andunn
join:2001-09-06
Linn Creek, MO
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·AT&T Midwest
| Switching to $9.99 100 minute plan
This is my account cycle:
Current Billing Cycle: May 25, 2009 - Jun 24, 2009
Next Payment Due Date: Jun 25, 2009
I am on the $17.99 a month (formerly $14.99) and now my bill is almost $24.00. I am switching. Is my best bet to call on the 24th since that is when my $17.99 billing cycle ends?
Most of my family has Vonage and from what I have read incoming calls are free. It's the outgoing calls that deduct from your 100 minutes. I also read that there is a one time $9.99 fee for downgrading my plan. That's fine with me, but can anyone confirm this. Also I called Vonage up and inquired about the $9.99 plan and they said they did not have one. Do you have to fight with them to give you the $9.99 plan?
Thanks. |
|
garys_2k
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI
 ·Future Nine Corpor..
·Vonage
| I didn't go the downgrade route but, from what I've heard, you may have to play "the irate customer who threatens to quit" to have it offered to you. Tell 'em you're sick of the higher costs and see what happens.
As for timing, do it just before your charge date. Yes, there is a charge for the change, don't know if it's $10. |
|
jmilochik
join:2003-10-22
South Amboy, NJ | Call on 24th otherwise you will get charged for the 500 plan and only get the 100 plan after you make the change. |
|
andunn
join:2001-09-06
Linn Creek, MO
·RoadRunner Cable
·AT&T Midwest
| Called Vonage:
Vonage: Sorry sir, but we don't offer that plan ($9.99) anymore.
Me: Well I think I would like to cancel because I know that plan exists even though "you don't offer it" anymore.
Vonage: Please hold sir while I transfer you to an account manager who can help you with your cancellation
Me: Okay
On hold for about 5 minutes
Account Manager: Hello sir, I see with the notes xxxx took you would like to cancel your account.
Me: I don't want to cancel, but want to get the $9.99 plan
Account Manager: Oh, I'm sorry sir, but that plan doesn't exist.
Me: I know it does, but for some reason you don't want to offer it to me and would rather lose me as a customer.
Account Manager: Sir, xxxx could not offer it to you, but since I am an account Manager I can assist you.
Me: Okay
Account Manager: I can give you the $9.99 plan if you don't cancel.
Me: I don't want to cancel, but did want the $9.99 plan.
Account Manager: Sir I will give you the $9.99 plan. Please hold.
So after about 5 minutes on hold she came back and told me that I was now on the $9.99 plan and explained it to me. I thanked her and hung up.
Saving anywhere from $8-10$ a month is my guess!  |
|
garys_2k
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI | Yes, the key is threatening, or implying you're threatening, to quit. |
|
PX Eliezer
Premium
join:2008-08-09
New Jersey
·Optimum Voice
·callwithus
·voip.ms
·Callcentric
| It's just a shame to have to play these kind of games.
Life is too short for this crap.
I can see haggling with a car dealer, but not with Vonage.
Please note, my criticism here is for VONAGE for playing these kind of games, not for individual customers.
It reflects piss-poor on the company. |
|
andunn
join:2001-09-06
Linn Creek, MO | Just got billed. Total was $13.80 (includes taxes and fees). So I'm saving some money for now, but as soon as this reaches $15+ I will most likely leave Vonage. |
|
Phatty
join:2000-05-10
Valley Park, MO
·Vonage
·Charter Pipeline
| reply to andunn
I have to say when I downgraded right after their last price increase they actually made it simple. Told them I wanted 9.99 plan and I was immediately put on such...
None the less it is a game, but it is a game that you often have to play with companies and such as I play the same 'games' with my cable company to ensure i'm getting the best prices. |
|
Mannus
Premium
join:2005-10-25
Fort Wayne, IN | reply to andunn
Have you inquired about the 4.99 residential hold plan? Free incoming and only .03/minute outgoing. I don't use my line to make outgoing call and after fees and taxes, by bill is 9.17/month |
|
mddg99
@bellsouth.net
| CallCentric has a $5.95 unlimited incoming plan and lower fees and taxes; no E911 service for incoming only plan if that's a need; outbound pay as you go plan $.0198 / min; they are my next stop if VOIPo doesn't work out;
After 4+ years w/Vonage I signed with VOIPo this evening; unlimited plan $18 / mon; no activation fee (ends 6/29), no porting fee, no equipment fee; $18 to get up and running; we'll see |
|
andunn
join:2001-09-06
Linn Creek, MO | By the way there was no $9.95 fee or downgrading |
|
WAVZuser
join:2006-08-19 | I wonder if a person who's still within the cancellation penalty period could do this successfully. |
|
burgerwars
join:2004-09-11
Northridge, CA
·voip.ms
·RoadRunner Cable
| said by WAVZuser  :I wonder if a person who's still within the cancellation penalty period could do this successfully. I switched to the $4.99 customer on hold plan only about a week after I signed up. With taxes/fees it adds up to about $8.50 a month. I plan to cancel once I can port the number to Google Voice, which will probably be later this year. |
|
WAVZuser
join:2006-08-19
| It sounds like you were within the 30-day grace period.
