abb

Could you tell me what is the cheapest way to phone home?
I tried Big Zoo, but they haven’t got the local 0800 number from where I live in Florida.

Supergirl

We use Bellsouth for our phones call back to the UK at 7c a minute.
If you dial 10 10 987 in front of the number - it's then 3c a minute.

By the way, we're calling from Georgia just up the road.

Duncan Roberts

10 10 987 has a 39c connection fee and as its billed through your phone company it gets taxed and has service charges applied. i use it, but its not as cheap as it first looks

rincewind

We use OneSuite. 4c per minute to call England and no connection charges. Plus it's 2.5c per minute for anywhere in the US.

OneSuite.com

We just top up with credit card when our minutes get low and they roll over.

Plus you can use your pin on a public phone so you're never caught short.

excpomea

We have been using ZoneLD www.zoneld.com for about the past 2 years or so.
They charge 4.9c per min.
We are very happy with them, no 1010XXX numbers to dial,no calling plan charges , no international plan. Just pay for the calls you make.
Their charges to cell phones are even less, 2.3 c per min.

dbj1000

I use an Apple Mac computer, Apple's iChat software and an iSight webcam. I get better quality than a phonecall, and it's free

Not very helpful, I know, if you're on a PC, but there are various chat programs out there for PCs that allow voice chat, and they're free too if the person at the other end has appropriate software.

Taffyles

I use Big Zoo and from where I live in FL they don't have local access either, so I use the toll free 1-888 number ...it still works out cheaper than most others at 3.9 cents a minute. Great service. No connection fees or minimums either.

NC Penguin

I swear by onesuite.com too. I've been using their service for nearly two years now since I read about them in Kiplinger's magazine.

No fees and the account is online so I top up credit via their website. I simply pay for calls I make.

When my local telephone carrier calls and tries to flog me their long distance or international rates/packages, I tell them that they can't beat my onesuite rates. When they hear the p/min charges, that shuts them up pretty pronto!!

rincewind

I have fun with this too. We keep getting calls from AT&T (mostly a Canadian guy for some reason) and I spent 1 hour on the phone telling him about the deal I get with OneSuite and then how I became a Freelance Web Developer. He thanked me for my time and said he was going to try and pursue the same sort of career rather than be a phone salesman.

Glad I could help

Big Vern

I've got some Windows based software called Skype - like dbj1000's iChat software, its good quality and free to use..

I call my friends in the US all the time with it, and it saves a lot of cash..


www.skype.com

lau3rie

have you tried looking for shady newsagents that sell international phonecards?
We have a weird old man in a booth on the edge of campus who sells hundreds of different kinds, they worked out for me all last year, I'd say I generally got between 4-12 hours calls for every $10 card. I felt like I was getting a good deal (2-3c/min plus charges) but I switched to BigZoo cause it's more convenient and easier to keep track of the calls I make.

Pulaski

Local 1 800? A 1 800 number is a 1 800 number is a 1 800 number? I use big zoo and they are great - anyhow the 1 800 number is actually a 1 888