# All Calls up to Twenty Minutes.... really? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 13, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318 "2003-09-13T01:08:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bgillingham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bgillingham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bgillingham)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/1 "2003-09-13T01:08:10Z")
You all know the commercial… “All calls up to twenty minutes for only $0.99… and only $0.05 per minute after that” So, let me get this straight… If I made four phone calls each lasting just under 5 minutes, I would only have to pay $0.99 for these calls? If I made twenty calls that each lasted just under a minute, I would also have to pay only $0.99, right? The word “All” is a collective. The word “calls” is plural. You figure it out…😕 Shouldn’t somebody force them to say what they mean? Shouldn’t they have to say “Any call up to twenty minutes for only $0.99… and only $0.05 per minute after that” ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/2 "2003-09-13T01:15:10Z")
All means “each” in this usage: One defintion from Merriam-Webster: > [@](#): > > every member or individual component of ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/3 "2003-09-13T01:17:08Z")
I hear decaf tastes about the same as regular. Just sayin’, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![bgillingham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bgillingham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bgillingham)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/4 "2003-09-13T01:19:15Z")
I don’t see why they say “calls” – as in more than one. Something like, “Any of the calls that you would make”, right? So then you would say “Each call up to twenty minutes…” not “Each calls…” I can see how they meant to confuse the customer here… I am not seriously confused as to how many calls I would REALLY be able to make for $0.99. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/5 "2003-09-13T01:22:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*All means “each” in this usage. \*\* And even then it might not be 99¢ for each call under 20 minutes. I forgot which company operates that service but they’ll switch you to their main service if all those 99¢ circuits are busy. This would result in bills much higher than 99¢, especially if the parent company (whatever it is) isn’t your default long distance carrier. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/6 "2003-09-13T01:33:52Z")
Jeff: I’m pretty sure that’s not legal. At any rate (heh heh), you’re not actually making the long distance call itself from your phone number–you’re using your phone number to connect to one of those 1010xxx services. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/7 "2003-09-13T01:35:34Z")
Might not be legal but it has happened. No idea if it still does. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/8 "2003-09-13T02:02:57Z")
I don’t see where the confusion is. All calls that are 20 minutes or less cost $0.99. I call somebody for 10 minutes, hang up. 99 cents. I call somebody for 1 minute, hang up. 99 cents. I call for 19 minutes, hang up. 99 cents All these calls we “up to” 20 minutes, and all of the calls cost 99 cents. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/9 "2003-09-13T02:16:48Z")
bgillingham, is English your first language? The way you parse sentences is rather… unique. Let’s say there’s a sign outside a movie theater that says “All moviegoers under 18 pay $5” I would interpret that to mean that each individual under 18 pays $5, not that a gigantic group of under 18 years old get in for $5. Similarly, when I hear “All calls up to 20 minutes cost 99 cents”, I interpret that as meaning each individual call up to 20 minutes costs me 99 cents. I don’t think that I can add together numerous calls and only pay 99 cents for all of them. ---
**Author:** ![bgillingham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bgillingham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bgillingham)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/10 "2003-09-13T02:37:25Z")
Sorry – I am a software engineer. Funny that you said I “parsed” my sentences – I have done my fair share of parsing. Maybe I take things too literally. I only think that what they say “All calls up to twenty minutes…” could be literally translated to my first interpretation. Lets not forget that they say “…for only…” rather than “pays” which makes your example almost crystal clear. Wouldn’t you be more correct to say “Any moviegoer under 18 for only $5”??? This is surely more correct than “All moviegoers under 18 for only $5”. If I said “All frenchfries you can eat in twenty minutes for $0.99” would that make it clearer? I can eat one frenchfry, but then am I done - and I’d have to pay? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/11 "2003-09-13T02:47:25Z")
