| With the influx of complaints regarding Skype's fall | | | | exclusively VoIP based service. By adding value to |
| from grace, Danny Wirken measures up the top | | | | the service Yahoo! can already offer their users, |
| competitor and internet giant Yahoo!'s news | | | | they are making a far smaller step than Skype or |
| internet telephony service. | | | | any other company seeking to offer competition |
| Cheaper, faster, better quality, better customer | | | | in this fast paced market. |
| service and a brand you can trust. These are the | | | | With MSN and AOL also entering the fray, Yahoo! |
| things Yahoo! want you take away from any of | | | | is keen to gain immediate respect as the new |
| their promotional material for the new Yahoo! | | | | internet telephony Mecca. There is essentially no |
| voice VoIP service. | | | | difference between Yahoo!'s business model and |
| The weird and wonderful continues to dominate | | | | Skype's business model except that Yahoo! |
| the Skype debate. A recent complaint published | | | | bundles many services into one piece of software. |
| on a blog from a Skype user illustrates the issue | | | | Customers are predicted to trust Yahoo! with |
| at the heart of Skype's fall from grace well: | | | | their personal details and payment information |
| "I recharged my account and then couldn't use it. | | | | more readily than Skype who already has a poor |
| When I emailed support I got a response four | | | | history of random charges, incorrect charges and |
| days later saying that my account was not over | | | | general customer service problems that have had |
| 3 months old. Yet I am. Giving them the benefit | | | | the user base up in arms for several months now. |
| of the doubt, I asked Skype customer service to | | | | Yahoo! claim that their top priority is to provide |
| recheck. They then said it was because I have | | | | the best communications service possible by |
| under 5 euros in my account. Yet I had over 5 | | | | blending the VoIP into other services such as |
| euros. At that point I gave up." | | | | mobile communications and search. It is this kind |
| It's hard to blame the customer support staff | | | | of integration that holds the key to the future |
| though - with the daily torrent of complaints they | | | | marketplace - but is it one which Skype can easily |
| are no doubt having to deal with the blame and | | | | keep up with? They have no instantly |
| responsibility falls squarely in the lap of Ebay who | | | | recognisable equivalence to the broad network of |
| now own Skype. Yahoo! aims to offer a more | | | | services on offer from Yahoo! and this is a fact |
| competitive service. | | | | that customers will be aware of. |
| The published list of prices are now available on | | | | If you're fed up with the problems permeating |
| the Yahoo! site and it's plain for all to see who will | | | | the world of Skype right now then I strongly |
| eventually be leading on price for national and | | | | suggest you check out Yahoo!'s offering. You |
| international calls. | | | | might just be thankful that you did. There are |
| Yahoo! certainly has the market - the users of its | | | | many more competitors on the books however - |
| chat software are a rival market for Skype's | | | | pushing prices down across the industry. |