Jer,What about people who are calling from Pay Phones? Dont they get something like 40 minutes for 6 Euros. I sell the cards, because I use them at home and love them, but have had people complaining because of the payphone fees. I've heard the telefonica card for payphones gives you 80 minuted for 6 euros. Have you heard anything about that? -J

quote:

Jer,What about people who are calling from Pay Phones? Dont they get something like 40 minutes for 6 Euros. I sell the cards, because I use them at home and love them, but have had people complaining because of the payphone fees.

Jamie, your customers should not be complaining to you since i told you guys about the 12 cent/min. payphone surcharge when i was at the bookshop last to deliver. the 12 cent/min. surcharge applies to ALL calling cards, not just eurodirect.

so, you should inform your customers when they buy the card that there is a 12 cent/min. surcharge from a payphone. if you warn them, they should not be surprised when they get 40 mins. from the 6� card and should not come back to compain.

yes, if you use the eurodirect card from a payphone, the rate is 15 cents/min (3 cents on the card + the 12 cent/min. telef�nica surcharge) so the 6� card lasts 40 mins. using a diff. card would not be the solution since if another card like "supercall" used to be 6 cents/min., it is not 18 cents/min. after the 12 cents./min telef�nica payphone surcharge.

so, eurodirect is still THE best card for this type of calling.

those who only have the option of calling from a payphone will have to either resign themselves to paying more to call home or call home less.

telef�nica screwed a TON of people with this new payphone surcharge and it is not reversable.

if anyone would like to learn more about combining cards and/or cellphones to call abroad, they are welcome to stop by my office...

Onspanishtime
calle del correo, 4, 2�-4
metro: sol.

... mon.-fri. between 12 noon and 3pm (can also call me on 91 523 2159 during those hours) and i will be glad to advise them on a per case basis as to the cheapest way for them to call home.

quote:

I've heard the telefonica card for payphones gives you 80 minuted for 6 euros. Have you heard anything about that?

i'm pretty sure those are 80 minutes WITHIN spain, not abroad but would have to check.

saludos,
jer...

Jer, can you tell me what is the rate to call Poland through "eurodirect"?

Thanks!
Ola

you get 110 minutes from the 6� card when you use the toll-free access.

saludos,
jer...

Jer

I just checked out the Eurodirect website and to my mind it indicates a rate of 2.3 cents/min for UK, US etc.

Am I right in assuming they have lowered their rates still further from the 3.5 cents/min that it was when this thread started or am I missing something? Should I take other costs into account to get to 3.5 cents?

hey Mark, actually, on feb 15th this year the rate went UP from 2 cents/min to 2.3 cents/min.

that is based on the 260 minutes one gets when using the toll-free access and a 6 euro card (divide 6 by 260 and you get the rate, 0.023 cents).

before that, it was 300 minutes on the same card (rate of 2 cents/min.) which lasted a year.

so, over the past few years, the card has gone...

- originally 170 minutes for 6 euros when the card was launched (3.5 cents/min.)
- went up to 200 minutes for 6 euros (3 cent/min.).
- went up to 300 minutes for 6 euros (2 cents/min.)
- went down to 260 minutes for 6 euros (2.3 cents/min.)

all in all it is not normal for them to raise the rate, if anything they lower it by adding more minutes to the card.

still the ABSOLUTE best card around, hands down.

also, keep in mind that the card offers a local access number as well and that when you use it, the 6 euro card gives you 800 minutes

yes, 800!!! that means that if you have a phone deal that offers you free local calls (like the adsl+free call deals discussed on THAT ADSL BEST DEALS THREAD), the local access call is free and your call back to u.s.a., uk, can, etc... via the eurodirect card is costing you a mere 3/4 of a cent/min. (divide 6 by 800 = 0.0075 cents/min).

can't beat that with a stick :jeje: that is even lower than voice over ip systems and the sound quality with eurodirect is PERFECT.

that is what i have been doing since i signed up for the ya.com adsl+free calls at home and the office.

oh, and for the HEAVY DUTY talkers, eurodirect also makes a 12 euro card

saludos,
jer...

Jer

I lost you when you explained about the local access number to call UK. Like you we shall be getting the Ya b/band + free local and national calls package.

So, to make UK or US calla at 0.75 cents/min I call the access number from home using the card and then dial the international number?!

Sorry - I'm a bit slow on things like this!

no probs.

yes, if you dial the local fixed access, the call is to 91 291 0067 which under the ya.com adsl+free calls deal is a free call for you.

that gets you into the calling card system and you simply...

- when prompted to do so, choose your language.
- when prompted to do so, enter your pin code (code on the eurodirect cards). when you enter the pin, the system will tell you you have 6 euros in your account.
- when prompted to do so, dial the number you wish to call (including international codes, uk would be 0044+number). the system will tell you how many minutes you have to talk (in this case, 800).

that easy.

saludos,
jer...

Hot diggedy...I reckon even I could that!

