Localphone Reviews 167

This is a great service! It cost me 16p to call New Zealand from the UK for 20 minutes - bargain! So easy to use.

I've been with Localphone for many years now. I've recommended their service to many friends and family
I couldn't be happier, I've had only sterling service!

I ported over the best Phone Number of a Carrier's range recently and the Carrier didn't relinquish it easily but Localphone together with their suppliers persevered and ensured that the number was ported over.

I have used this company for at least the last five years. I’ve been very impressed, all of the features just do what they say they will do, call quality is as good as any other service I’ve tried. The main benefit is the price and I can’t seem to find anyone that can compete on that, especially calls to UK mobiles.

I do use the local numbers for my business line and found that it saves us a lot of money with no drop in quality.

There are a few quotes for example I can’t access my voicemail via my ATA some of the overseas calls also cheaper with other providers.

Having said all that I would definitely recommend.

For 3 weeks have not been able to make a call. Complained by email several times but received no response, very annoying.

- take up to 14 days for ordering an Incoming Number.
But only told it after paying for it!!!
- when trying to add Credit its takes over 24 Hour till its add on Account (even by paying with Secure Paypal)

No possibility to call.

I have the Balance €8.16.
And every time when I try to call I get the message: "You don't have sufficient credit to make this call. Please, add credit and try again."

No info - how much should I have, no info why I can't call.

No answer from technical support.

Thanks.

P.S., In the end, it was fixed but I waited for half a day. Anyway thanks for help.

I've very surprised at the low overall star rating.
I have been using Localphone for years and rarely had a problem.
On the few occasions I did have a problem, they were eager and quick to find me a solution.

The only (minor) thing that stopped me giving a 5-star rating was that I had some problems with the original Localphone software on my Mac and had to use X-Lite instead, which wasn't such a nice interface.

I'm only writing this review to balance things out a bit. I'm not a regular user of LP, in fact, I only used it once about a year ago to make a series of about 6 calls to the US. Everything worked smoothly, the calls went through, the sound quality was good, and I had no problems whatsoever.

I don't really have any need to call overseas any more but if I did, I wouldn't hesitate to use LP.

Have been a Localphone user for at least 4 years. In the beginning it was fine but the last 2 years I have had repeated problems getting connected on international calls. When I dial the 03 number assigned, I get a UK dialtone instead of the one in Japan, and after a few rings it goes dead. Or I get through but it cuts off immediately. I used to be able to get a person on the support line who could help me right away but over the past few months, certainly, I have had to communicate through email to get help. So I miss the timing of making calls when I want to, especially with the time difference. It's a shame the service has gone downhill.

I have been using local phone for over 5 years. Never have major problem until these months. There is so hard to make call completely and successfully. Scenario 1: keep trying to make long distance call from US to Asian but no one answers. Turned out that just ring one tone and stop on another side. Scenario 2: call got thru but it would drop by itself. That happened 8 times in a row! Extremely disappointed. I am trying to look up to other service providers...

I am constantly trying to get in touch with them for a week and all their phone numbers say "please use the contact page on the website".

I left a message on offline live chat as well about a week back and no one has come back with an answer.

What is going on???

This is not a good sign at all. I have been with them for more than 4-5 years and never had such bad service experience..

I joined Localphone on Friday 21 Sep 2018 and was not able to make a call until 5 October 2018. This was due to my PC running old Win XP, that, I assume, software developers a lot of the time are not bothering to provide sufficient compatibility for. When using Localphone software on my system to make a call, I can hear the person on the other end and they cannot hear me.

Localphone support has been helpful in recommending different solutions for the problem. These solutions involve using third party software with my Localphone account. The first software suggested I could not install latest version because there was no support for XP. I than installed an earlier version and than ran the software, getting a message informing that my copy has expired. The second did not have sufficient compatibility, as could not register account. The third Linphone 3.7.0 solution is working, where I can hear the person called clearly and they hear my words in a different and loud unclear voice. On the latest call, the call quality was better for the person on the other end.

I am now benefiting from Localphone low call rates and you can also, even on an XP computer. If you are running a PC with this old operating, the Linphone solution should work for you.

Good customer service and call quality OK.

I have been with Localphone for around a year. I mainly use it when travelling and I love the flexibility it has when compared with Skype.
Three examples:
When travelling in the USA I usually get a local Sim to put in my phone. With free 'local' calls I just set my location to the USA and all my contacts in the UK immediately have an individual 'local' USA number via which I can call them for just a half-penny a minute.
Similarly, when in the UK I just reset my location to UK, and all my American friends suddenly have a local UK number to call, again for such a small cost it is almost free.
Thirdly, it saves a fortune on UK landline calls to UK mobiles. My landline phone provider charges 30p a minute to call mobile numbers. All my mobile contacts have a localcall number, and I just dial that instead (1.5p per minute).
What's not to like! My experience is that it works well (just an occasional dropped call) and is VERY inexpensive. My experience couldn't be more different from the experiences of some of the reviewers here. I would recommend.

They were good at the beginning.
Now, they are expensive and service does not work always.
If you send SMS through them, do not expect other side to receive it.
When they raised price for subscription, they could not just cancel mine, but they blocked me using it.
And they have very bad attitude.

