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Review by oaks367 See Profile

  • Location: Greensboro, Greene, GA, USA
  • Cost: $18 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 5 days
Price and quality
Haven't seen any yet
Looks like I made a good choice
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

The reviews on this site actually tipped me in the direction of this company. I'm impressed with how they seem to monitor for issues that they can contact the customer and try to help with. The quality is very clear, especially for the price. Didn't have any trouble with the set up, I was able to follow the instructions easily enough. My number transfer was free and they have quite a few free features to take advantage of, like cloned line, softphone, fax to voicemail. Bottom line is that I'm happy I'm a customer. Will update later down the road as service progresses.

**I renewed my service with them for two years this time. I haven't regretted it for the past year that I've had service with them so I'm okay with committing! The periodic newsletter they send out that includes any new updates and what they are working on is helpful. Glad to see they are keeping up with, if not ahead of even, the competition with mobile apps and new features.

***Still loving the service. Droid app isn't out quite yet but, eh, not a deal breaker. I've referred a few people to the service over the years and like the credit I'm getting on my account. The features are still above the competition and I'm just waiting for more! I'll be happy to be a beta tester PP

****I figured I should probably come back and update now (9/20/12) after having used the Droid app. It's very convenient to not have to use cell minutes as well as having my home account at my fingertips. I find it pretty user friendly. I have two numbers now, one for home and one for business, and no problems switching between the two. Great app.

member for 13.6 years, 8 visits, last login: 11.5 years ago
updated 11.5 years ago

Smithers
join:2010-04-28
Roseburg, OR

Smithers

Member

Mobile Apps

I don't know what kind of phone you have, but the Iphone app has come in really handy for me. They are pushing an update soon also. My wife prefers the Droid, which we are told will also have an app soon. Its nice to see progress happening.
oaks367
join:2010-08-12

oaks367

Member

Re: Mobile Apps

Droid here as well. I'm fine waiting. I'd rather be after the first version so its all smooth sailing by then!

PhonePower
Premium Member
join:2007-07-20
Winnetka, CA

1 edit

PhonePower

Premium Member

Re: Mobile Apps

Thanks for the stellar review. The SIP apps are taking a bit longer than anticipated as we are testing quality and functionality in both WiFi and 3g environments.

In the meantime, we DO offer free sip credentials with every account that can be used in almost any generic SIP application across many platforms: Smart phones, PCs, Macs, etc... These are proving VERY popular with our clients that want to make international calls from their cellphones while on the go or traveling. You can enable and get your SIP credentials in the "my account" and section of our website with a login.

Our forum is great resource for getting help on these: »www.phonepower.com/forum/

PhonePwrTech
join:2007-07-20

PhonePwrTech

Member

Android App

The Android App is actually in open beta testing right now.

»www.phonepower.com/forum ··· p?id=616

Review by snatale42 See Profile

  • Location: Glen Allen, Henrico, VA, USA
  • Cost: $9 per month
  • Install: about 7 days
Cheap, Good Service, good customer service
None so far
Good Service for a good price
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

I was originally a BroadVoice customer for years, left and went to come back to notice they sold to PhonePower. I still get the BroadVoice rate but over phone powers network. I ordered my service on 09/04 was told my port date was 09/11. Got my ATA a couple days later and the number ported around noon on the 11th as planned. Call quality is great and customer service is awesome. I had some issues with the softphone and on top of actually answering the phone, and NOT being overseas they worked hard (and for a while) to get my issue resolved. So far very impressed. I've had quite a few VoIP provider and very picky. So far looks like Phone Power is going to keep up what BroadVoice was doing!

member for 20 years, 24 visits, last login: 11.5 years ago
lodged 11.5 years ago


Review by DesertRat45 See Profile

  • Location: Phoenix, Maricopa, AZ, USA
  • Cost: $20 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 7 days
Support, call quality, features
Good job PP
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

So far, so good. I ordered around three months ago. The sales person offered to place the order for me. They were helpful, but I found it easier just to type it all in myself. Pretty straightforward process even when porting your number. The porting itself was not troublesome. You just need to make sure you don't have your original company shut off your service before the number transfers. I waited until the day after, when I had placed enough test calls and made sure it was functional to call my landline provider and cancel. The call quality is not different than that of my old landline, but much cheaper.

I also downloaded the Andriod app. Had some crashing issues at first, but after new version came out, that problem was fixed. It took some fiddling and some pointers from the support staff regarding star codes for forwarding calls, but I find it very useful. I can only hope this all continues at this level. Good job PP.

member for 11.5 years, 1 visits, last login: 11.3 years ago
lodged 11.5 years ago


Review by LeChi See Profile

  • Location: San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
  • Cost: $25 per month
2 phone lines instead of one.
Customer Service - called in and cancel 2 lines only to find out they billed me for entire year.
Not worth playing their game: $8/moth is great, but then you will have to deal with them and it's not worth your time or energy
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

Technically they are somewhat Ok... But that is if everything works well. Or they didn't overcharge you. Or any other reason that causes you to talk to them. Once on the phone you will be bounced around between people who cannot make any decisions on their own. They will promise to call back with no follow through. You will really need to stay on top of them. And then, they will do whatever THEY want without considering you side at all. Bottom line, they behave just like a huge company: AT&T or Comcast, treating customer like nothing more but a record in their book... You are better off with a big company then... Very frustrating experience. Would not advice to anyone.

member for 11.6 years, driveby review (so far)
lodged 11.6 years ago

PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

Details?

