Skype Skype stole my credit, now they want more money Internet

First of all, I have to say I really like Skype technology and Skype voice quality is usually great.  The Technology behind Skype is fantastic. What I don't like are the Skype policies regarding Skype credit.  It is too bad the business side of Skype is hurting a great technology.

Skype sent an email that said I had to use some of my Skype SkypeOUT credit or I would lose it.  I did this and all was fine.  6 months later, I got the another email stating the same thing, except this time I didn't see it in my crush of emails.

Skype says use it or lose it every 6 months

By now I was filtering all emails from telephone companies into a folder, plus this was my super busy time of year, plus my computer had crashed and I was in the process of reinstalling all programs including Skype. Emails from Skype were not a high priority that month. I probably assumed they were just Skype promotional emails. I did finally see the last final ultimatum Skype email which said I had 2 days left to use some credit or lose all my money in my account. I did not have time to reinstall Skype and I lost all my SkypeOut credit at the end of August 2009.

Its not that I am a bad customer.  For two years in a row I paid for unlimited Skypeout calls. But I still had credit on my account from when I first signed up. Skype had a minimum of 10 UK dollars to try Skypeout when I signed up and they wouldn't let me use that original Skype credit to buy my annual unlimited Skype. My usage has changed, I don't use Skype as much as I used to, but I still used it once in awhile, but apparently I had not used it in 6 months.

Try and find a way to contact Skype, there is nothing on the Skype contact page that has an email address or phone number.  Ironic there is no phone number for a telephone company.   So I filed a complaint with the FCC in August 2009. It really isn't for much money, only about $10, but still, it is my money, not theirs, and they are doing this to thousands, probably hundreds of thousands of customers.

I fired up Skype yesterday, Sep 4, 2009, it showed on the top line my account had a credit of $9.14 so I thought, Aha! The FCC came through for me and got me my credit back from Skype. I attempted to call a Skypeout phone number but a Skype popup told me  I have $0.00 credit and I need to buy more Skype Credit. Yeah, right, would you ever buy anything from Skype ever again. 

What a great marketing plan, send a half dozen emails a year badgering your best paying customers that you are going to take their money. Finally, take your customers money so they can't use the service they paid for, then tell them two weeks later they have to buy more credit to use this service they already paid for, then have no way to contact Skype so your only alternative is to file a complaint like this one. 

Right now I'm going to search for another Internet Telephone company.  I will use Skype for all free services, but will not give them any more money.