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How to make cheap international calls?

Anonymous
Not applicable
I can't phone to the US from my iPhone at the moment. And even if I could I guess the rates would be quite high. Can anyone recommend any workarounds, cheap call through systems etc?
Message 1 of 36
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Ok who's been deleting our posts without any notice?!?

This is unbelievably low even for O2... I'm reporting this thread to every available outlet, surely these phpBB forums keep logs on deleted messages.
Message 31 of 36
1,969 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
OK, I am aware that this thread has gone off topic somewhat, so I intend to post a new topic re: the whole call forwarding debate.

To conclude, there are 2 issues here:-

The first issue is my own personal one of not being able to access a whole range of London based numbers even though O2 are claiming that they are not being barred. I need to make 100% sure that this is neither a SIM nor a handset issue, so let them replace both for me, that's fine by me! If this doesn't fix the issue I expect them to persue the matter until there is a satisfactory outcome. If the issue reaches deadlock, then it's off to Otelo.

The second issue is one that could impact any O2 customer, and that is the seemingly unreasonable clause in the T&C which is that "O2 may exclude from your inclusive minutes allowance calls made to any number ranges which O2 reasonably believes are being used for call forwarding services". An O2 customer has no way of knowing if a local business/organisation that they call is using a call forwarding service, so it would be unfair to penalise them for doing so. Excluding these numbers from their call allowance (and, presumably, charging them at a normal UK landline rate of around 20p per min) is one thing, but blocking access to the numbers all together is undeniably ridiculous.
Message 32 of 36
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi NiceWeatherForDucks,

I'm one of the partners of Busy Bee Nannies and came across this post. Firstly, I'm very sorry to hear that you were having problems with getting through to us.

Secondly, for what its worth we don't use any specific call-forwarding services and as far as the customer (or anyone else along the network chain) is concerned its exactly the same as calling a regular landline. (ie no fee/charge like any 0870, etc numbers). So there shouldn't be any reason to block this number.

What problems exactly were you experiencing when trying to call us? Were there any specific messages saying you are not allowed to make this call?

Dan
Message 33 of 36
1,969 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
Reposting my previous post, edited to conform with O2 forum policies:

@chippie

a) The Data service has absolutely nothing to do with this discussion.

b) O2 is neither defrauded nor suffering direct loss from customers' use of forwarding services. Please read my posts above regarding O2's costs... To repeat myself, if I phone 0161-0000001 which is my grandma's home number in Manchester, I can use up all my 400 inclusive minutes and O2's costs are calculated so that O2 ends up with a profit, or in any case does not lose a penny. If I phone 0161-0000002, which is a VoIP local number forwarding to my wife abroad, again I can use up all my minutes and it will not cost O2 a penny more than calling my grandma did.
So it's not losses you are talking about, it's money they could have made if they were competitive enough.

But this isn't my real issue here.
Telecom companies are after all profit-making businesses, they are not charities, they are out to make money as they should be.
What concerns me is however that there may be actual individual people out there who have this kind of view regarding the provision of legitimate cheap international phone calls.

In the modern, 21st century world, there are many telecom companies offering affordable communication to those that need it most in an increasingly globalised world - i.e. friends and families separated by thousands of miles, perhaps for months at a time. Husbands and wives, parents and children, who may be located on opposite corners of the world as circumstances have it, and who find immense comfort in communicating as much as possible with their loved ones, hearing their voices after a hard day's work and knowing they are doing well and waiting for them back home...
If there is any person who believes that access to these godsend and very much legitimate services should be prohibited, especially when such access is gained by 100% legitimate means and does not cause anybody any loss (refer to my point (b) above), then such a person knows nothing about what it feels like to have one's family living so far away from them and the amazing feeling of comfort and happiness it gives to be able to afford frequent phone calls to them... or perhaps such a person would be able to afford international phone calls at any rate and wouldn't have financial worries like the rest of us!
Message 34 of 36
1,969 Views

Anonymous
Not applicable
Reposting my previous post, edited to conform with O2 forum policies:
@chippie
a) The Data service has absolutely nothing to do with this discussion.
b) O2 is neither defrauded nor suffering direct loss from customers' use of forwarding services. Please read my posts above regarding O2's costs... To repeat myself, if I phone 0161-0000001 which is my grandma's home number in Manchester, I can use up all my 400 inclusive minutes and O2's costs are calculated so that O2 ends up with a profit, or in any case does not lose a penny. If I phone 0161-0000002, which is a VoIP local number forwarding to my wife abroad, again I can use up all my minutes and it will not cost O2 a penny more than calling my grandma did.
So it's not losses you are talking about, it's money they could have made if they were competitive enough.
But this isn't my real issue here.
Telecom companies are after all profit-making businesses, they are not charities, they are out to make money as they should be.
What concerns me is however that there may be actual individual people out there who have this kind of view regarding the provision of legitimate cheap international phone calls.
In the modern, 21st century world, there are many telecom companies offering affordable communication to those that need it most in an increasingly globalised world - i.e. friends and families separated by thousands of miles, perhaps for months at a time. Husbands and wives, parents and children, who may be located on opposite corners of the world as circumstances have it, and who find immense comfort in communicating as much as possible with their loved ones, hearing their voices after a hard day's work and knowing they are doing well and waiting for them back home...
If there is any person who believes that access to these godsend and very much legitimate services should be prohibited, especially when such access is gained by 100% legitimate means and does not cause anybody any loss (refer to my point (b) above), then such a person knows nothing about what it feels like to have one's family living so far away from them and the amazing feeling of comfort and happiness it gives to be able to afford frequent phone calls to them... or perhaps such a person would be able to afford international phone calls at any rate and wouldn't have financial worries like the rest of us!

By your own standards, yes access is gaines by legitimate means, but at the end of the day, your Minutes are for standard UK landlines and networks, standard doesnt nescasarily mean just 01, 02 and 03 numbers, it means any number that is a UK number and is not forwarded onto a number outside of the UK, hence the reason why in the terms and conditions it states;
all provided that O2 may exclude from your inclusive minutes allowance calls made to any number ranges which O2 reasonably believes are being used for call forwarding services, onward calling services or numbers that pay a revenue share.


Basically, its in the terms and conditions, so as the well known saying goes, you havent got a leg to stand on.
Message 35 of 36
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Anonymous
Not applicable

all provided that O2 may exclude from your inclusive minutes allowance calls made to any number ranges which O2 reasonably believes are being used for call forwarding services, onward calling services or numbers that pay a revenue share.

Basically, its in the terms and conditions, so as the well known saying goes, you havent got a leg to stand on.


'Reasonably believes' gives O2 no leg to stand on either, if a specific number they have blocked can be demonstrated and proven to be a regular landline number that does not belong to this category of forwarding services.
Message 36 of 36
1,969 Views