Tag: voip

Categories
Mac Skype

Setting up Skype Voicemail on Mac client 5.1.0.935

[For the impatient, scroll down to see the solution]

I have used Skype for years. I work from home, and have a subscription and a Skype Online Number, to which my office phone number redirects, so that colleagues can still dial my extension and talk to me. As such, I rely on it.

I’m also a Mac user, and have witnessed so many changes to the Skype interface that I dread each time that an update alert appears. There is only so long one can ignore them. Somewhere in the current 5.x release cycle, it appears that my voicemail settings disappeared. A colleague alerted me to this today, that my number rang and rang (whilst I was making tea in the kitchen). I thought it would just be a case of re-ticking the “unanswered calls” button that I seem to remember being fairly obvious in the preferences panel of previous versions. But in their wisdom, the “Calls” panel of the current build of the Mac Skype client (5.1.0.935) now looks like this:

Skype "Calls" options
"Calls" options in Skype 5.1.0.935

Now, forgive me for being picky, but where is the option to say “after 15 seconds go to voicemail”? Here, it seems as if I am offered four direct options. Do nothing and allow me to answer, the rather scary “answer automatically”, forward calls to another number, or just send them all to voicemail. It doesn’t seem that flexible, and I’m never going to remember to go into Skype and switch on voicemail manually.

In the “Set up Voicemail” panel, all you can do is record or play back your message; no further options are available. In “Set up Forwarding” you can set a time limit in seconds and enter numbers to which to redirect the call. No “send to voicemail” option.

The Solution

The rather unintuitive solution seems to be this. Open Skype Preferences (Skype > Preferences) then select the “Calls” tab. Next, select “Forward calls”. Then click “Set up Forwarding”. Enter the time in seconds after which you would like calls to be sent to voicemail. Don’t enter any phone numbers. Click “Done”. Back on the Calls panel switch to the fourth option, “Send to voicemail”. Your calls will now go to voicemail after the specified amount of time.

Come on Skype, that’s not obvious! Please make this process a lot more obvious in future builds, and bring back the “unanswered calls” settings.

Categories
Skype smartphones Software

Skype on the Nokia E71

As regular readers know, I use Skype a lot. I have family and friends scattered across the world, and it’s an essential part of keeping in touch with them. When Tehmina stayed in Rome for a two month research trip in 2005 Skype was our lifeline.

[Update] On 10th December 2009 Skype released the beta of an official Skype Symbian client. This is the best solution for serious Skype users on the Symbian S60 platform. Read my quick overview.

3Skypephone

When 3 launched their 3Skypephone at the end of 2007 we were amongst the first to get our hands on one. However, I found it an increasingly frustrating phone to use, mainly because of it’s poor text input capabilities (two separate dictionaries, no T9 word learning in the built-in Skype app, replacing words that were in the phonebook, etc). A few months ago, I replaced it with a Nokia E71, and haven’t looked back. Much.

The one (and in my opinion, only) good feature about the 3Skypephone was that Skype was built-in to the handset. It was always running, and I didn’t have to remember to launch the client. I was logged in to Skype 24/7. The one disadvantage of moving to the E71 has been working out the best strategy of running Skype, and indeed, which client to use.

3’s Symbian Skype Client

I bought my handset from 3, who offer a custom native S60 Skype client developed by iSkoot. Granted, it’s not built in, but it is supported by the network and I’m not charged to make outgoing Skype-to-Skype calls. Recently, 3 made the progressive move to allow international Skype Out calls via their updated client. Amazing. This means that I can select a contact and dial their landline, pay nothing for the network voice call into Skype’s servers, and have the international part of the call charge covered by my Skype subscription.

However, all good things come at a price. 3’s client doesn’t allow SkypeIn calls via my Online Number. And its implementation of chat is cludgy and awful. Yesterday, on a train journey home, I was trying to chat to Tehmina, but while she could receive my messages, I couldn’t see any of her replies. She had to call me and ask if I was receiving them! Other times, chats have come through, but 10 minutes after they were sent. It’s very frustrating. You also have to click a “write message” button every time (which isn’t natural “chat”) and type into a tiny box. It’s a very frustrating experience.

