2008-08-26

P-man after a great pause4:Skype is not so bad when you pay them.

Skype is very very expensive.

Everyone who has used an appropriate BETAMAX service (choose a suitable service here: betamax price comparison_)
can say so as well.

However, betamax does not have a special call-in number in Poland - it has one in Germany and the UK, but not here. With this number you call a special fixed-line number and are able to call any other number from all over the world - if you have credit in your account. I am using intervoip and it has been working beautifully, no problem at all, decent audio quality. All that and very cheap. I had a special offer as well in the UK - I had 500 minutes every month to call fixed lines. So basically I was using my cell phone to call Germany and Poland and payed very little.

Anyway, I am back in Poland now and i can't use it.
However, I read that skype has a new offer now. There are 3 subscriptions with which you can call free :
either to 1/ all fixed line (festnetzt) phones in your country. 2/ in Europe. 3/ world.
they have different prices but I chose nr.2 and paid 4.5 Euro(every month) . Additionaly it also has the call-in number I just mentioned (so you call a special number they give you, enter your PIN number, and voile- you can call either from a quick - choice list or dial any number you want) It's called skype to go. The service is only available for a few countries in the world (strangely enough not Germany ?) and if you are able to call this access number for free then you have lucked out! Without it skype is really expensive and not really adviceable. With this subscription combined with Skype to go it is a brilliant thing. Especially that you can call any number you want (you have to pay for cellphone calls and outside of europe calls with my subscription) from ANY telephone in the country! Sweet deal, really.

Which forces me to mention one more thing.
So I have this service, cool, can call from fixed phones. But how can I use my mobile... hmmm.
Well, the story is like this. Since something like 3 weeks ago the Orange Poland (mobile provider) internet service has been unavailable for every Orange client - deeep shit. I was and am very angry, I can't take emails, can't check my account, can't do a thing. Once again, deep shit!
I kept on calling, so far 3 times and every time they tell me, we are sorry, our fault, please be patient. Well, the ladies at the call center can't do a thing, they are ok, but this is a parody. Especially that this is not the first time it has happened, just never for so long.

AAAANYYway, I called again today and was talking to some girl and she told me again that she is very sorry, but then after I complained loudly again she told me that she can give me a bonus - I can call one number for free - I chose the skype access number :). Sooo I can use my cell phone for free now to call the skype number and from there I can call everybody else - just need to see the number. Fairly nice but I will complain anyway and write a lengthy document to the company demanding damages. I really need that email account.