Review by connor79 
member for 1.5 years, 151 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 1.4 years ago
 Toronto,ON
 $30 per month- (12 month contract)
 "Nothing, steer far away!" "Awful customer service that lies" "Far better providers out there, never go with Vonage"
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(ratings well below consensus)
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This is an older review but my friend just told me they had issues with Vonage and it reminded me of my situation a couple years ago so I thought I'd post a review. I'm in Toronto and a few years ago I had Vonage for over a year, no problems but cancelled then I moved. We moved into a new house which Bell hadn't installed phone lines to yet so when we called to order a line (as this was in the Winter) they said they couldn't until the spring. I then decided to get Vonage in the mean time. So I call their toll free and explained I was thinking of coming back. The person I spoke with would not stop going on about how they're so happy to have me back and have great deals for me etc. She told me I'd get my first 30 days free and that I could cancel any time I wanted within 30 days if I was unhappy. Every other sentence from her was "we are so happy to have you back we are going to do this for you and that for you." At the end of the call she made me answer a series of yes or no questions which I pretty much had to say yes to, such as I understand 911 works differently etc. She also told me the service "activates" when I connect the voip gateway to the Internet.
Anyway a couple weeks go by and I have no phone. FINALLY Canada Post delivers the Vonage modem to me as it turns out she entered my postal code wrong even though we verified it a few times. The problem was, a day before it arrived Bell showed up and installed my new line and hung the lines over the posts down the street and said its temporary and they would bury it in the spring. So great I thought I don't need Vonage. At this time I was going on vacation for a week so I left.
A week later I get back, this is now 3 weeks after I signed up for Vonage and had not even opened the box they sent me. I call in to cancel because I no longer need it. This is where all the fun begins. First the person I speak with says I might as well keep the service because the fees they are going to charge me to cancel are more expensive than a years worth of service! He tried to tell me I'm on a 1 year contract which I also never agreed to or was told about. I was blown away, I told them they said I could cancel within 30 days and they said no that that is not their policy! I told them the box isn't even open and the other girl told me it activates only when I connect it and he also said that was wrong. He said no one would ever tell me that!
I was furious as he then said it was something like $150 for the modem, plus $25 for the shipping plus a $200 cancellation fee. I can't remember the exact amounts but it was close to $400. I demanded to speak to a manager at this point. Actually "demanded" sounds harsh as at this point in time I was a customer service manager at IBM so I know to stay calm and how to deal with people.
After being on hold a good 15 minutes, someone comes on saying how can I help you? I ask him if the previous rep explained my situation to him and I'm not even kidding, his words were "Yes, they explained that you want to cancel and that you expect to not pay any termination fees which you certainly will be!" I couldn't believe it! I went through the same scenario with him explaining they said 30 days to cancel etc etc. He said that isn't their policy and that it's all on their website. I said the rep never told me to go to their site to check anything and he said they don't have to, it's my responsibility as a customer to go to a company's website and find these things out on my own!!! I then asked for his full name, address and the name of the President for Vonage which he refused to give me. He told me they will not be waiving the cancel charges because their system can't do that! He said it's impossible so I might as well just pay. I couldn't even believe it, it was like talking to a 16 year old child. I've had bad customer service experiences but this is still at the top of my list. The worst part was I had all my calls recorded, so I had proof that the rep never explained any of this, and that she told me it was free for 30 days and could cancel, but of course I didn't have her permission to record it so it was useless. I recorded the call just for myself, in case I miss a user name or something important, not for any other reason. So I knew 100% I wasn't crazy that they never told me any of this.
Anyway they send me a bill for the $400 that I owe. I then tried to file a complaint with the BBB and couldn't as they advised me they no longer accept complaints from Vonage as they have such a negative rating! I then opened a dispute with the CCTS and had my lawyer send them a letter. That was 2 years ago and I've never heard from them since. I can't tell you enough times to stay far away from Vonage. IF anyone remembers the old days of AOL and trying to cancel that, they've got nothing on Vonage!
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 | | government action against VONAGE Vonage and Comcrap are 2 evils I refuse to patronize.
»www.bbb.org/new-jersey/business-···11005249
"...January 21, 2010
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced that consumers who have unresolved complaints against Vonage -- an Internet-based phone service -- may be entitled to restitution under a $3 million settlement reached with his office and other attorneys general.
Blumenthal urged CT consumers to contact his office in writing if they have unresolved complaints against Vonage dating as far back as Jan. 1, 2004 that may involve: unauthorized or questionable charges; inability or difficulty in canceling service; and confusion about the need for consumers to already have high-speed Internet service and to purchase additional equipment in order to receive Vonage service..." | |
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