Fring

The other option is to use Fring. Fring can connect to Skype and allows both voice and chat. Fring doesn’t utilise the voice network to complete part of the bridge, and so is a true VOIP system. The downside is that you need a good (preferably 3G or WiFi) signal to use it. Chats come through instantly, there’s no ‘barrier’ for text entry, just a normal text entry field, SkypeIn and Out both work, and it allows attachments (e.g. photos etc) to be sent to the person you’re text chatting with on Skype. It’s rather marvellous.

3 Skype client vs Fring – some issues

However (and isn’t there always a ‘however’!), I’ve found that Fring doesn’t always connect in to the Skype network. Whilst on the train yesterday evening, I ran an experiment. I had both 3’s Skype client and Fring running simultaneously. Fring could not show any of my Skype contacts, only those logged in to Google Talk. It didn’t even show them all as offline, it simply couldn’t retrieve them from Skype’s servers. Granted, most of the time it does load them successfully, but it often incorrectly reports contacts as offline. This is especially true of contacts using a 3Skypephone (who are more often than not, always signed in). Sending them a message anyway often prompts Fring into consequently list them to ‘online’.  But if they’re not listed at all, then there’s not much you can do.

3’s Skype client took about 5 minutes to load in all my contacts (for a while, echo123 was the only contact), but eventually displayed all of the contacts that I expected, including my offline and phone-only contacts (for SkypeOut). However, sending text chats to anyone resulted in the virtual sound of tumbleweed. Replies were all lost in the cold ether of cyberspace.

Official Skype Mobile client

The third option that I have explored for Skype on my E71 has been the official Skype mobile client, which is currently in beta. However, the E71 is not listed as a supported handset. I’m not someone to let a minor detail like that stop me, so when I first got my E71, I went ahead and downloaded the Nokia N95 version, hoping that it would just work. While I could install it, the client wasn’t able to recognise the fact that I have a QWERTY keyboard. You had to pretend that you had a numeric keypad, and guess which letter corresponds with each number. Not good. So I uninstalled it and crossed it off the list.

Skype Mobile (version 0.9.26.0) running on a Nokia E71. Apologies about the poor pic - it's just a quick photo!That is until today. While looking through my copious selection of RSS feeds, I spotted a post on the official Skype blog from earlier this month announcing an updated version of the Skype Mobile client (version 0.9.26.0). Included in the list of supported handsets is the Nokia E61, the E71’s predecessor. This phone also has a QWERTY keyboard, so I thought that I would download and install it to see if it worked on my E71. It did.

Now, there are some limitations with this implementation. Receiving Skype to Skype or SkypeIn calls uses up your Skype credit. Essentially this means that if someone calls you on Skype, their server makes a voice call to your mobile, and the relevant cellphone charges are deducted from your Skype credit. If you want to make a Skype to Skype or SkypeOut call, your handset dials a geographic number in your country to route your voice onto the Skype network. If you have inclusive minutes, these are used to make this call (so it could be seen as ‘free’ if you have lots of inclusive minutes in your tariff). If you’re on Pay As You Go, you’ll be charged accordingly. Skype Chat uses up data, so it makes sense to have unlimited data included in your tariff of you’re going to use this regularly.

There’s a full explanation on the Skype for your mobile website.

So how well does it work? Skype chat works well. It connected into the Skype network very quickly, listing all of my contacts. I compared this with the client running on my Mac, and most (but not all) contacts who were online were also listed as online on the handset. Ironically, my colleague who sits behind me, who I wanted to send a test chat to, wasn’t listed online at first. I sent him a message anyway, and lo and behold, his status was changed to “online” straight away. Admittedly, I didn’t give the client any time at all to ‘bed in’ and synchronise all of my contacts’ status.