Exactly what issue did you have with them?

Why did you cancel?

And what plan did you sign up for initially?

Yes, their popular plan IS a yearly plan. If you pay each month it costs more....

Did they sign you up for a plan other than the one you intended?

PhonePower
Premium Member
join:2007-07-20
Winnetka, CA

PhonePower

Premium Member

Thank you for escalating this issue

I am having a billing manager review your account and follow up
ASAP. Please note that we have escalation personnel on staff that you may ask to be transferred to at all times should you feel that your issue is not being handled to your satisfaction.

I am confident that any issue you encountered will be resolved amicably and favorably.

topgun
join:2011-01-31

1 edit

topgun

Member

Biased Review

Click for full size
I have had PP for 4 years. Have always been called back, emails returned, and problems escalated. Definitely not getting the whole story here folks. I missed a call from them last night, explained the situation @ 8:04 EST got put back in the cb que and Don called me back @ 9:20. I can be opinionated as much as the next intranet troll. If PP or any other company does me wrong I'll be more then happy to open my BIG mouth. However, to just do a drive by slam review without stating any information is like thinking real court is going before Judge Judy.
jacobslive
Premium Member
join:2007-11-25
San Jose, CA

jacobslive

Premium Member

Hello!

What is the problem with their service that you had to call and cancel? We are missing the whole point here duh!

It seems like a biased or fake review to me!

I came back to phonepower after 1+ years and have two lines with them. Both of them are prepaid for whole year. Your review does not make any point here, if you tell what exactly happened, why you got unhappy with the service, how many times you contacted them to fix the issue etc. it will be easy to understand.

Review by Twixxle See Profile

  • Location: San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
  • Cost: $18 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 5 days
Support, price, free features
Have yet to find any
Great for me
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

8/5/12: Figured it's time to add some more. Both households we have with PP are still happy. Even though it has always worked well for me, I was still hoping nothing would happen where my technology challenged parents would have to touch theirs, but it's been smooth sailing. My contract ran out, I appealed to customer service as a loyal customer hoping to re-up with the prepaid promo, and thankfully they obliged. At least they can value keeping paying customers happy. The call block feature is coming in realllly handy this election season for annoying calls by the way.

5/23/11 update: We've got my parents on Phone Power now too. They don't use the phone too much, but I needed to make sure they had a house phone in case of emergency. We've got cordless phones throughout the house for them and they haven't had any issues. This kind of low use is where the metered plan comes in handy (you'll only see it in the account page plans). $7.95 a month. My family can call into them all we want for free and if they call out, which is rare, its a few cents a minute. Great option to take advantage of that some might not have seen.

__________________________

I used Ooma for over a year and ended up having a service issue that caused me to look into other providers. You can see my review on them for more info. Once I looked around and did some research I saw that for me at least, Phone Power seemed like my best and most cost effective option. I originally wanted to go with a larger company for stability like Vonage, but they are quite a bit more expensive than other competitors. After some research and finding that Phone Power was steadily growing and acquiring out other companies I felt comfortable enough to start month to month with a new number and see how it went from there. After four months or so of reliable service quality I switched to a two year contract plan for $14.95 (which comes to about $18 with the taxes/fees). I feel better leasing a device that will always be treated as under warranty as opposed to the purchase I had to make with Ooma and the extra money you have to spend to keep it under warranty. Just about all of Phone Power’s free features like call forwarding, 3 way calling, Iphone app, etc…would have cost me money with Ooma. I’d recommend this service to anyone looking for a reliable and money saving voip option.

member for 13.1 years, 3 visits, last login: 11.6 years ago
updated 11.6 years ago


Review by Colo23 See Profile

  • Location: Grand Junction, Mesa, CO, USA
  • Cost: $19 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 4 days
Easy, affordable, quality
So far, so good
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

Going down the list of ratings, I’d say their website was decent. Nothing horrible, nothing too exciting. Nice that there are forum post and help articles to look through though. The account page itself is more important to me and I find it easy to use. It was very easy to install and didn’t take long at all. I had selected a new number so I can’t speak to how a number transfer would go.  Once set up, the call quality was excellent.  Obviously time will tell if the service continues to stay at this level, but I certainly hope so. I talked to a couple customer service people during my ordering process and they were pleasant and prompt. Judging from many other reviews on the tech support I can’t imagine I would experience anything different if calling in with an issue. I did shop around and they offer a great deal for what you get with the service.  I’m a new customer, but a happy one. I’ll be sure to follow up down the road.

member for 11.7 years, 1 visits, last login: 11.5 years ago
lodged 11.7 years ago


Review by zjhodson See Profile

  • Location: Cape Coral, Lee, FL, USA
  • Business customer Business customer
  • Cost: $134 per month (12 month contract)
Tech support is easy to reach
Reliability, Setup, Knowledge of reps, Router problems
PhonePower is by a wide margin the worst career move I have ever made.
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

