OT slightly: Can anyone recommend a reliable phonecard?
Jan 23rd 2002, 10:06 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
We've been having all sorts of problems finding a cheap and reliable phonecard that
my USC fiancee can use. I'm in the UK and she's in New Jersey. Needless to say, the
phone is our lifeline at the moment. Some of the problems with the cards we've tried,
especially those bought via the web have been: out of order local number and/or
toll-free number dialling, charging credit card but not receiving PIN numbers or Out
of Stock messages, cards charging 16 cents a minute instead of four etc etc. As if
this whole K1 nightmare isn't enough, then this is certainly beginning to drive us
round the bend...
Any recommendations (for phonecards!) would be much appreciated.
my USC fiancee can use. I'm in the UK and she's in New Jersey. Needless to say, the
phone is our lifeline at the moment. Some of the problems with the cards we've tried,
especially those bought via the web have been: out of order local number and/or
toll-free number dialling, charging credit card but not receiving PIN numbers or Out
of Stock messages, cards charging 16 cents a minute instead of four etc etc. As if
this whole K1 nightmare isn't enough, then this is certainly beginning to drive us
round the bend...
Any recommendations (for phonecards!) would be much appreciated.
Jan 23rd 2002, 11:08 am
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2001
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 276
Barry,
I don't think there is much of anything for under 10c a minute. I will check with my American half, though. It's also possible to get on a calling plan for overseas for her home phone for 10c/minute. I'll also ask her which one she uses. Have you tried America First at this end, though? Those are the ones I use, and they are pretty good. 3p/minute on the 0845 # and 6p/minute for the 0800. If you get the £20 card, they give you an extra £5 free, so on the 0845 number, you end up with 833 minutes for £20. I highly recommend them, though ocassionally (about one call in 5, I guess), you will get a bit of an echo.
I know this doesn't answer your question directly, but I hope it's of some help anyway! Best of luck, and I know totally what you mean about the phone being your lifeline!
-Harry
I don't think there is much of anything for under 10c a minute. I will check with my American half, though. It's also possible to get on a calling plan for overseas for her home phone for 10c/minute. I'll also ask her which one she uses. Have you tried America First at this end, though? Those are the ones I use, and they are pretty good. 3p/minute on the 0845 # and 6p/minute for the 0800. If you get the £20 card, they give you an extra £5 free, so on the 0845 number, you end up with 833 minutes for £20. I highly recommend them, though ocassionally (about one call in 5, I guess), you will get a bit of an echo.
I know this doesn't answer your question directly, but I hope it's of some help anyway! Best of luck, and I know totally what you mean about the phone being your lifeline!
-Harry
Jan 23rd 2002, 12:01 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
I concur ... it really is cheaper to call UK->US than US-<UK!! I'd recommend One.Tel
(3p/min) ... works a treat on 2hour daily phone calls!!!.
Cheers
Den
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(3p/min) ... works a treat on 2hour daily phone calls!!!.
Cheers
Den
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Jan 23rd 2002, 12:33 pm
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
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It's not a phone card...but if she could switch long distance to Essential.com, they
offer 7 cents/min. to the UK
I love them Megan <3
"Frost on the windowpane, the sound of pouring rain, all makes me glad of you. Though
I am far away, I am always with you" -- Neil Finn (Crowded House)
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It's not a phone card...but if she could switch long distance to Essential.com, they
offer 7 cents/min. to the UK
I love them Megan <3"Frost on the windowpane, the sound of pouring rain, all makes me glad of you. Though
I am far away, I am always with you" -- Neil Finn (Crowded House)
Jan 23rd 2002, 1:18 pm
#5
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Posts: n/a
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My fiancee is in Belarus and cheapest i can find is AT&T about 28 cents and 10-10-220
, $2.99 for first 10 minutes and 25 cents after that. Not sure but seem like UK is
around 7 cents . Buy AT&T at Sam's Club on sale for 2.47 cents a minute for US calls
and can be recharged with credit card at same rate. Others countrys are charged at
2.47 cents X ?. Also cost about extra 30 cents from payphones. If anyone knows of a
cheaper price I would like to know.
