Skype Customer Service

February 21, 2008
SkypeI've railed against Skype's poor customer service in the past. I've received a few emails over the past couple months that go like this:

I am a Skype customer who signed up with one ISP email and now I have another. The old email is defunct and unaccessible by me. I forgot my password and when I want to get again, they say they will send me instructions for changing the password to my old email address. This does me no good. How can I contact these people directly? A phone number to tech support would be great. Thanks for your help.

Indeed if you forgot your password, they will email it to you by using their online form. But this particular customer changed email addresses, so how can he reset his password? When you try and Google for keywords "Skype customer service" the first Skype.com link goes here which states: "How do I contact Skype customer service for help with my service?"

Guess what the answer is?
To contact Skype Customer Support, please visit the help section on our website and report your issue through our support form

Simply choose the topic and subtopic that fits your issue the best and explain your problem.

Gee thanks. Way to provide customer support - only through the support form with no phone number. Hmm, a phone provider that has no phone number, how ironic. Ok, well maybe they'll let you submit a trouble ticket that lets you request a new password sent to a different email address that is not the same as the one you registered with when you joined Skype. Well, that won't work because someone could surreptitiously enter in their email address with your Skype username and gain access to your Skype account.

Well, after searching around Skype's website I found the answer if you lost your password and changed your email address:
I lost my password. How can I retrieve it?

If you have forgotten your password there is no way to retrieve it, but you can have a new password sent to you so that you can access your account.

If you entered an email address when you registered for Skype, you can request a new password by filling out this form and a new password will be sent to you.

If you do not receive the email check your Junk Mail folder, sometimes it is sent there by mistake.

If you did not enter your email address, you will have to register again as a new Skype user. If you have SkypeOut credit on your account and the retrieve password tool does not work please submit a ticket to customer support with your billing information.

They first suggest you sign-up with a new Skype username. That's not very helpful. What if I have dozens of people on my buddy list? I have to re-add them using a new Skype username? They then relent a little by allowing you to recover your password "If you have SkypeOut credit on your account" by submitting a ticket to their customer support with "your billing information." First off, what if I don't have SkypeOut credits, will you still help me recover my lost password or do I have to re-register with a new Skype username? Secondly, what billing information does Skype require? My billing address? The credit card I used? Can I just give the last 4 digits of my credit card because the Skype trouble ticket form is not encrypted?

Trying to reach Skype customer service just for a password reset is one thing, but now imagine if you are having a billing issue. I've received email complaints from Skype users that they were over-billed and had no way to speak to someone about their issue. Trying to interact via a 1-way web form isn't the best way to do business. At the very least, Skype should add an online 2-way real-time chat support.

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Comments to Skype Customer Service


  1. jkubinak :
    February 22, 2008 2:54 PM

    "Skype should add an online 2-way real-time chat support. "

    This is what happens when you use a service that is "Almost Free"

    You cant add real people - they cost money and prices go up.

    IMHO Packet8 is the way to go - might cost a bit more but the customer service is right there for you.


  1. lea :
    February 25, 2008 6:06 PM

    please send my username and passwors as soon as possible.thanks


  1. lea umandap :
    February 25, 2008 6:33 PM

    i have still account to my old skype address.can i still use that?all i want is to send my username and password.thanks


  1. Andrew :
    February 26, 2008 9:01 AM

    If you've never paid for Skype do you really expect them to pay someone to provide you service? Trying to have your cake and eat it too?


  1. Tom Keating[TypeKey Profile Page] :
    February 26, 2008 10:12 AM

    >>If you've never paid for Skype do you really expect them to pay someone to provide you service? Trying to have your cake and eat it too?

    What are you talking about? Many Skype users pay Skype for SkypeIn and SkypeOut services and can't reach Skype for billing issues.

    Yes, many if not most users use Skype simple for Skype-to-Skype calls/IMs, but Skype should provide customer service to those who PAID for their service.

    If they don't want to provide customer support for simple password resets that's fine. Then they should at least ask 3-4 security questions during the registration process that allows you to reset your password sent to a different email address should you abandon your old email address.

    Nevertheless, a real live person should be made available to paying customers. I've never heard of a company that DOESN'T provide a live human being to service their customers.


  1. Carol :
    February 29, 2008 1:31 AM

    I just meet this problem...
    I paid for skyout..so Im supposed to have services.
    but I cound't use my skyout
    I reported my problem couple days ago
    They didn't resopnd anything...
    WHERE IS MY MONEY~


  1. Bona :
    March 6, 2008 9:55 AM

    I bought Skype pro yesterday and made one call to a number in Canada. This morning I am asked to buy credit to call another number in Canada. How can this be? In the meantime I cannot call but my 5 month submission has started to tick away.


  1. Henry R. Allison, III esq. :
    March 19, 2008 9:56 PM

    1. Skype is owned by ebay!

    2. They could hire 5,000 $25 hr. telephone support people if they wanted to.

    3. just like their parent company, they refuse to do so. It used to be impossible to get the address of their offices or a phone number of any kind for ebay. THEY HAVE NO INTEREST IN TALKING TO YOU AND DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS AT ALL AS LONG AS THE MONEY ROLLS IN.!!!!

