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Skype- peoples opinions

Sutty
Sutty Posts: 64 Forumite
I've just started a new job which involves being away from home a lot, often abroad. A friend of mine suggested using skype to call home and getting a headset for the home computer. I had a look on the website and it looks great, free skpe to skype and very cheap skype to normal phones. Are there any pitfalls to look out for? It almost seems too good.

Thanks in advance, Chris

Comments

  • kitty6
    kitty6 Posts: 27 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    I've been using Skype now for a month mainly to speak to family & friends, especially ones in Europe & Australia. pc to pc with video (using a web cam) & have found it excellent to pit falls as yet. Haven't used it to make any calls to landlines or mobiles. The people I have needed to talk to have pc & it is great to see them as well. Picture & sound very clear.

    kitty
  • BexTech
    BexTech Posts: 4,772 Forumite
    Skype for calls to 'normal' phones are one of the dearest VoIP providers out there.

    Like other VoIP providers calls to the same network are free. For example Sipgate to Sipgate is free, OrbTalk to OrbTalk is free as are many others.

    There's Vyke that charge 2.1p per entire call to many countries including the UK.
    It's PAC not PAC Code, it's MAC not MAC Code, it's PIN not PIN Number, it's ATM not ATM Machine, it's LCD not LCD Display, it's DVD not DVD disc... It's no one not noone, It's a lot not alot, It's got not gotten... Panini is the plural of panino - there is no S!!
    (OK my English isn't great, the sciences, maths & IT are my strong points!)
  • benjus
    benjus Posts: 5,433 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Agree with BexTech. I like using Skype-to-Skype, but I wouldn't use it to call telephone lines. Unless perhaps you make a LOT of calls to landlines in a single country, in which case their £2.95/month subscription plan may be good value.

    Personally I like the Betamax VoIP providers. There are lots of websites operating under this umbrella - you can find a summary of the prices here: http://www.backsla.sh/betamax
    If most of your calls are to landlines in cheap destinations a single credit of €12.50 can last for several months.

    If you want a free UK geographic incoming number to receive calls, I would recommend SIPGate (you need to sign up for the service in the UK but once you've signed up you can receive calls on the UK number wherever you are in the world, as long as you're connected to the Internet).
    Let's settle this like gentlemen: armed with heavy sticks
    On a rotating plate, with spikes like Flash Gordon
    And you're Peter Duncan; I gave you fair warning
  • sarahpallins
    sarahpallins Posts: 15 Forumite
    I use both Google talk and Skype to keep in touch with my brother who lives in Australia. The service is quite satisfactory, but sometimes it get disconnected automatically and sometimes cannot hear the opposite persons voice properly.
    Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference.
    Barak Obama
  • Surfer
    Surfer Posts: 361 Forumite
    I use Skype to keep in touch with relatives in South Africa.
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