Messages sent between us were received instantly on the handset, so I’m very pleased with that. But there is still the usual ‘Java’ feel to the app. To type a new chat message you can press the centre nav button and you’re taken through to a blank text entry window that completely covers the Skype app. You then have to click “Send” to submit your message and return to your chat. On the E71, there is a delay of about a second after clicking send, which can make it feel as if it didn’t work. Clicking send a second time results in duplication of your chat entry, which is rather unfortunate. But, like many software niggles in the wider world, you get used to it.

Nimbuzz

It’s been pointed out in the comments that I ought to try out Nimbuzz as another option. And I’m glad that I have. Nimbuzz supports Skype, Google Talk, ICQ, MSN, etc.

Nimbuzz provide a native S60 client that runs nicely on my E71, and provides much the same functionality as Fring. Skype chat works very well indeed, much the same as it does on a desktop app, with no extra ‘text entry’ screens that act as a barrier to the natural flow of a chat. Sending of photos and files is built-in, and uses the Nimbuzz website as an intermediary instead of hooking in to Skype’s file attachment feature.

I was able to hold two chats simultaneously with my wife (on Skype) and my niece (on MSN) and without leaving the Nimbuzz app, take and send a photo. It was quite fun snapping away during a chat while I was out and about, so they could see where I was and what I was doing.

While Nimbuzz has a lovely interface and is very smooth in its operation, I have had some connection problems, which I intend to look into. If I go into a subway, for example, and lose mobile signal, Nimbuzz doesn’t automatically reconnect – instead it silently asks me which connection to use to reconnect, so I don’t notice that I’ve gone offline. Rather annoying, but I will look into the settings and on the Nimbuzz forums to see if I can resolve this. Fring works very well in this regard, relentlessly keeping whatever connection it can find.

It definitely shows promise!

Conclusion

The 3 Skype client is hands-down the best approach for Skype voice calls on the E71. Skype Mobile is the most reliable way of having a text chat. Fring is the best all-round compromise. There is no “holy grail” solution which works perfectly.

So which approach will I be using for my day-to-day mobile Skype use? Unfortunately I’m going to have to choose different clients depending on what I want to do. When I’m out and about, reliable Skype chat (and presence) has to be my priority. It’s an ideal alternative to SMS if chats are delivered in real-time. If I want to make a Skype call, I shall switch to the 3 Skype client. If I’m somewhere where there is excellent 3G coverage or Wifi, I will switch over to Fring.

I think that the Skype Mobile client will be what I will run most of the time. Most people I know will send me a message asking if it’s OK to call, allowing me to quickly switch clients (to avoid call charges) to 3’s client. In my current personal scenario, I think this will work, and given the relative low use of Skype voice calls when I’m mobile, a relatively low inconvenience.

If I find that mobile voice (especially via my Online Number) and chat gain equal importance, I would probably hope that Fring have sorted out any network interconnection issues or that 3 concentrate on making chat work properly on their client and allow SkypeIn (I would pay a small monthly fee for this feature – maybe a dedicated 3+Skype contract?).

Given that these are early days for VOIP services such as Skype entering the mobile market, I think that it’s reasonable to assume that many improvements are on the cards. Progressive mobile networks such as 3 are important drivers in this field. So let’s hope that this sector strengthens in the coming year, and smartphone users are offered a more complete Skype experience.

Categories
Rants

Skype Account Problems and Poor Customer Service

I have been using Skype for many years now, and I have increasingly begun to use their service to make international phone calls. With the introduction of their unlimited call subscriptions, I leapt in and subscribed to the Unlimited Europe package.

Initially I bought 3 months in advance with my Skype credit and it worked really well. For £3.39 a month I get 10,000 minutes to landlines in the UK and Europe, an online number so that people can call me on Skype via a real geographic phone number, a Skype to Go number so that I can call abroad from my mobile phone, and free Skype voicemail. A rather good deal, I think. Or rather, thought.

It worked well for the first three months, until the initial subscription was nearing expiry. I received a flurry of separate emails informing me that my voicemail, online number, and subscription were expiring. An email for each feature. So I headed over to the Skype website to renew. But alas, there was no button or link on my account page that said “Renew”! I had to let it expire. Not good.

