Post #264,256
8/8/06 6:54:23 PM
8/8/06 7:35:36 PM
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Vonage is a Rip-Off
[link|http://digg.com/tech_news/Vonage_Rips_Off_Customers_Who_Cancel|Digg] it!
I have blogged about my [link|http://www.blackbagops.net/?p=63|Vonage] "service".
This is somewhat intended for search engine bait. Excerpt below.
Vonage is the roach motel of phone companies. They have sales people working around the clock, but intentionally don\ufffdt put their customer service extension in the menu on their phone system. This is dishonest and I decide not to do further business with them.
Unfortunately, they won\ufffdt or can\ufffdt cancel the number transfer. I contact Qwest to see if they can stop it and at first they think so, but eventually they say no, but let it go through and in a week they can request it back. So we do. This leaves me without the ability to receive calls for over 3 weeks. I tell the reps at Vonage that I want my number transfer cancelled and plan to cancel service - they warn me not to cancel until the number safely returns to Qwest. Qwest gives me the same advice.
It takes 20 days for a number to transfer - so this entire fiasco is over 40 days long. Cleverly, Vonage provides a 30 day money back guarantee. Criminal.
I learn this last fact when phoning to cancel my Vonage \ufffdservice\ufffd (which never worked) and am told that 1) I\ufffdm over the 30 days to I have to pay $30 in cancellation fees and 2) I am charged an additional $50 for hardware that I bought up front for $89 in the first place and that failed within days of power up and 3) am told that they won\ufffdt even replace the dead hardware (although the rather smug-bitchy rep in cancellations is pleased to tell me that \ufffdif you had stayed we\ufffdd replace it but since you\ufffdre cancelling you\ufffdre out of luck\ufffd).
[link|http://www.blackbagops.net|Black Bag Operations Log]
[link|http://www.objectiveclips.com|Artificial Intelligence]
[link|http://www.badpage.info/seaside/html|Scrutinizer]
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Post #264,262
8/8/06 8:12:30 PM
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couple of notes to the unwary
Once a request to port a number occurs there is no way the original telco can stop the transfer, if it was a wireline number it can take up to 30 days. If you cancel service with the new guys before the old guys can resign you and get your number back, you lose the number. Telco's if you are unhappy get very slooow about porting, especially if the magic day number hits a fee mark. Dunno if FCC handles voip, dont think so but complain anyway. Vonage is stenching uo the FCC as it is and they will quickly try to resolve your problem.
thanx,
bill
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 50 years. meep
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Post #264,274
8/8/06 9:49:38 PM
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I can forgive that
However, refusing to either refund for returned dead router box (which died in less than 7 days) or replace same with working model makes them scum of the earth. Tossing out that if I didn't cancel they'd probably honor a warranty or something makes them lower than scum.
[link|http://www.blackbagops.net|Black Bag Operations Log]
[link|http://www.objectiveclips.com|Artificial Intelligence]
[link|http://www.badpage.info/seaside/html|Scrutinizer]
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Post #264,263
8/8/06 8:15:27 PM
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Also, I am very haapy with comcast digital voice
I get all the features plus all the long distance of a telco land line for the cost of the landlines most basic no LD service. I use tracphone for cell if the power goes out. So far 2 cell phones cost me $18 per month.
thanx,
bill
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 50 years. meep
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Post #264,267
8/8/06 8:33:53 PM
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Too bad it didn't work for you.
I am very pleased with my Vonage service. Of course, I didn't transfer a number. It's cheap and reliable, at least for me, and I've had no problem recommending it to friends down here. They seem pleased too, at least, they still have it.
FWIW, my buddy Riiich had some problems transferring telephone number to his cable service's phone offering, too.
Imric's Tips for Living
- Paranoia Is a Survival Trait
- Pessimists are never disappointed - but sometimes, if they are very lucky, they can be pleasantly surprised...
- Even though everyone is out to get you, it doesn't matter unless you let them win.
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Nothing is as simple as it seems in the beginning,
As hopeless as it seems in the middle,
Or as finished as it seems in the end.
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Post #264,270
8/8/06 9:14:40 PM
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Aside from the number transfer fiasco
120 days.
The service has been good. I've had to call customer service on a couple of occassions. Aside from the obvious fact that the call center is offshore, they've handled the issue in one call.
Comcast wants 15 more for the same service...at those prices I can stay wired with Verizon.
Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry.Adrian Belew
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Post #264,272
8/8/06 9:45:15 PM
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Try to cancel
see how long it takes you to find out how.
[link|http://www.blackbagops.net|Black Bag Operations Log]
[link|http://www.objectiveclips.com|Artificial Intelligence]
[link|http://www.badpage.info/seaside/html|Scrutinizer]
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Post #264,277
8/8/06 11:00:18 PM
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Perhaps the AOL fiascoes
they continue to be bad too - may shake a few brain cells loose in the future.
But the phone service is good - so I think I'll give trying to switch a miss, at least for now...
I have enough headaches, I don't need to ASK for one! *grin*
Imric's Tips for Living
- Paranoia Is a Survival Trait
- Pessimists are never disappointed - but sometimes, if they are very lucky, they can be pleasantly surprised...
- Even though everyone is out to get you, it doesn't matter unless you let them win.
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Nothing is as simple as it seems in the beginning,
As hopeless as it seems in the middle,
Or as finished as it seems in the end.
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Post #264,281
8/9/06 3:18:27 AM
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4 clicks in their website once logged in.
But figuring it out would be easy too...call the customer service group. Its the only number they have. 1 Vonage Help.
