This is my experience of the VoipCheap.co.uk outlet - You are not forewarned that they require photo ID & copy credit card images, so once you use the very, very limited choice to setup/topup your account - they immediately block it. Its almost impossible to contact them - there are no direct email addresses, telephone numbers or live chat. I eventually found a contact form and asked what was going on. They told me they wanted ID - I sent it off. They refunded my PayPal payment and gave me £3 credit. However they hadnt unblocked my account so it couldnt be used. Complained again and they apologised and released the account. I used the account for 18 short calls or SMS. I wanted to top up my account - only for 10 euros - via a Ireland reseller - as there are no PayPal options or Visa options available on my account. I paid reseller via PayPal - sent off more ID and waited ...... I got an email back saying they had also had to refund my account as the master seller had blocked it. I am REALLY< REALLY fed up with how much time I have wasted on this service!

We've been using Voipcheap for about 2 years, alongside Sipgate. Voipcheap is set up for most outgoing calls and Sipgate for incoming. A Siemens phone allows choice of carrier according to number dialled - Sipgate, Voipcheap, or BT line number (which bypasses the internet modem). It doesn't seem to be widely advertised that SIP systems (at least these two) work happily together. You don't seem to be limited to the limited "compatible" providers, as implied, for example, by Sipgate. Over that time, Voipcheap has improved from "just about tolerable" voice quality and function, with, for example, our number rarely reported correctly to the recipient's caller ID. We still sometimes find that we are reported as "International" or "Not available", but these kinds of errors have slowly declined. Just yesterday, there was an outage for over an hour when both phone service and website were out of action. But I haven't seen that before. They certainly live up to their name, though they adopt some tricks to make phone calls look cheaper - like emphasising ex-VAT prices and adding an "admin" fee. Nevertheless, our fairly-heavy usage of the phone over the two years has averaged about £40/year total between both VoIP providers, excluding only line rental. I would strongly recommend having at least two VoIP providers, because it is a much more complex system than traditional phones and any one service can fail. Using a pre-payment account, this need not incur any fixed monthly payment. In summary, I recommend Voipcheap but "with one's eyes open".

I have used Voipcheap for a number of years and in the beginning the call quality was excellent and it was really competitively priced. The free voip-in phone number was also a bonus. But, in September/October there was an automatic software update and since then no-one could properly hear me if I called them. I contacted them for assistance and am still awaiting a reply (more than 6 months). In the meantime the only way the software works is in Compatibility Mode with Windows 98. Also, since that time the call quality has been terrible. Most of my conversations now go something like "hello, can you hear me? Hello, hello" There has been an additional automatic software update since then but the problem was not fixed. Fortunately, I am getting to the end of my credit so am tending to just use for SMS messages. Great shame, to see such a once good service go down the pan. I'm now using Skype and although more expensive the call quality is superb.

Only use service to send sms messages now .. Even then many SMS messages NEVER arrive, though I am still charged for non-delivery .. I am here because looking for alternatives, as am moving on .. So thought would share the bad experience .. Am aware voipcheap is provably franchise of larger company .. So am being careful not to find another poor service provider using same umbrella ..

This company is rubbish, at least in the US!!! It used to work, but not anymore.I have had an account with them for several years, but last year I was not able to make any calls through this website. I contacted customer service for four month by now and there last response was: "get another phone number and it will work". Meanwhile, they don't provide refunds! What a scheme this company runs!

j'apprécie vos service mais seulement depuis le 24 avril que j'avais effectué une recharge de 10 euros mais je ne parviens pas à effectuer les appels vers mes contacts, que dois-je faire ? Du reste je dois avouer que vos services sont vraiment impeccables je crois que je recommanderai beaucoup de mes amis à pouvoir souscrire pour bénéficier de vos services. c'est moins chers et viables; la qualité est vraiment excellente.

My voipcheap didn´t work properly so I claim back my money. They said they credited my bank account. Still waiting for that money...

I have been a happy voipcheap customer until recently. Noticed a charge of £8 on my bill for calling a non existing number '+222'. I contacted their support team only to be told that the charge was fair. I reply asking them to explain how a call to a non-existing number can be fair. I did not make the call nor did anyone in the household. it's been 2 weeks since I sent my last reply and no answer has been received from their support till today. customer service non-existent if you ask me. I would not recommend to anyone . there are cheats! I wish I had researched about them before before buying from them. Never again

No free phone calls, even they claim it is free, but for the first one monute only,I am being charged for calls that do not connect about 6 euro for three attemps. Left message to customer service, nobody ever got back to me, no problems solved, it is a ripped off.

Cheating b*stards. You are screwed if you have an issue with them. Customer service doesn't exit. Don't like to be rip off for this bunch of d*ckheads. NEVER SET-UP AN ACCOUNT WITH THEM, USE SKYPE IF POSSIBLE.

WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER

Voipcheap used to work well but since three weeks ago I'm not able to make a call.

I logged-in a service request to solve the issue and same copy and paste answer "reinstall the latest version"

I did it three time and the issue still there.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone right now...you'll lose your 10 Euro credit.

I have been having several problems in conecting to their services using hardphones, and only their voipcheap softphone works.

Not even other softphones are working.

This started happenning a few days ago, I requested support, but had no feedback until now.

Wouldn't recommend it right now.

I am reviewing www.voipcheap.com

1. Their connection quality is poor. I either have trouble understanding the person on the other side or I get a delay and we both end up speaking at the same time, when both people speak at the same time no one hears the other. This was better for some months, but it is degrading again!!!

2. Their customer service center is almost nonexistent: I am being charged for calls that do not connect. I get this tone similar to the dial up Internet connection tone. I created a few reports and I have only been answered once regarding this problem. Their answer was that they charge for what they are charged and that they were going to let their engineers know about this. I am still waiting for this to be resolved and my first email was sent about a month ago.

I also contacted them once reporting connection problems that I had been having for a few days and their answer was "Try again".

They do not solve problems. It seems as if their answers, when they do answer are the same as nothing or worse, because they have just made me feel their poor customer orientation.

3. My mother has also had many problems with payment. She even had to set up a new account once because she ran out of credit and there was no way to recuperate er account. So she had to do the installation process all over not being computer savvy and being an older person.

4. Calls used to get disconnected every 15 min. I need to make long calls and this was solved for some time, but now it's happening again. Sometimes they disconnect the call after 20 min or more or less.

I DO NOT RECCOMEND THEM. I am hunting for other services that will provide better service or that at least you can speak on the phone with a customer service representative and really be able to explain your problems and get answers.