Thx Jer. You have probably saved me a small fortune!

If we ever get to meet the (first) cana is on me!!

Me again.

MarkE, I�m not stalking you. You just happen to ask question which I know the answers to (I worked in a telephone company last year) .

Those cards are indeed very cheap to call the UK or abroad. The only downside to them is having to key in all the numbers EVERY TIME. First the access number - 9 digits.

Then the language option number (I get impacient here and start putting the PIN in, which obviously doesn�t work and means I have to go back to the beginning).

Then the PIN number which is about 20 digits.

Finally, if you haven�t already hung up through sheer frustration, you dial the number you want and sod�s law it goes straight to answerphone.

Ya.com and the other companies have special offers when phoning abroad. Remember when signing up to the offer you will be given "marcaci�n autom�tica", which means that all calls made will go through that company. You still have the option of shopping around to find a better deal. Once found, all you need to do if sign up to the other company and put in their 4-digit code before you make the call.

Telef�nica�s offer which you briefly referred to is the "Internacional15" one. For 10 euros each month you can call Europe, USA and Canada for up to 15 minutes from 8pm till 8am and all day weekends. It�s not a bad offer if you can limit your calls to just 15 minutes. It wouldn�t work for me as my mother is still telling me about the next door neighbours new conservatory after 10 minutes. Another downside is that the minutes do not accumulate, ie. if you don�t use them, you lose them and still pay 10 euros at the end of the month.

I loathe to put business the way of my ex-company as the boss and I didn�t always see eye to eye but I have to admit it has very good international call prices. The company is Al� and you can compare the prices for yourself. They have packages where you pay a set fee each month and receive a certain amount of minutes for that and it is certainly more economical than Telef�nica - how it compares to to Jazztel I don�t know.

There you go, lots of homework for you to do tonight.

thx soooze...no need to apologise at all. I really appreciate the help. Anyway - who DOESN'T want a stalker?!!! I've arrived!!! Somebody thinks I'm worth stalking!

S'OK - Just kidding...really!

I think that I'll try what Jer suggested - the Ya ADSL + free calls offer and then the Eurocard or whatever its called. It sounds like a pain from what you say but I expect to make just 2 or 3 calls per week but each might be one hour or so in length!! So its probably a case of "no pain, no gain"!! I'll see what my pain threshold is and then change tactics as required!

Nice chatting with you anyway sooooze. Nice to see you are a footie and music fan. What your profile doesn't say is whether you are m or f but never mind! Who do you support over there in Madrid? And what sort of music are you into? Maybe we should carry on this chat in another forum!

hey Mark, with regards to what soooooze wrote...

quote:

Those cards are indeed very cheap to call the UK or abroad. The only downside to them is having to key in all the numbers EVERY TIME. First the access number - 9 digits.

Then the language option number (I get impacient here and start putting the PIN in, which obviously doesn�t work and means I have to go back to the beginning).

Then the PIN number which is about 20 digits.

eurodirect to the rescue again!!!

have no fear, the eurodirect card when used with the toll-free access number offers a 4 digit access which is "1700", saves you 5 digits right from the start. that is the flat 2.3 cent/min rate however.

language option says "uno para espanol", "two for english" right away, easy and fast.

pin codes are manageable as well at 12 digits.

only disadvantage is there is no quick key to hit to make a follow on call. after you are done with the call, you need to hang up and dial the access code again but if your calls are long (as you siad they may be), it is ok.

in my opinion, the big fat "0" in the "llamadas" (calls) column on your monthly phone bill is as ight for sore eyes and makes the dialing a few digits before your calls a small price to pay.

saludos,
jer...

With you there Jer. Leaves scope for spending more on the important things in life ... like tapas y canas

Here's my 2 cents

I bought a Euro Card online in December for 12 euros and it afforded me an unbelievable 3000 minutes.... 50 hours talking time to California - It lasted me until yesterday - I thought it was some kind of mistake.

So today, I bought another one online, and presto change-o.. another 50 hours of talking time.. I don't get it. But I'm not arguing.

It works out to be about .004 cents per minute.... I love it.

I am using a LAN line to make the calls, and I call local number, rather than the toll free line.

As far as managing all the number punching...

1. my home phone has a speed dial, so 1 button press connects me to the system

2. you can program their system to recognize and record your PIN - so as long as you're calling in from the same number, they never require you to re-enter the 20 digit pin... a real time saver. For instructions, just follow the Operator's directions. (i think it's *1 from the main menu)

3. Jer, to make another call without hanging up, simply press the # button twice. This works even if you're in the middle of a call. Very handy and time saving.

I hope this helps.

ciao ragazzi

TL

well were up to 2005 (thread started in 2003) so lets jump to 2006. How much to calls cost to US and Canada from your home phone?

95% of my calls I use skype with a webcam, we bought everyone in the family a webcam and the only time we call driect is to tell them to turn on the PC. Sometimes I'll talk for a min or two but usually no long calls.