This company has been a nightmare since the beginning. It took a week to get the system working initially and from that point in has never worked very well. The voice mail has not worked as it should. The "power forwarding" has not worked as it was supposed to. Since the router has to be the first thing on the network when it misbehaves as it have been doing since the beginning it cripples the entire office. After banging my head against the wall for weeks tech support finally concluded that I must have a defective router. After grudgingly agreeing to ship it over-night he assured me he would personally configure it so that it would immediately when plugged in. I received the router yesterday and I had to stay at the office 30 minutes late to install it because as stated previously it must be the first thing in the network so any maintenance TAKES DOWN THE NETWORK. Tech Support partially fulfilled his promise. The internet and the phone system came up within a minute which is a dramatic improvement of the 30 minutes to 4 hours the old router had taken to establish a connection to the internet. Unfortunately today I had wildly unpredictable up/down bandwidth, one minute it would be 30Mbps down and 6Mbps up with a 29ms ping and the next it would be .15Mbps down and .5Mbps up with a 1900ms ping. They remotely logged into the router and adjusted the settings and now I have a pretty reliable 9Mbps down and 6Mbps up. This means that my VOIP system is bogarting at least 50% of my download through-put but at least it's consistent now. Issues with forwarding and voicemail persist.

My choice to recommend PhonePower as the VOIP provider for my company has caused irreparable damage to my reputation and credibility and has cost this my company thousands in business and caused immeasurable damage to our image as professionals. At no point has PhonePower offered a credit to our company for these problems not that any credit to our bill would hold a candle to the damages to our company, it's reputation, or my personal reputation. I am 80% certain my company will replace me at it's earliest opportunity over this debacle.

member for 11.7 years, 1 visits, last login: 11.7 years ago
lodged 11.7 years ago

PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

Thank you.

Thanks for a detailed and specific report.

I hope that things will work out for you.

topgun
join:2011-01-31

4 edits

topgun

Member

Very Misleading Review

As far as VoIP taking 50% of your throughput that just is not possible! G711u uses approximately 84Kb/s so that would be enough for 73 simultaneous conversations at the highest codec or 384 at the lowest.

The last part of this review is just a rant on how the OP feels that he has been wronged and like most of GP feels he should be compensated for "supposed" lost revenue. To be honest the best thing for the company would be to loose a little revenue for the following reasons.

A. Trying to use VoIp on a connection without proper BETA testing before going live.
B. Not reading the TOS »www.phonepower.com/servi ··· tos.aspx start at 12. WARRANTIES AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY.
C. If the company was making all this revenue the OP claims, why risk loosing said amount to save a few bucks?

They should only terminate you if it was your bright idea for using VoIP in a live environment without BETA testing first, having no contingency plan, and not know knowing the basics about how VoIP routers work. That being said, I imagine you had good intentions and were just trying to save them money. If that was the case then you should be promoted to upper management.

»www.amazon.com/Dogberts- ··· 87308813

»www.pcworld.com/business ··· deo.html
zjhodson
join:2012-06-28
Cape Coral, FL

zjhodson

Member

Re: Very Misleading Review

I don't feel I should be compensated. I don't feel I can be compensated. The device I have is in fact a router. It is an Edgewater router and phone power refers to it as such. It preforms the functions of a router. You can call it whatever you like. that is beside the point. The connection isn't crappy. It's more than sufficient for the VOIP service and it is reliable when the "ATA" isn't interupting it.
Mango
Use DMZ and you get a kick in the dick.
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
www.toao.net

Mango to topgun

Premium Member

to topgun
I empathize with the reviewer because my introduction to VoIP was almost identical to this story. I signed my company up with a VoIP provider that advertised I could plug a couple of ATAs in and be up and running in minutes with no real knowledge of the technology. Needless to say, it didn't go quite that well.
said by topgun:

As far as VoIP taking 50% of your throughput that just is not possible!

It's absolutely possible if the router isn't configured properly or not powerful enough to handle the load of other internet traffic. If he has a 30/6 internet connection, the latter is very possible.

I agree with some of your points, but I don't think operator error is entirely to blame. For example, it shouldn't take "weeks" to diagnose and replace defective hardware.
said by topgun:

C. If the company was making all this revenue the OP claims, why risk loosing said amount to save a few bucks?

Your assumption that they were trying to save a few bucks may not be correct. Maybe they were after additional features. For example, my VoIP system can do things that no POTS provider can at any price.
said by topgun:

To be honest

Why do you say that? Were you not being honest before?

topgun
join:2011-01-31

1 edit

topgun

Member

Re: Very Misleading Review

said by Mango:

I empathize with the reviewer because my introduction to VoIP was almost identical to this story. I signed my company up with a VoIP provider that advertised I could plug a couple of ATAs in and be up and running in minutes with no real knowledge of the technology. Needless to say, it didn't go quite that well.

said by topgun:

As far as VoIP taking 50% of your throughput that just is not possible!

It's absolutely possible if the router isn't configured properly or not powerful enough to handle the load of other internet traffic. If he has a 30/6 internet connection, the latter is very possible.

I agree with some of your points, but I don't think operator error is entirely to blame. For example, it shouldn't take "weeks" to diagnose and replace defective hardware.
said by topgun:

C. If the company was making all this revenue the OP claims, why risk loosing said amount to save a few bucks?

Your assumption that they were trying to save a few bucks may not be correct. Maybe they were after additional features. For example, my VoIP system can do things that no POTS provider can at any price.
said by topgun:

To be honest

Why do you say that? Were you not being honest before?