    4. Meg Whitman, the notorious micromanaging pres. of Ebay was thrown overboard (" to pursue other opportunities" a couple of months ago. it was obvious the board could read the writing on the wall (or balance sheet) and see that in another year of "Megville" they would be dead meat. The new presiden (a man whose name I cannot remember) had obviously worked out with the board what needed to be done, because before the late Ms/ Whitman could make sure the door did not his her in the ass he was reorganizing and making sweeping changes and announcing them in public!!!!

    Here are some he forgot to announce.

    1. Live IM customer service (with sufficient operators to handle the flow) who are in the u.s. and can actually solve problems and not just repeat three non=-sequitur mantras in either indian or other subcontinental "English". Oh yes, filipinos too. This is not racist. they are always so sweet and nice. they just don't have an f-ing clue how to SOLVE a problem. Nor do their "supervisors" ad nauseum.

    2. Ebay security will pull up google and run checks on ebay.com (hot and hard to get high priced item) for nigerian scamsters.

    If the nigerians, now being followed quickly by the east europeans, russians, the indonesians and the mainland chinese are not removed from ebay, (where it is my estimate that they now represent 20% of "sellers", the puiblic will lose all trust in ebay (which by the cocktail party chatter I hear, is not far off for this reason) and also in pay pal where they have ten new scams a day.

    if anyone did not understand me......pull up the "GOOGLE" search bar. Type in only these words " ebay.com " Then space over 5 or six spaces and type in a hard to get and expensive item!!!! "Nikon 1ds MarkII (or even MarkIII, for those of you who are photogs) 16.7 "


    You can do a similar, world wide aggregating search on craigslist. On both ebay and craigslist this will allow you to see every listing for this camera in the world at once.

    When 25 of them list prices $1,000 below market and have identical ad wording, it is enough to make me scared shitless that no one is minding the ebay or craigslist store!!!

    !!!! Apparently ebay (and craigslist "security " that is sort of like "military intellligence" have not figured out how to do this trick yet and see what is going on!!!! Almost all kids over the age of 10 know it. I am 64 and I figured it out myself.

    3. Remove all the flash and trash suddenly you are looking at a giant picture of an item could care less about, new features from ebay.

    4. Just everyday in every way make the basic site better, faster, more attractive as a result AND SAFER!!!! If not, Amazon will put them out of business in 36 months!!!! These are my totally unsolicited opinions. I am considering setting up a blog on this and the many other items which people need to know. Should I? Let me know.


    hank allison esq nashville tn

    hralaw@aol.com

    Feel free to email me on 1. all facets of online commerce, 2law or 3photography. I am consumed with pondering a mix of all three subjects 24/7!!!! hank


  1. Siti Sarah bt Mohamad Yusop :
    March 21, 2008 10:38 PM

    I just meet a problem.I already paid for skype credit dated 21 March 2008 to Global Collect BV account number is 21441940059378,my payment reference is 308916742969.My shopping cart-order 161102173 dated 20 March 2008.So, I'm supposed to have services. But I cound't use my sky out."WHERE IS MY MONEY?"..please contact me as soon as possible..Thank You


  1. Kevin :
    April 20, 2008 6:07 PM

    Maybe you only get emails from people who have had problems with Skype. If so, then here's one from someone who is very happy with them.

    I've used Skype and SkypeOut for over 3 years and have had no problems with their billing or their customer service. It's $3/month, just like clockwork.

    In fact, my wife and I decided to ditch our landline 2 years ago in favor of two prepaid T-Mobile cellphones and SkypeOut. We don't use the cellphones much, and make all our calls with SkypeOut. When we get an incoming cell phone call, we call them right back with Skype.

    I did have a problem with a VoIP phone I bought from them last year. It had terrible sound quality - kept breaking up even when it was right next to the wireless router. So I filled out the customer service form, described the problem and requested a refund. The next day I had an RMA number and a return address. Got my refund a week or two later, no problem at all. They didn't cover the postage, but they also didn't charge me for the SkypeOut voucher that came with the phone (about $4). And shipping was free when I bought the phone.

    Nothing is perfect, but I have no complaints about Skype. Just thought you'd like to know.

    Kevin


  1. Bazz :
    April 23, 2008 9:54 AM

    I'm about done with Skype.
    I bought £10 worth of Skypeout credit, AND bought a SkypeIn number over a year ago, and renewed it.

    Now, I bought another £10 worth of Skype credit, and it all seemed to work fine except the £10 never showed up on my account.

    I've had a number of email conversations with several Skype representatives. Advice ranged from telling me I had my password wrong (?) to uninstalling and reinstalling Skype. All this time, I try to explain that it's wrong on my account page on their damn website.

    Adding up all my calls plus connection fees don't equal what the show as a balance.

    Bugger it, I'll get into Gizmo.


  1. johnnyg :
    May 2, 2008 12:45 AM

    I have used skype for about2 years with no problems until now.I have a skype in number and it was paid up until may the 9th 2008 but I couldn`t make a call starting about 5 days ago.I tried to contact customer service but couldn`t find their phone number so I filled out the form they have and sent that to them telling of my problem .I got no answer in their so called 24-48 hour time period so I tried again and no answer to my problem.MY problem is when I first started using skype I bought credits but then I decided to buy the 3month skype in number and there was 3 dollars left in credits and even tho my skype number was paid up until may the 9th they started deducting from the 3 dollars that has been there for over a year and when it ran out the said I have to buy more credits even tho I don`t buy credits anymore.I even bought 3 more months thinking that would maybe make them notice that I am paid up until august 2008 now `but that don`t work either


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