Sorry I automatically presume everyone is male on digitalspy in the voip / tech sections.

My mistake.

There services are extremely good value, there are some bargains and deals that are the best in the industry on those sites, free calls and all sorts..


I agree 100% if you do your research you will find out that there is no con and they have many customers saving money and happy with their services.
Last edited by intheknow : 21-02-2007 at 16:50

I've done a bit more research on this.

They really do use some very slimey tricks to make it appear that they're offering you more than they are.

In the first place, their web pages are very much designed to confuse. Omitting some very important information and relegating other to small print and pages linked with non standard colours so that the links don't stand out.

Free calls.

Only by really stretching the definition of 'free' and only if you use the service in a very particular way.

To most people a free call is one you don't pay for.

Well, apart from 1m test calls, there's no way you make calls with these people without paying!


Rate changes

They can and do change the rates applicable after you've paid for the credit so if you have paid for your credit expecting to be able to call a certain country at 0c per minute, they may well, with no notice change the rate for that country so that it is no longer 'free'.

Naturally you cannot get a refund or transfer your credit to another member of 'this group of companies' (as intheknow/sexykitten refer to them).

A Major Lie

Right at the top of the page in big letters in an orange box there is the text "Register now for UNLIMITED FREE* calls".

This is an outright lie.

You only get 5hrs of 'free' calls per week.

How the hell can a limit of 5hours be unlimited?


Another Lie: The credit does expire

They don't mention this on the web page, but their system will not let you add credit unless your current credit is less than €5. Since your credit expires if it is not topped up this means that you must either use all but €5 of your credit or lose the lot.

Why are their terms and condition not clearly listed on the site?

It's obvious that you need to be very clued up about the current terms and conditions (particularly if you read their licence agreement which talks about extra charges they may make if you contravene their fair use policy without anywhere telling you what that policy is in numerical terms).

Why would any reputable company not publish its terms and conditions where a prospective customer could inspect them?


Obviously everyone has to make their own decision and some people are obviously happy to do business with people who use every trick in the book to deceive ther customers and potential customers, but taken overall, these people are at best grossly dishonest and at worst acting like scammers.

If you don\'t top up, you do not lose your credit at all, you can still use that credit, you just don\'t get any more free days until you do top up.

I have topped up when I\'ve had more than €5 on my account too.

Do you expect it to just be "free" can you show me a better deal?

You add a small amount of credit 5euros or whatever, you get to use that credit on very cheap voip calls and you get an allocation of free calls to a list of destinations too.

I don't think you'll find a better VOIP deal personally.
Last edited by intheknow : 23-02-2007 at 02:14

That's not really the point though, is it?

The OP asked "WebCallDirect - Scam?".

Now, I don't think they are a scam to the extent that they are taking people's money and doing a runner, but they are certainly very dishonest in their advertising.

Apart from dishonest advertising, the biggest scam is removing countries from the Free list after people have paid for credit and not giving a refund.

In my book that is obtaining money under false pretences, quite definitely a scam, and would probably be deemed unlawful in court.

Of course, no one is going to take them to court because they are scamming people for quite small amounts of money.

Nontheless, in answer to the OP's question, taking the dishonest advertising, lack of published terms and conditions and documented instances of changing the charging basis without notice and after payment has been made, I would say that yes, these people are scammers at least to the degree that you may well not get what you paid for.