Well, there is a thing called Google...anyone that blindly signs their company up for something they know nothing about is possibly setting themselves up for problems. When problems arise should they b#$h about it? I have PhonePower, I have had hiccups, do I b#$h about it NO because I did my due deligance first.

Whether it be for price or for features it is the same difference the OP should have been better prepared. "to be honest" is a figure of speech.

PhonePwrTech
join:2007-07-20

PhonePwrTech

Member

Clarification

The Edgemarc 4500 that zjhodson is referring to does reserve bandwidth for the VoIP service. The settings are based on the specifications of the connection. For instance if you have a 10Mbps down and 5Mpbs up connection those values need to be configured in the Edgemarc. If it is configured out of spec of your connection the Edgemarc won't reserve bandwidth for VoIP.

Things like remote access programs, file uploading and other services that stream bandwidth can eat into your bandwidth and cause the Edgemarc to downgrade other traffic as it is reserving bandwidth for the VOIP service.

topgun
join:2011-01-31

2 edits

topgun

Member

Re: Clarification

said by PhonePwrTech:

The Edgemarc 4500 that zjhodson is referring to does reserve bandwidth for the VoIP service. The settings are based on the specifications of the connection. For instance if you have a 10Mbps down and 5Mpbs up connection those values need to be configured in the Edgemarc. If it is configured out of spec of your connection the Edgemarc won't reserve bandwidth for VoIP.

Things like remote access programs, file uploading and other services that stream bandwidth can eat into your bandwidth and cause the Edgemarc to downgrade other traffic as it is reserving bandwidth for the VOIP service.

Thanks for the Clarification PPT I knew there was more to this story then meets the eye.

»youtu.be/tNyU6KTpP2I
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

Re: Clarification

said by topgun:

Thanks for the Clarification PPT I knew there was more to this story then meets the eye.

How so?

The OP has some professional IT background, and seems to have had a poor experience with PP.

Nothing in the PP comments refutes that.

As for beta testing, huh?

Should setting up an office for simple VoIP require prolonged and intensive beta? Really?

And the OP said:

It took a week to get the system working initially and from that point in has never worked very well.

I find the OP compelling, the company response incomplete, and your support for the company in THIS case premature.

I have often supported PhonePower before, but I certainly DO agree that there is more here than meets the eye, in which case it is wrong to dismiss the OP out of hand as you did.

topgun
join:2011-01-31

topgun

Member

Re: Clarification

said by PX Eliezer704:

said by topgun:

Thanks for the Clarification PPT I knew there was more to this story then meets the eye.

How so?

The OP has some professional IT background, and seems to have had a poor experience with PP.

Nothing in the PP comments refutes that.

As for beta testing, huh?

Should setting up an office for simple VoIP require prolonged and intensive beta? Really?

And the OP said:

It took a week to get the system working initially and from that point in has never worked very well.

I find the OP compelling, the company response incomplete, and your support for the company in THIS case premature.

I have often supported PhonePower before, but I certainly DO agree that there is more here than meets the eye, in which case it is wrong to dismiss the OP out of hand as you did.

I'm not totally dismissing the OP PX. Part of his problems do seem to stem from bad hardware originally. However, OP complains about internet speeds but someone that is not tech savy enough to know about VoIp, QOS, should not be tasked with setting up a VoIp router.

Never said prolong BETA but cut me some slack PX almost everyone I know who switched from PP left their landline on for at least a week to see how things went first. I never ever setup someone with PhonePower without letting them try it at first.

Actually, I kind of feel bad for the OP. His heart was in the right place trying to help the company out. However I think his ambitions got the best of him and bit off a lil more then he could chew?
Mango
Use DMZ and you get a kick in the dick.
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
www.toao.net

Mango

Premium Member

Re: Clarification

said by topgun:

someone that is not tech savy enough to know about VoIp, QOS, should not be tasked with setting up a VoIp router.

Tell that to the thousands of Vonage customers. I have never met a Vonage customer who knows what QoS is. All of them are delighted with their service.

(Note: This is NOT an endorsement for Vonage; I'm simply stating an alternate point of view.)

topgun
join:2011-01-31

topgun

Member

Re: Clarification

said by Mango:

said by topgun:

someone that is not tech savy enough to know about VoIp, QOS, should not be tasked with setting up a VoIp router.

Tell that to the thousands of Vonage customers. I have never met a Vonage customer who knows what QoS is. All of them are delighted with their service.

(Note: This is NOT an endorsement for Vonage; I'm simply stating an alternate point of view.)

Do Vonage customers use business edge routes? Do you just skim my posts "should not be tasked with setting up a VoIp router".
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

1 recommendation

PX Eliezer704 to topgun

Premium Member

to topgun
said by topgun:

Actually, I kind of feel bad for the OP. His heart was in the right place trying to help the company out.

I think that we all agree on that.

