Job Discussion Forums

[MikeySaid]

What do you use to call Mexico?

To home? (wherever that may be...)

I've been using Skype... preferably skype-skype calls... but the internet providers in Mexico seem to block those calls... or something.

So... I bought a phone card at Costco and it ran out quick.

Then, I went to the local carniceria and picked up a $5 card. And it's got HOURS and HOURS of talk time loaded into it. I feel stupid for not having done this prior. Anybody got any other special cheap ways to call Mexico from up norte? How about a cheap way to call the north from down there?

[ls650]

I use Yahoo Messenger's Voice service, but others I work with use Skype without any problems. I suspect you may have something configured incorrectly if you are having difficulties with dialing out to other countries.

At 1 US cent per minute, it's a real bargain.

[MikeySaid]

Actually, for awhile telmex and other DSL providers were apparently knocking down bandwidth on users who were placing VoIP calls in Mexico.

I can't find the article now, but it's true.

[Samantha]

That was about two years ago and is now old news. I use the same system as ls650 on my Prodigy DSL. The calls are clear and cannot be distinguished from a regular phone line out of Mexico. It is a great savings.

[dixie]

I use skype to talk to my parents back home in canada...I don't pay for it? What's the difference?

With friends I tend to use msn voice...I acutally find it works better (maybe b/c I don't pay for skype?? )

My parents have some mutli-number thing they would use to call me when I was in Torreon and actually had a house phone. Now, if we need to converse using a phone..I hope over to the internet cafe across the street. But those times are rare and...basically never happen. We chat daily and keep in touch that way.

Tried to use a Bell calling card (CND phone provider) in DF once on a pay phone...didn't work.

[Aabra]

I use Skype when calling Canada, my parents in Ajijic, or my brother in Culiacan. I'm not sure why you're having problems with it. It's nice because I can call TD (my bank) in Canada with it for free too as it's got a 1-800 number.

I didn't realize that people still paid for long distance phone calls. Get with the now! hehe

[MamaOaxaca]

I didn't even realize that people still made phone calls! I've been conversing with my family (most are computer nerds except me) via text since we discovered the IRC in 1993!

[delacosta]

I'm with you MO, I've gotten over phones years ago, since until very recently, like last week, there's never been any phone service available where I live.

I've grown to enjoy not being interrupted by a phone and the superfluous conversations that go with them, -and only using a pay phone with those cheapish calling cards when I really need to or want to talk to someone.

Unfortunately my wife doesn't feel the same way; she loves talking on the phone. I have no problem with that in itself, but paying exorbitant amounts to do so is what gets me.

Her and a few of the other colonos who feel the need to live with a phone managed to maneuver Telmex into installing phone lines, posts and all in our colonia. This is the infuriating part: the only way they would do it is if we all paid for the installation. So we all chipped in and with actual hook up and all we are each going to pay almost 6,000 pesos, for the privilege of then paying Carlos mother******* Slim, third richest man in the world, a monthly rental to use the lines that we paid for!

And of course now that the lines are in all the other colonos who didn't chip in will jump in and get their lines installed without having chipped in for the infrastructure costs.

Ahh Mexico...

[M@tt]

skype sells local numbers in lots of different countries for about $4US/month. it includes free voicemail. whenever people call the phone number from their own phone, it rings on your computer. that's how i received calls from my family members, who used a regular phone and weren't charged anything (the number i chose was in their area code) as well as all my friends in the US who have cellphones, since those calls were also free for them to make regardless of their area code. that eliminates the need for people in my home country to be attached to a computer when they want to talk to me.
in mexico i worked from home, so my computer was on at all times anyway and just served as a phone for all incoming calls from the US.

[mapache]

You can use a Todo card from Farmacia Ahorra. It works from home or pay phones and the rate is betterthan Telmex. It's a card primarily for internet access but works well for long distance too. From the US, ask your LD carrier for a special Mexico plan. It's usually less to call from the US to Mexico.

[MamaOaxaca]

If you want to use a regular pay phone, for calls USA-Mexico or Mexico-USA you should really get a paisa card, or similar which is even cheaper than todito, like 1.5 or 2 pesos a minute Mexico-USA and as Mikey alluded to in his first post, you buy them at places tourist don't wander into, like carnicarias and the like.

[danielita]

Before we left, we set up VOIP with a local provider back home and they assigned us a local number. They sent along a converter so that we connect it to a regular phone rather than having to use a computer and headset. We have a Canadian telephone and a Mexican telephone. Family and friends back home just call the local number like they would any other telephone number it rings in on our Canadian telephone but the calls go through the internet. It's great because my granny (who is computer illiterate) can call just as she would when were living in the same country.
You can also buy phone cards online and refill them online as well. Check out http://www.webstel.com/Calling/Cards/Mexico