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My fiancee is in Belarus and cheapest i can find is AT&T about 28 cents and 10-10-220
, $2.99 for first 10 minutes and 25 cents after that. Not sure but seem like UK is
around 7 cents . Buy AT&T at Sam's Club on sale for 2.47 cents a minute for US calls
and can be recharged with credit card at same rate. Others countrys are charged at
2.47 cents X ?. Also cost about extra 30 cents from payphones. If anyone knows of a
cheaper price I would like to know.
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Jan 23rd 2002, 1:28 pm
#6
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Posts: n/a
Try http://www.10-10phonerates.com/intl.html to see the rates on the 10-10 dial
around numbers. This is what I use to call Brazil. Also check into BlackStone phone
cards. They make about 25 different cards. I use one that gives me 240 minutes to Rio
for $10. These only work from the US so she would have to call you.
Hope this helps, Clint - an American trying to get his fiancée here from Rio.
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around numbers. This is what I use to call Brazil. Also check into BlackStone phone
cards. They make about 25 different cards. I use one that gives me 240 minutes to Rio
for $10. These only work from the US so she would have to call you.
Hope this helps, Clint - an American trying to get his fiancée here from Rio.
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Jan 23rd 2002, 2:01 pm
#7
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My Girlfriend uses 7-11 cards, and shes never had a problem with them. The time you
get isn't great, but it's better than what the phone companies charge. I live and
work in an international youth hostel so I get fancy cards that are made specifically
for us, something like 142mins for £10 not too bad, but other cards like Budget are
equally fine for you to call her. also as you have your own phone, if you don't mind
paying local rates as in for a normal call you get even more hours if the card has a
local access number, something like 400 mins for a tenner to the US. Not bad hey?
If your girlfriend has access to a miltiary base she may want to go to the BX and get
cards from there. My GF has access, folks in the airforce, and the cards are better
and cheaper.
Later Alex
get isn't great, but it's better than what the phone companies charge. I live and
work in an international youth hostel so I get fancy cards that are made specifically
for us, something like 142mins for £10 not too bad, but other cards like Budget are
equally fine for you to call her. also as you have your own phone, if you don't mind
paying local rates as in for a normal call you get even more hours if the card has a
local access number, something like 400 mins for a tenner to the US. Not bad hey?
If your girlfriend has access to a miltiary base she may want to go to the BX and get
cards from there. My GF has access, folks in the airforce, and the cards are better
and cheaper.
Later Alex
Jan 23rd 2002, 6:51 pm
#8
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2002
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 92
I agree that it is so much cheaper to call US from UK than calling from US to UK!! When I was in UK calling over here, I used firstnational cards as well- they are a godsend!! Also, onetel is GREAT, it's like 2 or 3p a minute. There was also another phone company I used to use but I can't remember the name of it. I think the onetel website is dead easy, like http://www.onetel.com or http://www.onetel.co.uk or something like that. ANYWAY it's a rip off to call home from here, I usually call UK and get them to call me back!!
Jan 23rd 2002, 6:54 pm
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Frank (and any others calling Eastern Europe), I am not sure how much it is to call
to Belarus. My sweetie is in Moscow, so it is much cheaper to call her than to her
parent's house, which is in the Moscow suburbs. I switch between Net2Phone Direct
(you can find info on the web), and Master Call Communications 800-816-7907.
Net2Phone is around 6 cents per minute to Moscow & MCC is 9 cents. As I mentioned, it
costs more to call to her parents, but I don't remember what the difference is. Might
want to check it out though. Kent
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to Belarus. My sweetie is in Moscow, so it is much cheaper to call her than to her
parent's house, which is in the Moscow suburbs. I switch between Net2Phone Direct
(you can find info on the web), and Master Call Communications 800-816-7907.
