Please do pass on my feedback. I can completely see the advantage in the new features that have been made available to BCP users, however it seems very strange to have alienated another type of user, one that I can imagine would be prevalent in a lot of SME type businesses. I think the example in my previous comment says it all really, and obviously my own use-case issue is another perfect example. I hope this is a decision that the BCP team consider reversing (whilst keeping the new functionality).

Thanks for your responses Peter.

Cheers,

Alex

I agree that, in your situation, this seems like a bit of a retrograde step. I’ll make sure that the Business Control Panel team see your feedback. Glad you got things sorted out with the support team though.

Thanks for the personal response, it really is much appreciated. Though I did get a response from Skype support with the offer to refund and cancel the order, it didn't quite have the personal touch you always offer!

So I've gone ahead and bought a number through my personal account but I'm still baffled by this separation of accounts.

Right now I've got one online number managed through the business control panel (from where my SkypePro subscription has also been assigned), and I have another online number managed through my personal account.

Whilst I understand the importance of being able to assign numbers to special Skype users set up through the BCP, I'm a little baffled as to why the BCP admin can't also assign numbers to a personal account. You mention that the BCP needs to retain full control of the online number and credit etc – but the old way did that, just didn't control the Skype username.

Right now if I were to 'leave the company', the BCP admin could reassign my OLD online number and cancel my SkypePro subscription. However if I left the company and the company was using the NEW number I just registered through my personal account the BCP admin can do nothing about it?!

I totally understand the need to be able to create Skype accounts through the BCP, and it makes a lot of sense that you've added this functionality. But removing the ability to assign online numbers to users who you add to the BCP via their personal account makes no sense whatsoever.

Example:

We're a small company with 2 founding members and some sub-contractors we work with on a regular basis. Say one of these sub-contractors comes on board for a really big job which is going to run for an extended period of time. We need to ensure he has a local number for the client to call. He already has a Skype account he uses with other contractors so we add his personal Skype account to our BCP and, well, we want to assign him a local number from our pool of numbers. Guess what? We can't.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something, but this seems like a very strange thing to have done. Skype have actually removed what was a very useful piece of functionality.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and the fact that I'm now stuck with one online number in BCP, and one in Personal.

Many thanks,

Alex

Obviously in your case, I can understand why you might not need that degree of control, but unfortunately that’s the way the Business Control Panel now works. We did communicate the changes through a notification of some new T&Cs, which I appreciate wasn’t the fr|||ndl|||st way to do it, and I’m sorry about that.

Our support team should be able to refund the money you paid for the online number through the Control Panel, so that you can sign in with your personal account and buy it again. You can |||||||||||||||get in touch with them here – and please let me know if you don’t hear back from them within 24 hours.