Thanks for your detailed replies.
Mango
Use DMZ and you get a kick in the dick.
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
www.toao.net

1 recommendation

Mango

Premium Member

Re: Clarification

Very true

PhonePwrTech
join:2007-07-20

1 edit

PhonePwrTech

Member

Further Clarification

This reviewer doesn't have a normal account by any means. It was a custom build with call flows that don't fit in our normal business product. This is far from a residential setup where you plug in an ATA. There are IP phones that then need to connect to the Edgemarc. Our business product requires the Edgemarc to insure that the VoIP traffic isn't mangled or miss routed by a router that doesn't have an ALG in it.

topgun
join:2011-01-31

topgun

Member

Re: Further Clarification

said by PhonePwrTech:

This reviewer doesn't have a normal account by any means. It was a custom build with call flows that don't fit in our normal business product. This is far from a residential setup where you plug in an ATA. There are IP phones that then need to connect to the Edgemarc. Our business product requires the Edgemarc to insure that the VoIP traffic isn't mangled or miss routed by a router that doesn't have an ALG in it.

Exactly the point I was trying to make to Mango! There is a big difference between plugging a few cables and setting up simple PF, QOS, DMZ etc. over setting up a business VoIp network.

First you have to address these questions:
»www.voipreview.org/small ··· ess_voip

Then you have to order the phones\program them, run the cables, setup the mailboxes, setup up call flow\ques, train the end users. It is just so much fun...

Review by Trakker See Profile

  • Location: Des Moines, Polk, IA, USA
  • Cost: $19 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 4 days
Quick set up, cust service, reliable
NA so far
Two thumbs up
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

After trying them out for a few months now I feel I can safely say I'm satisfied, especially if things continue as is. It's nice to be treated like a human by customer service who seemed to actually take an interest in making me a happy customer. The service itself has been reliable after the easy set up, no problems with router or anything. Still working on getting things customized to my liking with the fax settings and playing with account page, but so far everything has worked as intended. Not much else I can ask for.

-I've had everything set up to my liking and have been enjoying the service running smoothly. Periodically have switched from regular fax to fax catcher feature. The catcher is nice, since its right on your computer, but I think I just prefer the regular ol' fax machine. The catcher might work well for someone who doesn't need the physical piece of paper and just the information on it though. Support has been helpful in my continued tweaking of my service to my liking. Hoping all stays as is.

member for 12.4 years, 2 visits, last login: 11.7 years ago
updated 11.7 years ago


topgun
join:2011-01-31

3 edits

topgun

Member

Printers\Scanners work wonders 2gether :)

Click for full size
Click for full size
"The catcher might work well for someone who doesn't need the physical piece of paper and just the information on it though." Not true PhonePower saves all incoming faxes via the Fax Catcher as .pdfs which can be easily printed. See screeny

Get a Free Dedicated fax number »voicemail.k7.net/signup/

Free\Cheap IP faxing resources
»websearch.about.com/od/u ··· line.htm

Review by a2ztech See Profile

  • Location: Pearland, Brazoria, TX, USA
  • Cost: $30 per month (24 month contract)
phonepower.com flops halfway through the sales process. what happened?
I would've liked to truly test thier service but the sales, nor customer service would return my calls
Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

I was very impressed with PHONEPOWER.com. As I was browsing through their website (comparing them to other business providers), reviewing their features and services, I decided it was time to put them at the top of the list. However, when it came time for me to pull the trigger, they flopped miserably. I called and spoke to an inside sales person and she was lovely and informative. I asked her for a follow up call the following Tuesday indicating my interest in procuring services and never heard from anyone.



I spent the next week having my research assts study blogs and comparing their service satisfaction levels. A week later I sent two emails three days apart stating our strong desire to speak with someone. NO response on either email.



I called personally (rather agitated) and spoke to a nice young lady and asked for the VP of Sales. She acted as if he was the Chairman and a little too insulated to speak to potential business clients. She insisted that I send an email and they would track the email address of previous attempts (as they apparently keep track of them) and they would, this time, “most certainly” get back with me. That was over a week ago! I never heard from them again despite conducting myself professionally at all times as I really wanted to work with them.



Why a company would be so incompetent in taking on a business account worth nine phones to start (and perhaps hundreds of lines with a new start up in six months) is beyond my comprehension in this economic environment. If a company cannot take your money when you are throwing it at them, it gives me great pause and what kind of service level they have once your money is in their bank account, especially considering I am paying 100% for two year’s worth of services up front.



Their VP of sales should be terminated, simple as that. He/she is responsible for setting the tone of the company’s desire for new net-add revenue and there is NO excuse whatsoever. He got the message and he failed to delegate or take responsibility. I have now wasted 15 man hours getting there and have to start over.



Simply amazing. I wish them well in any case.



member for 11.8 years, driveby review (so far)
lodged 11.8 years ago


ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT

ptrowski

Premium Member

Odd...

How can you possibly rate ease of installation, call quality, reliability, and tech support when you never even used the service?
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

Other options

You might want to see this thread....

»Business-class SIP trunk providers?

Review by Dan7777 See Profile

  • Location: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Cost: $25 per month (24 month contract)
Bad
They are liars

I discovered that the people overthere are a bunch of shameless liars. Here is what happened to me on June 6, 2012:

My phone power stopped working. So I called the tech support. they asked me some routine questios then when they asked I innocently told them I was using a multi line phone, to which the customer support person replied: "this void your warranty, you now ruined your phone box and you will have to pay $99.00 for replacement". I asked to speak to a superviosor, whose name was Andi or something like that. he told me that if I go to the PhonePower and link on what is called "term of service" I will discover that it says that no multi line phone is to be used. Their "terms of service" on the internet is a very long document with plenty of fine print. I asked that supervisor the following: "Tell me honestly, when you buy a product, do you alwasy then go to the internet site of that vendor and read all the terms on that vendors' web site. To which that incredible liar responded with a "yes". He continued "I always read all the documents I signed from beginning to end". I went on then asking him whether he reads his automobile insurance policy word by word from beginning to end. That incredible liar replied with a "yes". Can you believe that phone power has such incredible liars working as superviosors? He insists that I ruined the box, by connecting it to the a multi line phone. When I told him that he did not even check the box, how can he determined that I ruined it (after it worked fine for three years), he insisted I ruined it and that the only way I could now get it work was if I paid phone power for the box.

