JohnnyBeGood
join:2008-04-18
Seattle, WA | 800 # with free incoming minutes?
Howdy all!
I was wondering if anyone came across a provider that offers toll-free # but with free incoming minutes or 200/Month ?
Of course outgoing minutes would be charged. |
|
no_one
@QWEST.NET | Huh? You know what an 800 number is? |
|
cleal
join:2000-08-24
Fort Worth, TX
 ·AT&T Southwest
| reply to JohnnyBeGood
A less condescending answer might be:
An 800 number is a free-to-any-caller in a specified geographic area incoming number (DID). There are no free toll-free numbers - but there are low priced ones such as 50 cents per month plus 3 or 4 cents per minute for each incoming call.
Another type of DID is your normal area code/local exchange combinations such as 212-555-xxxx.
All DIDs come in various flavors including Flat Rate for all incoming calls, sometimes combined with all outgoing calls and ones with a monthly fee ($1 and up) for the DID plus 1-2 cents per incoming minutes.
Outgoing calls don't need a number, just a route to a VoIP vendor where you have an account. Generally this is called "termination."
Les.net has toll-frees that you can call-forward to an existing number.
Vitelity has good price/performance if your skill level with computing is better than average and Voicepulse has packages for all levels. |
|
hwittenb
join:2003-12-20
 ·Future Nine Corpor..
·callwithus
·Callcentric
| reply to JohnnyBeGood
Vonage, Packet8, Lingo, and probably a lot more all will let you add a toll free number for an additional $5/month to your "plan". The toll free number includes 100 incoming minutes per month.
I think you would be better off with a pay-as-you-go provider like callcentric or others. |
|
PX Eliezer
Premium
join:2008-08-09
New Jersey | reply to JohnnyBeGood
Lots of good suggestions posted by the preceding folks.
You also might want to look an an inbound 800 number from voip.ms
(That's the name of the provider and the name of their website as well).
Good luck. |
|
RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO
| reply to JohnnyBeGood
the best way to think of a toll-free number is "automatic collect." no charge to the caller, while the recipient of the call picks up the costs. You, as the recipient, will have to pick up the costs. Knowing that, then you examine the "deals" or prices. Typical long distance providers will have a monthly fee for the number + a per minute rate for the calls. Some of the new VOIP providers will have a monthly fee that includes a few minutes.
Let's say that you expect 250 minutes of calls to your toll-free number each month.
A typical long distance provider that I rep charges $2/month for the number + 4.5 cents for each minute. $2 + (250 * 0.045) = $13.25
A typical VOIP provider that I rep charges $5/month for the number + 5.0 cents for each minute after the first 100. $5 + (150 * 0.05) = $12.50
Obviously, if you expect a lot more usage, you'll want the cheaper per minute rate. If you expect less usage, take the free minutes bundled with the fee.
There are some other issues when picking a toll-free provider such as billing increments (VOIP providers will typically bill an additional full minute after you go over each 60 seconds, whereas LD providers round in 6 second increments), the ability to change ring to numbers is much more flexible with LD providers (VOIP providers typically want to complete calls only to their own devices), and toll-free number portability is much easier and faster with LD providers than with VOIP providers. |
|
cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD | reply to JohnnyBeGood
»www.quantumvoice.com/plans.php?plan=resi800 |
|
usa2k
Please PRAY for Rebekah
Premium,MVM
join:2003-01-26
Canton, MI
clubs:
·VOIPo
 ·WOW Internet and C..
·Broadvox Direct
| If QuantumVoice had Canada in their inbound 800-all-you-can-eat calling plan, I would have tried them long ago. Instead I went with two $19.95 BroadvoxDirect lines back in that day, and without an 800 number.
I (these days) have an 800 number that I point to VOIPo that I obtained with RockyBB  's kind assistance. I *may* consider VOIPo 800 down the road.
When I picked my number, I found a number I wanted that the last 7 digits matched the wife's cell phone number. I figured that would make it easy to remember. I think it was a $20 fee to get it. It has been a long time with this number now. The Mother-in-law sure appreciates it!
--
Jim, VoIP since 12/2002, VOIPo 2/7/2007
FAH-Tool ... Whales ... VOIPo Forum ... VOIPo Review |
|
RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO
| said by usa2k :I (these days) have an 800 number that I point to VOIPo that I obtained with RockyBB 's kind assistance. I *may* consider VOIPo 800 down the road.... I think it was a $20 fee to get it. .... The Mother-in-law sure appreciates it! Ouch! There's no reason to go nuts with VOIPo toll-free service! The fee for the vanity number should have been $15, not $20 ... no charge for setup for non-vanity numbers. I'm glad that somebody's mother in law appreciates what I do! |
|
usa2k
Please PRAY for Rebekah
Premium,MVM
join:2003-01-26
Canton, MI
clubs: | I'd probably just test the waters before LNP.
