Phoning Shaw Satellite TV

[cedros]

Does using Skype hide from them that you are in Mexico

[Natasha]

Doubt it.  Used Skype to call sister in Canada today and she didn't answer because showed "unknown number" and she thought it was a telemarketer.

[cedros]

Thanks. Probably not but they (Shaw) can be quite nasty if they spot it.

[gringohombre]

I have had Skype for my total 14 years here and have never been able to get the caller ID functioning from here. When try to add a ID number there is a drop down menu that shows many, many countries and not México!!! Have tried calling a customer service # but per se these days nobody wants to list a phone # with a real person answering!!! I got to text someone once (a robot?) and was told to go to that drop down menu. Very frustrating since most of my business customers are in the US or Canada and they also see "unknown number" in the caller ID bar!!! 

[Natasha]

15 hours ago, cedros said:

Thanks. Probably not but they (Shaw) can be quite nasty if they spot it.

Of course they get nasty....     since from their point of view you are an illegal user if outside Canada.

[happyjillin]

I have an Edmonton phone # on my Canadian Vonage and am reluctant to call them.

[cedros]

8 hours ago, Natasha said:

Of course they get nasty....     since from their point of view you are an illegal user if outside Canada.

They should not get nasty as they make a fair bit of money from me for doing nothing, but they are forced to be nasty by international agreements.

[MakeItSo]

On 1/24/2022 at 4:05 PM, cedros said:

Does using Skype hide from them that you are in Mexico

Download the free Fongo app, and you'll reveive a free canadian phone number. Use it to call anybody in Canada as though you were in Canada. The number will show on the recipient's caller id. They will not know where you are physically located.

[cedros]

9 hours ago, MakeItSo said:

Download the free Fongo app, and you'll reveive a free canadian phone number. Use it to call anybody in Canada as though you were in Canada. The number will show on the recipient's caller id. They will not know where you are physically located.

That sounds interesting. People seemed to have stopped using VPNs.

[cedros]

19 hours ago, MakeItSo said:

Download the free Fongo app, and you'll reveive a free canadian phone number. Use it to call anybody in Canada as though you were in Canada. The number will show on the recipient's caller id. They will not know where you are physically located.

I tried to download it and it said not available in your country.

[MakeItSo]

2 hours ago, cedros said:

I tried to download it and it said not available inyour country.

You need a VPN and set it to a canadian server before accessing the play store. Clear your browser cookies first before accessing fongo using a computer. Once downloaded and set up , you can use your fongo phone anywhere. We've been using ours for over 6 years from Mexico and elsewhere.

Use a free vpn such as windscribe (slow, as most free options out there), or the premium one we use surfshark, here is a 30 day free trial: https://surfshark.club/friend/qXpbZntj

With fongo you can call any canadian phone number, including 1-800, but keep in mind the number you receive will expire if you don't use it for a certain amount of time (I believe it is a month), so do not register it anywhere if you do not intend to use ever again. If you want to keep the number you can purchase a service from fongo, such as a texting package for about $2 / month.

Enjoy.

[MakeItSo]

18 minutes ago, MakeItSo said:

You need a VPN and set it to a canadian server before accessing the play store.

Forgot to add that if your are using an apple device registered In mexico or anywhere else outside of Canada, you won't be able to download from Canadian-specific apps from apple app store. This was the reason we got rid of our iphone. Hopefully you have an android device - no region restrictions to access the play store.

[cedros]

44 minutes ago, MakeItSo said:

Forgot to add that if your are using an apple device registered In mexico or anywhere else outside of Canada, you won't be able to download from Canadian-specific apps from apple app store. This was the reason we got rid of our iphone. Hopefully you have an android device - no region restrictions to access the play store.

I have an android phone but still have not gotten the Fongo VPN tp wprk.

[MakeItSo]

37 minutes ago, cedros said:

I have an android phone but still have not gotten the Fongo VPN tp wprk.

Fongo is a communications app, not a VPN. You need a dedicated VPN app to access the google play store to install Canadian market-specific apps such as fongo. Use a free windscribe or surfhark VPN (follow the above link to install surfshark directly from surfshark website / bypassing the play store if you wish).

Once you have the sursfhark VPN installed and running:

Deactivate network connection and location, and close all apps. Clear CACHE from the google play store app (generally long press the app icon, but do not open the appp itself, and somewhere is the option to clear cache). Now force close the play store app (long press the icon, and force close).

Use wifi to access the internet.

Open surfshark and chose a Canadian server. Make sure you are connected.  Again: Make sure surfshark vpn is running, and using a Canadian server! Now access the play store, and download the fongo app, and follow prompts to sign up for a phone number (you'll have a choice of various area codes). FYI: No ID required here but you will be asked for contact information (a CRTC requirement) to register for a 911 service, use any existing address here. That's it, you're good to go.

( Alternatively you can download Fongo bypassing the play store completely:

https://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/?id=com.fongo.dellvoice

But be sure to use a VPN during installation and registration of fongo! And you must be using a canadian VPN server.)

Once fongo is set up you will not need a vpn again to use fongo.

PS: This isn't necessary on most phones, but if your run into issues accessing the play store using a vpn, do the 1 more step: Initialize Developer Mode on your android device. Look up how to do this for your specific model, it is very simple. Under developer mode you will find an option to use MOCK LOCATION, tap it to allow Surfshark to use the mock location. Then repeat the above.

Good luck. It does work. Call some friends or family in Canada to make sure the caller ID is set up properly.

[cedros]

19 minutes ago, MakeItSo said:

Fongo is a communications app, not a VPN. You need a dedicated VPN app to access the google play store to install Canadian market-specific apps such as fongo. Use a free windscribe or surfhark VPN (follow the above link to install surfshark directly from surfshark website / bypassing the play store if you wish).

Once you have the sursfhark VPN installed and running:

Deactivate network connection and location, and close all apps. Clear CACHE from the google play store app (generally long press the app icon, but do not open the appp itself, and somewhere is the option to clear cache). Now force close the play store app (long press the icon, and force close).

Use wifi to access the internet.

Open surfshark and chose a Canadian server. Make sure you are connected.  Again: Make sure surfshark vpn is running, and using a Canadian server! Now access the play store, and download the fongo app, and follow prompts to sign up for a phone number (you'll have a choice of various area codes). FYI: No ID required here but you will be asked for contact information (a CRTC requirement) to register for a 911 service, use any existing address here. That's it, you're good to go.

( Alternatively you can download Fongo bypassing the play store completely:

https://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/?id=com.fongo.dellvoice

But be sure to use a VPN during installation and registration of fongo! And you must be using a canadian VPN server.)

Once fongo is set up you will not need a vpn again to use fongo.

PS: This isn't necessary on most phones, but if your run into issues accessing the play store using a vpn, do the 1 more step: Initialize Developer Mode on your android device. Look up how to do this for your specific model, it is very simple. Under developer mode you will find an option to use MOCK LOCATION, tap it to allow Surfshark to use the mock location. Then repeat the above.

Good luck. It does work. Call some friends or family in Canada to make sure the caller ID is set up properly.

Thanks for all your tips.

[MakeItSo]

1 hour ago, cedros said:

Thanks for all your tips.

If for some reason you don't like fongo there's another similar app, TextNow. Same principle, but in addition to a Canadian number you can sign up for a free US number, just use a US vpn server. And if you want to keep the number be sure to make a call once every few weeks to keep it active, else they will deactivate and / or assign to another customer without a warning, same thing goes for fongo.