ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Philippinesphils calling card quality

Hi Phils residents,

Just wondering, if you have a partner in the USA do they ever uses calling cards? I bought 20$ worth of cards online one time and the quality was so poor I didn't even use up the minutes. We couldn't understand each other with all the echoes.

I'm wondering if there are better quality services out there. I searched for calling card reviews for the phils but haven't had any luck. I've been using my CP at 20 cents per min. with my international plan but now my parents want to call us when I'm there in phils and they don't have the international plan on their phone service.

I'm taking my phone with me so I will have one in the states while in other airports. Last time I left it with them and its a nightmare using payphones.

Just looking for good quality phone card with less echo for phils calls. Price is not the most important thing, it's quality.

Kevin



WWW.MASTERBELL.COM


Looks like a good choice as well; reasonable rates to cell phones, pinless dialing for some cards, some of the fine print is a little questionable on some cards (maintenance fees, etc.), cannot find any cards with speed dial option but that isn't so say that it isn't available .. if that is not an option, then your mother will still have to enter the full number into the phone when prompted (ex. 01163906232....), I have no first hand knowledge of the call quality so I cannot comment on echos etc.
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-07-01 17:14:00
Philippinesphils calling card quality

http://www.alosmart.com


Kevin,

This one looks cheaper by almost half .. 6 cents a minute but it doesn't state if that is calling a land line or cell phone. There is a HUGE price difference with other cards that I have used when it comes to that. Again alot of numbers to enter it would seem.

From the website for the Real Minutes Card (cheapest option) ..

Real Minutes
1. DIAL:
(866) 203-5072 English
(866) 203-5072 Spanish
2. ENTER: Your PIN#
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3. ENTER: Your Destination.
USA & Canada:
1+Area Code + Telephone
OTHER COUNTRIES:
011+Country Code+City Code+Telephone.


3 MINUTE ROUNDING. $.49 WEEKLY MAINTENANCE FEE APPLIES. EXPIRES 3 MONTHS FROM PURCHASE. TAXES APPLY REDUCING THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MINUTES. RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

I know that you are leaving for Manila Tuesday morning, so I am trying to help you make the most educated decision when it comes to this issue since your mother will be the one calling you in Phils.

By the way, if you choose to go with mobilecaller.com you might want your SO to get you a sim card now and put a load on it so that you can enter that number as a speed dial number online before you leave .. you could even have your fiancee put the sim in her phone and let your mother go thru the process of calling her so that she knows the process. :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-07-01 16:29:00
Philippinesphils calling card quality

I used Sarimonok One. Yazi is now using it to call family and friends. the rate is more expensive, but the quality is good and only charged for time used. I know some have had good experience with mobilecaller, but I would not personally recommend it. I was constantly being charged at a higher rate than the plan I signed up for and got tired of calling customer service for credit.


Kevin,

Your cell phone international rates are lower than sarimanok one rates. 23 cents to phillipine cell phone.

http://www.tfc-na.co..._one/index.html

Instructions from the link above ..

To use your Sarimanok One card dial the toll free number listed on the back of your card and listen for instructions. You will be asked for your card number, pin, and the phone number you wish to call. For domestic calls, dial 1 plus the area code and phone number. For international calls, dial 011 plus the country code, city code, and phone number. To place another call, do not hang up. Press the pound key twice and wait for instructions. This information is also on the back of your phone card.

seems like alot of number punching considering you want something easy for your mother to use.

I won't deny that I have called mobilecaller.com for a credit on one occasion, but for all of the time that it has worked great for me that was a minor inconvenience.

I did forget to mention one thing on my previous post. You can list multiple phones numbers that can use your mobile caller account, simply log on, add them in your control panel, and give them their personal pin number .. caller ID recognizes the number as an allowed user. You have to do this for the phone that your mother will be using if you go with this option.

CB

Edited by CountryBoy, 01 July 2007 - 03:00 PM.

CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-07-01 14:56:00
Philippinesphils calling card quality
I use mobilecaller.com .. the call quality is good, the price is reasonable, it is very easy to make calls, and you can reload the card online very easily.

The process ..

goto http://www.mobilecaller.com
click on "philippines" on the right side of the screen
click on "select" under "mobile asia" at the far right (the 10 cent option)
enter your email address and password

... the rest of initial setup is self explanatory ..

to setup the speed dial entries, change your security code, and reload the card simply login with the email address and password that you supplied earlier ..

to make calls, put the toll free access number in your phone, call it .. enter the security code .. enter the speed dial number followed by the # sign .. (for example if you make your security code 123 and your speed dial is 1 then you would dial the 800 number, wait for someome to talk then push 1231# and it will connect fairly quickly)

I have in my speed dial numbers ..

1 Mylene globe cell phone
2 Mylene smart cell phone
3 Mylene's housekeepers phone
4 SLEC
5 US Embassy Manila

so much easier than entering all of those numbers.

Hope this has been of some help!

CB

a couple of bad thing about the card, it bills on 3 minute cycles which is bad if you will make multiple short phone calls .. also, if you load with less than $20 there is a fee associated with the load

Edited by CountryBoy, 01 July 2007 - 10:13 AM.

CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-07-01 10:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsGot The NOA1
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-03-23 20:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsI-129F finally mailed!!
:thumbs: congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-03-27 06:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsTOUCHED!!!
Me too .. Good Luck .. :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-03-28 21:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports5 EMAILS!!!!!! NOA2 APPROVED
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-03-27 16:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsANOTHER NOA2 RECEIVED
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:

This is really great news to me because your dates are exactly the same as mine and I am going thru CSC too ..



****holding my breath****
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-03-27 16:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNovember 1 NOA1 and still waiting
What does it hurt Jim to call his senator anyway? If they do an inquiry and nothing comes of it - fine. But at least Jim will feel as if he has physically done all he can do to see his case adjudicated.

Speak to a 'live person' who can physically look at your folder? :lol: Surely you jest. The phone number we have access to is the standard customer service number - they can see on their screen what we see on our screen (via the USCIS website). Customer service people are not adjudicators the last time I looked. I sincerely doubt they'd even have the security access to waltz into the adjudicator's cubicles and start looking around for folders. And for that matter, I suspect Jim has already called the oh so helpful customer service number. To imply he hasn't is a bit insulting.


Sorry to put my suggestion here, obviously some would reply just to flame me over it.

Good luck in your journey Jim
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-03-27 06:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNovember 1 NOA1 and still waiting
I am a close personal friend of my congressman (I actually had dinner with him, 2 other congressman, and a senator last weekend) and he assures me that he can do a congressional inquiry, but unless the timeline which is posted at the USCIS has been exceeded, the results would be fruitless.

As far as your date goes, I would talk to a live person at CSC about your case, someone that can physically look at your folder. Considering the touches in January (which are consistent with NOA-2 noticices received by people that filed around the same time you did) I believe that there is something awry, perhaps the adjudicator entered your case number incorrectly or something, (does an RFE show up on the website as such?) but you definately need to have someone physically touch the folder if you haven't received an RFE or something. (does the service center ever investigate information if they feel it is fraudulent or questionable, thus setting you behind schedule?)

If none of this works, I would certainly suggest, as others have, that you contact your Senator (by phone first) then fax him (actually his staff member) a copy of the privacy release, and a brief description of your situation.
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-03-26 21:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNOA 2 on the way
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-03-27 23:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsTouched 7 minutes ago .. Come On NOA-2
6:45 p.m. CST time my "last updated" date changed without a change of status yet ..

