Skype - whats the crack? Are calls really free??

thebrow2000

Skype

I'm looking at getting Skype to reduce phone calls.

• How does it work - do i just use my wireless and leave it on all the time??
• Can you really get free calls?
• Whats the best handset?
• Is it recommended?

All replies appreciated.

TB

gjam52

I have just installed Skype and haven't quite got the hang of it yet, but once I had got the set-up out of the way and got my long unused headphones & microphone dusted down it was up and running. You have to put on £10.00 credit and in the last week I have spent just over a pound phoning up other friends' landlines as I only know one friend with Skype installed on her computer and knows how to use it. I'm fairly good on technical things but it took ages to set up the sound properly so it wasn't blasting out of the speakers rather than my headphone and volume control doesn't appear to work the way I want it in Skype.

I'm not in a position to recommend it yet and the cost savings for a person like me who does most comunication by email not huge. Cheers

bella4uk

I have skype but i only really use it to text friends mobiles as it only 5p but more importantly I can use a keyboard...just cannot get to grips with mobiles!!! Although people cannot reply to skype, you can set it to look as though it has come from your mobile and they then can reply.

Quaint1

As has already been suggested, Skype is free for computer to computer calls; if you call computer to landline or mobile, you do have to get some credit, though calls are still generally cheaper than BT - especially if you make international calls. It's worth checking the Skype website, as every so often they offer free credit (it used to be a semi-regular thing on Thursdays!) which can go a very long way!
You CAN pay extra and get a SkypeIn number - basically a 'phone number people can call from a landline or mobile, and you can get hubs that will take calls on a witeless handset (though they are not that cheap - the Skype Shop has info)
I tend to use it for making calls to friends and colleagues in the USA for free - I produce a podcast (which I am not going to name as I don't want to be seen to be plugging it!) and use free software to record the calls (with the permission of the other person of course) for inclusion in the podcast - the sound quality is great (I use a USB headset) and there is no cost at all.
Au Res.,
Paul

ptyks

Don't forget Quidco for 25% cashback.

I'm with Skype since 2004. Mainly use for international calls. Having few friends in US, which cost me around 1-2 p per min. Good signal so far.

If you pay £1.50 ($3) per month, you can subscribe for skype pro. You can get unlimited call to UK landline. Sound good? Check more info here. Pay nothing per minute for calls to landlines within these countries.

thebrow2000

can anyone recommend a phone?

What about this:-


http://www.it247.com/Product/71-VOIP8411B*2F05/?channeltype=Digital(Dect)Phones&level1cat=Telecommunications&keywords=71-VOIP8411B*2F05&prodid=71-VOIP8411B*2F05&level2cat=FixedLineInternetPhones&campaign=froogle|digital(dect)phones|-&utm_medium=Digital(Dect)Phones

mustsportsbar

I have had skype for many years now, at first I thought it was brill due to being in Greece working for the summer so free Pc to Pc calls back home.
If you just want it for Pc to Pc calls its fine but a better option if you want to phone from your Pc to landlines/mobiles is: http://www.freecall.com/en/index.html.
It means its only you that needs an internet connection your end and the other caller doesnt need to be online. You can buy a voipin phone number for €1 ( skype was about £20 a year last time I had one) so people can contact you. If you put €10 credit on you get free landline calls to many countries inc Us Oz NZ Uk for 90 days then at 1c a min.Credit never expires and top up to keep getting 90 freedays. Also text messages are free, you can list you mobile number so this is sent and the person receiving the text knows its from you not a witheld number etc. Calls are cheaper than skype.
I only really use skype for chats online now.
With regards to a phone its down to choice and cost, mine is just a £9 wired one from Ebay, 3 years old and works fine.

MyUserNamesTaken

Personally, I went for Vonage (using Quidco for £40 back), as I call people in Europe and the US, as well as in the UK. Paying £7.99 a month gets me free cals to the UK, US and quite a few European countries. I got a little box from Vonage which plugs into my router/modem. Also plugged into the little box is a normal cordless phone base (with a second phone in the kitchen). My pc doesn't need to be switched on, as the little vonage box does all the work. I got a new phone number (not replaving my old number, as I technically now have a second phone line) and was able to pick the phone code for that line (chose 0207 ). All this for £7.99 a month with unlimited calls to landlines in the US, Europe and UK. Call forwarding is free, as long as you forward it to a landline. You can take the box with you on holiday and hook it up to someone else's broadband connection and use it (the box is programmed with your account details, so will use your account when you make calls). Anyway, I thought it was a better deal than Skype.

dc

We use it for mainly for free video calls to relatives in US and Europe, only occasionally to landlines.

kit

I just use Skype for computer to computer calls. I find it great... I dont have a handset, just speakers and a mic. My best mate and I spend hours chatting for free.... much easier than messenger or text messages.

Pocoyo

kit wrote: »

I just use Skype for computer to computer calls. I find it great... I dont have a handset, just speakers and a mic. My best mate and I spend hours chatting for free.... much easier than messenger or text messages.

Me too, we also have a webcam and video calls are free. We spend hours on to my parents, they love to see the grandchildren as they live a distance away. :j