I then decided that I would pay each month via PayPal. I bought a subscription for August, and reattached my online and Skype to Go numbers from my account pages, and used it for the month, until the annoying emails telling me that this and that were due to expire unless I renewed. Again, I just couldn’t find a link to renew my subscription! I had hoped, since this is a subscription, that I would be automatically charged via PayPal. Not so.

So my subscription lapsed, and since I needed to use it, I bought it again (a terrible way to ‘renew’). Or at least I tried to. My PayPal payment failed. There was no financial reason why this might have happened, so I contacted PayPal. They confirmed that there was no reason why the payment should not have gone through, and to contact Skype.

So I had a look in the Skype forums, and found that it was recommended to detach and reattach my PayPal account to my Skype account. Thankfully this time it worked, and payment went through on 27th August. And lo, my subscription was extended until 30th September. Except my Skype subscription account summary displayed no payments since July, and it still doesn’t.

Skype subscription page

As you can see from this screen grab, it says that my subscription has been cancelled, as I have cancelled a preapproved agreement. And where’s that renew button again?

It gets better (well, worse actually). After renewing at the end of August, I set about the tedious task of reattaching my Skype to Go number.

Skype to Go

Great! I can just click “Attach to your subscription”. Or can I?

Skype Account Internal Error

No, I can’t. I great bit red “internal error” message. Great.

So what about reattaching my Online Number? This should be easy as they reserve it for you for 90 days.

Reactivate Skype Online Number

Hurrah, I can just activate it and attach it to my subscription. Or can I?

Charges for Skype Online Number

It seems as if it’s not quite so simple. Something in Skype’s accounting system hasn’t worked out that I have a subscription, so it wants to charge me full price for getting my number back. Time for a little Customer Support request. They’ll get back to me in 48 hours or so, so hopefully it’ll all get fixed.

I sent a message detailing these points on 31st August. I got no reply except the automatic response.

Because the majority of requests require research to resolve, it can sometimes take us up to 72 hours to respond, though we make every effort to get back to you as quickly as possible and most queries are answered within 48 hours.

I followed it up on 10th September, and again received the automatic email receipt of my query. This is, by my calculation, is 240 hours. A fair bit more than their stated 48-72 hours.

On 12th September, I received a response from Skype. It was terribly written, and began by apologising for the delay. It was quite a lengthy response, so to save time I’ll summarise it here in bullets with quotes:

  • To make sure my account renews I should buy one more month on my credit card, and subsquently it will renew automatically. Or I should buy 5 months or more in advance (!)
  • They explained how to reattach my Skype to Go number in very detailed steps (which I know anyway) then said “This steps normally work properly. However, you precised us having encountered an “error” message  at the end of your Skype to Go number set up. The problem you experienced has already happened in very few accounts and is unfortunately due to a temporary technical issue.” Then, they claim that this is fixed, and I should be able to reattach it. However, when I tried again, it wasn’t fixed.
  • To reattach my Online Number “Go on “Reserved numbers” and reactivate your SkypeOnline number. Your account does not indicate any Skype Online number currently.“. Great. This is exactly what I did, and it doesn’t work, which is why I emailed them in the first place. I tried again, and it still doesn’t work. Fail.

I immediately wrote, on the 12th of September, a polite reply pointing out that I did in fact wish to pay by PayPal on a monthly basis (however, I’m flexible, but since they do offer this method of payment, it should work correctly), Skype to Go still doesn’t work, and that I tried to reattach my Online Number, and it still doesn’t work as the system wants to charge me separately rather than attach it to my subscription. I also didn’t have the “manage numbers” link that I was asked to use, and I pointed this out.

Essentially, their response resolved nothing.

5 days later (120 hours later – and only thanks to a prod from Peter Parkes via Twitter!), on 19th September, I recieved another response.

Unbelievably, it told me:

Depending on which subscription you have purchased, one or several Skype online numbers can be offered along with other great benefits. As part or your Unlimited Europe subscription, you shall benefit from one Skype online number free of charge with your account.