Net2Phone is around 6 cents per minute to Moscow & MCC is 9 cents. As I mentioned, it
costs more to call to her parents, but I don't remember what the difference is. Might
want to check it out though. Kent
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Jan 23rd 2002, 8:47 pm
#11
pharrya's troublen strife
Joined: Mar 2001
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 348
phonecards
We found that the ones you buy from the little latin american bodegas in the US (in your fiance's case NJ), and from the cornershops over in the UK were very inexpensive and for the most part reliable. The ones over here tend to give you about 5-7-9 cents a minute to the UK. The ones in the US with no connection fee are better and cheaper in the long run, even if they seem to be a few pennies more per minute. (otherwise you get connection fees of up to a $1! per call).
I have found these cards are way cheaper and you get a lot more calling time than the ones you'd get at 7-11, or Wal-Mart, etc. that are brand name like at &T, etc.
Just check the rate chart posters that they usually have up in these shops.
We used these for the year and a half we were apart, and hubby now uses them to call his mum! (now that he's living here in the US)
I have found these cards are way cheaper and you get a lot more calling time than the ones you'd get at 7-11, or Wal-Mart, etc. that are brand name like at &T, etc.
Just check the rate chart posters that they usually have up in these shops.
We used these for the year and a half we were apart, and hubby now uses them to call his mum! (now that he's living here in the US)
Jan 23rd 2002, 8:47 pm
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
net2phone or IDC Global Call Does she also use a cheap calling service from his home
phone?? We pay 11 cents a minute to call Russia on 1010275. I believe we could save
even more if we chose them for 1+ dialing.
We also have used Net2Phone in France and Italy to call the US without problems.
Italy even had a toll free number and our Italian cell phone did not even bill
airtime for the connection.
Michael
phone?? We pay 11 cents a minute to call Russia on 1010275. I believe we could save
even more if we chose them for 1+ dialing.
We also have used Net2Phone in France and Italy to call the US without problems.
Italy even had a toll free number and our Italian cell phone did not even bill
airtime for the connection.
Michael
Jan 23rd 2002, 8:50 pm
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
Kent Simcox wrote:
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It is important to note that Net2Phone adds on a surcharge of 5 cents a minute if
using the 800 number (or 3 cents more per minute for domestic calls). We use our cell
phones to call the San Jose local numbers toll free in order to save the 5 cents.
Michael
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It is important to note that Net2Phone adds on a surcharge of 5 cents a minute if
using the 800 number (or 3 cents more per minute for domestic calls). We use our cell
phones to call the San Jose local numbers toll free in order to save the 5 cents.
Michael
Jan 24th 2002, 3:17 am
#14
Guest
Posts: n/a
Check these guys out: http://www.worldphonecard.com/
I'm the USC and I call over to Germany all the time and have bought a bunch of cards
from them. They aren't always perfect....they pad the charges a little sometimes, but
I still average out to around $3/hour, which I am okay with. Overall, the cards have
been pretty solid.
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I'm the USC and I call over to Germany all the time and have bought a bunch of cards
from them. They aren't always perfect....they pad the charges a little sometimes, but
I still average out to around $3/hour, which I am okay with. Overall, the cards have
been pretty solid.
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Jan 24th 2002, 3:48 pm
#15
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You should try http://www.ecallingcardonline.com/ U can get a very good price for
most places. e.g. Call Us to Ireland for 1 cent a minute. Note that with some
packages there may be a 50 cent connection charge, u won't get good value if u are
making loads of short phone calls. Although, when u are in love, is there such a
thing as a short phonecall??
Rgrds, John
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You should try http://www.ecallingcardonline.com/ U can get a very good price for
most places. e.g. Call Us to Ireland for 1 cent a minute. Note that with some
packages there may be a 50 cent connection charge, u won't get good value if u are
making loads of short phone calls. Although, when u are in love, is there such a
thing as a short phonecall??
Rgrds, John