There is final touch to this story. Later that same day a friend of mine who understands in electronics came by, he took the box disconnected, reconnected a few times, and then it worked like new. It was not even ruins.

I cannot believe that a company such as Phone Power has such liars working as supervisors, liars who will say any lie, such as that they read their automobile insurance policy or the booklet the bank send you with the terms of your credit card, and that they read it word by word, from beginning to end. What shameless liars.



member for 11.8 years, 3 visits, last login: 11.7 years ago
updated 11.8 years ago


ymhee_bcex
Premium Member
join:2006-04-21
Tarzana, CA
·AT&T Wireless Br..

ymhee_bcex

Premium Member

Pardon my reservations...

I realize that you are upset, and that you are new to the forum - so I will cut you some slack for inflammatory label (liars). I will also set aside the irrelevant part of your post (insurance and bank terms of service). Let's stick to your conversation with Phone Power.
1. What was the problem that made the fact that you have multi-line phone relevant? You don't give the details, and I can't think of any VSP-related problem that would ruin the phone.
2. If your multi-line "phone box" was ruined, why would you need to pay PP anything? Did PP provide you with your phone? Or the suggestion is that multi-line phone ruined your adapter? You invented a new term - "phone box" - but don't explain what you are talking about
3. I *do* read terms of service; at least most of them, and I couldn't find any prohibition against multi-line phones »www.phonepower.com/servi ··· tos.aspx In fact, I am using two-line phone (two lines, two handsets, two receptionists in small office - works like a charm). I never had a problem mentioning it to support (it was always irrelevant to support; but I switched from Line 1 to Line 2 to test connectivity of the service).

I hope you see why your post looks bizarre on its face. Therefore, your conclusion about PP being the company of liars lacks credibility!

Note: I am not affiliated with Phone Power. In fact, I've been at times very critical of PP.
Dan7777
join:2012-06-07
Los Angeles, CA

Dan7777

Member

Re: Pardon my reservations...

Thank you for your comments.

I wrote that review.

There was something in the terms of use, paragraph 11 dot something which talks about multi line.

As far as using words such "liar", I can understand if the suprevisor would tell me that I am bound by the terms, that can be subject to debate. However, when I asked the supervisor a question, such as "Do you read your autmobile insurance policy word by word from beginning to end" and he replies with a "yes", then I hope you will agree with me that the man is lying. No normal person in his right mind actually sits down and read each and every document across which he comes, from beginning to end word by word. So it is upsetting, why is he lying? He may try to do his job, defending the company's policy, but he can do it in a way that does not involve lies. Won't you agree??? He is not giving the company good name, but saying that which appears at the time to best serve the company's interest (i.e, to say that he reads his automobile insurance policy word by word), when it is so obvious that he is lying.
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

Re: Pardon my reservations...

You would enhance your credibility by responding to the points raised by [ymhee_bcex].

Also, the only thing that I can find in the TOS is that their TECH SUPPORT is only available if you have a single-line phone. That's it! If you have a multi-line phone, they don't provide tech support....

-------------------------------------------

And what [ymhee_bcex] said also applies in my case:

I am not affiliated with Phone Power. In fact, I've been at times very critical of PP.

ymhee_bcex
Premium Member
join:2006-04-21
Tarzana, CA
·AT&T Wireless Br..

ymhee_bcex to Dan7777

Premium Member

to Dan7777
said by Dan7777:

Thank you for your comments.

You are welcome.
said by Dan7777:

I wrote that review.

Yes, I realized that. Both the review and this comment is authored by Dan7777.
said by Dan7777:

There was something in the terms of use, paragraph 11 dot something which talks about multi line.

That's at the core of my post. There is also something about a penny in section 5.11. It doesn't mean that you can't pay with credit card.
said by Dan7777:

As far as using words such "liar"
(long irrelevant ramblings snipped)
it is so obvious that he is lying.

Given that you misunderstood my questions, invented a meaningless term ("phone box") and switched to irrelevant talking points, I'll go with an assumption that you misunderstood what Phone Power tech was telling you, invented his point ("this void your warranty"), and switched to irrelevant talking points (insurance and banking).

My experience with PP tech was that they were always listening to what I was saying, and clear in what they were trying to say. You, on the other hand, sound incoherent and with major problems in reading comprehension.

To PhonePwrTech: this doesn't make me a mindless PhonePower sycophant that frequents PP forum. But next time I say that PhonePower needs to improve its business processes - you will realize that I say it as a friend.
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

Re: Pardon my reservations...

said by ymhee_bcex:

To PhonePwrTech: this doesn't make me a mindless PhonePower sycophant that frequents PP forum. But next time I say that PhonePower needs to improve its business processes - you will realize that I say it as a friend.

