Skype alternative

Valluga

I am desperate to find another way to call anyplace in the world including neighbours that is low cost. We have been using Skype credit for many years and it worked perfectly. We need to cal businesses not in our contacts and we don't want to share our contacts and do not want them sending anyone a message saying that we are now on "___". Anything like WhatsApp will not be good for us - you can't call an Embassy, Social Security, eBay, etc because they are not in contacts. We also do not have a telephone number in the States.
Please help

flaneurs_lobster

Sounds like you are US-based.

This forum is UK-based and is unlikely to be able to help with queries that are very specific to locations outwith the UK.

But you never know.

DullGreyGuy

Valluga said:

I am desperate to find another way to call anyplace in the world including neighbours that is low cost. We have been using Skype credit for many years and it worked perfectly. We need to cal businesses not in our contacts and we don't want to share our contacts and do not want them sending anyone a message saying that we are now on "___". Anything like WhatsApp will not be good for us - you can't call an Embassy, Social Security, eBay, etc because they are not in contacts. We also do not have a telephone number in the States.
Please help

You just need to sign up to a voip service, which is all that Skype Credit was anyway. 

Your last point about "a telephone number in the States" is unclear and clearly confused the person above too. 

VOIP providers typically give you a free telephone number in the country they are based in that will be your callerID if you choose to display it. Many offer you the ability to have additional numbers, some in other countries too, but these are normally chargeable services which may or may not be of interest to you depending on if you want people in other countries to be able to call you at the cost it would cost them to call you were you in that country. 

VOIP can be an app on your phone or computer or you can get both physical phones to use at home or adaptors that allow you to use traditional landline phones on a voip line. With most kit you just dial the number like you would using any other phone and there is no requirement of contacts or announcements that your using your VOIP. 

We use a UK based provider, they allow you to register other numbers you own with them for callerID purposes so I can call from my computer when I am anywhere in the world and as far as the recipient of the call will know Im calling from my mobile/cell phone but I'm not paying the crazy international prices of using my mobile from Brazil etc.

flaneurs_lobster

DullGreyGuy said:

Your last point about "a telephone number in the States" is unclear and clearly confused the person above too. 

That and reference to Social Security, a term not in (official) use in the UK since 2001, but still a Government department in the US (unless Elon has abolished it since last week?)

jbrassy

Rebtel is a good app if you're looking to make cheap international calls.

Valluga

To clear things up:
- If you ever used Skype, you buy credit (we always bought £20 at a time each) and you call anywhere in the world at a stated price (as I said, even your neighbour) and it is taken out of that credit. They never asked for your contacts.
- I live in the UK
- Many VoIPS/Apps ask for your number in the USA to get the app. I do not have one
- With many, they want all of your contacts, like WhatsApp. As an "example" of why that will not work for us, you can't call an Embassy, Social Security USA, eBay, etc because they are not in contacts.
I was going to give you examples of the ones asking for a US number but had to leave. I will try tomorrow

Valluga

jbrassy said:

Rebtel is a good app if you're looking to make cheap international calls.

Thank you, it looked promising until I saw they want all of your contacts. The search is continuing...

flaneurs_lobster

Valluga said:

jbrassy said:

Rebtel is a good app if you're looking to make cheap international calls.

Thank you, it looked promising until I saw they want all of your contacts. The search is continuing...

Rebtel may want to access your contacts (it's a phone service, makes it easier to use) but you don't have to give the app access to your contacts if you don't want to. 

When prompted for access just say no, and continue. It will allow you to use the service by entering numbers manually each time you use it. It will probably keep asking for access but just ignore it.

I'm guessing, but I'm pretty sure that any app that offers telecoms services will want to access your contacts - it's how they work. Skype does, just installed it to check, but you can refuse access.

jbrassy

Valluga said:

jbrassy said:

Rebtel is a good app if you're looking to make cheap international calls.

Thank you, it looked promising until I saw they want all of your contacts. The search is continuing...

I don't understand why that's an issue? You can type in any number manually on Rebtel. You are not restricted to calling people who are saved in your contacts. 

flaneurs_lobster

jbrassy said:

Valluga said:

jbrassy said:

Rebtel is a good app if you're looking to make cheap international calls.

Thank you, it looked promising until I saw they want all of your contacts. The search is continuing...

I don't understand why that's an issue? You can type in any number manually on Rebtel. You are not restricted to calling people who are saved in your contacts. 

Because Rebtel (and Skype and the other comms apps) will share your number with other users of the same service if you give access to them. So if you give access to your contacts and one of your contacts searches on the same service for you it will report that you are available to call, thus revealing your number.

Valluga

I have Rebtel now and you were right, I did not have to give my address book. I have a free trial for one week with a Global subscription (£10 p/mo) but unfortunately, I cannot get it to work. When I call it says add a subscription but Rebtel says I have one. I have contacted them many times but I think I am just chatting with a machine. Tomorrow, Monday I will try them again because it really looks like a good one!