Total Call International

If you live in the 15 percent of the United States that isn't served by a Baby Bell, reviewers say your best option for long-distance phone service is Total Call International. Total Call International has better international rates than ECG (the best choice for Baby Bell areas), and customer service has six language options, including Spanish. Although user reviews are generally filled with praise, customer service leads the list of complaints, especially for a slow process for starting service. One of the more humorous consumer reviews is from someone concerned that caller ID displays his number as "call center" and worries that his friends may think he's a telemarketer and not answer. Total Call International bills in six-second increments, while other companies bill in one-minute increments (meaning a 61-second call is billed at two minutes). TCI also offers a plan that costs 2.9 cents per minute, but there is a $15 monthly fee, so it's a better deal only if you make a lot of long-distance calls. You'll pay more on average for domestic calls than you would with the most-recommended service for the other 85 percent of the United States, ECG (*est. 2.5 cents per minute).

The best reviews of long-distance phone service we found are at SaveOnPhone.com, which evaluates pricing and customer service for about 350 long-distance plans. Unlike some other review sites, SaveOnPhone.com doesn't seem guided by commercial interests in its rankings. Similar websites either base their ratings strictly by price or don't seem to have done the same thorough work in evaluating customer service. PhoneDog.com has a large array of consumer reviews, most listing pros and cons of each provider.