Skype great for toll-free calls from overseas

After burning though all the minutes on my latest international calling card, I discovered the marvelous fact that you can use Skype to call toll-free numbers in the US, UK, France and Poland for free! I already love the service because of how it helps me keep in touch (affordably) with friends and family back home, but this latest discovery sweetens the deal. Here are the prefixes Skype currently supports for free for all users:

• France: +33 800, +33 805, +33 809
• Poland: +48 800
• UK: +44 500, +44 800, +44 808
• USA: +1 800, +1 866, +1 877, +1 888

This greatly simplifies matters, because otherwise if you are outside the US and need to call a customer service hotline (say for banking or making warranty claims, as is the case for me), you have to go through the laborious process of finding out their non-toll-free landline number and then paying to make the call. I'm glad I won't have to waste extra time and money using my calling card anymore. Yet another reason to love VOIP. I'm still not smiling about being on hold, though.