priller
join:2000-10-20
Gainesville, VA
 ·voip.ms
·Callcentric
·Vonage
·callwithus
|  Basic 500 Price Increase!
I just got my Nov. statement and the price of the Residential Basic 500 plan has increased from $14.99 to $17.99. With the fake fees and tax it now comes to $23.31.
Did anybody get notification of this price increase? I certainly did not.
Why is Vonage working so hard to drive itself out of business? |
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bender
Bite my shiny metal ass
Premium
join:2005-03-19
Evanston, IL
clubs: | nope. certainly did not. |
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skyhook
Premium
join:2004-06-30
Columbus, OH | reply to priller
My Nov. bill was still @ $14.99 but the new price of $17.99 is on their home page.
If they raise it I'm gone. I've been a cust. since May, 2004 but I've had enough. |
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bender
Bite my shiny metal ass
Premium
join:2005-03-19
Evanston, IL
clubs:
 ·T-Mobile US
·Vonage
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·AT&T Midwest
 ·Mediacom
| is it possible that people who already have the $14.99 plan will be grandfathered in and not have their rates increased? if they did this i'm guessing they would have better luck retaining longstanding customers. i haven't used 500 minutes in the last 6 months on my vonage line. they raise it and i'm gone too. |
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bender
Bite my shiny metal ass
Premium
join:2005-03-19
Evanston, IL
clubs:
·T-Mobile US
·Vonage
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T Midwest
·Mediacom
1 edit | reply to priller
just got this from vonage inquiring about about the price increase. here is the response straight from the horses mouth.
Dear XXXX XXXXXXXX,
Thank you for contacting Vonage, the award winning digital phone service!
I understand you had noticed that the Residential basic 500 with $17.99 on our web page and need to know whether it affect your current monthly rate.
Please be advised that your Residential Basic 500 Minutes Plan pricing changes from $14.99 - $17.99 will be effective from today and it is also applicable for new subscribtion with our service.
Hence, you will be charged with $17.99 per month for Residential Basic 500 Minutes Plan from your December month billing date.
If you have any questions, your Vonage team is available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact us whenever and however it suits you!
- On-Line Support Center at »www.vonage.com/support.php
- Contact Us at »www.vonage.com/help_contactus.php
- Or call Toll-Free at 1-VONAGE-HELP (1-866-243-4357)
If you call us for Technical Support, in order for our highly trained specialists to successfully assist you, it is highly recommended that you are near the Vonage phone adapter you are calling about and in the location you intend to use your Vonage service.
Thanks again for choosing Vonage, a better phone service for less!
Sincerely,
Vonage Customer Care looks like i will be dropping vonage as soon as I get around to getting a second cell phone. |
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priller
join:2000-10-20
Gainesville, VA
·voip.ms
·Callcentric
·Vonage
·callwithus
3 edits | reply to skyhook
In January, I would have been a customer for 6 years. I going to requested that voip.ms port my number from Vonage, I don't expect it to go smoothly.
To do a price increase without any kind of notification is just plain sleazy. Customers deserve better than this. Vonage is one of the most expensive providers out there and while the service is very good, it is no better that anybody else ... and lacks the features of many other services. |
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skyhook
Premium
join:2004-06-30
Columbus, OH | reply to bender
Thanks for posting the Vonage email. I'm going to start the porting process to Callcentric today. Wish me luck -- I'll need it. |
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JohnA
Premium
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA
1 edit | reply to priller
It's probably worth calling and threatening to cancel, if their past history of adjusting prices to keep subs is any guide.
Additional annoyance here in PA, is the state just imposed a $1/month E911 fee on all VOIP providers. |
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priller
join:2000-10-20
Gainesville, VA
·voip.ms
·Callcentric
·Vonage
·callwithus
| said by JohnA  :It's probably worth calling and threatening to cancel, if their past history of adjusting prices to keep subs is any guide. I've always felt that a company should take care of you and do the "right thing" while you are a customer ... not just when you threaten to cancel.
For Vonage to not even send a email to it's customers announcing the price increase is inexcusable.
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CUBS_FAN
Next Year Again..
join:2005-04-28
Chicago, IL
·Comcast
·Vonage
1 edit | Thats a dumb thing to do. They are already hanging on by a thread and now they want to lose more customers by increasing rates. I have the Premium Unlimited Plan at $24.99 per month and wonder if they will be trying to increase that too. 
[EDIT] I get about an extra $10 added onto my bill due to taxes and infrastructor fees. |
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dnoyeB
Ferrous Phallus
join:2000-10-09
Southfield, MI
| reply to priller
Suicide.
Basic economics says you raise prises when you can't keep up with demand, not when you have a shortage of customers.
I have no good reason to hold on to this line. Everyone in my household has a cell phone. If I see an increase on my bill I will cancel immediately. There won't be any negotiation and they better not try to forward me to any 'retention' airheads either.
It had just better not increase...
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dnoyeB
"Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard. " Ecclesiastes 9:16
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priller
join:2000-10-20
Gainesville, VA
·voip.ms
·Callcentric
·Vonage
·callwithus
3 edits |  reply to priller
Wow! I just got a proactive call from Vonage customer care.
I was told that existing customers were supposed to have received 60 days notice of the price increase. Due to the error, they will be reversing the charge and giving me the $14.99 rate for 6 months.
