Skype users who have paid for London based 0207 SkypeIn numbers have been given a months notice that their phone numbers will be terminated. Users are faced with choosing a new number from an 0208 or 0203 range as Skype hands back the 0207 numbers to their supplier.
Users on the Skype forums complain that a month’s notice (the date numbers will be terminated is the 20th December) is simply not good enough. Many have business literature printed with their exisiting SkypeIn number and of course every previous customer will still have their old SkypeIn number.
Anyone who’s inherited a phone number will know it takes years for calls to the old user to cease and that’s part of the attraction of a SkypeIn number. When you move it stays the same, or was supposed to. The big question of course is will people trust Skype with their business again? Cheap calls are great, but are they worth the price of losing your telephone number with practically no notice?
Skype appears to have simply rented the numbers that they then sold for SkypeIn but rental agreements can and do end. The affected numbers appear to be allocated to Gamma Telecom, but there may be a third party in the chain between them and Skype.
Affected users are being called by Skype with the offer of a new SkypeIn number and voicemail free for a year. Voicemail is always free with a SkypeIn number. There’s also a post on the Skype Blog which in typical Skype fashion thanks all of their disgruntled customers for their kindness.
17 Responses
What a total disaster. As noted above will I trust Skype again, nope. I use another service for a London number and they will be getting more of my business in future. I’m sure I’ll still used them outbound, but will be more selective on who I use for inbound. Not happy.
I’m meant to pay to renew my 0208 next week: I dunno whether to do it now or not. Seeing as Skype seem to have no control over the numbers they sell, I wonder exactly what I’m paying for now.
Shocking behaviour from Skype, and as a member of SkypeIn since day 1, it’s awful the way they are treating customers just because of some tiff or to save a little money. Once again the customers are being left in the lurch by big business deals. They are not even going to compensate you for months lost on your SkypeIn account.
And there was me thinking about getting Skype…
Is this a group corporate ethos where change is dumped on the customer with no regard to their needs?
You do wonder 🙂
I’m really annoyed by this – I’ve been using my SkypeIn number for over 2 years to run my business from.
Does anyone have a phone number for Skype customer services? I want to ring them up and speak to them in person.
Skype are very careful not to let anyone have their contact details as they don’t want to be dealing with people directly. But their PR contact has their details available for all in case you have any problems.
Check the entry on my site about this for their Skype mailing address and phone number.
Skype have now issued a public statement on their blog.
I renewed the 0207 number that I had for just over a year just 11 days ago and had more stationery printed at a cost of over £200. I complained over 24 hours ago, but have received no reply. (1) If according to their blog response, they knew of this potential situation some time ago, why didn’t they at least warn you when renewing recently (2) Having renewed 11 days ago, the offer of 12 months Skype in represents just 11 days subscription – 14 Euro cents (3) Be warned, these numbers don’t appear to work as fax forwards to a VoIP based fax to email service.
Thought you might like to know that you can keep your existing number by migrating it over to Vonage. Vonage has published a free helpline (0808 178 9617) for any unhappy Skype customers who want to move.
Vonage works differently to Skype in so far as you sign up to a monthly call plan but there’s no contract and no catch. Vonage call plans start from £5.99/month for unlimited calls to UK and Ireland landline calls and £7.99 for international call packages.
Definitely worth considering!
Hi Jo, and thanks for that information. You’ve been a fantastic help to anyone who relies on their number for business and needs to keep it 🙂
Voipfone can also port these numbers over.
Just drop an email over to [email protected] for more information.
If the number can be ported to voipfone or vonage, who will they be renting it from? Must be the same people as Skype – so why can’t Skype (continue) to rent it from them?
So why can’t Skype (continue) to rent it???? Probably money! 🙁
I will be porting my number as it looks like the only way I can keep it. Once I have ported my number I will not be using Skype again!
Gamma Telecom are the true owners of the number ranges.
Gamma rented the numbers to another operator, who then rented to Skype.
If you port to Voipfone then the number would be rented from Gamma to Voipfone then Voipfone straight to the end user. Its likely Vonage are doing the same.
You wrote:
“Voicemail is *always* free with a SkypeIn number.”
That used to be so, but is no longer the case. Now you pay $20 for 12 months, on top of the $60 for SkypeIn. Voicemail is included in SkypePro (which costs $3/month), but if you buy SkypeIn and don’t sign up for either Pro or Voicemail you won’t get a voice mailbox.
Just moved my number to voipfone fantastic customer service really helpful and its only costing me £1.99 a month to keep my number with them
Voipfone have defiantly saved my ass i have just had 3 vans sign written with my 0207 number.
voipfone have also published a page with full details http://www.voipfone.co.uk/skype or 08005200949.