Telephone Cards, IM Voice Chat, and other Communication...

[Todd]

Hello all,

This is my first post, and I thought that I would share some experiences as well as ask for advice on money saving ideas on communication.

First of all, Kate my fiance (as of Oct 31) lives in Minsk and is completing her PhD thesis.  The phone service has left a little to be desired at times.  Have other people had similar experiences?  I've tried a range of phone cards for my home phone, which does not have long distance, and the connection quality has varied from ok to lousy.  The best connection quality and cheapest alternative has been using voice over IM using yahoo.  However, depending on the time of day, the number of bits dropped can make both of us unintellgible in which case we switch back to messaging.  Could someone recommend the best phone card service in terms of quality of connection and cost per minute?  I've also noticed that connection quality seems to vary depending on the time of day.  Does anyone know the best times to call Belarus?  Also, why is my connection from work so much better than my connection from home? 

Thanks for the help,

Todd

P.S.  Since I've noticed people posting pics, I thought that I would post a pic of Kate and I shortly after getting engaged.

[Frank]

Hello Todd,

 

I use a website, www.speedypin.com, for buying calling card minutes.  Specifically, I use their "superstar" card.  I use it to call Ukraine.  They say that the cost is 8.3 cents per minute.  With a ten dollar card, I should get 120 minutes, but only get 90.  I continue using this card because the reception is usually good and the cost isn't really that bad.  To date, I have used several cards, including the international MCI card sold at Costco.  The speedypin card is cheaper and works better.  When you spend 100+ dollars a month on phone, it pays to find a good card.  Frank

[Dave]

i have used a card from nobelcom.com and it is very clear. it is pretty cheap too. depending on the card you get determines the price but the 1 i used is 5.5 cents per min to russia. not sure about ukraine.

[LookingForRW]

Ive had losts of problems w/noblecom,, beware.

I use discall.com , I have no financial intrest ,blah,blah. The reason I use them is b/c they dont play all these connect fees,inactivity fee stuff.Sure you can always find a lower price (they are around .125c min. to Ukr. But whats the real "total cost"?

[schlegs]

We have been using the "Mozart" card from Pushline.  I like the auto refill and being able to register our phone so it is automatically detected.  It avoids the PIN number.  Last I looked it was 7 cents a minute to Russia.  Quality is excellent and is provided by IDT.

http://cards2phone.pushline.com/p/info.php/Mozart

[Tagger585]

Phone contact has been pretty good for me.  I use a long distance card and dial myself.  I call russian and ukraine.  I have renewed it twice and it seems pretty reasonable.  There are no charges other than the 11cents a minute.  I have been charged more than that to call texas...

[jb]

FWIW, I have been using Master Comm (formerly InterCallUSA) for about 5 years for telecommunication to Russia.  The call clarity has always been acceptable and they seem to be honest with the minutes purchased for the minutes used.

I have no qualms recommending this company to future users.

 

http://www.choosemcc.com/Welcome.asp

[Donna_Pedro]

I have subscribed to AT&T special program - you pay $50 a month and have your calls unlimited to SPT and Moscow (ground lines).

[KenC]

Donna,

That must be a new program for AT&T.  How long have you used it?

KenC

[Donna_Pedro]

Since December 2004. They used to  have it on their web-site, but Russia was not mentioned among the countries they  have this prog. for. I called and asked and not only got an unlimited time for $50 on ground lines, but also an unexpected "present" of 2c\min to cell phones in Moscow.  

[Son of Clyde]

I also use Master Call Communications and have had no problems. Much better than any plan MCI had to offer. I also use a "Champion" card from Pushline which I also would recommend.

[KevBob]

The best way to go is VOiP or voice over Internet. If you have a high speed internet connection switch your phone service. ATTCallVantage and Vonage are the providers and the quality is awesome! Free to US and Canada and 13 cents/min to Kiev. Crystal clear!

[jb]

KevBob,

I also have Vonage for use as the house phone, and I too, think it's awesome.  But for overseas calling, Vonage to Moscow is 7 cents/min. while Master Comm is still 3.9 cents/min.  