Kudos to Vonage for proactively making calls to the customers that had their rate increased without notice.
However, you have to wonder if it was really a mistake or if the plan backfired and they are doing damage control. Given the email above, I think it backfired.
But, in the end, the 500 minute plan still isn't worth $17.99 to me. |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO
| this message is sitting on their "Dashboard," after logging in:
Effective December 1, 2008, the monthly price of our Basic Residential 500 Minutes Plan increased from $14.99 to $17.99 for all new customers who sign up with Vonage. Beginning in December existing customers on the plan will be notified a minimum of 60 days prior to their plan price increasing. Depending on when you signed up for the plan, your notification and price increase date will vary. |
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JohnA
Premium
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA
| reply to priller
I suspect a mistake, but not as they described. I think it was to be for new subs only, and over the next year, depending on who knows what, the price will go up, but you will be notified first. I think billing jumped the gun.
I saw this elsewhere first, and then saw the post here about being charged already. First thing I did was fire off an email to investor relations asking for the moron's name that raised rates, without notifying the people in the tier of an increase. Sometimes they listen.
I think they should just grandfather us all, so we shut up. |
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JJV
Premium
join:2001-04-25
Seattle, WA
clubs: | reply to priller
I see that on my dashboard too.
I really don't use vonage much.
I have been a happy customer for years. I guess Ill dump them. |
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skyhook
Premium
join:2004-06-30
Columbus, OH
·Callcentric
·RoadRunner Cable
·WOW Internet and C..
·Vonage
| reply to priller
I can't justify keeping this plan. With taxes and fees I'll be paying around $23/mo. and we don't use anywhere near 500 min/mo.
I have started the porting process to a provider that bills by the minute and I figure my bill will less than half what Vonage charges.
Wait a minute -- this is the same reason I left ma bell. It's deja vu all over again.
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P1-19-33987
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ExitWound
Porsche Snob
join:2001-12-13
State College, PA | reply to priller
Nothing here in my inbox. Although I don't like it (my total bill was $19.12/month) it's still cheaper than anything out there. If my roommate didn't need the line, I'd think about dropping it completely, and I don't even have another phone line. |
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priller
join:2000-10-20
Gainesville, VA
·voip.ms
·Callcentric
·Vonage
·callwithus
| said by ExitWound : Although I don't like it (my total bill was $19.12/month) it's still cheaper than anything out there. You should really shop around. Unless you use a lot of minutes, Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) providers are a lot cheaper. Or even some prepay ones. Here's a few to look at ...
voip.ms
callcentric.com
future-nine.com
vitelity.com
quantumvoice.com
junctionnetworks.com |
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nomo1087
@optonline.net
| reply to priller
Nobody likes a rate increase but I think that you need to look at the big picture. With Vonage you get a professionally-managed VoIP network and service that is reliable.
Some of the ones you've suggested are little more than a guy running an Asterisk server out of a basement. With others, simply take a look around the forums here at the messages complaining of the same problems over and over again. And the "solution" is basically randomly changing settings on the TA or forward these ports or DMZ that.
For me, I've set up my TA and forgotten about it. I don't worry about there not being a dialtone if I want to make a call, or wonder will the call go through, or half-expect that there will not be audio on the call. The reliability makes it worth every penny. |
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GeekJedi
RF is Good For You
Premium
join:2001-06-21
Mukwonago, WI
clubs:
·CenturyLink
·VOIPo
·Vonage
·RoadRunner Cable
| said by nomo1087 :
Nobody likes a rate increase but I think that you need to look at the big picture. With Vonage you get a professionally-managed VoIP network and service that is reliable.
Some of the ones you've suggested are little more than a guy running an Asterisk server out of a basement. With others, simply take a look around the forums here at the messages complaining of the same problems over and over again. And the "solution" is basically randomly changing settings on the TA or forward these ports or DMZ that.
For me, I've set up my TA and forgotten about it. I don't worry about there not being a dialtone if I want to make a call, or wonder will the call go through, or half-expect that there will not be audio on the call. The reliability makes it worth every penny.
I think you're spot-on, though the whole "fees" thing is a little unsettling.
Vonage is meant for the unwashed "non-tech" masses. If you're reading this post, then you're probably not their target customer.
Vonage is meant to be a plug and play system. You shouldn't need to know or care what an ATA is to use one. The reality of that is that it comes with a price. It requires tech support, R&D, and real engineering. It's obvious that Vonage isn't bringing in enough money (and those that say "eliminate the fees/Improve support/Etc. are only seeing one piece of the puzzle) and in order to do what they do, they need to make some changes.
Now, many non-tech people will pay what Vonage asks simply because it is still less expensive and more feature-rich than what the telco's offer, and because it's a plug-in-and-go service.
I suspect that the tech-types here would be better served purchasing an ATA and going to one of those other services, where you save some money if you're willing to do more work on your end to make it happen. That's a good thing, and that's why choices are good.
As for Vonage, I'm back with them for a third time. The last two times I was 100% happy with them, but switched for one reason or another (usually thinking the grass was greener somewhere else). I expect that I will be as happy as always with them, and so far that is proving to be the case.
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The goal of the broadcast engineer is to get all the meters on the transmitter to go as far to the right as possible!! |
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