Sheppard A Skype Hacks / Hack6.Try Skype Voicemail, Risk Free

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Skype Hacks
Authors: Sheppard A
Published year: 2005
Pages: 25-26/168

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Hack 6. Try Skype Voicemail, Risk Free

Experiment with Skype Voicemail. Even better, follow the advice in this hack and you can try it for free and without risk .

Works with: all versions of Skype.

The Skype Voicemail service is for those times when you're already online talking to someone else, or you're otherwise unavailable (for example, offline). Calls are automatically routed to a voicemail account that can have a personalized greeting, and that you can access from wherever you are logged onto Skype. You can keep your voicemails for as long as you want.

Skype Voicemail has a neat feature that allows you to send voicemail to any Skype user , regardless of whether they are a Skype Voicemail subscriber. Both Skype users and callers that use your SkypeIn number, if you have one (see "Try SkypeIn, Risk Free" [Hack #5] ), can leave voicemail messages for you. Indeed, Skype Voicemail is currently bundled for free with a SkypeIn subscription.

If you don't have a SkypeIn account, but nevertheless would like to take advantage of the services provided by Skype Voicemail, a subscription currently costs 5 (about .25) for three months and 15 (about .75) for one year. Skype Gift Certificates can also be used to activate Skype Voicemail service.

You can try Skype Voicemail for free and without risk if you follow these simple steps. Purchase a three-month or one-year subscription. Experiment with Skype Voicemail for less than 30 days, and if you don't like it, Skype will refund your subscription in full upon request (see "Claim Your Money Back" [Hack #16] ).

After 30 days, Skype will refund only the unused portion of your last subscription payment on a pro rata basis. In fact, you can claim a refund on these terms at any time for a Skype Voicemail subscription, regardless of whether it is a new subscription or a renewal.

You can find Skype's terms and conditions at http://www.skype.com/company/legal/terms/tos_voip.html. Of particular interest for those who want to try Skype Voicemail without any risk is "Article 6REFUND POLICY."

Hack 7. Roam the World with Skype Zones

Using the Skype Zones service, you can wander the globe and use Skype at any of the 18,000+ wireless hotspots available .

Works with: Windows version of Skype.

Skype has partnered with Boingo, http://www.boingo.com/, to provide Skype users with access to wireless hotspots spread around the globe. Using these hotspots, Skype users can make and receive calls, chat, send voicemail, listen to voicemailin fact, use the whole gamut of Skype services.

Currently available through two different plans, this service may prove ideal for Skype users on the move. The Skype Zones Unlimited plan has a monthly subscription of .95 (about 6.35) that allows for unlimited use across the whole Boingo network. The Skype Zones AsYouGo plan has a per-connection fee of .95 (about 2.35) that allows access from any single network location for up to two consecutive hours. Clearly, if you roam from point to point on the Boingo network, this second plan can get expensive very quickly!

Skype Zones is different from Skype's other service offerings in two respects. First, the service is priced in U.S. dollars ($) rather than euros ( ). Second, trying the service is not risk free in the sense that there is no full refund option should you decide that Skype Zones is not for you. However, on the plus side, there is no long- term contract commitment, and in the case of the Skype Zones Unlimited plan, you can terminate your subscription at any time by notifying Skype and Boingo at least five days before the end of your billing cycle.

You can find full terms and conditions for the Skype Zones service at http://www.skype.com/products/skypezones/. You will have to click on the "Sign up for Skype Zones now to get started" link to get to a page with the text of the terms and conditions.