I am in an RV park that offers Tengo Internet and they give you a coupon for 2 hours use to prevent it being overloaded - no biggie.At the end of the 2 hours, I still had an email that needed to be sent and Skype popped up to tell me that Skype WiFi was available. The screen that opened said that it would cost be %2c per minute - obviously someone had screwed up the coding as I guess %2 was a variable that should translate to an actual number - but I thought what the heck, it can't be that expensive for a couple of minutes.I sent my email and then disabled the WiFi adapter to make sure I wasn't online.Imagine my disgust when I checked my Skype balance to find that I had been charged 19c a minute and for 30 minutes! For $5.70 that was a freakin expensive email!I have tried to contact Skype support of course and have an interesting dialog where I get progressively more upset and they simply regurgitate the same email which is basically "tough luck - no refunds"They do not accept that the system should have shown me the correct per minute charge and apparently, to ensure that you are not charged for additional minutes you HAVE to switch off the Skype WiFi from within Skype - of course nowhere is this explained. Simply disabling the WiFi (or losing the signal etc) does not stop the 'session' and you will be charged for 30 minutes which is when the session automatically terminates.It's shabby business practice, virtually a con trick and it's the last time I will ever be using Skype WiFi.

It is important to be smarter than the scammers!

Seems like you're getting pretty worked up over five dollars. I know it's the principal of the matter but my time is worth more to me than going back and fourth with Skype which will probably take hours over five dollars.Most people have cell phones (smart phones) that are connected to the internet all of the time now and you can even use those as mobile wifi hotspots that you can connect your laptop to. Maybe think about doing that if you have the smart phone deal. I do and it works great. Best of luck to you getting your five bucks back.

I will be kinder than the last poster. Thanks for the info. I know how you feel and sometimes its more than just the money.

havasu wrote:At the end of the 2 hours, I still had an email that needed to be sent and Skype popped up to tell me that Skype WiFi was available. The screen that opened said that it would cost be %2c per minute - obviously someone had screwed up the coding as I guess %2 was a variable that should translate to an actual number - but I thought what the heck, it can't be that expensive for a couple of minutes.At this point, you wrote a blank check to them and knew it, but hoped it wouldn't be too bad. Not sure why you're complaining about the company.

Cheer up. It could have been a real scam and the price could have been $19.00 per minute. :S

BEWARE Skype WiFi | Good Sam Community

1mtnman
Explorer II
Jul 17, 2013
It is important to be smarter than the scammers!
mrkoje
Explorer
Jul 17, 2013
Seems like you're getting pretty worked up over five dollars. I know it's the principal of the matter but my time is worth more to me than going back and fourth with Skype which will probably take hours over five dollars.

Most people have cell phones (smart phones) that are connected to the internet all of the time now and you can even use those as mobile wifi hotspots that you can connect your laptop to. Maybe think about doing that if you have the smart phone deal. I do and it works great.

Best of luck to you getting your five bucks back.
powderman426
Explorer
Jul 17, 2013
I will be kinder than the last poster. Thanks for the info. I know how you feel and sometimes its more than just the money.
HappyKayakers
Explorer
Jul 17, 2013
havasu wrote:

At the end of the 2 hours, I still had an email that needed to be sent and Skype popped up to tell me that Skype WiFi was available. The screen that opened said that it would cost be %2c per minute - obviously someone had screwed up the coding as I guess %2 was a variable that should translate to an actual number - but I thought what the heck, it can't be that expensive for a couple of minutes.

At this point, you wrote a blank check to them and knew it, but hoped it wouldn't be too bad. Not sure why you're complaining about the company.
gbopp
Explorer
Jul 17, 2013
Cheer up. It could have been a real scam and the price could have been $19.00 per minute. :S
havasu
Explorer
Jul 17, 2013
HappyKayakers wrote:
At this point, you wrote a blank check to them and knew it, but hoped it wouldn't be too bad. Not sure why you're complaining about the company.

I guess you either didn't read or didn't understand the point.

It wasn't so much the fact that it cost 19c a minute (which in itself was ridiculous) but the fact that I was assessed on 30 minutes of use DESPITE turning off the WiFi adapter.

Yes, I do get worked up over the principles of bad business and getting ripped off - regardless of the actual sums involved.
powderman426
Explorer
Jul 17, 2013
havasu wrote:

Yes, I do get worked up over the principles of bad business and getting ripped off - regardless of the actual sums involved.

As well you should. If more people didn't just go along, there would be much less of this type of thing happening. I thank you.
popeyemth
Explorer
Jul 17, 2013
Can you dispute the charges via your credit card?
dons2346
Explorer
Jul 18, 2013
Why is that when someone "assumes" something and it proves out to be wrong and it costs more than expected, it becomes a scam?

If you thought something was wrong, why did you continue?
wilco
Explorer
Jul 18, 2013
I'm curious about this whole thing. Skype isn't a wifi provider, so far as I know it's a voice/video service owned by Microsoft that either allows you to connect with other subscribers for free or offers other additional services for a fee once you are connected to the 'net". Tengo is an internet provider that's pretty common in the SW US that allows you to connect to Skype or anyone/place else you might want to go on the internet.

So far as I know, Skype can't bill you for internet service since they don't provide it. If Skype has an e-mail service, I haven't found it and if I did, why would I use it, especially if there was extra cost involved.

Is this a new scam or just a misunderstanding?