It would be more a cost compare - the little fees here and there likely don't add up to too much, but I keep my options open. |
|
VOIPoTim
VOIPo.com
Premium,VIP
join:2006-06-06
Houston, TX
1 edit | reply to RockyBB
said by RockyBB :said by usa2k :I (these days) have an 800 number that I point to VOIPo that I obtained with RockyBB 's kind assistance. I *may* consider VOIPo 800 down the road.... I think it was a $20 fee to get it. .... The Mother-in-law sure appreciates it! Ouch! There's no reason to go nuts with VOIPo toll-free service! The fee for the vanity number should have been $15, not $20 ... no charge for setup for non-vanity numbers. I'm glad that somebody's mother in law appreciates what I do! Just to clarify...
I don't think he was talking about ours having the vanity fee. We're a RespOrg and can reserve vanity toll-free numbers at no cost to users when they order. Just wanted to clarify since a couple companies mentioned at same time. Our model is probably not the best fit for some users here though since it's priced with forwarding to a PSTN number included. |
|
usa2k
Please PRAY for Rebekah
Premium,MVM
join:2003-01-26
Canton, MI
clubs:
·VOIPo
·WOW Internet and C..
·Broadvox Direct
| said by VOIPoTim :Just to clarify... Good point. I was talking about LNP of such an existing number. |
|
JohnnyBeGood
join:2008-04-18
Seattle, WA | reply to JohnnyBeGood
Guys, Thanks for the replies!!!
quantumvoice unlimited offer is tough to beat.
As far as pay-as-you-go voip.ms seems cheap.
Monthly Fee: $0.99 - Per minute inbound: $0.029 - Setup Fee: none - Channels: Unlimited
6 seconds increment |
|
burgerwars
join:2004-09-11
Northridge, CA
·voip.ms
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to JohnnyBeGood
Does voip.ms offer the ability online to change the number your tollfree number points to and to limit area codes and/or phone numbers that can dial it?
I have OpexLD.com for 2.9 cents a minute. They offer a cheap price, but no way to configure anything. |
|
JohnnyBeGood
join:2008-04-18
Seattle, WA
| said by burgerwars :Does voip.ms offer the ability online to change the number your tollfree number points to and to limit area codes and/or phone numbers that can dial it? I signed up for the account but I'm still waiting for them to activate it.
I'll let you know. |
|
PX Eliezer
Premium
join:2008-08-09
New Jersey
·Callcentric
·Optimum Voice
·callwithus
·voip.ms
| said by JohnnyBeGood :said by burgerwars :Does voip.ms offer the ability online to change the number your tollfree number points to and to limit area codes and/or phone numbers that can dial it? I signed up for the account but I'm still waiting for them to activate it. I'll let you know. Weird. When I activated two numbers with them (one local DID and one toll-free DID) the activation was instantaneous.
It's easy to change where your tollfree number (or any DID number) points to. It's done right on the website. Note that if you forward it to a PSTN number, that does incur an outbound charge. But if you direct it to a SIP (VoIP) address, there is no outbound charge.
As for setting up restrictions on incoming calls, I do not know, but why not email them tomorrow and ask:
support@voip.ms
The company has worked fine for me. |
|
JohnnyBeGood
join:2008-04-18
Seattle, WA
| said by PX Eliezer :Weird. When I activated two numbers with them (one local DID and one toll-free DID) the activation was instantaneous. I just chatted with them and the guy said "he'll open a ticket and someone will look into it on Monday."
All I get when I log in is "The system has set your account on mode "Manual Validation Required". Please contact our staff by Live Chat or Email to have your account activated." |
|
RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO
| said by JohnnyBeGood :All I get when I log in is "The system has set your account on mode "Manual Validation Required". Please contact our staff by Live Chat or Email to have your account activated." That's code for something fishy about the payment. You might have fat fingered one of the credit card entries, or the city/state of the address doesn't match your IP address, or you're a criminal mastermind and they've caught you. Come back on Monday and tell us what it was! |
|
JohnnyBeGood
join:2008-04-18
Seattle, WA
| said by RockyBB : That's code for something fishy about the payment. You might have fat fingered one of the credit card entries, or the city/state of the address doesn't match your IP address, or you're a criminal mastermind and they've caught you. Come back on Monday and tell us what it was! Good guesses 
On their sign up page you can't even enter credit card details »https://www.voip.ms/signup.php |
|
RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO | I like the following passage in the first paragraph of their TOS ... VOIP.ms does not pretend to offer 100% reliable service |
|