QFT to that.
Dan7777
join:2012-06-07
Los Angeles, CA

Dan7777 to ymhee_bcex

Member

to ymhee_bcex
I am sorry you think that I am not credible. I have no reason to post this issue, except for the fact that this is what happened. I will address your three issue point by point.
1. Indeed I tend to agree with you that the fact I use Multi line is not relevant. I did not bring it up initially. When I called PP tech support I told them that I have problem receiving phone calls. It was the PP tech personnel who began to ask me questions, one of those questions was what kind of phone I use and if the phone I use was multi line. So understand now? I never thought it was relevant. it was PP tech support who asked those questions. Then when I responded that indeed it was connected to a multi line phone, the tech support person claimed that I ruined the box (not the phone, the box provided by PP), by connecting it to a multi line phone0.
2. My multi phone line was not ruined. Rather the tech support person and then the supervisor, claimed that the multi line phone, ruined the box provided by PP. This did not make sense to me (and it turned out that it was not even true), but that is what PP tech support personnel and later the supervisor were saying.
3. In paragraph 11 there is something that says that tech support is limited to single line phone. Based on that the tech support perssonel and then the supervisor claimed that because I connected it to a multi line, that I "ruined" it.

Still think I am not credible? If so, all I can do is be sorry for your unfortunate conclusion. I am just a customer who has been treated highly unfairly by that company, and in fact in all likelihood the supervisor was not truthfull when he insisted that he reads each and every document he signs even routine ones, from beginning to end, and that he reads his entire automobile policy from beginning to end word by word. Do you also read your entire automobile policy word by word? How about when the bank sends you a booklet with all the terms of your credit card, do you read those word by word from beginning to end?

ymhee_bcex
Premium Member
join:2006-04-21
Tarzana, CA
·AT&T Wireless Br..

1 edit

ymhee_bcex

Premium Member

Re: Pardon my reservations...

said by Dan7777:

I am sorry you think that I am not credible.
...
Still think I am not credible?

Now you are putting words in my mouth (or at least thoughts in my head). I said that your statements are not credible, and explained why. You ignored my reasons, and just repeated (and somewhat clarified - instead of calling adapter "phone box", you now call it "box") what you said earlier. I don't know you personally and don't pass judgments on your credibility. You may be quite credible in other areas, where you have higher expertise and/or less emotional overtone.

So, obviously, I am free to assume that you are putting words in PP tech's mouth as well.
I wish you luck with your phone, banking, and healthcare providers - but for me this conversation is over. Readers of this review have enough information to make up their mind on the company.
Dan7777
join:2012-06-07
Los Angeles, CA

Dan7777 to ymhee_bcex

Member

to ymhee_bcex
This is to advise everyone who paid attention to this posting, that subsequently I was contactec by PP representative, who appologized for the conduct of that supervisor. The representative acted very politely and professionally.

In light of the forgoing I have now arrived at the conclusion that my bad experience with that supervisor was an isolated case, and that Phone Power is a company that value good service, but as is the case with every company, sometime a certain employee fails to follow the guidelines of the company, giving the company a bad name it does not deserve. This appears to have been the situation here, and now I am very convinced that Phone Power is taking appropriate measures to make sure that employee understand that he has to follow the guidelines of the company and that his duty is to give good service and not to lie to customers.
nitzan
Premium Member
join:2008-02-27

nitzan

Premium Member

$99 to replace an ATA?!

I can't think of any popular ATA which costs this much. Not sure which brands PhonePower uses but I am sure it's closer to $50 than $100. Where does the other $50 come from - revenge? screw-you fee? "you ruined our adapter so we'll get you!!" fee?!?

topgun
join:2011-01-31

topgun

Member

Re: $99 to replace an ATA?!

said by nitzan:

I can't think of any popular ATA which costs this much. Not sure which brands PhonePower uses but I am sure it's closer to $50 than $100. Where does the other $50 come from - revenge? screw-you fee? "you ruined our adapter so we'll get you!!" fee?!?

50.00 maybe the cost of the adapter but why is PP obligated to charge the customer just their cost. Have you ever rented a car before. If you were the owner of the rental company and someone smashes up a car don't you think you should maybe get a lil more then the depreciated cost of the car? Why any different for PP the person ruined an asset to their business? The customer agreed to it in the TOS! Just because your not as scuessful as PP is nitzan and has a policy you may not agree with does not mean it is absurd. I charge clients a fee of 50.00 if they cancel an appointment without 24\hours notice. Guess that is my screw you fee, lol.
nitzan
Premium Member
join:2008-02-27

nitzan

Premium Member

Re: $99 to replace an ATA?!

Screw you fees are bullshit. It's not like the customer ruined the adapter on purpose. I can understand charging a few extra bucks for the time/hassle it takes to process - but that doesn't cost $50!

IMHO a company that charges a customer $99 for an adapter is ripping them off. Do you see VOIPo doing that? how about ViaTalk? how about other companies? this has nothing to do with my company but I can tell you one thing for sure - we would never charge a customer screw you fees.

topgun
join:2011-01-31

1 edit

topgun

Member

Re: $99 to replace an ATA?!

