International call question

[jer0978]

So I'm still new at all this and having an issue. It's a little different because she is in Kuwait but i figure your general experience still applies. Just using my phone isn't an option at $3 a minute. I use google voice for local stuff so I put some money on to call her. I can connect with her and I can hear her but she cant hear me.
I don't know if its google or her phone but i want to try a different route. I'm just looking for suggestions on what else to try. Skype, a calling card? I just don't want to keep buying things that don't work lol. I'm just wondering what everyone else has used. Thanks and sorry for the stupid questions.

[michaelb]

I've never tried to call Kuwait. I would hit the independent convenience stores, liquor stores and money sending places in what ever ethnic neighborhoods are where you live and buy some different brands of calling cards and see which one works. Or if you don't want to buy a bunch or them, ask the clerk to recommend one. 

[Jeff S]

Skype is completely free computer to computer, and is only 2.9 cents a minute from your computer to her landline. You get a free first call to see if it works before you need to put $10 on account. I use it for all international these days, and my wife chats with her friends and family free in Japan for hours.

[jer0978]

Skype is completely free computer to computer, and is only 2.9 cents a minute from your computer to her landline. You get a free first call to see if it works before you need to put $10 on account. I use it for all international these days, and my wife chats with her friends and family free in Japan for hours.

Any idea if it works for cell phones? She doesn't have a land line and neither do I for that matter. I imagine I can get an app for my iphone. If I get a free shot at it I guess it cant hurt to try. I just didnt want money stuck on there like I have on google with no use for it. Thanks for the reply.

[z_k_g]

So I'm still new at all this and having an issue. It's a little different because she is in Kuwait but i figure your general experience still applies. Just using my phone isn't an option at $3 a minute. I use google voice for local stuff so I put some money on to call her. I can connect with her and I can hear her but she cant hear me.
I don't know if its google or her phone but i want to try a different route. I'm just looking for suggestions on what else to try. Skype, a calling card? I just don't want to keep buying things that don't work lol. I'm just wondering what everyone else has used. Thanks and sorry for the stupid questions.

I use google voice for all of my calls.

Sometimes it works great, other times I have to call back to get a good connection.  Typically when I call, its a transfer to my cell and we chat cell to cell, that seems to work better than using my mic and speaker on my MacBook.

I've never used Skype.  I've used Yahoo Voice also, but I use that for chatting on my cell phone and Macbook.  Also use Yahoo for cam to cam.

When I first starting chatting, I used calling cards, but that got too expensive.

Stick with Google voice or Yahoo voice, its cheap and it works if you can live with the slight kinks.

Zulu

[Jeff S]

Yes skype works from computer to cell phone. The rates vary - I think it's 4 cents a minute or so to Japan, 6 cents to Indonesia and about the same to India. Not sure how much the middle east is.

You pre-pay 10 bucks worth and burn it down. I'm on an auto refill that bills Paypal for an additional 10 bucks worth when I drop below $2 or so. When my wife is calling a lot of her friend's mobiles it's maybe 2x a month - normal usage, once a month or so, but I also use to to make business calls in the US - 2.3 cents a minute to landlines.

[jer0978]

Thanks for the replies. It may just be her phone. I know its a cheap phone, it doesn't even have a camera. Maybe I can talk her into buying a new one. I'm not offering haha. I use Google voice all the time for domestic calls and it works great, just never had any experience internationally. Since zkg says he uses it cell to cell I don't think Google is the problem but who knows. We do use yahoo but her connection is very poor for cam and voice and now work has decided i need to work 12 hour days. Since she was already staying up till 3 am to chat when I was working 8 hr days I can't ask for more from her. I'm just trying to find a realistic way to stay in touch till my work gets back to normal.