Even taking the expression at hand literally, it ends up being 99 cents per call for calls under 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/12 "2003-09-13T18:30:15Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by bgillingham_ > **Sorry – I am a software engineer.** Heh, so English _is_ a second language for you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tommyturtle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Tommyturtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommyturtle)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/13 "2003-09-13T18:39:30Z")
I had this phone plan at one time I made alot of calls to someone who was never home and I got her answering machine…ALOT Each and every call that lasted the couple seconds to know I was connected to the answering machine were ALL .99 cents each Needless to say I got rid of that plan shortly after I got my first bill It might be “technically” legal but IMO very misleading ---
**Author:** ![Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tyrrell_mcallister/32/16772_2.png) [@Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tyrrell_McAllister)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/14 "2003-09-13T20:02:53Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **bgillingham** _: > > “All calls up to twenty minutes for only $0.99… and only $0.05 per minute after that” > > So, let me get this straight… > > If I made four phone calls each lasting just under 5 minutes, I would only have to pay $0.99 for these calls? If I made twenty calls that each lasted just under a minute, I would also have to pay only $0.99, right? You’re right. There is great potential for confusion here. They should have worded it as: “Let _C_ be the set of all calls made using this service, let _P_ be the mapping from _C_ into the positive real numbers such that ul( _c_ ∈ _C_ ⇒ _P_(_c_) = \ ),[/ul] and let _L_ be the mapping from _C_ into the positive real numbers such that ul( _c_ ∈ _C_ ⇒ _L_(_c_) = \ ).[/ul] Then ul( [( _c_ ∈ _C_ & _L_(_c_) ≤ 20 ) ⇒ _C_(_c_) = 0.99] & [( _c_ ∈ _C_ & _L_(_c_) \> 20 ) ⇒ _C_(_c_) = 0.99 + 0.5 (_L_(_c_) - 20)] ).”[/ul] That way, everyone would understand just what they are claiming. ---
**Author:** ![Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tyrrell_mcallister/32/16772_2.png) [@Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tyrrell_McAllister)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/15 "2003-09-13T20:11:21Z")
Of course, that should be [ul]"(∀_c_)( [( _c_ ∈ _C_ & _L_(_c_) ≤ 20 ) ⇒ _C_(_c_) = 0.99] & [( _c_ ∈ _C_ & _L_(_c_) \> 20 ) ⇒ _C_(_c_) = 0.99 + 0. **0** 5 (_L_(_c_) - 20)] )."[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/16 "2003-09-13T20:56:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tommyturtle \* > It might be “technically” legal but IMO very misleading Misleading if English is your fourth language or if you are mentally handicapped. It seems pretty clear to me. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/17 "2003-09-14T00:44:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*Misleading if English is your fourth language or if you are mentally handicapped. It seems pretty clear to me. \*\* My thoughts exactly. Where could be confusion in this possibly be? What is so misleading? If it lasts anywhere from a nanosecond to 20 minutes, it’s 99cents. So if you’re not sure if your pal is home, call with a regular long distance carrier first, then say “I’ll call you right back” and use 10-10-whatever. Or do what I do when you get the answering machine and leave a 20 minute message (or until the tape runs out) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/18 "2003-09-14T03:58:52Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Tyrrell McAllister \* > \*\*Of course, that should be > [ul]"(∀_c\*)( [( _c_ ∈ _C_ & _L_(_c_) ≤ 20 ) ⇒ _C_(_c_) = 0.99] & [( _c_ ∈ _C_ & _L_(_c_) \> 20 ) ⇒ _C_(_c_) = 0.99 + 0. **0** 5 (_L_(_c_) - 20)] )."[/ul] \*\* That strikes me as a _really_ catchy advertising slogan. I look forward to seeing it on television soon. If it doesn’t show up by next Super Bowl Sunday, though, would you mind if I adopted it as my .sig line? ---
**Author:** ![Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tyrrell_mcallister/32/16772_2.png) [@Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tyrrell_McAllister)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/19 "2003-09-14T06:57:34Z")
I would be honored :). ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318/20 "2003-09-14T07:07:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tyrrell McAllister \* > \*\*You’re right. There is great potential for confusion here. They should have worded it as: > > “Let _C_ be the set of all calls made using this service, let _P_ be the mapping from _C_ into the positive real numbers such that > ul( _c_ ∈ _C_ ⇒ _P_(_c_) = \ ),[/ul] and let _L_ be the mapping from _C_ into the positive real numbers such that > ul( _c_ ∈ _C_ ⇒ _L_(_c_) = \ ).[/ul] Then > ul( [( _c_ ∈ _C_ & _L_(_c_) ≤ 20 ) ⇒ _C_(_c_) = 0.99] & [( _c_ ∈ _C_ & _L_(_c_) \> 20 ) ⇒ _C_(_c_) = 0.99 + 0.5 (_L_(_c_) - 20)] ).”[/ul] > > That way, everyone would understand just what they are claiming. \*\* That was hilarious. Bgillingham, give it up - you’re wrong. All the posters in this thread have an I.Q. of 180.😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-calls-up-to-twenty-minutes-really/201318.md?page=2)