# Free phone calls - Skype



## babydays (12 Nov 2005)

SKYPE - www.skype.com

Anyone heard of or used this? Friend of a friend who's a computer techie is mad about it. It seems that you can have FREE calls through the internet - but only to those on broadband. 

Disadvantages (that I can see immediately) are that you can only call through your computer and the recipient has to have their computer on too at that time. But you can also phone a 'traditional' landline too paying E0.017 per minute local and international (top 20 localities).

Thinking of giving it a go. 

Anyone any experince of it?


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## Ozone Vibe (12 Nov 2005)

Yes - I gave up!!  Despite having a spotless credit record for nearly four decades I could not get the Skype website to accept either of my two credit cards.  I never pay less than 100% of my monthly balance and I am totally debt-free.  I tried Skype help but it was useless.  Others have had the same experience.  

It's sad that a great IT concept can be so poorly implemented that valid and enthusiastic new users like me cannot get access to the system and cannot get any sense from the Skype people!

Cheers,

Ozone Vibe


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## MonsieurBond (12 Nov 2005)

Ozone Vibe said:
			
		

> Yes - I gave up!! Despite having a spotless credit record for nearly four decades I could not get the Skype website to accept either of my two credit cards. I never pay less than 100% of my monthly balance and I am totally debt-free. I tried Skype help but it was useless. Others have had the same experience.
> 
> It's sad that a great IT concept can be so poorly implemented that valid and enthusiastic new users like me cannot get access to the system and cannot get any sense from the Skype people!
> 
> ...



I have had no problems with my credit card on Skype.

BTW There are already some existing topics on Skype on AAM - check out this one which also contains links to older threads.


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## jasconius (12 Nov 2005)

Forgive my ignorance but if the service is free, where does the cc come into it?


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## MonsieurBond (13 Nov 2005)

jasconius said:
			
		

> Forgive my ignorance but if the service is free, where does the cc come into it?



Internet to Internet calls are free. Calls from Internet to landlines (SkypeOut) or from land lines to Internet (SkypeIn) are not free but are very cheap as you are only paying for the local leg and not the international leg.


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## oulu (16 Nov 2005)

Using it for 6 months find it super, wife rings her mother in Finland 2.5cent a min, chats to her sis pc 2 pc for hours at a time for free , if she rings her bro cost 18 cent a min, we where so impressed we went out and bought the skype voip phone, also skypein is great too,


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## guzzler (18 Nov 2005)

Have to say that I am a bit disappointed. Work for a charity with offices worldwide , results are mixed.
Ethiopia to Ireland - good
Mozambique - ok
Indonesia - terrible, had a 40sec delay on the last try.  (512kb over there- 4Mb line here)

The skype chat is brillant. 

Do you think the Skype out would cure the other problems


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## suzie (18 Nov 2005)

Is Skype an alternative to Blueface?


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## podgerodge (18 Nov 2005)

suzie said:
			
		

> Is Skype an alternative to Blueface?



Not really.  The problem with Skype is that you have to have the pc on when using it.  Blueface (and broadtalk etc) allow you to attach a normal phone (including cordless) to your modem enabling you to have the computer off and still make calls.  Blueface to Blueface calls are free all the time.

Stretching the thread, if you have Cable Broadband such as NTL you can go the whole hog and dump the eircom line and it's 25eur a month rental by going to Blueface and getting a dublin number (or porting your old one) as explained above.


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## babydays (18 Nov 2005)

Have just started using it. 

So far the only frustration is that I need to get more people onto broadband so that they can use it!

Have family abroad so have been using it with them. Fantastic to be able to call for free. 

Husband has it at work so can call him for free too!

Now have to investigate the ins-abd outs of skype to land-line.


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## Jo90 (15 Mar 2006)

*Skype & clear wire internet*

does anyone use this service on clearwire broad band and have they had any problems.
the quality is quite poor i have been finding when using skype out at home.


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## Wexfordman (15 Mar 2006)

anyone looking at a skype type setup, should seriously look at some of the irish voip services that you can get, like blueface.ie  Much better product imho, you get an irish phone number, you can call anyone anywhere in the world for free or for feck all depending on your subscription, and the service is exactly like a normal phnoe service (except its over the internet) to use.

