Phone service where my calls can be tracked

[VictorPhoenix]

Does anyone here know of a way I can call China cheaply and also have a list of times and dates I called and who I call?

[Jason+Joanna]

If you have high speed internet, you can get "Voice Over Internet Protocol"

or VOIP through a service called broadvoice:

 

www.broadvoice.com

 

The cost is $19.95 + tax -- and you can call any land line in china for free, and any cell phone for 2 cents per minute. They have a detailed calling listing -- they will send you a bill every month, and you can look at the current calling listing on line as well.

[ed and ying]

Welcome to CFL

 

This has been discussed here a few times. Another VOIP,is skype. Then there are the calling cards. The "calling cards" from Pincity and Onesuite seem to be popular.

 

I use Pincity (www.pincity.com) 2.9 cents a minute and clear and relaible. Very easy to use, recharge online, provide tracking. Pincity retrieved called records almost one year old for me ( I was not smart enough to save them back then)

 

If you google " China calling cards" you will find lots to investigate. The real cheap ones will not provide the quality, reliability or features that you want

 

Feel free to email me if you like to discuss

[NY-Viking]

I'll put in a vote for OneSuite - www.onesuite.com

 

- 2.2 cents a minute with their local access number to China and you can call cell phones in China (if you use OneSuite's 800 number, it's 3.7 cents a minute)

- generally a great connection

- easy to use and print log of calls

- you can purchase blocks of time, so you only pay for what you use - no monthly plans

- i started with a $10 purchase, and refill it whenever it runs out

[ed and ying]

Victor-Phoenix

I think pincity or onesuite may be you best choices. It really all depends on your situation. Pincity has some good call from home options. I do not have home phone, all mobile - but use pincity's overseas option when I travel.

 

Either way I do not think you will go too wrong. If you are not into the analysis and decison making - just pick one and go for it. Getting the SO here is the real goal !!!

[david_dawei]

I use skype (skype.com)... If anyone else [around the world] also has the software, the call is free. You can pay for call out service and call anyone, even a cell phone. I talked to Zixuan for 20 minutes on her cell phone and it cost me 0.70 cent.

 

Since then, she has gotten the software and we now talk free.

 

I wish I could find a reliable software that would do three items :

1) Video

2) Audio

3) Send message in chinese characters in chat mode

 

Skype can do 2&3 . I use Yaoo IM for #1 (video), but it's audio is bad and no chinese character support in chatting. I've tried MSN and windows messenging...

[kfman]

I'll put in a vote for OneSuite - www.onesuite.com

 

- 2.2 cents a minute with their local access number to China and you can call cell phones in China (if you use OneSuite's 800 number, it's 3.7 cents a minute)

- generally a great connection

- easy to use and print log of calls

- you can purchase blocks of time, so you only pay for what you use - no monthly plans

- i started with a $10 purchase, and refill it whenever it runs out

Ditto.. plus you can print out a monthy history as evidence

 

[NY-Viking]

I use skype (skype.com)...    If anyone else [around the world] also has the software, the call is free. You can pay for call out service and call anyone, even a cell phone.    I talked to Zixuan for 20 minutes on her cell phone and it cost me 0.70 cent.

.70 cents or .70 dollars?

 

I'm guessing you mean .70 dollars (that is, 70 cents) but please clarify, because the other would be REALLY cheap ...

 

OneSuite is a bit cheaper (a 20 minute call would be about 45 cents), but doesn't have the option to use software to talk for free to others who have the software.

 

 

One thing you should all keep in mind when calling your SOs is that if you call his/her cell phone, they are paying to receive the call as well. Like in the US where we pay for air time, they pay a per minute rate in China whether they send or receive the call and calls from overseas are charged at a higher rate (I believe this second part is true - I received a call from England when I was in Shanghai, and the money I had charged on my cell phone card disappeared rather quickly). Calls received on a land line do not pay for air time (like here).

 

With that said, I call my fiancée on her cell phone all the time. Sometimes she's out and I just HAVE to talk to her ... And, of course when she was in Guangzhou for the interview, I had to call every few hours for updates.

[C4Racer]

I have both pincity and onesuite. onesuite is cheaper than pincity. The only reason I keep pincity is for local access available in China. One time when I traveled to China, my return flight was cancelled. It was nice to call back home to work and let them know I would be a day late.

[nygatl15]

I use onesuite.com among others. they have a great feature where i can setup my cell to call in only 4 keystrokes.. it pretty cool and i can set up all my phones when i call the toll free number, it will enter the destination number, pretty cool. there is one for cheaper if you just search them all.onesuite is good because they don't charge connection fee.

[david_dawei]

I use skype (skype.com)...    If anyone else [around the world] also has the software, the call is free.   You can pay for call out service and call anyone, even a cell phone.    I talked to Zixuan for 20 minutes on her cell phone and it cost me 0.70 cent.

.70 cents or .70 dollars?

 

I'm guessing you mean .70 dollars (that is, 70 cents) but please clarify, because the other would be REALLY cheap ...

sorry for the confusion.. and I got two calls crossed, so I looked at it online. A forty minute call was 70 cents (or as you corrected, .70 dollars).

 

I also use Trillian for "IM" (Internet Messenger) .. I have my AOL and Yahoo accounts pull into this so I only open Trillian. It also notifies me of email in either one. It keeps a "chat" history by your buddies. So I can see every day (and every word !!) that we talk. IT will accept Chinese character input, which AOL and Yahoo IMs will not do.

[impatient]

Jason+Joanna. thank you for the info on the boadband phone, I just signed up for it. Also I use msn and yahoo but I always keep the archives of our conversations so I can print them off as proof also.

 

Bill

[coconme]

ill have to add another plug for onesuite.com

its cheap and u can print a list of all the calls

(listed with time date how long of call ect..)

right from the website. local access is 2.2 cents and

1-800 is 3.7 cents

its worked great for me and coco and was easily

able to print out pages of calls to send in 129 acouple weeks

ago.

coconme

[david_dawei]

ill have to add another plug for onesuite.com

its cheap and u can print a list of all the calls

(listed with time date how long of call ect..)

right from the website. local access is 2.2 cents and

1-800 is 3.7 cents

its worked great for me and coco and was easily

able to print out pages of calls to send in 129 acouple weeks

ago.

coconme

you mentioned local access and 1-800.. what rates to China?

[James]

I use Yestel.

 

www.yestelnet.com