I’m not sure whether to be annoyed or amused. This is too mellow for a proper Pitting, but I did want to share this utter stupidity.
TL;DR version: Skype apparently has a policy where calls to a specific country, Taiwan, is automatically disconnected and results in an account suspension, despite it being listed on their rates page like any other country.
Full chat log, with names changed to protect the presumably innocent:
1:17:19 AM System
Thank you for contacting Skype Customer Support!
1:17:19 AM System
NotReallyJohn has joined this session!
1:17:19 AM System
Connected with NotReallyJohn
1:17:29 AM NotReallyJohn
Hello! Welcome to Skype Live Support!
My name is NotReallyJohn. How can I help you?
1:17:32 AM Reply
HI NotReallyJohn.
1:17:37 AM Reply
My account keeps getting suspended.
1:17:45 AM Reply
Could you please make it stop?
1:18:00 AM Reply
“For my security” is interrupting my calls to my mother, and I’m not sure why it’s doing that.
1:18:24 AM NotReallyJohn
Your concern is being handled by another department. What I can do for you is to transfer you to a specialist who handles this kind of issue.
1:18:37 AM Reply
Sure.
1:18:37 AM Reply
Thanks.
1:18:46 AM Reply
And thanks for being up so late to help us.
1:19:09 AM System
You are being transferred to another queue. Please stand by…
1:19:09 AM System
NotReallyJohn has left this session!
1:21:44 AM System
NotReallyBob has joined this session!
1:21:44 AM System
Connected with NotReallyBob
1:21:59 AM NotReallyBob
Hello! I’m NotReallyBob.
It seems you have been transferred to me for further assistance. I’ll just take a look at your previous conversation and then we can get started.
1:23:31 AM Reply
Hi NotReallyBob!
1:23:32 AM Reply
Alright, thanks.
1:23:50 AM Reply
(To summarize it for you, my account keeps getting suspended for some reason when I try to call my mother.)
1:24:16 AM NotReallyBob
Thank you for waiting.
1:24:18 AM NotReallyBob
I see.
1:24:26 AM NotReallyBob
Can you please tell me the location of your mother?
1:24:35 AM Reply
Apparently, having parents who live in another country is a big red flag for Skype… strange for an international VOIP solution.
1:24:47 AM Reply
Taiwan, though she travels to China every so often as well.
1:25:24 AM NotReallyBob
I see.
1:25:43 AM Reply
Do you think that’s what’s causing the suspensions?
1:26:19 AM NotReallyBob
That is because Taiwan is one of the countries that has a high volume of fraudulent calls.
1:26:44 AM Reply
I see. Well, I’m not exactly trying to defraud my mother.
1:27:14 AM NotReallyBob
However that is our system who is blocking you.
1:27:22 AM NotReallyBob
We cannot undo this as it is made this way.
1:27:29 AM Reply
Apparently she has the misfortune of living amongst those no-good Skype fraudsters, but I assure you she’s quite the innocent old lady.
1:27:36 AM Reply
Huh.
1:27:38 AM NotReallyBob
To be cautious once those countries were called.
1:28:18 AM Reply
So Skype’s official policy is to forbid me from calling my mother because she lives in Taiwan?
1:28:25 AM Reply
Don’t you think that’s a bit… draconian?
1:28:42 AM NotReallyBob
Not your mother but to that country.
1:29:22 AM Reply
Well, do ya think you might be able to convince your boss to help my mom move to America, then?
1:29:28 AM Reply
I still have about 8 dollars in Skype credit if that helps.
1:30:09 AM NotReallyBob
I apologize for this inconvenience and I truly understand how you feel.
1:30:23 AM Reply
I mean, otherwise, I find it bizarre that you’re blacklisting an entire country even while advertising the capability to place calls to that country at Skype to Phone plans for low cost international calling | Skype
1:30:27 AM NotReallyBob
But as I have mentioned our system was program this way.
1:30:43 AM Reply
Right, and you don’t think maybe… the system ought not to be programmed that way in the future?
1:31:05 AM Reply
Like, maybe having more accurate heuristics would be a better service to your paying customers?
1:31:29 AM NotReallyBob
We will take note of this and I will forward it to our development team.
1:31:31 AM Reply
I don’t know, maybe that’s just me living in an overidealized world where corporate decisions actually make sense.
1:32:44 AM Reply
Do you truly think that is the best way to handle this? To just make it disappear into the great void of generic customer complaints, never to be dealt with again?
1:32:51 AM Reply
You don’t find it at all odd that an entire country is blacklisted?
1:33:22 AM Reply
I mean, surely, even in the current disastrous economy there must be important CEOs and such making calls to Taiwan. They do conduct a modicum of legitimate business, you know.
1:33:29 AM NotReallyBob
I understand.
1:33:39 AM NotReallyBob
However there is nothing I can do right now.
1:33:47 AM NotReallyBob
We are doing updates every now and then.
1:34:52 AM Reply
Well, NotReallyBob, I am sorry that you are so hamstrung by your company. My mother will be very sad to hear of this, but I will tell her you at least tried to understand and were very apologetic.
1:35:06 AM Reply
Do you think I might be able to speak to your supervisor about this issue, please?
1:35:44 AM Reply
Just so, you know, my mother will know I at least tried. I’m sure you understand.
1:36:09 AM NotReallyBob
I’m sincerely sorry if I wasn’t able to help, but hopefully you understand that I really tried by best.
I’ll ask my supervisor to join the chat shortly.
1:36:23 AM NotReallyBob
Before I do that can you please provide me the number that your mother is using?
1:36:32 AM Reply
I appreciate, NotReallyBob. It’s not your fault that you’re bound by such inanity. I doubt you set the rules yourself.
1:36:33 AM Reply
Sure.
1:36:40 AM Reply
The number I tried to call is +8869##########.
1:37:24 AM Reply
You yourself seem like a very reasonable, empathetic individual. If it were up to you, I’d certainly be allowed to call my poor mother, even if she does live in that terrible, fraudulent country.
1:38:40 AM NotReallyBob
Thank you for providing me the number.
1:38:52 AM Reply
Thank you for letting me speak to a supervisor.
1:40:10 AM NotReallyBob
No worries.