I went this route and would highly recommend it. Skype has its limitations.

Wexfordman


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## MonsieurBond (15 Mar 2006)

Wexfordman said:
			
		

> anyone looking at a skype type setup, should seriously look at some of the irish voip services that you can get, like blueface.ie  Much better product imho, you get an irish phone number, you can call anyone anywhere in the world for free or for feck all depending on your subscription, and the service is exactly like a normal phnoe service (except its over the internet) to use.
> 
> I went this route and would highly recommend it. Skype has its limitations.
> 
> Wexfordman


Does BlueFace.ie support video calling using a webcam?


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## Wexfordman (15 Mar 2006)

Did not realise we were talking about videocalling and web cams Bond!!!, this thread is about free voice calls. Cant see any mention of it in the previous posts either. Are you looking for a video calling service or something ?

Wexfordman


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## babydays (26 Mar 2006)

You can also do webcam on skype - on the newest version (running since January I think).
I've been using Skype since November to talk with relatives abroad - it's fantastic, particularly as I have young kids who can talk to gran and grandad whenever they want without me having to worry about the cost of it. 
The only frustration is people not having it!


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## MonsieurBond (27 Mar 2006)

Wexfordman said:
			
		

> Did not realise we were talking about videocalling and web cams Bond!!!, this thread is about free voice calls. Cant see any mention of it in the previous posts either. Are you looking for a video calling service or something ?
> 
> Wexfordman



As Babydays says, Skype have added Video calling (via a webcam) to their VOIP service some time ago. Sounds like a useful add-on to me, as most people have at least a cheap webcam.

Just wondering if Blueface are moving with the times?


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## guzzler (27 Mar 2006)

Hi All,

Last November in this thread I was saying that Skype did not live up to the hype for me in Indonesia. 
Well I am glad to say that it works brillantly in Africa both for pc to pc and skype out.
Called a mobile in Sierra Leone for 90 mins the other day and the cost was just over 7euro and the reception was excellent. Working well for us in Central America as well. I work for an Irish NGO and we are implementing it all over now due to the savings.


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## JohnnieKippe (29 Mar 2006)

Skype is wonderfull. I talk to my friend pc-to-pc for free in Holland. I talk to my sister free pc-to-pc in San Francisco. If she is not at her PC I can ring her at work or home landline for practicallly nothing (20 mins cost 40 cent).


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## Satanta (29 Mar 2006)

JohnnieKippe said:
			
		

> home landline for practicallly nothing (20 mins cost 40 cent).


 
Just checking as I could be missing something here....

If that call was made using 13434 [no connection with the company] (or similiar service)...
Connection = 5c
Tariff = 0.5c/min
20min = 5 + (20*0.5) = 15 cent

Though the free Skype PC to PC calls are obviously superb.


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## JohnnieKippe (29 Mar 2006)

Satanta said:
			
		

> Just checking as I could be missing something here....
> 
> If that call was made using 13434 [no connection with the company] (or similiar service)...
> Connection = 5c
> ...



Sorry, I don't know anything about that other product so can't comment.


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## podgerodge (3 Apr 2006)

Have to agree, the 13434 service is fantastic value for certain calls - especially daytime Irish landlines at 5 cent setup and 0 cent per minute i.e talk for an hour for 5 cent!


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## Lorraine B (3 Apr 2006)

Sorry, maybe I've missed something! What is 13434??


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## guzzler (7 Apr 2006)

People

I'm hooked. Working in Central America for the last week. Calling Ireland every evening, to say goodnight. About 3 hours of calls with Skype out for just under 2euro. Amazing value. 
~Was in Asia last year and for using mobile for 2 calls, about 30 mins in total came to 75euro.

Anyways time for the dinner


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## Mumha (7 Apr 2006)

I'm hooked on Skype myself. I'm about to embark on the next phase i.e. Skypein. Looking forward to it.


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## Guest125 (19 Apr 2006)

I still think the smart 076 service is much better,the other end doesn't need broadband and it's dirt cheap.You can check the call rate before you ring the destination. U.S. 2c OZ is the same.And best of all:NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED.I'm not connected to smart in any way,I just think it's a good service.I wish they'd come to Wexford with their 35 euro broadband&line rental!!!


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