Having trouble viewing USA subscription service before buying + European trip strategy

[rooster69]

I'm planning to be in Europe for the next month and wanted to buy a subscription(s) that would:

1) enable me to call the USA cheaply (landlines and mobile),

2) enable me to call USA mobile numbers cheaply when mobiles are also in Europe

3) call European landline numbers.

I think my best option is to buy the USA and unlimited Europe subscription, then get a skype phone # and finally setup voicemail.  The idea is that I would only login to Skype when in WIFI.  My plan was to buy a simple ATT plan, turn off roaming and set up my iphone in airport mode. Then when I get to a wifi spot, download all and return calls as appropriate.

Does this sound like the best plan for anyone who is actually familiar with this stuff? Are there better plans or other factors I should be considering?

It sounds like Skype has practically zero customer support based on my efforts thus far.

I frustrated by the fact I can not seem to find a live body to chat with or # to call to confirm my expectations regarding functionality and cost for various subscription services--to include the most basic of "viewing" the USA subscription (nothing happens when I click on view)....

Please advise if you have adequate subject matter expertise on these matters--and thank you for your support.

[wd9ewk]

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1) enable me to call the USA cheaply (landlines and mobile),

2) enable me to call USA mobile numbers cheaply when mobiles are also in Europe

3) call European landline numbers.

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For just item 1 above, you can get the Unlimited USA & Canada subscription for calling to landlines and mobile phones in both of those countries, at US$ 2.99/month or just over US$ 30/year with a 15% discount if you purchase the subscription on a yearly basis.  Or there are other options I'll expend on in a bit.

For item 2, there is nothing you can do about those you call incurring roaming charges.  You would call a US number, which could be covered by the subscription I mentioned above.  Those people would be liable for roaming charges from their mobile carriers, just like they would for anyone else calling their US mobile numbers. 

Item 3... for European landline numbers, you have some options.  If you don't plan on making lots of calls to these phones with Skype, just purchase Skype Credit and pay as you make those calls.  If there are specific countries where these numbers are located, you can purchase country-specific subscriptions.  Or you can look at the Unlimited Europe subscription for calling landline phones in a couple of dozen European countries (for Russia, only landline phones in Moscow and St. Petersburg).  Or you could go with a single Unlimited World subscription, which would - among other places - cover calling to landline phones in many European countries as well as landlines and mobile phones in the USA.

For pricing on calls using Skype Credit, click on "Pay As You Go" below.  For subscriptions, click on "Subscriptions" below.  Note that Skype's rates do not care where you are located.  Subscriptions and per-minute rates are only concerned with the destination of the calls, and the rates are the same even if you are in the same country where you are calling.

For your contacts using US mobile phones in Europe, they could create Skype accounts and use Skype as you are doing.  If their phones are smartphones compatible with Skype's mobile apps, they could use Skype on WiFi to avoid the roaming charges.  Otherwise, using the Skype apps over a foreign 3G network would incur roaming data charges - just like using any other app on that phone that accesses the Internet. 
 US carriers typically charge around US$ 15 to US$ 20 per megabyte used while roaming, measuring both data sent from the phone as well as data received by the phone.  Those people would need to contact their mobile carriers to know what charges to expect for using their phones outside the US. 

[rooster69]

Thank you, that was helpful. 

I'm still struggling to understand why I can't get a USA only subscription, rather than being forced into a USA/Canada version.  I don't have the "buy" option present, but do have the "view" option for the USA only--which doesn't seem to work when I click on it.  Am I missing something?

Also, what are your thoughts about getting a skype phone number?  Will I be able to forward my Iphone calls to it to avoid the high cost of those charges and simply get them on Skype?  My plan was originally to forward to my Verizon digital voice which has the option to forward to my gmail account, but I'd prefer to suspend the service as I'll be gone for a month and assume I can use Skype far less expensively.

Since I'm not planning on making that many calls, simple Skype credit may be the best option, along with turning my call forwarding on to my suspended Verizon account (so I won't get charged by ATT for calls or VMs).  I did pay for the bare bones ATT plan to mitigate risk of excessive charges, but hoping to be in airplane mode with data roaming and fetch options turned off.

I welcome thoughts from others who have negotiated this situation, but I need to make a final decision in the next 24hours as I fly WED.  Thanks again for helping me with this!

[wd9ewk · Accepted solution]

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rooster69 wrote:

Thank you, that was helpful. 

I'm still struggling to understand why I can't get a USA only subscription, rather than being forced into a USA/Canada version.  I don't have the "buy" option present, but do have the "view" option for the USA only--which doesn't seem to work when I click on it.  Am I missing something?

Also, what are your thoughts about getting a skype phone number?  Will I be able to forward my Iphone calls to it to avoid the high cost of those charges and simply get them on Skype?  My plan was originally to forward to my Verizon digital voice which has the option to forward to my gmail account, but I'd prefer to suspend the service as I'll be gone for a month and assume I can use Skype far less expensively.

Since I'm not planning on making that many calls, simple Skype credit may be the best option, along with turning my call forwarding on to my suspended Verizon account (so I won't get charged by ATT for calls or VMs).  I did pay for the bare bones ATT plan to mitigate risk of excessive charges, but hoping to be in airplane mode with data roaming and fetch options turned off.

I welcome thoughts from others who have negotiated this situation, but I need to make a final decision in the next 24hours as I fly WED.  Thanks again for helping me with this!

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Are you looking at the subscription after logging into your account here on the Skype web site (use the "Account" link at the top of the page)?  Since you're in the US, you would be offered the Unlimited USA & Canada subscription, as opposed to a USA-only subscription that other parts of the world are offered.  Why are those two countries put together in a single subscription?  Only Skype can answer that, but my guesses are that (1) telephone rates across the USA and Canada are so low compared to many other countries that it is cost-effective for Skype to do that, and (2) it may simplify Skype's call routing and billing processes since both countries are part of the same +1 country code.   Skype can clearly identify US-bound calls vs. Canada-bound calls, as those area codes do not cross the international border, but for many the border is more like a line on a map than a big fence or wall, as US and Canadian citizens cross that border so many times daily.

Getting an Online Number, and then forwarding calls from your iPhone to that number, would be one way to help avoid the high costs of roaming.  AT&T's iPhones allow the user to set a number for forwarding.  You'd have to consult with your phone's plan to see how much the forwarded calls cost.  For some plans, forwarded calls are not part of any "unlimited talk" plans.  They may have their own allotment of monthly minutes, or have a charge (per call, or per minute). Then you can answer calls at your Skype account, or configure its voicemail to receive messages that you can listen to at a later time when you have access to WiFi and can log into Skype. 

Having your phone in Airplane mode with Data Roaming turned off is a very good way to ensure no roaming charges will hit your US phone plan.  Airplane mode by itself should be OK, as that turns off the phone's radios for the mobile networks.  You can then turn on WiFi and use that, whenever you are near a hotspot, without worrying about your phone trying to latch onto a foreign mobile network.  If you don't plan on making lots of phone calls, you can just get some Skype Credit for those calls.  Skype Credit could be used for calling anywhere, not just back to the US, if you needed to call some place in whatever country you happen to be in.

Good luck!

[rooster69]

Thanks very much for your comprehensive and thoughtful reply!