Good Value Despite Minor Service Issues
Written: Jun 29 '06
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| Full Review |
Service/Quality:
I purchased Vonage 8 months ago and have only had 2 major outages since then with each lasting about an hour. Of course, I don't monitor my phone service every minute of the day, so it's possible there were more outages. I find that there is a small delay when speaking/listening similar to cell phones. Took a little while to get used to, but doesn't really bother me anymore. An echo occurs infrequently (probably about 1% of my calls). I spend about 15/20 hours/week on conference calls and seldom hear an echo.
Since I typically work from home and am on my PC during these calls, I've found that if I try to upload files while I'm on the phone that the other parties can't hear me. My PC internet connection is using all my bandwidth. Just had to learn not to upload during calls.
Many have complained about choppy connections, etc., but much of that could be the internet service (though I'm sure Vonage has its issues too). So many ISP providers have small interruptions that can impact service. I've been very lucky with RoadRunner. I'd never try slower DSL or satellite high speed internet because of these interruptions that could impact phone service as well as internet service.
Customer Service:
I signed up on-line without any issues. A credit card is required for service that's automatically billed each month. Purchased my phone adapter at Circuit City to get the rebates. Had to have service for 90 days prior to getting rebate, then it took about 4 weeks after that. Of course, I had to call (seems like so many companies don't actually send out the rebates until you call them!). But once I did, the check arrived quickly.
Referred two friends on-line who are both happy with the service. The $50 referral credit shows up immediately upon signing up.
Technical assistance is certainly lacking. I've called only twice. Once was due to a recent service interruption (had to call from my cell phone) and I couldn't get through. Lines were full, so there was a message to call back later. When I finally got through, the message advised the wait time was less than 3 minutes. I gave up after 30 minutes on hold.
Otherwise, I had an issue with the stutter tone not going away once I removed a voice mail message. The technician (sounded like from India) went round and round with me on whether they actually even use a stutter tone with their service. Finally, she corrected herself and told me how to fix it. By the way, the fix is to leave yourself a voice mail message, pick it up by phone and press * to end the call. Too bad it doesn't always work automatically.
By the way, another reason I switched to Vonage was the poor customer service at Verizon. They certainly weren't perfect either. Seems bad service is the norm in the phone industry.
Features/Cost Benefit:
Vonage has every feature offered by a traditional phone company plus more. Voice mail, caller ID, 3 way calling, simultaneous ring (helpful when I'm traveling), messages sent to e-mail, and so on. I had Verizon prior to switching to Vonage. I had only local service with no long distance package added (just used my cell) and had call waiting. My bill was never below $28/month. With Vonage, I'm at $27/month including taxes. Big savings? Obviously not, but now I have all the features, can make unlimited long distance calls (allowing me to telecommute more often) and I lowered the minutes on my cell phone. Works for me.
Conclusion:
Considering the extra stuff and cost savings, I wouldn't go back to a traditional phone company unless Vonage's service issues were a constant problem for me. I see that it is for others, but I just haven't had the issues others have described. Would recommend IF you have a solid ISP provider.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
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