| [Ooma] ooma increasing taxes and fees 354%! After only a year of charging $11.75 per year, I now got an email announcing an increase to $3.47 per month. That's a whopping 354% increase.
Have taxes really gone up that much? I doubt it.
Alternatives to ooma?  |
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| said by germ65:After only a year of charging $11.75 per year, I now got an email announcing an increase to $3.47 per month. That's a whopping 354% increase.
Have taxes really gone up that much? I doubt it.
Alternatives to ooma?
Voip.Ms is your best bet. |
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nonymousPremium
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ | reply to germ65
Is this all you are going to be paying is the taxes? For unlimited calling it will be hard to beat 3.47 a month. |
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PX EliezerPremium
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River
kudos:12 Reviews:
 ·voip.ms
·callwithus
·Callcentric
·Vitelity VOIP
·Optimum Voice
·Gizmo5
| reply to germ65
Most Oomarians have already been paying that amount ($3.47 per month) for taxes and fees.
said by germ65:Alternatives to ooma?
Why on earth would you want to switch?
You've already paid for the device and service plan.
You will NOT find any other plan that you could switch to where you'd get full service for as little as 3.47 a month (unless you wanted to go the GV route).
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pandoraPremium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
kudos:1 Reviews:
·ooma
·Google Voice
·Future Nine Corp..
 ·Comcast
| reply to germ65
said by germ65:Alternatives to ooma?
If you don't need 911, and don't mind risking $70, an Obi 100 or 110 and Google Voice may work for you.
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"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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| reply to germ65
Out of curiosity I checked how much taxes ooma would charge me if I switched to them, think it was around $3.45 a month. This was probably better than a year ago. |
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scooper
join:2000-07-11
Youngsville, NC
kudos:2 | reply to germ65
And this is a surprise ? |
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| Yes, it's a surprise.
If previously ooma ate part of the taxes, and now not anymore, that's bait and switch to me.
OK, so according to the gurus here, there's no cheaper alternative with 911 service. That doesn't make me feel much better. |
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| IMHO, you should stick with Ooma.
If you use the phone a lot, an OBi100 with Google Voice and Anveo will cost $0.80/mo. for E911, plus any Anveo usage.
An alternative for light usage is any SIP IP phone, ATA, softphone or smartphone app configured for Anveo with a Value number at $0.99/mo. + E911 at $0.80/mo. You get 40 minutes of free inbound per day; $0.015/min. overage. Domestic outbound is $0.01/min. You could still make any long calls on GV, using Gmail. |
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nonymousPremium
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ Reviews:
·Callcentric
| reply to germ65
said by germ65:Yes, it's a surprise.
If previously ooma ate part of the taxes, and now not anymore, that's bait and switch to me.
OK, so according to the gurus here, there's no cheaper alternative with 911 service. That doesn't make me feel much better.
If that is all you are paying then yes there is no really better alternative. We have had discussions about ooma for other reasons here but I have not read anyhing bad about about ooma quality. Plus it is mostly unlimited at least compared to paygo. Even if you do not always need unlimited you have i when you do. |
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PX EliezerPremium
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River
kudos:12 Reviews:
·voip.ms
·callwithus
·Callcentric
·Vitelity VOIP
·Optimum Voice
·Gizmo5
| reply to germ65
said by germ65:If previously ooma ate part of the taxes, and now not anymore, that's bait and switch to me.
Apparently you will have had at least two full years at the ultra-low rate (11.75 for a full year):
What taxes and fees does Ooma currently charge?
Since April 2010, Ooma has charged its new customers fees of $3.47 per month exclusive of any additional state and local taxes, fees, or surcharges. These taxes and fees of $3.47 split into the following categories:
•Regulatory Compliance Fee - $1.59
•911 Service Fee - $1.59
•Federal Universal Service Charge - $0.29
To learn more about taxes and fees, please see our FAQ.
How are my taxes and fees changing?
As a customer who purchased Ooma prior to April 2010, you have paid reduced taxes and fees of $11.75 per year. Per our standard terms and conditions, these taxes and fees are subject to change and beginning your third year of service, your taxes and fees will change to $3.47 per month.
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You said "bait and switch" but classically that's a quick event, not something that changes after two full years.
Lots of things change over time in this world, which you will learn if your girlfriend (even of many years) becomes your wife.
