Comments on: Skype Prime – Online Consultants Tool

By: Ivan Veretelnyk

Ivan Veretelnyk — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 06:09:04 +0000

There are new service for Skype Prime users. It is a very new service, but it seems it will be good place to create profile and charge for calls. Service available at http://www.primeskype.com/ . You are welcome :)

By: Clark

Clark — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 04:15:17 +0000

Could make it easy for language teachers to reach a broader market but 30% is a huge cut.

By: Bruce Judson

Bruce Judson — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 23:08:37 +0000

Darren: A really useful post. By chance, I wrote an article a few days ago that focused on Ether, and the increasing ability of home-based experts to charge for advised based on their knowledge. Your readers who are interested in this Skype service may also find this in-depth look at Ether to be valuable. It seems to me that, as you suggest, the 30% is a bit steep. Ether only charges 15% and is a system designed from the ground-up to handle this kind of service. Nonetheless, I think you are write: the volume of people on Skype will make a tremendous difference in popularizing this type of service.

By: IONblog » 0190-Skype

IONblog » 0190-Skype — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 20:47:23 +0000

[...] Beim Internettelefonie-Anbieter Skype kann man sich jetzt auch kostenpflichtig anrufen lassen. “Skype Prime” heißt dieser neue Service. Mehr Infos bei Problogger Darren Rowse und bei Michael Arrington, Techcrunch. [...]

By: Aziz

Aziz — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 16:27:21 +0000

I work for Wengo (a french based start-up) and we already developed a similar concept (with a marketplace) where experts/consultants could provide & monetize their services Online. The V2 of the website will be live in two weeks with big big changes in, so stay tuned ;-)

By: Skype enables users to charge each other – 21talks

Skype enables users to charge each other – 21talks — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 15:44:33 +0000

[...] “My initial feeling is that 30% is reasonably high considering if you have any clues you could simply plan a call after someone’s put money in your PayPal account anyway – however I’m sure they’ll continue to add features to this service and for ease of use many will pay the premium.” — Darren Rowse [...]

By: Tim Nash

Tim Nash — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:38:24 +0000

because there are plenty of mugs who would pay for “premium service” I guess. Well I have set up 2 services each being charged at $2 (the max) a minute which equated to $60 for the hour, our current audio consultancy is $50/ph so we will loose out here, but it would be interesting to see if we get any traffic.

So if its an unannounced caller we will charge by the minute and a prebooked under the old scheme.

However I have already seen flaws

1) flat fee is maxed out of $10 regardless of time
3) PER minute is maxed at $2/minute

given I was looking at charging 3/minute to recoop costs of Skypes 30% I think thes prices are to low for professional services, also it took less then a minute to set up, it will be interesting how people find “good” services currently it looks like skype will provide no help in promoting your service, which is probably a good thing.

By: MeTheGeek

MeTheGeek — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:01:39 +0000

Good idea Tim, but why pay for something that you have for free? There are so many 1-800 numbers out there where you can have a small chat. Just call randomly for 1 hour a day. ;-)

By: Tim Nash

Tim Nash — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:54:09 +0000

This is an interesting development not least because it fits in with our expanding business model, though its unregulated nature would leave it open to abuse, forget porn but premium rate chat lines? be interested to see this tied into a skypecast :)

Another obvious use would be teaching languages Skype is plagued with (sorry is lucky to have) so many people randomly phoning people in the hope of improving their English, setting up a phone number for them to call, to talk to a person who is willing to make light conversation could net some money, alternatively I can see Mystic Tim becoming a popular hit, and I could take off this dress…

By: MeTheGeek

MeTheGeek — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:53:53 +0000

Only for Windows… what better place to offer “Linux Consulting”? :-P

By: Peter Cooper

Peter Cooper — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 10:45:13 +0000

You need to think big people.. automation! Time to get scripts to set up thousands of Skype accounts offering ‘horoscopes’, ‘racing tips’ and all the other automated trash people offline call in to ;-)

By: David Krug

David Krug — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:25:57 +0000

Did someone say porn?

By: Milton

Milton — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 05:55:11 +0000

I think it’s a great idea because it adds yet another way to make money for those who are in the consulting business already. I think this will also help to increase the popularity and use of Skype. I might give it a shot.

By: Andrew Flusche

Andrew Flusche — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 04:33:05 +0000

I’ll bet they won’t allow legal advice, since that could implicate Skype in “unauthorized practice of law,” if the person giving advice isn’t a lawyer (or not licensed in the caller’s jurisdiction).

However, these same arguments would apply to POTS. The only difference would be that POTS doesn’t actually help you bill your services. Maybe that’s the catch that Skype’s afraid of.

I’ve got no clue about health & therapy. Perhaps they’re related to my thoughts on lawyers. Skype doesn’t want to help people misrepresent themselves as doctors or therapists.

By: Darren

Darren — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 04:19:26 +0000

They anticipated my immediate first thought – porn is not allowed :-). I guess those guys already have their own solutions, anyway.

Does anybody know why legal and tax advice would not be allowed? Or health and therapy? Is Skype just trying to cover their butts?