[real_sunfire]

We want to be able to phone the UK cheaply from NZ. Unfortunately we are going to be without our own Internet access for at least a month so Skype and similar VoIP services are out.

We also found that calling cards are expensive - we are using one from eKall which is charging us 50c per min to call the UK which is not that much different from Telecom.

I was wondering if "overide" providers exist in NZ - i.e you can phone a number from your Telecom line to a company which provides cheap international calls for a fraction of the cost then phoning directly using Telecom?

There were lots of overide providers in the UK which you could phone from a BT line and get calls at a fraction of BT's costs.

Any advice on getting cheap international calls from a landline without Internet access please?

Rgds.,
Nick.

[Nienke]

Try calling 0161 (instead of the 00), then country number and the number you want to reach. This is a not well-known telecom number which has very cheap rates. To the UK you can call for 0.08 dollar per minute off peak, and you can always call off peak due to the time difference! See their website:
http://www.telecom.co.nz/content/0,8748,101974-1134,00.html

[jonSE]

Nick

We used a TelstraClear rechargeable prepaid card for international calls when we were in NZ. I forget the rates and I can't find it on their website but IIRC it was as cheap as local calls in the UK. ie approx 3c per minute.

[anna_c]

Try the yabba card (www.yabba.co.nz). It's run by telecom and calls to UK landlines are 10c/min. Other cards can be cheaper but they're a bit hit and miss as regards quality and it can be hard to track anyone down to get a refund.

Assuming it's your own landline, see what deals your provider can give - for example, on ours calls to the UK and US are capped at $6 off peak - not great but an improvement.

[jess]

The post offices sell Kia Ora cards, which are 7 cents a minute (at least to the US - haven't called the UK with it). :yes

[Brijan]

We're with Telecom and they have cheap evenings and weekends, you can call someone and speak for up to 2 hours for $6, good if you want to speak to someone for ages but not much good for short calls. OH has no trouble talking for 2 hours
Brian

[Howie]

I have a phonecard called Kiwicall. I think it's less than 5c/minutes to Canada, USA, China. Haven't tried calling anywhere else with it. You can recharge it with a credit card. The only problem is that the lines are not always great. It's a little hit or miss and sometimes there's quite a delay. It's the cheapest card I've found though. The Friends card is a little more expensive, but I think it's only 5c/minute to North America.

[Jax]

These are good

http://www.telstraclear.co.nz/residential/homeplan/calling-cards/prepaid-card-talkplus.cfm

NZ$0.05 to UK

[Nelsonian]

I found GoTalk had the best rates for the UK.
http://www.cardcall.co.nz/dnnCardCallNZ/Default.aspx?tabid=46
Quoted rate is 0.029NZ$/min (excl.GST) - when you use local access numbers.
I charge it up with $20 every month or so and chat for ages to friends and family.
Easy to recharge using credit card.
Cheers - Jane

[jubjub]

We do the 0161 thing that Neinke mentioned, we make three - four half hour calls to UK a month, and it does not generally add more than a fiver to the bill..

[NeilV]

skype... if you register £10 at the moment the will give you 6 months free "local" UK calls. :nice1
since the internet doesn't care where you START from that ='s free calls to UK for 6 months from NZ, AND £10 credit :raebanana :raebanana :raebanana

[willowshouse]

We use skype but also use a Chi-Tel card for calling the UK .. I can't remember the rate but it was one of the cheapest and more importantly has never given us any problems (there are so many available you wonder if they all work!). You buy it from dairys/supermarkets and top it up like a pre-pay mobile card.

Dawn

[NeilV]

Just looking into best use of skype at the moment.

Not only can you call out for cheap [if you have internet] for 3.33euro's a month you [10eu for 3 month block] you can also use their skype-in service to get a local UK landine number, which you can then set up to call-forward to your NZ landline.

For only 0.17eu cents per minute [0.032$NZ] THEY can call YOU!!! :raebanana

Then even if YOU can't call out through skype,
if they do a callback to YOUR local number in the UK,
YOU pay the bill [guilt free] and
they pay only whatever their local call rate is for the time they speak
[great as my Mom has 500mins/month free on her mobile]

Thus:

UKparent > 020xxxxxx [uk local=local rate]
Skype > +649xxxxx [nz local= .03 NZ cents]
You [+649] > pick up and chat [guilt free :laugh ]

If you trying to get them start off with sms or 20sec "call me" chat to them

[Mexican in NZ]

I use kiwi call card to call the USA is very cheap and reliable.

[Jenny & Mark]

Too bad VOIP is not an option for you. Once you have internet access again, you might want to check out http://www.voipbuster.com/en/index.html. Your first numerous calls are free and then each cost calls about $0.019 NZ/minute.

Mark.

[bpk]

see these cards:
http://www.iprolink.co.nz/cards.asp
they are very cheap for Europe

[Howie]

I'm looking for a cheap way to call a mobile phone in Holland. Any suggestions?

[Jo_b]

Another vote for GoTalk. We just bought it from a dairy. Very cheap indeed. Only bummer is, you get a silly woman saying "you have 400 minutes remaining in this call" before it connects. God I hate her voice, it drives me mad!

[Cardy]

Hi we use 0161 and we rang the uk the other day for 1 hour 20 mins for $3

Cardy

[veronica]

just to put me tuppenceha'pennies worth in .. we use the rate saver card from the garage or supermarket, depending on the time of day to how long we get but its a better rate early in the morning.

[Diny]

Apologies if I'm reapeating any info already given (haven't read the entire thread) but here's another option.

Try Jahjah, it's brilliant. No contracts etc, you just pay in as much credit as you like. You dial the number you want on screen and then your home phone rings, you pick it up and there's a recorded message saying 'jahjah is trying to connect you', then it rings normally and you get through. It's as clear as bell and no daft pc headset and mic to worry about.

We use it for ALL our calls from NZ (except local ones of course) so we never get anything more than rental and internet connection appearing on our bill. You can ring anywhere in the world (so far without exception) and you can ring mobiles too. You can even ring those numbers that cost a zillion $ a minute too. I think the calls cost 0.045 of a US cent per minute ...... peanuts !!!!!!!!

Diny

[Ana&Steve]

Also sorry if this is old news, but we're using Web Call Direct, and you use the computer to connect then talk on the house phone. (Sounds a lot like Diny's)
You pay $10.00 in credit and it costs 5 cents to connect for an hour. It disconnects after the hour, though, and you have to call back to keep talking. There is a free trial at the website:Web Call Direct (http://www.webcalldirect.com/en/index.php)
Ana