Used to be the best around but international calls no longer competitive, network's like EE offering international package for better price

I've been a customer for years now. The idea behind Localphone is great, and there are many things about it I like, but it's hard to actually get it to work in practice.

I have 2 incoming numbers, and these work great. It's really handy to have a local number independent of who my provider is, and not have to worry about porting. It's also great to have an incoming number for the US, to use when I visit or for friends and family to call me on.

Customer service is also very good. All of my questions have been promptly and completely answered.

Their open architecture is also great. There is full compatibility with other VoIP providers and technologies. Nothing is locked down or restricted.

On the technical side things are not so great. I've had a lot of trouble getting apps to work well on my phone and getting a VoIP phone working in my house. These aren't necessarily always Localphone's fault, but at least for Android they don't yet have a fully functional and solid app, and there are no phones they sell as a package or recommend and fully support. Also like others have said, it's not uncommon that calls just don't go through, or the connection quality is unacceptably poor, and then you're stuck paying full price from your regular provider.

Since I don't make that many calls, I'm sure I've paid more on technical solutions than I've actually saved on calls.

Also Localphone doesn't support any privacy enhancement. There is no encryption whatsoever, on any level. There may be legal reasons for this, but I still find this really lacking.

Every time I use Localphone I feel like it's so hit and miss, I can only use it for calling very friendly people who have the patience to try a few times first before the call is actually successful. It's hard to use it professionally or to call strangers.

I suppose I'll keep using Localphone for what it is. I don't know of any other better, open and reasonably priced VoIP solutions.

Thought I should make some needed comment in praise of LocalPhone. For some time, I was paying exorbitant phone prices to contact my wife in Nigeria. This because my TV, computer and phone provider also charged me as well as the phone company I subscribed to. Yes, this due to my lack of intelligence and trusting the money grabbing sharks of commercialism. Eventually, I found a “bypass phone provider” that reduced my phone bill quite a bit.
But then my wife moved to India to teach underprivileged children and again I encountered a few problems with my phone company due to all sorts of things I did not understand. I eventually decided to try a well-known computer-based phone facility that allowed my face and my wife’s dear face to be shown when I contacted her. But then distortions and odd cut-offs resulted. Not happy.
Brooding about my long period of mistakes I finally decided to try Localphone. A good man named Mark Pickering spoke to me. He listened patiently, told me lots of things about phone companies and other things that I only partially understood. He then kindly sent me an email in a more simplified explanation about something that went by the name of “Calling Card”. It seemed that this could be the answer to my problems.
I enlisted. When my phone bill became due for payment I was surprised, in fact, I started to mutter suspiciously. It was so low for the first few months I thought they had made a mistake. No mistake. Saved me a fortune and is simple, efficient, and quick to transport my voice to India daily with no problems whatsoever. Now my phone bill is really low.
What an idiot I’ve been in my fumbling and bumbling that wasted money. Believe me, these people are good. And NO! I do not work for them, have not got shares in their company, or have any ulterior motive. Am doing this solely to help you. This is a good and genuine service. None better.

Dave-of-Birmingham

Been a customer on LP for 6+ years without any real complaints.
(Would've gone elsewhere else) But today I get to realise that two people I regularly text don't get all the texts....
I check the LP 'Chatline' for help. What a joke. One single person in Philippines on the end of the 'line'. Me in UK. To chat to all. (Today is June 1 2018)
I get no realistic response & waste my time. And money on failed texts...
I would advise any other person to avoid this so called service these days. They do not care about the paying customers in my experience.
Avoid, & find a better service is best advice..
I really feel sorry for that poor person in Phillipines trying her best with multiple customers to deal with. On a pitiful wage compared to UK employees, on her own & doing her best.

What a sad, disgraceful company.
The only reason it gets two stars from me is because one star says 'Rude' conduct. This lady was never rude, just harassed & overworked.

This company should be ashamed of itself.

LP response does not answer my complaint about failed messages, (which I pay for) not arriving. I sent one more SMS after & it also did not arrive.
The phone service is good, works every time for me, with varying sound quality, but that's OK with me at the price. But not SMS.
LP might want to address this here?? Rather than avoid it??

If you are all in Philippines perhaps you would like to inform us all about the pathetically low wage rates there?? I call it exploitation. I know. I have friends there & I am not impressed/convinced by your platitudes. Third world country. Why base your operations there if it wasn't the cheapest possible way to do a second rate job???
I do not disparage the Philippina staff in any way, I do though, question the morality of a 'Multinational' company who will operate thus. Lots of UK companies now begin to realise that a UK company using third world call centres etc. does not impress customers & are now moving their call centres back to UK, or EU. I wonder when LocalPhone will 'get' that....

I was reading reviews to see if there is any incoming softphone option to move my Vonage service number. Surprised to see some unsual negetive comments. I am using localphone for nearly 10 years. Never had any problems.

Don't use it! I have been wasting money for the past 3 years. It's very common when you're calling to hear something like "your call credit is low, dial... to borrow credit" even thou you have money on your account. Sometimes, when you are connected and talking, you will just realize what your call recipient told you 1 minute ago, start to repeat itself. Share waste of money! It's horrible.