Skype woes: "We're sorry, the number you have dialled has been disconnected, just because"
A while back, I posted about some trouble I was having with my VOIP provider and incoming calls - so much so, that I had to switch over to Skype, embarrassingly climbing down on my assurance that everything was working and ready. We also had to change the company website, emails, new number announcement on old line - all the usual stuff.
I thought that was a thing of the past..until today. At 17.21, I got this in my inbox.
Hello
We're very sorry to tell you that we have to change your SkypeIn
number. As some of you may know, we get SkypeIn numbers from a variety
of telecoms suppliers. Unfortunately, we have to return some of the
0207 SkypeIn numbers to one of our suppliers of London numbers.
This means your number will stop working from December 20th 2007. We
realise the inconvenience this will cause you, and sincerely
apologise.
That's why we're going to give you a new SkypeIn number and voicemail
- free for 12 months on us - to thank you for your patience and to
help make the changeover as painless as possible for you.
Please make sure you redeem your voucher before December 20th 2007
SkypeIn Number Skype User Name 12 Month Voucher Code
0207870xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Your next step: activate your new number.
Before December 20th 2007 activate your new SkypeIn number. We suggest
you do this as soon as you can.
1. Visit http://welcome.skype.com/cgi-bin15/DM/y/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
2. Log in and enter the SkypeIn voucher code above.
Due to changes in the capital's number plan there is a limited
availability of 0207 numbers and we cannot guarantee that you will
find a 0207 number to replace your existing one. However, we have
plenty of 0208 numbers and 0203 numbers which OFCOM has introduced to
cover the whole of Greater London.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our customer advisors
directly at sichange@skype.net. We've also created a step-by-step
guide to help you redeem your voucher and choose your new
SkypeIn number.
http://welcome.skype.com/cgi-bin15/DM/y/xx...xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The (really, really sorry)
people at Skype
[Mail edited to cut out the private, and the boring bits]
Just great, I cry. I get to look like an imbecile for yet another time (as well as having to get everything changed..AGAIN!). Especially as championed VOIP as being the solution I needed for working from home.
There also seems to be be some problems with their plan, namely:
a) they think it's ok to make such a change, just like that
b) that it's ok to make it at short notice
c) that it's ok to make it so that people are being forced to lose their numbers, many of whom use them for business, while promoting "Skype for Business" - you can see the logic, in Bizarro world.
d) that it's ok to send out a rather flimsy email to advise people
e) that it's ok to send out "voucher codes" that do not work, so you can't even get the replacement offered.
f) that it's a good plan to not advise in your email whether or not adding a new number (if one could get them) would effect your current number
g) that it's ok to not advise what would happen to peoples existing subscriptions after the cut-off date
h) that it's ok to not provide a decent selection of 020 8xxx numbers
i) not provide any of the promised 020 3xxx numbers.
And of course, they fail to admit the truth - it has nothing to do with "returning numbers" as such. They've just found a cheaper supplier, and aren't willing to put in the work that it would take to port the numbers from one provider to the other. Good work Skype, good work indeed. Talk about a positive user experience...or maybe not.
I thought that was a thing of the past..until today. At 17.21, I got this in my inbox.
Hello
We're very sorry to tell you that we have to change your SkypeIn
number. As some of you may know, we get SkypeIn numbers from a variety
of telecoms suppliers. Unfortunately, we have to return some of the
0207 SkypeIn numbers to one of our suppliers of London numbers.
This means your number will stop working from December 20th 2007. We
realise the inconvenience this will cause you, and sincerely
apologise.
That's why we're going to give you a new SkypeIn number and voicemail
- free for 12 months on us - to thank you for your patience and to
help make the changeover as painless as possible for you.
Please make sure you redeem your voucher before December 20th 2007
SkypeIn Number Skype User Name 12 Month Voucher Code
0207870xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Your next step: activate your new number.
Before December 20th 2007 activate your new SkypeIn number. We suggest
you do this as soon as you can.
1. Visit http://welcome.skype.com/cgi-bin15/DM/y/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
2. Log in and enter the SkypeIn voucher code above.
Due to changes in the capital's number plan there is a limited
availability of 0207 numbers and we cannot guarantee that you will
find a 0207 number to replace your existing one. However, we have
plenty of 0208 numbers and 0203 numbers which OFCOM has introduced to
cover the whole of Greater London.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our customer advisors
directly at sichange@skype.net. We've also created a step-by-step
guide to help you redeem your voucher and choose your new
SkypeIn number.
http://welcome.skype.com/cgi-bin15/DM/y/xx...xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The (really, really sorry)
people at Skype
[Mail edited to cut out the private, and the boring bits]
Just great, I cry. I get to look like an imbecile for yet another time (as well as having to get everything changed..AGAIN!). Especially as championed VOIP as being the solution I needed for working from home.
There also seems to be be some problems with their plan, namely:
a) they think it's ok to make such a change, just like that
b) that it's ok to make it at short notice
c) that it's ok to make it so that people are being forced to lose their numbers, many of whom use them for business, while promoting "Skype for Business" - you can see the logic, in Bizarro world.
d) that it's ok to send out a rather flimsy email to advise people
e) that it's ok to send out "voucher codes" that do not work, so you can't even get the replacement offered.
f) that it's a good plan to not advise in your email whether or not adding a new number (if one could get them) would effect your current number
g) that it's ok to not advise what would happen to peoples existing subscriptions after the cut-off date
h) that it's ok to not provide a decent selection of 020 8xxx numbers
i) not provide any of the promised 020 3xxx numbers.
And of course, they fail to admit the truth - it has nothing to do with "returning numbers" as such. They've just found a cheaper supplier, and aren't willing to put in the work that it would take to port the numbers from one provider to the other. Good work Skype, good work indeed. Talk about a positive user experience...or maybe not.