how-to block ads
|
 Review by OldschoolDSL 
UPDATED: 330 days ago
member for 2.7 years, 673 visits, last login: 17 days ago
 Chicopee,Hampden,MA
 $30 per month
 about 7 days
 "Local Calling is North America & Europe"
 "Tech Support knows nothing + double billing + fees"
 "Good value, but support could use support themselves"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
The days of worrying about who you call and how much its going to cost is are over. The average phone company only allows for free calling within a local area. With Vonage local calling is North America (except Mexico) & Europe.
Unlimited calling (in & out) for 24.99 (about 30.00 after tax & fees) & 14.99 for their 500 minute plan (500 minute out going calls & unlimited free incoming), which both allow for free voice mail, caller ID with name, 3 way calling, call waiting, and more.
Porting my number only took about 1 week (7 days), but it can take up to 2 weeks. Porting is not open to all customers, as some local phone companies just like to make things harder and you almost can't blame them with so many people moving to VoIp.
Vonage Tech Support needs work, as I called them to address a small problem about me being able to hear people, but no one could hear me. The Tech I spoke with couldn't even recall the user name & password to log into my Vonage device, let alone how to move forward and address the problem. I finally decided it was due to signal loss over a bad install by my ISP (Comcast Cable).
UPDATE 03-11-2007: Service with Vonage continues to do well (now using Verizon DSL). I did find it odd that they seem to have added a few 99 cent charges and fees. I was also sad to notices 411 is no longer free. My work around 411 charges is using 1-800-free-411. Still cheaper then your normal phone company and I have tested the 911 service here (for good reasons). There is a small delay with 911, which does bother me a little. I still have a lane line (naked DSL is not here yet) and will continue to use them for 911 service.
UPDATE 08-26-2007
I've been a very happy Vonage customer until today (well more like until last month).
My husband & I changed moved and changed banks a while ago. Because of this we called up Vonage with our new address and new bank card. So it would make sense for Vonage to charge the new card using the new address.
2 weeks later, Vonage said our account was over due. Which made no sense as we had more then enough to pay Vonage. It turns out that they charged our old card and continued to use our old address. Our old bank also had a negative balance (the total for our bill).
We called up Vonage and again changed our credit and address. They used the new credit card to charge us for that total which was pending on our old bank account.
In a since we paid 2x for the same months worth of service. The bank confirmed that the funds had been withdrawn. Vonage claimed that we only paid once and no credit would be placed on our account.
Fast forward to this month. Vonage yet again tried to use our old credit and address. This time they where denied, so our service was turned off. This was very upsetting and I explained to them that we had already changed our information. They even wanted to charge us a late fee.
It took 4 calls to finally have someone credit our account and even then it was only for 15.00 credit as a customer courtesy. The next vonage rep. told me that they could not issue the credit, until the account was paid in full (late fee and all). It took another rep. to finally credit it now.
Anyone else have such a problem with Vonage or does someone there just not like me?
FINAL UPDATE 01-09-2008:
Vonage started out as a great idea. Unlimited calling to anyone in The United States, Canada, and Europe, for only 24.95. Of course there is a 1yr (12 month) commitment which most people don't look into. However at the time this seemed fine to us.
Vonage as stated before started to double bill us and even charge a "late fee" once for their own error in not charging the correct credit card. No one later could confirm the late charge and those who could would not refund it. Looking over the internet for other users who may have been charged this "late fee" and there seems to be a "few" (very little). But it proves I'm not alone. Maybe this was something they do randomly or maybe this was a trail of some kind and I was unluckily picked.
Either way our monthly (or double monthly) bill was automatically withdrawn and this has left the bas taste in our mouth when it comes to automatic billing. Getting yout band or credit card to refund or back charge things the 1st or 2nd time is easy. But the 3rd or 4th time they will remind you that YOU are responsible for your own usage and spending. As these where not bogus charges (in part), it was up to us to get the further refunds from Vonage... Which is IMPOSSIBLE, as Vonage Reps claim not to have the power to reverse any charges, only credit to the account and limited at that.
Their phone service no long seems stable. It would seem when anyone calls us, we hear nothing. But if we call YOU, everything is fine. We tried changing many settings on our end and even replaced the Vonage box and moved from DSL to cable (Charter). Nothing changed the out come. I even tried using just the phone and vonage box, no router or pc.
We finally called it quits and look on Charter's limited time offer for High Speed Internet 5MB + Digital Home TV + Digital Phone Service for only 69.97 (plus tax) for a 12 month commitment. We had already been a member of Vonage for over 1yr and 5 months, so there should be no cancellation fee when we end our service at the end of this month.
Over all: VoIp is a wonderful idea, but history of this industry is still shaky.at best. If Vonage can work out their bugs and stop being sued by everyone (ATT, Verizon, ect..) then they could have something. But until then, I'd keep a back up phone for 911 and outages (pre-paid cell).
~~~ END REVIEW ~~~ 01-09-2008
Followup comments:  
Trinijoy
Premium
join:2005-09-12
Brick, NJ | yeah 411 has always been charged with Vonage. Just use switchboard.com or 1-800-free-411 like you said. | |
| mir
join:2000-09-08 | Payment You can always change & check your billing info on your Vonage Web Account. Plus they do not have Late FEE | |
| | | | | mir
join:2000-09-08 | Re: Payment Strange cause By Default Vonage do not have LATE FEE (fee system)
Sound like your account would not save your account info very strange. You should mention that agent when you spoke that person | |
| jhenager
join:2008-01-08
Buford, GA | Never had a problem with Vonage The only reason I am not a customer for long is that I couldn't depend on Charter.
Vonage was great. Too bad it rides on top of the most unreliable provider I have ever seen. | |
| | | |
| Forums » comments on review of Vonage |
|
|
Vonage
(64)
(45)
(92)
·
·
·
·