Please wish me luck ..
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-03-28 18:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reportsvisa visa visa
Congrats .. woohoo :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-04 19:40:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJAN FILER APPROVED!!!
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:

I had a NOA-1 date of Jan. 8 and got approved on Mar. 29 .. keep em coming CSC
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-04 19:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsTouched a second time in Vermont! Wahoo!
good luck
:thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-04 19:39:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNOA1!!!
:thumbs: congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-05 21:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsUpdated CSC/NSC/TSC views
Thanks FWAGUY .. sorry I didn't have my timeline updated when you made the updates, I hadn't been online in about a week .. Great Work .. I really appreciate it
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-05 21:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNOA2 wooo hooooo
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-02-22 21:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsLots of touches but no NOA's
it would be assigned a bar code, which when scanned is how a case is "touched" ..

total speculation on my part my assume that when you file thru TSC perhaps it is ..

given a bar code (touch 1)
transferred to CSC (touch 2)
noa-1 (touch 3)
check cashed (touch 4)

:thumbs: Good Luck :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-05 21:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNO TOUCHES AT ALL.
you won't see anything until around 80 days after your noa-1 ..
good luck
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-05 21:02:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsTouched!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:thumbs: Congrats and Speedy Journey :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-05 21:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMy processing times
Please fill in your timeline and then search for similar timelines

:thumbs: Good Luck :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-09 06:06:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNOA2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:thumbs: Congrats and Good Luck :thumbs:

CB
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-07 13:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reportstexas is slowwwwwwwwww
you know, CSC is able to stay about three months behind all the time .. which means to me that they are keeping up with the current flow of applications into the center (they are just three months behind).

This makes me wonder why they don't just hire extra people catch up to date and then lay the new folks off. As long as the adjudicators at CSC worked at the same pace that they are working now, once the center was caught up they could process the applications at lightning speed instead of keeping them on a shelf somewhere collecting dust for 3 months.

As a business owner, I can assure you that if someone was on my payroll and that employee did business the way that the USCIS does, I would have to seriously consider replacing them.

Like roverdriver said above, leave it to the government.
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-07 00:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsWe got approved!
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:

As far as the timelines go, look below at my signature (please click the top one first to keep VJ's timeline info accurate)
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-11 16:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsAll Thanks to VJ members that Help
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-11 19:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsOur turn!
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-11 19:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports90 days
Good luck with your congressman (I would recommend Senator as well)

:)
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-11 19:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMar. 29 my NOA-2 Was approved .. woohoo
Thanks everyone for your congrats .. good luck to all that are waiting ..
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-11 19:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsMar. 29 my NOA-2 Was approved .. woohoo
good luck to everyone else playing the waiting game .. maybe CSC is stepping things up a bit ..
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-04 19:37:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsTHE PLAN FALLS TOGETHER!!
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-11 19:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNOA2
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-11 19:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsProcessing times?
I would recommend a timeline search here on VJ to find people in your particular timeframe to compare who has their NOA-2 .. the timelines here are much more accurate than the ones on the USCIS website
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-12 06:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsGetting help from Congressman to expedite Visa process
hmm .. good luck with it if it is truly justified ..

just remember, everyone here wants their fiancee here sooner than the normal processing times as well ..
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-11 19:15:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsResearch on NOA2 for CSC/NSC Philippine Filers 2006/2007
guess I got lucky, my 129f / k1 visa petition NOA-1 was in January and NOA-2 was in March
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-13 05:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsThanks to everyone over the last year!
:thumbs: Congrats :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-13 23:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsWHY VERMONT CENTRE IS FASTER THAN OTHERS?
CSC is consistently 3 months behind .. they just need to play catchup maybe ..
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-11 19:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsK1 Petition Mailed Today!
:thumbs: Congrats and Good Luck :thumbs:
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-13 05:32:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNOA1 on 31st July 2006 ... 199 Days
thanks for the update .. I was curious as to what has transpired ..

Has your fiancee hired an attorney? did he file appeal ??

CB
CountryBoyMalePhilippines2007-04-15 07:10:00