Pre-paid restrictions in Chile for making International calls?
 

My daughter is living in Chile and has informed me that she cannot make International calls from any Chilean pre-paid SIM card ((I am unsure which operator she is using).

Is this true for every Pre-Paid Chilean operator? Can anyone here let me know what her options are for making international calls?

I cannot seem to find any information online about this at all.

Thanks

I am pretty sure she should be able to get a Chile calling card with a local number and just use that.

Don't know about not being able to make international calls from any prepaid sim. It may just be the carrier she is using. It does not even sound right.

Why doesn't she use skype if she has a skype app or call from her computer?

You didn't say which carrier she used so I just grabbed a Chilean operator's website at random (Movistar) and tried looking for any restrictions on international calling. I saw none. They support international roaming with their prepaid phones, so international calling must be possible. Perhaps their is either a calling code or activation code she needs to dial. What number format is she calling to reach you? "+1-NNN-XXX-XXXX"? "00-NNN-XXX-XXXX"?

VOIP Cheap has local access numbers in Santiago and you can get something like 300 minutes a week free to Australian landlines. If she has a smartphone, their MobileVOIP program (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Symbian -- not sure about Windows Mobile) has a great app which also supports callback and VOIP Over 3g/wifi).

Alternatively, mydivert.com offers Chilean landline numbers (Santiago) that you can have ring in Oz for EUR8 a month. Forwards to Australian landlines are 2 cents a minute, VOIP or Skype forwarding is free. Rebtel.com also has great international rates with local dial-ins in Chile (and Oz).

I haven't heard about Chile blocking outbound international calls on prepaid. She might have to go into her online profile and activate these calls. They may default to turning it off. At the same time, I can't believe this is the cheapest way to call OZ.

If you want to go mobile-to-mobile, Rebtel has an interesting option which allows you to both make local calls and get bridged together so you both have outbound calls and avoid the surcharges typically associated with calling mobile phones.