Hack9.Make Toll-Free Calls

Hack 9. Make Toll-Free Calls

Most regular phone plans don't charge for toll-free numbers you call in your own country, but what about toll-free numbers in other countries? Skype allows you to make free toll-free calls for your own country, and for other countries !!

Works with: all versions of Skype.

Many VoIP plans charge for what would otherwise be toll-free calls (1-800 and the like in the U.S. and other numbers elsewhere) under a regular phone plan. Indeed, until recently, Skype also charged for these types of calls.

Now, many toll-free calls are free when made using Skype. Even better, you don't have to be a SkypeOut subscriber to take advantage of making toll-free calls without paying a penny.

Regular phone plans normally don't charge for calling toll-free numbers in your own country, but that is not usually the case for toll-free numbers in other countries. In fact, such numbers might simply be blocked. With Skype toll-free calling, there is no such restriction.

Support for all types of toll-free numbers in all countries is not yet available. Skype currently supports the following countries and number prefixes:

France

+33-800, +33-805, +33-809

Poland

+48-800

United Kingdom

+44-500, +44-800, +44-808

United States and Canada

+1-800, +1-866, +1-877, +1-888

You can obtain toll-free directory assistance for some U.S. toll-free numbers by calling +1-800-555-1212. The service is free, but not all U.S. toll-free numbers are listedonly those for subscribers that choose to list them.

Some toll-free numbers in the U.S. are geographically restricted in the sense that calls to that number will be accepted only if they originate from a caller in a known geographic region. Because you can make SkypeOut calls from anywhere , these restricted numbers cannot determine your location and therefore may block the call.

Hack 10. Forward Calls

Have your calls follow you around! Skype's call-forwarding feature can forward your calls when you're on the move .

Works with: Windows version of Skype.

Skype gives you the option to forward incoming calls to up to three alternative Skype accounts (or regular phone numbers if you're a SkypeOut subscriber). This works whether the incoming call is from another Skype user or, if you have a SkypeIn number, from a regular phone. However, how quickly calls are forwarded depends on your online status, as shown in Table 1-8.

Table 1-8. Typical delay before a call is forwarded

To forward calls you must first specify the forwarding Skype names or regular phone numbers (select Skype Tools Options… Call Forwarding & Voicemail), as shown in Figure 1-12. To activate call forwarding you must put a checkmark in the checkbox opposite "Forward calls when Im not on Skype."

Figure 1-12. Call-forwarding Options dialog

Skype call forwarding enables you to redirect incoming Skype calls to another Skype name , mobile phone, or landline number. If none of the forwarding contacts is available (for example, they're offline), or none of them picks up the call, the caller will either get a message indicating that the call could not be completed, or be directed to voicemail (if you are a Skype voicemail subscriber).