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TopTenREVIEWS - Gold Award - Awarded for excellence in design, useability and feature set
Overall Rating
 
 
 
 

Rebtel is an easy-to-use international call service that offers cheap rates, a large variety of services and convenient features. This call service is our TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award winner because they not only offer some of the cheapest prices you will find for placing an international call, they also offer an extensive variety of services and several advanced features. Rebtel is the best service because they are easy to use, offer responsive technical support and have no monthly fees.

Services:
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One of the most rewarding benefits to using Rebtel is the cheap rates offered for placing an international call. Calls made using Rebtel are several cents cheaper per minute than several similar services. They also do not offer any monthly, cancellation or connection fees for the calls you make.

Aside from their cheap rates, this international call service offers several additional services to enhance your calling experience. One of their standout features is the ability to make free international calls from more than 50 countries. After you sign up for Rebtel, you enter the phone number you wish to call. Rebtel then sends you a local number they create. To make your free call, you simply dial the number Rebtel created for you and ask the individual on the other line to hang up. They then call you back on your local number while you remain on the phone line. The call is now free because it is considered a local call, but as mentioned previously, it is only available for certain areas.

Additionally, this international call service provides an excellent assortment of features for mobile applications. Applications are available for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone devices. By downloading the application onto your smartphone and using it to make international calls, you are able to get the cheaper rates without any hassle. If the individual you are calling also has the application on their device, you can make free calls without having them hang up and call you back. The applications are also available to provide much cheaper rates for sending texts internationally and communicating through SMS messages.

For users who prefer VoIP services, Rebtel offers a way to make cheap VoIP calls. When placing a VoIP call, the service sends the call through the internet instead of through the company’s telecommunications network. When using VoIP services, you are charged per-minute rates that are similar to direct dialing.

Features:
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Rebtel provides cheap rates for calls in 222 countries. The rates differ depending upon the geographical location of the call’s origination and destination. Several features are available to you when placing phone calls to these countries. You can place or receive international calls to landline phones or mobile devices. This service also features collect calls so friends or family can call you and you pay for the charge. When using the collect call feature, the person desiring to reach you calls your local Rebtel number. Because the call is considered local, they pay nothing. Rebtel charges you the cheap rates they offer. It is a simple process and you don’t have to press any codes and call anyone back. It is simply direct dialing from one phone to another.

Instead of constantly keeping track of phone numbers or contact information, this call service allows you to save all your numbers in your phone book for convenience and organization. And if English isn’t your native language, you can navigate throughout Rebtel’s website using one of four languages: English, Spanish, Polish or French.

One of the drawbacks to using this international call service is they lack a few additional features that enhance call quality and the overall call experience. There is no speed dialing functionality or toll free 800 numbers. Toll free 800 numbers are ideal for businesses and allow individuals to call without being charged for the call. Without this feature, Rebtel is not ideal for business use but is best for calling friends and family, instead of several clients on a daily basis.

Rebtel’s website contains a news portion that provides a blog and press releases to keep you updated with the latest happenings from Rebtel and other telecommunications stories. These portions of the web service provide special offers from Rebtel regarding additional ways you can save money and take full advantage of placing international calls.

Ease of Use:
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All international calls you place through Rebtel are by direct dial. This means Rebtel creates a local number of the desired location you need, and you directly dial the number without any extra codes or extra calls. However, this call service did not meet our full expectations because they only offer this choice of dialing. International callback is another form of communication where you dial a number provided to you, let it ring once and then hang up. The service then calls you back and provides you with a dial tone. You are then connected to the carrier’s network and can dial directly. We would like to see both options available instead of direct dial as our only choice.

When signing up for Rebtel, you receive an account that lets you track your phone call history, payments and other account information. You also have full control of the account and you can constantly keep track of your activity using the service.

Technical Support:
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Rebtel offers one of the quickest response times for technical issues and customer support. This international call service provides support in less than 24 hours for all email inquiries. Unfortunately, email is the only way to communicate with a customer representative as there is no phone or live chat support available.

Even with the lack of phone and live chat support, Rebtel provides an extensive FAQs section. Rebtel has organized the FAQs section into several categories such as general questions, registering, billing, making calls and mobile applications. This form of organization makes support documentation much easier to navigate and less of an annoyance. They also offer a user forum for any additional support you may need. The forum lets you search through a variety of topics and receive answers from other Rebtel users. You can also receive feedback on the international call service in the user forum to find tips, tricks and advice.

Summary:

Rebtel is an international service that excels in the services and features they offer. You must place all phone calls by directly dialing a number provided to you by Rebtel to receive some of the cheapest rates available. Not only can you directly dial phone calls, you can place VoIP calls, or take advantage of making free calls to more than 50 countries. Their mobile applications, including international SMS messaging, are standout features available through this service. Unfortunately, Rebtel lacks phone and live chat support and the option for international callback, but this international call service is user-friendly and filled with the features you need to receive the highest-quality phone calls no matter where you are.

 
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Rebtel

Pros
Rebtel offers mobile applications and no monthly fees.

Cons
There is no phone or live chat support with this call service.

The Verdict

Rebtel is the best service because of their cheap rates, free calls and advanced mobile applications.