International calls

[Slothkin]

My Mum and Dad are very well off (multiple houses, classic cars, yacht etc.). They’re abroad at the moment and will be for several months. My Mum has just said it’s very expensive to chat if the web chat goes offline for them. I said I’m really quite upset at being hustled off the line because it’s ‘expensive’. She was upset about this and mentioned costs again. I’ve offered to pay for both our phone fees so we can catch up. I just don’t quite understand how parents could spend hundreds of thousands on a car which is still garaged but get grumpy about the cost of a call with their daughter.

I suppose they didn't get well off by making expensive calls. Look after the pennies and all that, though I can imagine it hurts - maybe she's worried about your phone bill if you have called them?

Depending on how old they are they may have grown up when phone calls were expensive and it's a hard concept to let go of. Do you call her? But nice it's a child complaining about a parent not keeping in touch rather than the other round!

It's just the concept of it. It's a bit alien to them, can't you send them proof it won't cost them to answer and then ring them? Technology is scary when you haven't grown up with it yachts are too but that's another thread

I call them usually. I love them to bits and they’re wonderfully generous people they just have a really weird thing about phone calls! And trying to explain that when I’m on the phone being told ‘well it’s lovely to speak to you but it’s not cheap this love you bye’ is a bit daft when you’re on your yacht.

Thanks for the replies - I was a little bit worried my folks were using that as a get out clause for a chat! I think PPs are right and that it’s just something they would never have spent cash on, so get a bit edgy about it (whereas I spend a chunk of cash keeping in touch with friends by phone!).

I think I’ll try and roll a nice thing - I’ve ben telling my Mum and Dad to get a dual SIM phone for travelling so I think I’ll get them both one for Christmas.

Thanks very much everyone, it’s lovely to get a bit of perspective!

YANBU. That is very odd

I had an odd conversation with my DF. Told my DPs we were getting rid of the landline as it costs £500 per year and they are the only ones using it and he started complaining that it costs 8p per minute if they phone a mobile - fair enough if they were impoverished but DM keeps showing me their finances and they are loaded and very generous in other ways.

I’ve been thinking about this and about PPs comments. I think it comes down to a mismatch in how finances are seen - my lovely Mum and Dad always made sure I had everything I could possibly need, but to them a good long phone catch up is a luxury! Even if I’m the one carrying the (to me negligible) cost. Whereas I think of that as completely standard. Anyway, thanks again everyone, and a very happy December to all!

Nobody likes feeling like they're being ripped off. If they're travelling to non-EU countries they could be paying several pounds a minute to receive a phone call.

If they'll be in one country for several months, they could get a local SIM. That's less useful if they're travelling about though.