This doesn't solve the transfer issue. However, you can use the service for outbound and inbound with the temp number till the transfer happens. Not a full blown test...but enough.
The router thing really sucks. Hard to pin the failure on them...easy to pin any crap about the replacement on them though. But, you could always take it up with Linksys.
They were pretty thorough telling me I'd be on the hook for equipment anytime in the first 12 months should I cancel.
Sounds like you've had a comedy of errors that you are laying completely at their feet.
Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry.Adrian Belew
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Post #264,282
8/9/06 4:59:24 AM
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Sounds to me like a M$ 'warranty' - impossible to redeem
So then, what's Your point re the throwaway line, ..comedy of errors that you are laying completely at their feet. ?? Whose feet should be wearing these shoes that didn't fit?
A 'trial', allegedly fee-free - with carefully constructed dates as prove impossible of redemption - since your number had to be reassigned, in the first place.
Quite an up-to-date MBA-ethical biz-plan there. (They can't plead ignorance about the built-in number-change time interval, now can they?)
And if their droids are smirking, overtly taunting in fact - concerning a normal warranty on 'infant mortality' of equipment? I'd say that removes any idea of 'aberration' from consideration. Less'n ya thinks Todd is lying (?)
(Jeez Beep, I thought your auto-contrarian schtik was about The Free Market Will Correct NoMatterWhoItKills doctrine; does that blanket amnesty now extend to sarcastic employees chortling over an engineered consumer ripoff, as well?)
Nice that yours is working. That's the more important thing.. {whew} eh?
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Post #264,283
8/9/06 8:54:14 AM
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Mixing things up there Ash
in what appears to be another lame effort to type "themarketwillcorrect" in another response to me.
Number transfer could be their issue, could be a Qwest issue.
The 30 day free trial is just that. Without the number transfer, there would have been plenty of time to trial for the 30 days. As to it being "carefully crafted"...you are again assuming conspiricy where none exists. Imric, for instance, would have had NO ISSUE cancelling service within the first 30 days because he didn't require them to tranfer a number. The decision to tranfer the number has nothing to do with the Vonage service and everything to do with a personal choice that was made by the subscriber.
Vonage didn't make the hardware...but their failure to support their bundling decision is something I did fault them for. But is it >their fault< that it broke. In your delusional universe, is the "evul MBAIEIO" sitting in his office with magic "router killer" button...just waiting to steal the poor man's money by making his hardware go up in smoke? Inquiring minds want to know!
And this "high crime and mis-de-MEAN-er" is certainly making VONAGE [link|http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060801/1941248.shtml|a ton of money] isn't it?
Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry.Adrian Belew
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Post #264,330
8/9/06 6:36:39 PM
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Re: Mixing things up there Ash
Thanks for the Vonage scoop + the interesting replies, there.
Of course they didn't remote-kill the box.. Jeez.
Not even the "issue" of exactly how their special-model's warranty costs should be apportioned twixt them / mfg. of an early-failed product: the Issue is the truculent, nasty twitting -- "see, if you hadn't quit, we'd have helped you get it fixed - nya nyaaa ___." That says a Lot about a Company Culture, doncha think?
Now as to whether the number assignment is a Big deal - I have no data on the frequency of that request; nevertheless, isn't the point of all this transistrized-foofaraw: to SIMPLIFY? to obviate a need to change one's number every few months re everyone in the addy list.
Lastly as to the $$ - yeah well, pick your poison. We know what happens with monopolies in Regulate-Nothing-Ever Repo hands. May Vonage prosper long enough to eat up some of the balderdash which accompanies all comm Lying ads. Service + a low bill talks; the rest is TLA-BS.
(Though I wouldn't want my sole phone line to need a computer + sub-boxes 24/7, whatever the method. Yes, telcos use computers too.. but redundantly.)
Vonage could fire the juveniles on their public staff.. if they want to persist.
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Post #264,302
8/9/06 1:08:41 PM
8/9/06 3:25:49 PM
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I'm not blaming them on number transfer
I'm blaming [link|http://eagleoffshore.livejournal.com/346.html|Vonage] for setting a 30 day opt out when they know damn well it will take 40+ to successfully extricate yourself.
That's sucky. I don't blame them for the equipment failure, I blame them for their foot dragging when I tell them that after the failure I've concluded that, given electricity reliability problems on our little island, Vonage is a bad idea and I've learned that I don't want it. This was done just 15 days into it and I should have been able to exit cleanly with all cash intact. But you CANT. They know it, they drag you into fee land.
So the 30 day trial is insincere. Fraudulent in fact.
[link|http://www.blackbagops.net|Black Bag Operations Log]
[link|http://www.objectiveclips.com|Artificial Intelligence]
[link|http://www.badpage.info/seaside/html|Scrutinizer]
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Post #264,305
8/9/06 1:22:58 PM
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Without disclaimer for number transfer
I'll grant you that it doesn't seem very "open" that your are screwed once you start.
Could probably battle them for the $75 if you called C/S and announced intentions. Might not be worth it in the long run.
And I will agree that they make it seem, during the sales call, that number transfer will not take that long (and 20 days would have been welcome to me). Fortunately for me, the number was not a primary. What their delay cost me was about 4 months of the savings on the line. Because of the 4 month delay, they credited me for one of the months of service.
So as bad as your experience with them has been, mine has been relatively different, having had issues resolved quickly and a credit for service granted because of the transfer delay.
I'm sure there's actually someone that likes to fly Delta too. That wouldn't be me :-)
Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry.Adrian Belew
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