Mobile phone plans - designed to confuse

If only Telstra, Optus and all the other telco's sold mobile phone plans that tried to 'usher in light' instead of just raising false 'high expectations' as does this pavilion in the Forbidden City in Beijing. 

When I use $18, why should I buy $600 worth?

I'm an average to low user of my smartphone, and I have just come off a two year contract for my first generation iPhone.  I'd love another - newer version, but can't really justify the $79 or $99 per month it would cost with my service provider (Oh what a misnomer that is!). $99 might buy me something like $600 worth of calls per month, but since my call charges are actually about $18 a month - what's all that left over capacity worth to me.  I'll tell you - about $80 a month, or $1,000 a year. So I said 'Put me on your minimum plan.' And then the fun started.
Why do calls become more expensive the less you pay?
Suddenly my calls and SMS's and everything else got a lot more expensive, and those free calls to some phone numbers disappeared.  Besides being very confusing - it means there is no way of comparing price plans.

Do you think they do it deliberately?

So what's the solution?

Well I am going to have to wait a bit to find out. I'll have to watch what my new call pattern is, and how much it is costing me on my new increased rates (decrease payments, increase call costs). But there is now an alternative - Amaysim Their rates are all the same, not deals, no contracts.

I'm thinking about it.  Are you?

Anyone got a story about them? - Usher in the Light?