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sgarrand
Insert Witty Phrase Here
Premium Member
join:2000-04-13
West Brookfield, MA

3 edits

sgarrand

Premium Member

Basic Talk by Vonage

I know there's a dedicated Vonage forum but I wanted to have a discussion just about the offering. I heard a radio ad on my way home just now so I came on here to talk about it. $10 a month (1 year commitment required) + taxes/fees (Total: $16.99 according to their chat rep), unlimited (AKA 3000) minutes, standard ATA and they were specifically targeting MagicJack in the ad.

What do you guys think?

Edit: It's at »www.getbasictalk.com

Scott
Jethro95
join:2012-09-03
Katy, TX

Jethro95

Member

Depends on your usage. I switched from Vonage to voip.ms in August and have not looked back. For me I am better off with voip.ms which is averaging just under $12/month all in and has tons more features.

VexorgTR
join:2012-08-27
Sheffield Lake, OH

VexorgTR

Member

Depending on your use.... most users only use 100-300 mins/month.

Paygo from CallCentric, F9, CallWithUs, etc... would be less costly per month. And that has NO contract.
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704 to sgarrand

Premium Member

to sgarrand
said by sgarrand:

$10 a month (1 year commitment required) + taxes ($16.99 according to their chat rep)

Sorry, I am a little confused.

Is the TOTAL cost [10.00 plus 16.99....thus 26.99] which is awful.

Or is the total cost 16.99 which is STILL awful but just not to the Charlie Sheen level.

And does "taxes" include fees? Vonage has more fees than an army general has girlfriends.

If you are a moderate user, you can do better with a PAYG plan as has been said, though you do need to get an ATA which is not a big deal.

AND if you are a bigger user and/or want the company to provide your equipment, you can do much better with [Voipo]. They will bring you 24 months for total 185.00 including fees, hence 7.71 per month. PhonePower has a 24 month plan that is similar, a bit more but you get a cloned 2nd line....

FURTHER: Vonage lacks some very basic things, like being able to block phone numbers!! Most folks have that. Hell, even {VoicePulse} has that, and they are a company that's been status quo for many years.
nitzan
Premium Member
join:2008-02-27

nitzan

Premium Member

said by PX Eliezer704:

FURTHER: Vonage lacks some very basic things, like being able to block phone numbers!! Most folks have that.

I don't know if that's accurate. I think a lot of providers don't have that. We don't have that currently, and I think it's probably our #1 requested feature. We're going to push forward with it and hopefully have it within the next few weeks.

sgarrand
Insert Witty Phrase Here
Premium Member
join:2000-04-13
West Brookfield, MA

sgarrand to PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

to PX Eliezer704
I wasn't completely clear. As I understand it, it is $16.99 with taxes/fees included.

I haven't used Vonage since 2000 or so but it seemed like a newsworthy direction and marketing strategy by them. If nothing else, something to discuss. Having been on these forums for 12+ years, this one was always a favorite of mine.

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

PX Eliezer704 to nitzan

Premium Member

to nitzan
said by nitzan:

said by PX Eliezer704:

FURTHER: Vonage lacks some very basic things, like being able to block phone numbers!! Most folks have that.

I don't know if that's accurate. I think a lot of providers don't have that. We (F9) don't have that currently, and I think it's probably our #1 requested feature. We're going to push forward with it and hopefully have it within the next few weeks.

Good to know.

That's my point, though, Vonage is pretty much the [oldest] independent VoIP provider, and the [largest] one as well outside of the cable companies.

So I can understand why F9 would not yet have it, but there is no excuse for Vonage not to have it.

You should come up here and see their massive green lawn and their huge HQ building.

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

Who [does] have it: Voip.MS, CallCentric, Anveo, Voipo, PhonePower, VoicePulse, Ooma, GoogleVoice, probably others.
PX Eliezer704

PX Eliezer704 to sgarrand

Premium Member

to sgarrand
said by sgarrand:

I haven't used Vonage since 2000 or so but it seemed like a newsworthy direction and marketing strategy by them.

Yes, it is interesting. Thanks for showing it.

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

I had seen some analyst commentary that Vonage should de-focus on the landline-equivalent market and leave that to the bigger folks (ie Comcast) and the smaller folks (eg Nitzan).

The recommendation was that they put more development into mobile VoIP apps. That would please at least one person here.
nitzan
Premium Member
join:2008-02-27

nitzan to PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

to PX Eliezer704
I think the reason they don't have it is closely tied to the fact they are the oldest independent VOIP provider: I'm not familiar with their equipment and software, but I'd take a guess that they're running on outdated proprietary servers and software. Remember VoiceStick? they had a room full of Windows servers running proprietary software that couldn't be modified to add features. They contemplated switching to FreeSwitch but that never happened, and eventually they closed shop.

But that's all irrelevant. Other than VOIP enthusiasts and BYOD types, nobody really cares about features. Vonage doesn't sell because they offer a better product - they don't - they sell because Average Joe sees them on TV and thinks he can save a few bucks. Most Vonage customers don't even know they have other options aside from MagicJack.

