Pingo LD Review

[FallenPixels]

I have a great LD plan at home using Vonage and have a UK phone number with it so that my family can call me for cheap too but my cell is rediculous for calls to the UK and I am rarely at home so I always have a long distance card and when I seen that we get cashback from Pingo on here I thought I may as well give it a try.

I have used it a few times now so thought I would share my experiences for others thinking of signing up

First I thought I would be able to use it as soon as I signed up, given that I had given an authorisation for $20 on my creditcard. However I signed up on a weekend and they require manual activation of you emailing them a number they give you when you sign up rather than just clicking a link like most activations so it took about 5 days to actually allow me to make a call. Part of this (and I give them credit for this) was them checking as the name on my email account does not precisely match the name for my credit card so they emailed me to doublecheck the details.

Another issue is that although they have pricing for Canada from a regular number and using toll free they only have a toll free access # for Canada (a 1800 #) so the non toll free pricing is useless and I pay a small surcharge on my calls

The calls: My first call was very poor quality calling my sister's mobile phone in the UK. The phone did not 'ring' on the other end for me and she picked up we both heard a lot of static and then it hung up. I called her back and this time the call went through but it had pauses in it, as if my call waiting was beeping but not. I was pretty worried that I had paid for a very poor quality card but I don't use my credit card on our work computers and needed to make a call so thought I would just try it as I only have about $0.80 on my other card. I was also a little confused that I suddenly had more minutes than I did on the first try when I made the second call to the same # but I wont complain

So today I called a London based landline (again no ringing noise so it is just the way it is) and the line was much clearer. The call was about 15 mins with no static and they thought I was at home so it was good quality on their end too. Maybe we just got a bad line the first time or maybe there is a problem calling cell phones from it.

Likes: Easy to remember account number (this is a problem for me), simple to use, can input phone numbers to allow them not to ask for an account # and PIN

Dislikes: No local calling codes so have to pay the toll free surcharge, doesn't make the ringing sound when calling so a bit of a surprise when call is answered, slow signup time

Ease of signup 4/10
Ease of use 8/10
Quality of calls 7/10

Overall 7/10 but I have used a lot of different calling cards and wouldn't rate any of them over 8/10

[Sally888]

I personally view it as a good thing that they actually verify the address to match the credit card address, I think a lot of companies do actually follow up on this if the addresses do not exactly match.

It really cracks down on CC fraud.

However I do have a question, when you phone your sisters cell phone on a normal direct call is it staticky? I know when DH was in Germany his cell phone was magor static but his hotel landline was ok.

It kind of sucks about the 1 800 toll though.

[FallenPixels]

No, I call from my Vonage phone and it is fine (I have friends in Germany too and their cells are bad, as can be France & Poland cells as I have friends in both). I called her again this evening on my way home and I was on the GO train and it was much better so I think I just got a bad line the first time

[Sally888]

Well thats good news at least!

Thanks for the review

[NSangel]

Good stuff FP, keep those reviews comming!