Cheap international telephone calls using RebTel?

[LuckyDucky 0]

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd ask here since there is probably a high demand for making international calls here. Currently I'm using a long-distance carrier, but I'm always trying to find good deals.

A friend at work is trying to call his brother in Switzerland (EDIT: oops, I thought it was Austria at first, but I just looked over his shoulder and I saw "Zurich" on his screen), and he stumbled across this thing called RebTel. It seems the website will give you a local number in your area that ties to the international number. So to your cell carrier, it looks like a local number. They charge you a nominal fee per minute for this.

Has anyone used it? It seems like a great idea and the fee is pretty cheap to some countries ... so it's one of those, "Is this too good to be true?" deals. Between certain countries, you can (supposedly) get calls for free. Though I just looked up prices to Vietnam and it's not much better for me (9 cents to landline or cell through RebTel, compared to 5.5 cents landline / 9.9 cents to cell with my current carrier), but it sounded interesting.

Anyone try this? I'm curious.

RebTel's "How it Works"

Edited August 19, 2008 by LuckyDucky

[panamania79 2]

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd ask here since there is probably a high demand for making international calls here. Currently I'm using a long-distance carrier, but I'm always trying to find good deals.

A friend at work is trying to call his brother in Switzerland (EDIT: oops, I thought it was Austria at first, but I just looked over his shoulder and I saw "Zurich" on his screen), and he stumbled across this thing called RebTel. It seems the website will give you a local number in your area that ties to the international number. So to your cell carrier, it looks like a local number. They charge you a nominal fee per minute for this.

Has anyone used it? It seems like a great idea and the fee is pretty cheap to some countries ... so it's one of those, "Is this too good to be true?" deals. Between certain countries, you can (supposedly) get calls for free. Though I just looked up prices to Vietnam and it's not much better for me (9 cents to landline or cell through RebTel, compared to 5.5 cents landline / 9.9 cents to cell with my current carrier), but it sounded interesting.

Anyone try this? I'm curious.

RebTel's "How it Works"

I checked it out and it's $1.30 a minute to Panama,I'll stick with my $2.00 calling cards.

[LuckyDucky 0]

I checked it out and it's $1.30 a minute to Panama,I'll stick with my $2.00 calling cards.

Yikes! Definitely not worth it for you. It's not really worth it for me, either. However, it seems perfect for my friend. I just never heard of them and was wondering if others have used it.

I can't believe it's $1.30 to Panama! Wow!

Edit: Oh, I just looked. (Sorry, I was curious. ) It looks like it's 2.7 cents / min to a landline and 13 cents / min to a cell phone in Panama. Landline seems cheap, but calling to a cellphone seems pretty expensive.

I've never used calling cards. How many minutes do you get out of a calling card? My wife's here now, but she still makes calls home, so any alternative is good.

Edited August 19, 2008 by LuckyDucky

[DairyFarmer 1]

We have tried everything, dozens of calling cards, phone plans etc, and have found Rebtel to be one of the best. Absoluty no complaints from us. One really nice thing, besides price, is call quality. With some other cards, its a HUGE issue, but we never yet had a bad call with Rebtel. We use it every day for at least one hour for the past 6 weeks or so.

[panamania79 2]

I checked it out and it's $1.30 a minute to Panama,I'll stick with my $2.00 calling cards.

Yikes! Definitely not worth it for you. It's not really worth it for me, either. However, it seems perfect for my friend. I just never heard of them and was wondering if others have used it.

I can't believe it's $1.30 to Panama! Wow!

Edit: Oh, I just looked. (Sorry, I was curious. ) It looks like it's 2.7 cents / min to a landline and 13 cents / min to a cell phone in Panama. Landline seems cheap, but calling to a cellphone seems pretty expensive.

I've never used calling cards. How many minutes do you get out of a calling card? My wife's here now, but she still makes calls home, so any alternative is good.

I know,but hardly no one has a landline anymore in Panama.

I used to use this calling card named "What's up Asia" to call my cousin-in-law in Japan.That card gave me 2 hours for $2.00.My buddy uses it to call Cambodia also,he loves that card.

Edited August 20, 2008 by panamania79

[Ken y Leidys 20]

I tried calling Leidys' phone in Colombia, and absolutely no luck. I don't know what hacked computers Rebtel operate off of, but this is complete hype that doesn't deliver. Save your $$ and go elsewhere.

-Ken

[Teacher Mark 53]

I tried calling Leidys' phone in Colombia, and absolutely no luck. I don't know what hacked computers Rebtel operate off of, but this is complete hype that doesn't deliver. Save your $$ and go elsewhere.

-Ken

Where did she go?

Edited August 20, 2008 by WideAwakeInTheUSA

[Ken y Leidys 20]

Where did she go?

I Love IT!! Hahahaha!

[LuckyDucky 0]

I know,but hardly no one has a landline anymore in Panama.

I used to use this calling card named "What's up Asia" to call my cousin-in-law in Japan.That card gave me 2 hours for $2.00.My buddy uses it to call Cambodia also,he loves that card.

Sweet! I'll have to look into that, too. Sounds like a great deal!

Thanks everyone else for the input. We may give it a try to call a few cell phones in Vietnam to see how it goes, too.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Anyone have any experience with the companies that use caller ID to know what phone you are calling form, so you don't have to use a calling card/enter any codes?

[DairyFarmer 1]

Anyone have any experience with the companies that use caller ID to know what phone you are calling form, so you don't have to use a calling card/enter any codes?

i had one, but call quality absoluty sucked to call the U.K. It was the pennytalk card.

[Teacher Mark 53]

I've been using this one to call Viet Nam:

http://www.vnlisting.com/vnphones/

It's not bad. You may want to give them a try LD.

Edited August 20, 2008 by WideAwakeInTheUSA

[chuckb 0]

Used Rebtel last night for the first time. It was awesome, quick connection, good quality, cheap. You dial a "local" number, from a "registered" phone. No codes, etc.

Try it from a phone you didn't register, then you are going to punch buttons...

I'm sold! You get free minutes to try it up front. Nothing to lose...

[ladybee 0]

I tried calling Leidys' phone in Colombia, and absolutely no luck. I don't know what hacked computers Rebtel operate off of, but this is complete hype that doesn't deliver. Save your $$ and go elsewhere.

-Ken

i agree with ken

[chuckb 0]

I tried calling Leidys' phone in Colombia, and absolutely no luck. I don't know what hacked computers Rebtel operate off of, but this is complete hype that doesn't deliver. Save your $$ and go elsewhere.

-Ken

i agree with ken

Maybe, something has changed? They offer 10 minutes Trial usage, Save $$? No charge up front.. Maybe it's is the country?

Works good for me, but I have Free LD in the US & Canada. That's my only complaint. Denver Is Long Distance for me, normally...

Whatever, Rebtel impressed me.