According to our system, your previous Skype Online number is still reserved for you since the 31st of July 2008 (3 months reservation).

In order to activate your Skype online number, please sign in to your account:

http://www.skype.com/go/myaccount

Then, select “Manage numbers” underneath the online number at the top right of the page. If online number(s) are included in your subscription, you will see a section with the amount of numbers available to attach. From there, you will be able to either attach an existing online number to your subscription by clicking on the “Attach this number to your subscription” link or get a new number by clicking on the “Get a new number” button.

But that’s the point! The system won’t let me attach the number to my subscription! And my Skype to Go number still can’t be attached – they are still having problems:

Regarding the Skype To Go number, we regret to inform you that the problem you experienced in the set up conclusion is temporary and due to a technical issue. We regret to inform you that our IT, development and technical teams are still working hard on resolving somehow this bug in Skype to Go set up, which we only encounter for a few new set up. Thus, please be sure that the issue will be fixed within best delays, unfortunately we cannot inform you in the exact date yet.

Please note that if you only signed up for a monthly subscription in order to benefit from Skype To Go service, we shall offer you to cancel and refund it onto your Skype account if the issue should last too long. Kindly, let us know.

I’m really rather disappointed in the 19 days that it had taken to get this far, that nothing has been resolved. I responded with this message:

Many thanks for your reply.

I understand that I will not be able to use Skype to Go until you have
fixed the problem.

However, regarding my Online Number, as stated in all previous
correspondence, I cannot renew it!

According to your instructions, I should have a “Manage Numbers” link
underneath the Online Numbers section. I do not have this link, just
“Get an Online Number”. Clicking this takes me through to a page where
my old number is shown as reserved. If I click “Activate” your system
says that I will be charged £7.

It should not. I am paying for a subscription. I do not want to pay £7
for an online number, as it should be included in my subscription.

As I see it, my account is in a mess. My account overview says that my
subscription will run out on 30th September. Going into the “Your
Subscriptions” section on my account page reports that my last payment
was on July 31st. This can’t be true, if my subscription runs out on
30th September.

What I would like to see is my account restored to a working state,
with my Online Number reinstated, my Skype to Go number reinstated,
and automatic renewal from PayPal set up, so I can just use the
services without worrying about expiry. I would like you to do this
for me, and instead of the refund that you have offered to me, I would
like you to extend my subscription until the end of October.

If you are unable to action this, please can you advise me of your
supervisor’s contact details?

I think that’s a fair request, given how long this has lasted? So, as usual, the automated reply confirms my message has been received, and I have nothing since. That was 11 days ago. I have checked my junk mail folder just to make sure.

So how does that make me feel about Skype? I’m deeply disappointed, in short. Such huge delays in responding to my messages is inexcusable, especially since I am paying for a service that I am not getting. I am frustrated that after such long gaps between responses, the Skype staff member (whose name I haven’t disclosed) did not even read (or understand) whole parts of my message.

Shall I be recommending Skype to others? At the moment, certainly not. My subscription runs out today, and given that it’s only 4pm, all traces of my subscription have disappeared from my account pages.

Time to have a look at Gizmo5 or others, perhaps…

[UPDATE] I received compensation from Skype – despite there still being some confusion. The €30 vouchers will certainly go a long way to making things up between Skype and I, but there is still a claim that I had no subscription for the whole of September, despite a screenshot above claiming otherwise..! Let’s hope that they do some kind of overhaul to their billing system and this doesn’t happen again.

[UPDATE: 8th July 2009] I’ve now closed comments on this post, as hundreds of you are requesting help. It’s just too overwhelming. The only thing I can suggest if you can’t get your problems resolved through regular Skype support channels is to hunt down one of Skype’s bloggers and ask for help, or to write about your problems on your own blog. Skype need to know how frustrating many people find their customer services, and the only way to change things is to let them know where they’ve gone wrong (when things haven’t been resolved via CS) in a very public manner. Good luck!