I have a UM sim and signed up for CBW. I am currently in Portugal, and was using CBW without problems for several days, when all of a sudden, it quit completely. The UM sim works fine, but when I call CBW, I get the first call back from UM, hear the ringing and hang up. Then I usually get no callback from CBW, or, on the rare occasion I do get a call, I can't get them to accept the number I insert, OR connect to the CBW operator as the prompts suggest. My daughter is now having trouble using the 800 number from the US, which was also working perfectly until ~ 3 days ago.

I emailed customer support, and left a message on their voice mail, and haven't heard anything back. Does anyone know if they've gone defunct? Or, any other similar services I could sign up with for the remaining 2 wks of my trip?

Thanks for any help.

CBW is having computer problems right now. For me, we ran up against my credit limit of $50.00, and the computer problems mean they cannot charge my credit card and free up the $50.00 credit limit. This may be the same situation for you.

My companion is over in London, and has resorted to using U-M, at its higher rate.

... and I have resorted to calling the U-M mobile number, rather than the CBW 800 number, to get in touch with her.

Tonight (GMT+2) I wanted to call my brother who is using O2 UK. I ran out of SkypeOut credit. Because topping up SkypeOut may take a while I decided to use CBW. When I called the DID assigned to my Polish landline, I got a message (in Polish) "The call cannot be completed". When I tried to trigger the number from the mobile phone (Orange Poland), I was disconnected after 2 or 3 seconds. Finally, despite the higher rate, I decided to use the Polish 00800 access number (which has never failed me before even when I couldn't receive a callback) - and this number was busy :(.

I tried also to call via Enlinea. One callback was sucessful but didn't connect to the destination number (I heard echo of my voice only). With two next attempt, even callbacks didn't come.....

This has happened before and it took about a week to resolve....but it makes you wonder....cbw and enlinea are wonderful and for the most part when they are up and running are pretty reliable but what is going on to cause these computer crashes...could it be sabotage of some sort by those who are bening undercut...nah couldn't be...could it?

I ran into the exact same issue. I just got back (On Friday) from a trip where I spent most of the time in Lagos, Nigeria. CBW stopped working for me around Tuesday the 10th or so. As you said, if I do get the callback (I was trigerring via a second phone), their system does not recognize when I enter the numbers and hit #, it keeps prompting me to enter the number. Before that though, CBW + UM worked well. My globalsim was definitely a life saver in these situations. It's definitely a good idea to have more than one option.

This is the 2nd time in a year I've gone on a European trip only to find out CBW is not working. Its time for me to find another option as well -- they just are not reliable enough to depend on. If anybody finds a good alternative, please, please post it for us :)

Interesting and I don't know what this means...

Every so often I get stray calls via my CBW account to my UM sim (I assume caused by somebody accidentally dialing my cbw number or whatever)...

Anyway, I was just checking some things today (I'm at home in the USA) and I noted my um account showed 8 messages in voice mail...so I shut the phone off, waited a decent interval to make sure it had de-registered and called via my landline and AT&T ld (11?/minute)...the first voice mail message was today about 1300 US Eastern time and guess what the message was..."Please enter phone number followed by the number sign key now." (the remaining calls in vm were all the same, quickly deleted them)...but the point I'm making does this mean cbw is up and running....yes indeed still can't access the web site to check balances and things like that.

Any info from anybody...I e mailed customer service but haven't yet received a response....

Well, CBW may not neccessarily be up an running. As I posted in the other thread, on my recent trip from which I returned last Friday, during the last 4 days or so, I got the callback, but when I enter the number followed by the # key as asked, it's not recognized, and the system keeps prompting me to enter the number.

You're right...I forgot that I had that happen to me about a year and a half ago....

I also have exactly the same problem. I receive the callback after ringing the DID 3-4 times and then it does not 'listen' to the numbers I key in.... So it is useless....

CBW seems to be working now. The site login is not fixed yet though.