Trev
AcroVoice & DryVoIP Official Rep
Premium Member
join:2009-06-29
Victoria, BC

Trev to PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

to PX Eliezer704
said by PX Eliezer704:

Who [does] have it: Voip.MS, CallCentric, Anveo, Voipo, PhonePower, VoicePulse, Ooma, GoogleVoice, probably others.

Yes, others do indeed

In regards to Vonage's advertised price, however... 70% in additional fees and taxes. Holy crap!!!
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704 to nitzan

Premium Member

to nitzan
said by nitzan:

I think the reason they don't have it is closely tied to the fact they (Vonage) are the oldest independent VOIP provider: I'm not familiar with their equipment and software, but I'd take a guess that they're running on outdated proprietary servers and software.

Good analysis of Vonage.
said by nitzan:

Remember VoiceStick? they had a room full of Windows servers running proprietary software that couldn't be modified to add features. They contemplated switching to FreeSwitch but that never happened, and eventually they closed shop.

I hate to bring her up again, but VoiceStick was the Lindsay Lohan of VoIP. Very self-destructive, and one bad decision after another.

And both have a history of firing their best people.
said by nitzan:

But that's all irrelevant. Other than VOIP enthusiasts and BYOD types, nobody really cares about features.

Yes and no. I think that there are business customers especially that like many of the features. The cable VoIP people like Comcast and Cablevision/Optimum do promote their features....

Look, you know that millions of sheep pay companies like Verizon POTS, 10 bucks a month JUST for caller ID. And they pay hard cash for other features too. So the interest is there.
said by nitzan:

Vonage doesn't sell because they offer a better product - they don't - they sell because Average Joe sees them on TV and thinks he can save a few bucks. Most Vonage customers don't even know they have other options aside from MagicJack.

This is unfortunately true.

It's unfortunate both because of the ignorance of the sheep, but also because Vonage's whole advertising campaigns are only about saving money.

The [bland] leading the blind.

Come to think of it, full circle, Vonage does not push features because that's not a strength of theirs....
nitzan
Premium Member
join:2008-02-27

nitzan

Premium Member

said by PX Eliezer704:

Come to think of it, full circle, Vonage does not push features because that's not a strength of theirs....

That's just business, I guess. Speaking of business- is $10/month even profitable for them? considering their cost of acquiring a new customer is in the hundreds of dollars, simple math is that it'll take them something like 5 years just to get even. Considering their churn rate is 2-3% a month, those customers aren't going to remain with them that long. Add to that the fact that they're cannibalizing their own sales (some users who would have purchased the regular plan would instead purchase the discount plan - costing Vonage the potential profit). Maybe there's more at play here than profit decisions, but it seems like a bad idea overall.
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

I think you're right but unless/until they can make the big leap forward into mobile VoIP, their options are limited.

It is very, very hard for them to compete with cable company (and FiOS) bundles, triple play plans, etc....

The likes of Comcast do well from sheer size and market presence.

Small VoIP providers offer special services, innovation, and operate on a lean basis.

But how does Vonage survive except by default ignorance and by the intense desire of Verizon and ATT to exit the POTS market?

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

4 edits

Davesnothere

Premium Member

said by PX Eliezer704:

....Small VoIP providers offer special services, innovation, and operate on a lean basis....

Methinks that the smaller VoIPPs (as a group) are starting to be regarded by Vonage as competition. - Whether or not that makes sense in sheer customer numbers, I dunno, but Vonage may have begun to look at things that way.

As such, Vonage is being dragged, kicking and scratching, into tighter margins, and into less money for commercial fertilizer for that lush green front lawn of which you posted above, so might have to make fertilizer of their own - Beg pardon, they already HAVE some of that ? - What, in their ADs, you say ?!
said by PX Eliezer704:

....But how does Vonage survive [in the US] except by default ignorance [of the public about smaller VoIPPs], and by the intense desire of Verizon and ATT to exit the POTS market ?

....and in central Canada by the public's intense and long-cultivated hatred of the primary POTS ILEC, Bell Canada ?
PX Eliezer704
Premium Member
join:2008-08-09
Hutt River

PX Eliezer704

Premium Member

said by Davesnothere:

Methinks that the smaller VoIPPs (as a group) are starting to be regarded by Vonage as competition. - Whether or not that makes sense in sheer customer numbers, I dunno, but Vonage may have begun to look at things that way.

Maybe MJ to a rather small extent.

Not the BYOD VoIP providers.

The [big] competition for Vonage (aside from all those who go exclusively with cell/mob) are cable company triple play bundles. Comcast, Cablevision/Optimum, etc. have become [huge] players. I think this is rather different from your Canadian market.

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

I take note of everyone who calls my office.

Very roughly, it is:

Verizon POTS: 33 percent
Cellular: 33 percent
Cable phone (mainly Optimum): 30 percent
Other: 4 percent (CLECs other than cable company)

So that 4 percent includes Vonage and the smaller independent VoIP providers.

AFAIK, I have only received [one call] from a MJ person and [one call] from an Ooma person.