Well, usually neither do I but I also need to be compensated for my time. If some jackass cancelled on me at the last minute that is time I booked that I have to scramble to reschedule. It is strictly business nitzan. ViaCrap is a joke of a company! Other companies can do what they like, personally I agree with PP and have done the same thing myself. Had a person ruin a MultiMeter on me just out of plain stupidity I marked it up an extra 25-50%. It is pretty clear the PP does it to dissuade customers from doing stupid shit. Say what you like but it keeps peoples stupidity in check. Maybe you disagree with it Nizan but clearly PP is doing something right; have you bought 2 companies and employ 30+ peeps, lol.

ymhee_bcex
Premium Member
join:2006-04-21
Tarzana, CA
·AT&T Wireless Br..

1 edit

ymhee_bcex

Premium Member

Re: $99 to replace an ATA?!

Even if it were true that PP charges $99 for damaged adapter (and given that the only proof to that is the statement of somewhat delusional OP, I am not ready to accept this premise); but even if it were true - there is an option to buy this adapter for $34 »www.voipsupply.com/grand ··· m-ht-502 and get PP to lock it to them.

I know Las Vegas hotels charge you for mini-bar items even if you replace them in the morning; but I have higher expectation of PP.

topgun
join:2011-01-31

topgun

Member

Re: $99 to replace an ATA?!

said by ymhee_bcex:

Even if it were true that PP charges $99 for damaged adapter (and given that the only proof to that is the statement of somewhat delusional OP, I am not ready to accept this premise); but even if it were true - there is an option to buy this adapter for $34 »www.voipsupply.com/grand ··· m-ht-502 and get PP to lock it to them.

I know Las Vegas hotels charge you for mini-bar items even if you replace them in the morning; but I have higher expectation of PP.

People are just not getting it...the reason that PP probably does this (I would do it to) is to dissuade customers from doing stupid shit. PP is under no obligation to sell their device to a customers who ruins it out of stupidity or otherwise.

When support has troubleshoot, process, reprogram, adapters that clients ruin that costs them money. Not meaning to talk on PhonePower's behalf but seriously they are in the business to profit in a dog eat dog environment.

We all know how cheap their service is and this does not leave a big margin for overhead. Does it suck if your the one have to pay the extra 50.00 sure it does. However, if it helps keep PP operating costs down so they can keep out costs low I'm all for it.

I would like to honestly believe the OP ^ did not do it on purpose. However the chick who hit my truck awhile back did not want to have to pay me 800.00 but that is life. Just have to deal with it and move on.

ymhee_bcex
Premium Member
join:2006-04-21
Tarzana, CA
·AT&T Wireless Br..

ymhee_bcex

Premium Member

Re: $99 to replace an ATA?!

said by topgun:

People are just not getting it...the reason that PP probably does this [snip]

I get it... I just don't think PP does this!

topgun
join:2011-01-31

topgun

Member

Re: $99 to replace an ATA?!

said by ymhee_bcex:

said by topgun:

People are just not getting it...the reason that PP probably does this [snip]

I get it... I just don't think PP does this!

It is a mute point PP is taking care of him and I'm sure within the next few days when his gasket cools down a little he will tell us everything worked out for the best.

PhonePwrTech
join:2007-07-20

PhonePwrTech

Member

Re: $99 to replace an ATA?!

The tech that he initially spoke with miss quoted the price for the adapter. If an adapter is damaged due to customer negligence(which wasn't the case in this scenario) we charge $49.95.

topgun
join:2011-01-31

topgun

Member

Re: $99 to replace an ATA?!

said by PhonePwrTech:

The tech that he initially spoke with miss quoted the price for the adapter. If an adapter is damaged due to customer negligence(which wasn't the case in this scenario) we charge $49.95.

See as customer stated the adapter was not ruined, he was not charged any fees, would have been $50 if it was. That is why is best to get all the facts people before assuming ^ something is set in stone! We have all seen this before with any large company; a customer gets misquoted by accident, words gets skewed, customer goes irate and vents online. When all the above drama could have easily been avoided if the OP would have either asked for a manger or continued to work with PP. JMHO
DSM Fan
join:2010-10-04
Covina, CA

DSM Fan

Member

Really??

Wow, so if someone says they reads their terms of service they are a liar. Why is that such an abstract concept? Is it wrong to consider that someone who holds a job in a technical field actually reads through documentation that they sign?

I can see your point that most of us breeze over the fine print. The thing is if a company goes "hey you did this wrong and we cover our butt via the fine print" the last thing in my mind is "that isn't my fault because no one else reads it". By that logic I could rack up a huge credit card debt then not pay it. My argument being that I didn't read the agreement I signed about how I would pay the money back. Be a rebel read what you sign.

PhonePwrTech
join:2007-07-20

2 edits

PhonePwrTech

Member

Replacement Issues

Dan7777 I will be pulling your account and reviewing the call with the supervisor in question. In order to speed the process can you send me your account info?

**Update
I found your account and I would like to discuss the issue with you. I am concerned that you didn't get the type of service that you expected and that the tech didn't properly explain the potential technical hurdle caused by a multi line phone.
Dan7777
join:2012-06-07
Los Angeles, CA

Dan7777

Member

Re: Replacement Issues

I will be glad to discuss it, if you leave a phone or an email I will communicate with you
DSM Fan
join:2010-10-04
Covina, CA

DSM Fan

Member

nitzan

Tool nuff said