The UK’s Torygraph newspaper reports that:
“Skype, the internet telephone service owned by online auctioneer eBay, is facing a PR disaster backlash from customers after admitting that it will have to cut off 10,000 UK numbers just before Christmas…The company’s own chat rooms at Skype.com been inundated with complaints from furious customers… Skype is offering users a year’s free subscription by way of recompense.”

Yet look closer at the story, and you’ll see the claim that GCI Telecom leased numbers to Skype, which they’d already leased to a third party – surely the PR disaster lies at the door of the company that duplicated the lease arrangement. But Skype gets a misplaced boot to the swingers cos it’s the ‘brand de jour’.
However, the saying ‘timing is everything’ seems pretty poignant in this PR nightmare – after all, when would most international callers want to use the no-cost Skype? Surely around the festive holidays when they’re doing loadsa business or may be distanced from relatives and friends!

Meanwhile, ‘top’ London PR Lynne Franks has been voted off TV show ‘I’m a celebrity get me out of here’…must be a slow start to the news week, eh?