CBW is still not working for me, now in France. I hope it gets fixed soon. UM gets pretty expensive, especially for short calls. :(

Still not working for me. I am in Germany but get a busy signal when calling the trigger number (213 area code)

Has anybody gotten a recent update from CBW? They have not responded to my emails.

Can anybody recommend a call back with decent rates to either DE or FL mobile (Decent = better than UM)?

Mine is working but with a different area code trigger number than yours.

probably the problem is with certain area numbers at this stage.

For the time being you can have a look at thiscallback

They have 0,33 euros/min to call usa from +423 mobiles But:

1) You are charged for the portion of the call to +423 even if the other one does not respond which does not make it a good option.... Charging is per second
at this stage


2) You are charged per minute once you are connected...


For German mobiles check thiscallback

Same company but cheaper rates (0,19/min to US!)

Just got home from 3 days in Venice, IT for work. As others reported, I got my CBW callback, but in almost every case, I then get a message "Your call did not go through" when I dial the destination number. I then tried *0 to reach the CBW operator from the CBW voice prompt, and got the message "The service you requested is not available". And this was midday PDT midweek! Ouch.

Dave

Add me to the list of dissatisfied customers. I am in the UK and cannot get a ringback without calling 3,4,5 times. When I do get the callback and the voice prompts, the numbers I key in are ignored. Completely unusable.

I'm quite sure there are some problems right now and I do hope they can get them straightened out because on all my trips from the USA to Europe this past summer, it worked perfectly however I must admit I am a bit disturbed that it has taken so long to get it all sorted out.

Question for those who are using both, is enlinea similarly affected?

Yes. Enlinea is exactly the same thing. I just tried. The system keeps prompting to enter the number and hit #...number entered is not recognized. Also, one can't check account activity online. It's obvious that Enlinea and CBW share the same system.

For the past nearly three weeks I have gotten a busy signal when calling my trigger number and an error when I try and trigger from the web.

Sometime in the past week the toll free number started working, but I cannot logon to the website to update the number so it will be of limitted usefulness.

My only response from CBW customer service was a note from Barry saying he forwarded my complaint to tech support. That was well over a week ago.

I have been a loyal CBW customer for a long time now and have recommended it to many people, but this is too much. Luckily I've had good wi-fi access most of this trip and could use my voip provider to make calls, but since I am away from my computer most of the day I am not able to return calls in ant timely fashion,

This has to be a serious financial meltdown -- anything technical (i.e. crashed server) could be fixed in much less than nearly 3 weeks.

Count me now as a former and very disgruntled CBW customer

It is so sad what is happening...I have also recommended CBW and enlinea to many of my friends and it has saved us mucho money....

I just can't understand what has happened...as you said, if it was a technical issue it wouldn't take 3 weeks to repair.

I just wish they were a bit more forthcoming as to just what is going on...it is interesting to note that on their web site (CBW) on the log in page it says log in gtemporarily unavailable and to send e mail requests to update your account which unfortunately was one of the big advantages of CBW you could change what had to be changed on the fly...

I can't conceive there is any alternative out there which allows me to call the USA from most anywhere in Europe, South Africa, Australia and China for 14?/minute...I just hope, as I said, it is a temporary disruption and not whoever does their connecting putting the screws on them as well as the roaming partners.

Both CBW and Enlinea are working. My observation with both of them is that, after entering the number and pressing #, there is a very long silence before one hears "Thank You". During this long silence, most people will probably hang up thinking it's not working (since we usually hear it immediately). At least this is better tnan the thing not recognizing the entry and keeps asking to enter the number.

I've been using CBW a few times last week, and it worked. Well, sometimes I had to trigger the call twice, and sometimes it didn't recognize the number I had dialed. But I would say that more than 80% of the calls were successful.