If your wife is as chatty on the phone as mine is, (she calls her family and old girl friends back home frequently), that 3 cents a minute quickly adds up.  And we don't see any difference in sound/connection quality between the two different services.

[Bruno]

Hello guys,

everybody have so low price... maybe someone can help me... actually, i pay around 2$/min... from mobile in Belgium to mobile in Russia...

Forget via internet, the connection are so slow that same ICQ is not possible for Galina, forget the card where pay online because i go never give the mummer of my visa card via internet...

Other alternative !!! I have try "mister bing", a compagny from Turkie... around 0.5$/min but very bad communication... i have try "eurocall", 1$/min if i use in one time the card of 20 euro... in more time, the communication is around 1.5$/min ...

Do you know other card that i can buy ... for communication from mobile to mobile ?

[Albert]

Bruno, you might think of setting up a 'Paypal' account.   Then you use this account to buy things on the internet without giving out your visa number to a large number of places.

Right,  that's how I got my CC # stolen (setting up a paypal account on line).

[Bruno]

Thank for info, but i don't pay with credit card... in Belgium, we have a new system who is very secure... you use your own identity card with electronic chip and pay by wire banking from your computer... but it is only valid in Belgium and in phase test... Normally the new version of windows for Europa go use these system and maybe in some year it will be used in all the world... we have a big sponsor for these system, Bill Gate...

My question was more for other fellow from Europa... we have hundred of prepay card and i cannot begin test all... 

[Dave]

i just got a new credit card with 30 free minutes per month, including international. i havent used it yet but i wanted to bring it up so others can look into it. its an at+t universal rewards card with no annual fee. like i said, i cant vouch for quality but it gives 30 min free every month. they did caution that if you use it outside of usa the country may charge a connection fee(as high as 20 bucks) but if used from usa it is free. they said they warn you at 29 min so you wont go over, not sure how they do that whether it beeps or warns over phone or what. i dont know what the charge is if you go over either but it sounds like a great deal no matter what so you may want to check it out. if anyone already has used this, maybe they can say what the quality is but hey...free is free ;-)

[jb]

Dave,

An AT&T credit card??  I'd say that's a hook to sell their services.  I could be wrong, but remember, 30 minutes a month is but a rain drop in the ocean in the overall scheme of what you will ultimately be spending if you get serious with a woman from the FSU.  I truly believe you will be spending hundreds per month with any AT&T plan, (which is why they bait the hook with 30 free minutes.)

Better to go with one of the VoIP plans where you pay a small fixed amount per minute without connection fees, trust me, you will save a bundle in the long run.

[Dave]

it may in fact be a hook to sell other services but i still think its a good deal. i mean at least you can call just to hear her voice when just starting out. if it gets serious, then sure youll want other methods im sure but still, its free and thats 30 min that you dont have to pay for in phone cards per month. i just got the number for a girl im talking to in ukraine...i have a russia calling card which wont help...makes it so i dont have to buy a ukraine card as we are just starting to know each other more seriously.

[jb]

Let us know how it goes when you are really into a girl and talking to her for an hour or more each day.

[Dave]

hey im just putting it out there as info. im not sure why youre so down on this. are you saying that 30 min of free international long distance per month is a bad thing?? you make it sound like id be stupid to use it. i never said this is the be all end all youll never need to buy a phone card again.

[jb]

you make it sound like id be stupid to use it.

I never said that...
 
Phoning an RW is like being able to eat only one potato chip,,, you just can't do it.  
You will want more than 30 minutes per month.    Hell,,, if you are like most guys, you will burn up twice that amount on the first call.

Bite the bullet and get yourself a decent calling plan, you can thank me later.

[Goombah]

I'll 2nd that calling notion.  I talk 15-30 minutes a call.  My day consist of getting up in the morning, scanning me e-mail for anything from her, reading & replying, calling her, twiddling the day away until the evening, then calling again...  life is good.

Kevin

[Dave]

Bite the bullet and get yourself a decent calling plan, you can thank me later.

already have 1 but now i get the first 30 min free. hell i thought free was a good thing. i guess i was wrong lol