I wonder if I could switch to the customer hold plan past the 30-day grace period but before my 2-year obligation expires.
I love the reliability of Vonage for my incoming calls, but I don't dial out much. When people call my number, the call goes through every time. With the cheaper providers, there were frequently weird error messages that made the caller think my number was no longer valid.
I make so few outgoing calls that I'd rather pay by the minute. |
|
garys_2k
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI | No harm in trying, then. Call them up and tell then you're very much thinking of quitting, prices are so high, your cable company is promising you bla bla bla. Worst case is they won't agree to the change, but there' s no harm in trying. |
|
jeffster1970
Whatta Ya Think About Dat?
Premium
join:2004-04-01
Kitchener, ON
clubs: 
·magicjack.com
·Vonage
·Acanac
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to andunn
Real funny thing, I tried to cancel Vonage and they talked me into a $7.99 / month plan. (Canadian $) Incoming is free, though outgoing I think it like 2 cents per minute. My e-mail confirmation stated $12.99/month, so I was preparing to blast them, but the actual bill was $8 something with taxes. All is good now.
--
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 |
|
MisterEd
join:2002-11-04
Linden, NJ
2 edits | reply to WAVZuser
I did, no problem on my 2nd line. I have 500 min res plan on 1st line and 0 min hold on 2nd line and my monthly bill is still almost $33.11 with taxes (with 0 calls on 2nd line). Taxes are 50% of my voice plan costs.
Residential Basic 500 Plan - Additional Line for 1-(908)-486-xxxx (14/Jul-13/Aug) $17.99
Residential Account Hold Plan for 1-(908)-486-xxxx (14/Jul-13/Aug) $4.99
Regulatory Recovery Fee $1.98
Emergency 911 Cost Recovery $1.98
Federal Program Fee $2.32
Sales Tax $2.05
State 911 Fee $1.80
Total Amount $33.11
said by WAVZuser :It sounds like you were within the 30-day grace period. I wonder if I could switch to the customer hold plan past the 30-day grace period but before my 2-year obligation expires. I love the reliability of Vonage for my incoming calls, but I don't dial out much. When people call my number, the call goes through every time. With the cheaper providers, there were frequently weird error messages that made the caller think my number was no longer valid. I make so few outgoing calls that I'd rather pay by the minute. |
|
I NEED HELP
@net.co
|  reply to andunn
 I need a cell phone plan for $20 dollors or $10 dollors... I dont care how many minutes I get, as long as its at least 100... I cant find a plan.. I also want messeging... where should I go??? |
|
garys_2k
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI
·Future Nine Corpor..
·Vonage
| Page Plus costs all of $50 for four months of service with a total of 700 minutes.That's $12.50 per month for 175 minutes. If you don't really need a full 100 minutes, you can get a 300 minute card, good for four months, for $25.00, just over $6 per month.
»www.pagepluswireless.com/ |
|
andunn
join:2001-09-06
Linn Creek, MO
·RoadRunner Cable
·AT&T Midwest
| Well my bill went up again.
Residential Basic 100 Plan for 1-(573)-xxx-xxxx (25/Jun-24/Jul) $9.99
Regulatory Recovery Fee $0.99
Emergency 911 Cost Recovery $0.99
Federal Program Fee $0.91
Sales Tax $0.70
County 911 Fee $0.22
Total Amount $13.80
Residential Basic 100 Plan for 1-(573)-xxx-xxxx (25/Jul-24/Aug) $9.99
Regulatory and Compliance Fee $1.49
Emergency 911 Service Fee $1.49
Federal Program Fee $1.12
Sales Tax $0.78
County 911 Fee $0.24
Total Amount $15.11
Looks like it is getting ready to be the time to leave Vonage. My only other alternative is getting on the $4.99 plan since I only used about 40 minutes or so last month. |
|
