Korean Job Discussion Forums

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

Hi, all-

I've been really down the past few days and am hoping I get out of this slump soon. I feel sadder than I've felt for a long time, and I'm not usually a very fatalistic person. I wonder if it's culture shock- though I feel that that's a bit silly considering I only have a month left in Korea. It really helps to talk to my boyfriend at home and reminds me that I'll see him in a month. I have a cell phone here that is prepaid, so can't really do much international calling without costing an arm and a leg. My boyfriend in the U.S. was calling me for a while using a phone card from onesuite.com, and it was working great, until suddenly it stopped working. He tried a number of other phone cards and no luck. I know it's not my phone as other people haven't had problems calling me. I can call him using cards at public phones, but that's not ideal because of street noise.

So, long story short, can anyone recommend an affordable phone card to make phone calls from the U.S. to Korea? I should have brought my laptop with me, then I could use that skype.com, but I was stupid and didn't bring it...

Thanks so much for your recommendations...

taobenli

sheba · Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: Here there and everywhere!

Im sorry to hear you are feeling down. Culture shock can occur at any time and can be repetitive. You may just be ready to go home (in which case watch out for the reverse culture shock!).

Anyway, only one month to go so at least you only have a small countdown, although I know first hand that a month can feel like a LOOOONG time!! Great that you have some support at the other end, but if you feel like a vent here, then PM me, I like to think Im a decent shoulder!! Ha!

Anyway, I found this on the net... hope it helps...

http://www.phonecardsavers.com

You order online and they email you the info for calling. I used google, and there were heaps of options by the looks. Something people easily forget - you can do (almost) ANYTHING on the internet these days!

Good luck!

merrilee · Joined: 13 May 2003 Location: South Korea

If you're not fond of purchasing a random phone card off the internet with weird weekly fees and such, you can always have your boyfriend use 1010987. It's six cents a minute, which may not be as cheap as some phone cards, but it elinates the issue of running out of phone card minutes... or having phone card minutes left over.

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

I've always found Wal-mart cards to work well. Are you (is he!) sure the number is correct? He shouldn't be dialing the "0" at the beginning of your cellphone number. Example: 82-16-xxx-xxxx if your number is 016-xxx-xxxx.

Oh! And hang in there! You'll be back home soon...and think of all the stories you'll have to tell your friends! As the Koreans say "Fighting"!! Laughing

kangnam mafioso · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Location: Teheranno

the best cards i've found are in asian grocery stores, etc. chances are whatever town he lives in has at least one asian shop or even a korean one. tell him to go there and shop around. yeah ... be sure not to dial the "0" in cell phone numbers -- it took me about an hour to figure that out the first time.

peony · Joined: 30 Mar 2005

if your boy has broadband, maybe he could sign up for Skype-out service, its pretty cheap, you just need to download Skype and buy credits off them then he can call you from his computer to your cell phone

the rates (vat included) are:
Korea Republic of - Mobile $ 0.087
Korea Republic of-Seoul $ 0.029 (landline)

http://www.skype.com/products/skypeout/

i wouldnt recommend 1010987 or any of those 1010 numbers as they charge you a connection fee and extra charge for mobile phones.

its not 6 cents a minute but 10 cents/min + connection of 0.53 cents, that will rack up the bill quick!

oh and look into what kangnam mafioso posted, you can buy a $10 card and it could last about 300 minutes or so

sheba · Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: Here there and everywhere!

Duh!! It just occurred to me... My friend and I sometimes chat online... litterally!

We use yahoo messenger and each bought a mic for $10.... comes through pretty clear at both ends and its free.

Do you both have the internet? (not hourly rate preferably)

Banana Bender · Joined: 24 Jun 2003

There is a shop opposite the Mosgue in Itaewon ( walk up hookers hill , turn left and follow the road ) that sells phone cards to the USA and other points. You get 240 minutes for 12,000 WON .

BB

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

Thanks for all the encouragement, I'm feeling much better. Just a bad couple of days, and I know this month will pass by all too quickly in many ways and I'll miss Korea. I passed your info about phone cards on to my boyfriend and we'll work something out.

I also changed my plane ticket to an earlier date...just a few days earlier but it helps a lot psychologically. The thought of traveling around Korean alone for a whole 25 days was getting a bit scary...

Thanks again!

taobenli

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

It's SO weird...my boyfriend and family called me using a phone card that was working just fine, but for the past week when they call they've been getting a "no service" message with bloops and bleeps and can't connect. My phone is always on, always has reception and batteries. I have a prepaid phone card with KTX...could the fact that I don't have many minutes left for outgoing calls make a difference? I don't have any landline they can try calling...

I don't understand what changed...my boyfriend has tried other cards as well, with the same frustrating result. What's the problem? (grr)

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

hello....any ideas? There doesn't seem to be much traffic today....

ambvalent · Joined: 25 Feb 2005

I've tried everything...10 10 987, my prepaid calling card (net2phone), and several other calling options including my familys' calling cards...
No one can reach me in Korea!

i'm having people call me at 011 82 10 4734 4xxx from the states to my cell phone, which as far as i know is correct.

I've sent friends / family dozens of emails trying to get phone cards to work, and I've looked up on the internet how to do it...is something wonky going on with international calls to korea? I can call fine back home but it's more expensive.

canuckistan · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 10:55 pm Post subject:

The "Miracle", "Captain", and "Best USA" phone cards we bought in Korea work in reverse as well and are just as inexpensive to call Korea ie: calling Korea from the US. The 800# to call from the US is on the above cards and they work great! There are different 800#'s for calling from landlines, pay phones, and mobiles.

So far the selection of phone cards in CO is underwhelming and way more expensive.

Just buy a couple of the above phone cards in Korea (or any others that have US 800#'s on them/work in reverse) and email or call your BF with the US 800 numbers and pin codes of the cards and he can call you Smile

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

Well, ambvalent, it makes me feel slightly better that we're having the same problem. Until a week ago my boyfriend could call me just fine with a card called One Suite. He was dialing 010 then, too, not leaving the first 0 out, and it was working great. But then suddenly last week...bam, stopped working (regardles of whether he dials 010 or just 10). I can call him from pay phones with cards but it's such a pain in the butt standing outside in the heat and humidity as a million bus and motorcycle engines roar.

My boyfriend is an intelligent human being and I don't think he's doing anything wrong on that end. It doesn't make any sense that it suddenly stopped working. I suggested that he try skype.com or another card, but he's already spent so much money on 5 different phone cards that it seems like too much to ask...he's getting very frustrated.

What is going on???