge back with your credit card company if there is no way to turn off auto recharge in Amantel site.
will someone explain why one cannot retrieve one’s call history instead of having cust. service send it via email
Thanks for this info. I almost bought it to call Nigeria but wanted to do a quick research.
so what do u use now to call nigeria cuz i want to call but i want something cheap.
Thanks for the review. I was about to buy. Not buying now from amantel.
- Suresh
Thanks a lot for the review.. was about to buy this.
AmanTel’s communication is provided by an Israeli company. Of course, you will be scammed. Israelis always scam you. From Wall Street to Jerusalem.
i went for India India 10 $ 1000minutes…
never got that got about 500 minutes or something…
interesting they auto recharged my credit card when bal;;ance diped to 2 $ and when i call their cust servics they say its must to have 1 auto recharge …lolz
i am calling my Visa to block payment
stay away from aman tel and such fake phonecards
I wrote about this offer before, check this out:
http://www.howtodialinternationally.com/india/country-codes/amantel-review.aspx
I am with amantel from last 5 years ,l Never hace any problem,All terms and conditions are very clear on site. I beleive this is opened by some competior, i love amantel
it’s not possible. Amentel totally Fraud.
I am using amantel to call Africa and they have best rates and quality.Even best I tried thier trial offer for $1 only and liked it,No other company is giving so low rates with this high quality.NO COMPLAINTS. If you know any better site with more good rates pls post here.
I agree with rajesh, I got 1000 mins for $7.99 first time India mobile and i am getting 1000 mins for $12 after trial period. I checked their website before buying and all rates are mentioned very clearly. Very good CS ,Open 24/7. Specially CS named Viren is best,Very helpful.
Amentel calling card it’s totally fraud, Don’t buy !!!!!!!!!
I buy $ 5.00. It;s show me 1000 min . but i get only 300 min. and they charge me $ 2.99 Extra as they say TAX. After then they take $12.99 money from my a/c directly without informed me, when i call customer center then they say it;’s over plan. They don’t give me money back. Finally i change my debit card , coz after any time they r not take money form my a/c.
Don’t buy Amentel.
thanks for great information. Thank god I got little common sense to search for reviews before I buy the service from this fradulent company. Damn it!! I acually use onesuite.com for having very good service to call to India. Even though it is 2c to india, there is honesty, customer support all the time. I have been using it since 2004. They do not have absolutely any hidden fees. Once a year or so, I get issue with the service. Today I had issue with onesuite and I thought of going for this stupid fishy service (A…tel ) for temporary duration without knowing. Glad that I got enough bad comments on this service. thanks to all for sharing their experience.
You guys talking about amentel. Com or amantel.com, I believe amantel.com is original company as I am their long time customer with no issues. A lot of fraudulent sites try to use their name. Amantel.net is also replica of original site. So beware of replicas and trust only amantel. Com
Are you relative of Amentel this guys f*** fraud i can proof it buddy..Belive me
Use Rilance Icall. I have been using it for 3 years now for calling India @ 1 cent per minute. Never had any issues.
I am from Canada I was using Amentel(fraud )Calling card company for India Calling First month they took right amount Next month They misused my credit card They took Almost 300USD from credit card with in two days When i try to speak with them they talking like stupid And They disconnecting my call please do not use this They misuse your credit card Totally fraud calling card.
I would sue them in small claim court just for the fun of it. That would get the owner’s blood boiling, some thing deserving for all that unethical conduct.
AmanTel is worst service provider, they are cheating the customer. It says 0.5c to India but actually it is more. If you call customer care they behave rudely and they are saying you go and sue the company we dont care.
guy dont go behind amantel..its the worst calling card and with hidden fee.unfortunately i bought the calling card for 5 dollar with different account because i forgot my old account and the transaction went through but saying account was inactive so i had to call them and in return they are bleming me cus i created new account to get no and also tell me i did stupid things…they are stupid and open the business for money only .i was so mad and after that i put the dispute on ,on my transaction . i will do whatever i had to do to get my money back.
I have been using the service for about 6 months now but I have no complaints except they add 50 cents to my $ 5.00 refill charge. I do not have Auto recharge, so I manually recharge my pin. The trick is that when registering for the first time, do not accept their trial minutes because they clearly state that after the trial period, there will be auto refill to the PIN. Currently, this is the cheapest calling card I know. I was using Bingo and Pingo cards but they increased their rates to my destination.
I m also using amantel and i called 2 india..on the website everythng is mentioned clearly..and his CSR is also very helpful..especially Gautam..I luv amantel
Hi
I feel bad for you, why don’t you call your credit card and cancel this account and dispute all upcoming charges from them.
Thanks for your post, I have been using Indiald.com and it has been a wonderful service. Just go lured by Amantel’s repeated ads so was thinking of buying it before stumbled across your post. Once again thanks a lot
I bought an international calling card called “Real Time” from Amantel.com. Amantel boasts that you can call for 7.9 per cents to Sri Lanka. It provides a local access number. 4073626903. Card details says if the local access number is not used additonal charges are applied. So I bought it because there is a local access number is available for the card and I do not have long distance service.
When I dialed the number the automated message says you do not have enough credit and hung up. It does not allow me to enter any pin number. When I tried the customer service number, (which is again a long distance number costing me more money) sent with the pin number the person in the other end told me 4073626903 is no longer in use an he gave me another number which is not in local area. This person’s way of speak is very rude an he does not understand English well. I told him that I have no long distance phone so I need a working local access number or my money back. He says he can refund money after reducing 15% for the cancellation fee. This is very unfair an cheating. If I live in a third world country this will be quite normal with this type of people. But I live in Unites States of America where everybody can expect fairness.I will never use Amantel phone cards again and I should warn everyone who use them.
Hi i also use amantel calling cards to call india from USA and found the best international calling card, Nice service, good voice quality and excellent customer service.
I am using rebtel.com and they are true, you can see all your transactions and they send sms of payment.
Very cheap all over world calls. Try their free call and see.
Hailles Shitika
Yes it sucks!! I used this card, and I didn’t work and my local phone company has charged me $20 for two calls that I have used Amentel phone card!!
I thought to purchase it, OMG just escaped… thanks your information, it will save lot of money for all the visitors…
I called amantel to purchase minutes for Kenya and when I asked for csr’s name, I was given a name for a very Indian accented voice. Nothing against that, but please,speak clearly and the truth. Anyway, he told to Google for references and boy was I was glad. After going thru the comments, I am going to stick to AT&T where you pay more but are treated very fairly and you get your statement every month. REMEMBER IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT MOST CERTAINLY ISN’T