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Lest you accuse me of being an Ooma shill, please note that in this forum I have repeatedly been accused of being an Ooma hater.
So!
Suppose you had a time machine and could go back to when you started using Ooma.
Would you have done differently knowing about the taxes and fees?
With Ooma your total costs for the first two years were probably around $ 225, and NOW you will get third-year service for a yearly price of $ 42.
If you had used [VOIPo] your first two years would have been a promotional total of around $ 185 including taxes, but NOW for the third year your renewal price (non-promotional) would be another $ 185 just for the additional year. Even if you can get renewed at another promotional price it will be a lot higher than your $ 42 for Ooma.
If you had used the AmericaFree plan from FutureNine (AmericaFree is what corresponds most closely to Ooma usage, it seems to me), your two years would have been $ 270.
Now, I use a PAYG company, and average about $ 10 a month, so two years would be $ 240.
So you really haven't done badly for yourself, and you still have phone service available at a great price.
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Past comments on Ooma related to the advisability of making a long-term upfront payment. If Ooma faltered, you'd lose. But Ooma has survived to the present, so you won the bet.
And---most importantly---they survived precisely because they knew the old model was not bringing in enough revenue so they tweaked it! Would you have preferred that they went out of business instead? |
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maziloFrom MaziloPremium
join:2002-05-30
Lilburn, GA
kudos:1 | said by PX Eliezer:By the way, further increases are possible if there are changes in the Federal USF, the Federal TRS levy, or if state/local governments impose taxes on VoIP (which is starting to happen). Also, let's not forget if Oooma can't meet is own current revenues budget, it will probably go out to ask for more.
Lest you accuse me of being an Ooma shill, please note that in this forum I have repeatedly been accused of being an Ooma hater. 
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don't and stop are the ONLY two 4-letter words considered offensive to men, but not when used together. |
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| reply to germ65
Nettalk's renewal is about 35.00 per year after taxes.
The taxes and fees are about $5.00 per year (including E911).
Why does the government require Ooma to charge higher taxes on a $0.00 annual service plan, than they make NT & MJ charge on $29.99 annual plans? Would the taxes go down to about $5.00 annually if Ooma charged a penny (plus taxes and fees on the one cent) for annual renewal?
Ooma may call it taxes or government mandated fees, but you can rest assured that they are NOT sending each and every dollar to the government. At least MJ & NT admit that they keep $29.99 of the $35.00 (after taxes) annual renewal fee. |
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nitzanPremium,VIP
join:2008-02-27
kudos:2 | said by Solearth:Ooma may call it taxes or government mandated fees, but you can rest assured that they are NOT sending each and every dollar to the government. I'd be surprised if they're sending ANY of it to the government. There are no taxes on $0. |
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| Their price for service isn't $0. |
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 The BeerI Love It When A Plan Comes TogetherPremium
join:2001-07-24
Atlantic, IA | reply to germ65
Not meaning to rub it in but so nice to be an early adopter and not worry about all those silly fees  |
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nitzanPremium,VIP
join:2008-02-27
kudos:2 | reply to josephf
said by josephf:Their price for service isn't $0.
Doesn't matter. For USF etc. they don't get billed for what it costs them - they get billed according to revenue they receive from subscribers. If they receive zero revenue for service in subsequent years then there's nothing to pay the USF. |
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OmagicQPosting in a thread near you
join:2003-10-23
Bakersfield, CA
kudos:1 Reviews:
·voip.ms
·callwithus
·Callcentric
| reply to germ65
If ooma is collecting $3.47 a month from a growing percentage of its user base, maybe this time they wont go "Out Of Money Again" 
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If I can't inform, at least I can entertain... |
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| said by OmagicQ:If ooma is collecting $3.47 a month from a growing percentage of its user base, maybe this time they wont go "Out Of Money Again"
Yes, they will. $3.47 is not enough, even if they keep it all.
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WRT610N - SPA2102 - Asterisk 1.8.4.2 on Pogoplug
VoIP.MS - Voxbeam - Localphone - Numbergroup - IPKall - UKDDI |
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pandoraPremium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
kudos:1 Reviews:
·ooma
·Google Voice
·Future Nine Corp..
·Comcast
| said by grand total:Yes, they will. $3.47 is not enough, even if they keep it all.
Eventually Ooma may go under. So far, it's been a wonderful ride for me and my family. We pay $0 per month and have for a few years.
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"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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