Anyway, even if you sometimes have to try 2 or 3 times before you can place a call - though it usually works by the first time - I think it's still a very good deal! Just hope they will fix the online account issue soon... :construction:

I've been trying to use CBW constantly since I arrived in the UK 2 days ago. I still haven't had a single call completed. I emailed Barry, and he responded quickly, but a day later nothing has changed. According to my online logs with United Mobile, I have made 25 attempts with 2 successful callbacks. Neither callback accepted the numbers I keyed in.

What area code triggers are working? I have a 402-xxx-xxxx, and I wonder if there is any correlation between area code and success rate.

There has to be some connection between area codes and success rates because mine is working albeit with a different area code than yours

Mine is working and it's areacode 626.

No, that's not what is happening to me. After entering the number and pressing #, it's not silence you hear. Rather, you hear the automated voice tell you immediately to "enter the number you are calling followed by the # sign". I do that, and once again, its says "enter the number you are calling followed by the # sign". And again. And again, until it hangs up. As others have reported, it simply does not recognize that a number is being dialed.

I'm an experienced CBW user, and I know how the service works. And sadly, it is majorly broken. I just got in from a week working in Italy and today Ireland, and 50% of the time I got no callback, and the rest of the time it failed as I described above. Very sad.

Kupe

This may be obvious but do you have your phone set for long tones?

May be the exact problem varies depending on location, callback #, or what? During the last few days on my recent trip, I was experiencing the exact thing you described below (as I posted above and in the other thread) when I tried to use it in Nigeria and Amsterdan. But, now that I am back in the US and I tried it over the weekend, my experience is as above.

Mine is working! So far, so good, except for a long lag time over cell phone to cell phone conversations.

Uggghhh. Now, on top of everything I reported above (can't complete a call, no callback, etc), PIN2DEST is no longer working either. When I dial it and enter my pin, I get a busy signal. And no, my phone isn't busy.

Kupe

It looks like the carrier that CBW uses is undergoing some sort of changes (a buy out or merger maybe). Barry has changed the web script that triggers callbacks online so that the start is "http://70.167.227.199/teledesq-bin/ti/ipcall_form.cgi". I just tested the new URL trigger and it works except it does not call the destination number. There is a long pause then it asks you to enter the destination number.

I did try my PIN2DEST yesterday and found it did work but there was a long delay.

Hey gang-

I got an encouraging reply from Barry yesterday. As it turns out, I finally have a break in my work schedule so unfortunately I won't be in Europe to test it for another week or so.

Here is the main part of it:

Our provider,
Dialthru / Rapidlink has gone through another round of technical
problems and many customers have been affected.

Some of the problems you describe should be resolved at this
moment so please let me know if that is not correct. Dialthru's
carrier (they use many) for Liechtenstein mobile was failing calls
and that is why you were not getting routine callbacks and also
why their system was not recognizing the digits you were entering.
Same thing whether it was someone calling you on PIN2DEST
from the states or you getting a callback - the carrier was failing.
That being said the carrier was switched yesterday so I hope that
is resolved.

I am awaiting word about when the login will be available so I don't
have an answer about that one. As for the internet trigger I believe
that will be within the next day.


Kupe

I just hope that the new carrier can keep the good rates to certain countries.

I suppose they will keep them!

Look at enlinea....they have 2 separate, I don't know what to call them, services...I think one is called papaya and the other mangro.

One has decent rates to a certain country which shall remain nameless although not as low as CBW.

The other has exhorbitantly high rates to that country.

So everything should be working now?

kupe, can you confirm?

Its still not working for me. My trigger numbers now ring (they used to be 100% busy) but no callback to my UM sim is generated. Since the website is down, I can't check to see if there is even a call back number assigned.

My toll free number does redirect to my UM sim. I also just checked the website trigger and that worked. But that doesn't really do me any good -- If I have my computer with me I'll just make a VOIP call. I need CBW for when I am away from my computer.

I've tried the web tigger. It works but says that I've entered an invalid number. I then have to enter the number from the phone. I have not tried my callback number.

Hey gang-

Just walked in the door from Rome, IT. CBW worked 100% perfectly this time- both calling intra-Europe and to the US.

Kupe