Skype-manx Sim Loophole!!!

jeffharris · 15-10-2006, 05:53

So,

I have a GeoSIM Manx number, and playing with my call options on my trip to Europe now. I discovered when I forward my Skype In number (which I use a US number) into the Manx number, Skype sees it as a 2.1c a minute rate !!!!!

This means, you can forward your landline, or cell (which of course is in most cases included minutes for USA cells) to the Skype In number, forward that to the Manx SIM, and in effect, you can pay 2c a minute to receive calls when someone calls your US number (and I am sure other cheap options can be created using Skypes free internaitonal incoming numbers)

In addition, you can use Callbackworld (which also seems to have the cheapest US to US call back rates), and have the callback number be the Skype number, which forwards ot the Manx number, and calls from any of the free roaming countries of the Manx SIMs, to the US become only 10c a minute (8c a minute with CBW, and 2c for the Skype forward)!!!!

Now, can anyone do better than 10c a minute outgoing to US, and 2c a minute incoming when someone calls your US cell????????

andy · 15-10-2006, 23:45

It's already mentioned on a couple of threads, but fortunately Skype don't seem to have read them yet, so keep your head down

Try Enlinea instead of CBW, to save 2c per minute. Call2 about the same, but I haven't tried it

edit - I see Enlinea is now 4c or 5c. Nikotel appears to be 2c, but I haven't tried it yet.

But I wonder if you have had any problems with actually doing the dialling when going via the Skype forwarding like this, as there seem to be issues about recognising DTMF ? You probably need to program the destination in advance, such as via the wap/gprs method that DRN discovered

Voipfone and Mywebcalls are cheaper still, about 6c or 5c overall, but you need another callback trigger method like wap/gprs or sms as their trigger portal numbers need caller ID**. about one in ten of connected calls seem to have a bit of delay, and once in a while the quality is unusable - this could be down to any link in the chain

But the cheapest of all would be to use Voxalot or similar callback with VoIP providers with free or per connection calls, like several Australian ones, Finarea companies or an offer with Babble that I haven't tried yet. Some won't do both legs of the call though; they connect but no audio.

So 2c per minute seems to be the minimum possible.

nb using callthrough numbers (to reduce the price of calls to most other countries' mobiles) seems a bit problematic when used with skype forwarding at the moment as (see also above) the DTMF codes don't seem to be relayed so the destination can't be dialled. If this could be got to work then it might be possible to call much of the world for about 10 to 15c

** although you can set Mywebcalls to recognise one caller ID and callback to another number ... but then, again the trouble about DTMF ...

	(#1)
jeffharris (Offline) Member Advanced Member Posts: 55 Join Date: 14 Aug 2006 Location: Los Angeles & NY Country:	15-10-2006, 05:53 So, I have a GeoSIM Manx number, and playing with my call options on my trip to Europe now. I discovered when I forward my Skype In number (which I use a US number) into the Manx number, Skype sees it as a 2.1c a minute rate !!!!! This means, you can forward your landline, or cell (which of course is in most cases included minutes for USA cells) to the Skype In number, forward that to the Manx SIM, and in effect, you can pay 2c a minute to receive calls when someone calls your US number (and I am sure other cheap options can be created using Skypes free internaitonal incoming numbers) In addition, you can use Callbackworld (which also seems to have the cheapest US to US call back rates), and have the callback number be the Skype number, which forwards ot the Manx number, and calls from any of the free roaming countries of the Manx SIMs, to the US become only 10c a minute (8c a minute with CBW, and 2c for the Skype forward)!!!! Now, can anyone do better than 10c a minute outgoing to US, and 2c a minute incoming when someone calls your US cell????????

	(#2)
andy (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Prophet Posts: 2,128 Join Date: 10 Dec 2004 Country:	15-10-2006, 23:45 It's already mentioned on a couple of threads, but fortunately Skype don't seem to have read them yet, so keep your head down Try Enlinea instead of CBW, to save 2c per minute. Call2 about the same, but I haven't tried it edit - I see Enlinea is now 4c or 5c. Nikotel appears to be 2c, but I haven't tried it yet. But I wonder if you have had any problems with actually doing the dialling when going via the Skype forwarding like this, as there seem to be issues about recognising DTMF ? You probably need to program the destination in advance, such as via the wap/gprs method that DRN discovered Voipfone and Mywebcalls are cheaper still, about 6c or 5c overall, but you need another callback trigger method like wap/gprs or sms as their trigger portal numbers need caller ID. about one in ten of connected calls seem to have a bit of delay, and once in a while the quality is unusable - this could be down to any link in the chain But the cheapest of all would be to use Voxalot or similar callback with VoIP providers with free or per connection calls, like several Australian ones, Finarea companies or an offer with Babble that I haven't tried yet. Some won't do both legs of the call though; they connect but no audio. So 2c per minute seems to be the minimum possible. nb using callthrough numbers (to reduce the price of calls to most other countries' mobiles) seems a bit problematic when used with skype forwarding at the moment as (see also above) the DTMF codes don't seem to be relayed so the destination can't be dialled. If this could be got to work then it might be possible to call much of the world for about 10 to 15c although you can set Mywebcalls to recognise one caller ID and callback to another number ... but then, again the trouble about DTMF ...