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N9MD
Too busy to chat
Premium Member
join:2005-10-08
Boca Raton, FL

N9MD

Premium Member

VOXOX - Inappropriate Email warning of loss of DID for non-use

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your Pals at VoxOx --- N9MD, Are You Still Using Your VoxOx Phone Number?

                         We Miss You!
We've noticed you've been away from Voxox for a while.
Per our terms of service, users who are inactive for a
period of 30 days are subject to phone number
reclamation.

If you would like to keep your free Voxox number,
1XXXXXXXXXX, all you have to do is place a call to or
from your Voxox number or you can send an SMS to or
from your Voxox number.

If you don't call or SMS with your Voxox number within the
next 48 hours, but you want to use a free Voxox number at
a later date, you can sign into one of our applications and
you will be automatically assigned a new free U.S.
number.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Using one of my non-VOXOX DIDs, I faithfully & routinely (at least every two weeks) call my VOXOX number ... which is then forwarded to my cellular number.  My most recent call was on Feb 7 (five days ago), the call before that was on Jan 31 (two weeks earlier).  In spite of my timely calls (as required by VOXOX in their message quoted above) I received the warning email today!

Meanwhile, the number is still active on my VOXOX account.

Has anyone else received this inappropriate email from VOXOX?

brg
Premium Member
join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL

brg

Premium Member

I had a several-month go-around with VOXOX relating to this exact problem. In my case my VOXOX number was "reclaimed" =repeatedly= even though I could prove that it was being used every month. Their reclamation system is buggy, according to several reps.

I learned several things:

(1) You cannot set your VOXOX number to "go direct to voicemail" and expect that calls to that number going to VOXOX's own VM system with message being left will count as "the number having been used." When my number was set up that way, even though called weekly, it was reclaimed multiple times. (I was always able to get it back).

(2) Uncompleted calls do not count as usage. If your VOXOX goes to a cell and nothing answers the call, it's not counted as a call.

(2) The email lies. It may suggest you have a period time to make the call, but they still may yank the number. That happened to me several times. I think one time the number had been reclaimed even before the email went out.

(3) One time the rep (with whom I had developed a first-name-basis relationship because of repeated woes) reinstated my number after a reclamation. We both thought that would fix the problem for a month and give me time to take the number off "direct to VM" (I was on the road and didn't have time to fiddle with it). It was reclaimed again in less than a week. The rep admitted that he couldn't understand the timing, what triggered the beginning of a "30-day" window, whether it was monthly, or hard-coded to specific dates, or whatever.

My fix: I forward VOXOX numbers to "ring.to". Ring.to answers immediately and then provides "FAS" (false answer supervision? Anyhoo, a subsequently generated ring tone). So, although I actually do use my VOXOX number, if I don't for a few weeks any call (or a periodic call from me) gets "answered."

Haven't gotten the email or suffered a reclamation since I set this up...

mugurd
join:2001-05-24
Ottawa, ON
·Bell Fibe Internet
·Fido
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mugurd to N9MD

Member

to N9MD
said by N9MD:

Using one of my non-VOXOX DIDs, I faithfully & routinely (at least every two weeks) call my VOXOX number ... which is then forwarded to my cellular number.

Same here...plus in my case I never get the correct balance in Android. It's always stuck at 0.97$

Not to mention that it would actually be nice if the balance would carry over for say, 3 months...
Voxox was an alternative before ring.to...now not so much.

N9MD
Too busy to chat
Premium Member
join:2005-10-08
Boca Raton, FL

N9MD to brg

Premium Member

to brg
said by brg:

...Their reclamation system is buggy, according to several reps.

I learned several things:

(1) You cannot set your VOXOX number to "go direct to voicemail" and expect that message(s) being left will count as "the number having been used...

(2a) Uncompleted calls do not count as usage...

(2b) The email ... may suggest you have a period time to make the call, but they still may yank the number.

(3) One time the rep (with whom I had developed a first-name-basis relationship because of repeated woes) reinstated my number after a reclamation....

Thanks for your very useful response, brg!

(1) I do not use VOXOX's VM.
(2a) Each of my bi-weekly calls to the Voxox DID -> CellPhone is answered and the line is always kept open for over one minute (based on the CellPhone's timer).
(2b) So I might become a Yankee. That would upset my grandson who is a NY Mets fan.
(3) You must mean ROXY VOXOX ... who appeared as the centerfold (belly staples and all) in the April 1905 edition of AARP Magazine.
N9MD

N9MD to mugurd

Premium Member

to mugurd
said by mugurd:

Same here...plus in my case I never get the correct balance in Android. It's always stuck at 0.97$

Not to mention that it would actually be nice if the balance would carry over for say, 3 months...

Puzzling comment, mugurd. I have not experienced any unexpected decrease in my monthly balance. In fact, quite the opposite. Every so often I get an email noting that my account has received a 'gift' of a $1.00 fund-up.

And I find that my balance has carried over for several years (not just months). Monies have never 'disappeared' from my VoxOx account.

brg
Premium Member
join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL

brg to N9MD

Premium Member

to N9MD
I, too, have never (to the best of my knowledge; I don't keep a ledger on it) experienced an unexpected decrease in account value. And on occasion I have actually seen the value increase. But, unlike @N9MD I have never received an email telling me it had happened. My balance has always rolled over-and-over, and has done so now for years...
PX Eliezer1
Premium Member
join:2013-03-10
Zubrowka USA

PX Eliezer1 to N9MD

Premium Member

to N9MD
said by N9MD:

Puzzling comment, mugurd. I have not experienced any unexpected decrease in my monthly balance. In fact, quite the opposite. Every so often I get an email noting that my account has received a 'gift' of a $1.00 fund-up.

Maybe they transfer the money from his account to yours!

news4la
join:2009-01-05
Universal City, CA

news4la to N9MD

Member

to N9MD
Hi there,

I am a Voxox customer. Every month on the anniversary date of joining my account gets topped up to 1.00 dollar from wherever I was. It will never exceed 1.00 Dollar. The dollars do not roll over. If I am at 47 cents it will go up to a dollar. If you do not use it it remains a dollar. If there are other questions? Please let me know maybe I can answer them.

N9MD
Too busy to chat
Premium Member
join:2005-10-08
Boca Raton, FL

3 edits

N9MD

Premium Member

said by news4la:

I am a Voxox customer. Every month on the anniversary date of joining my account gets topped up to 1.00 dollar from wherever I was. It will never exceed 1.00 Dollar. The dollars do not roll over. If I am at 47 cents it will go up to a dollar. If you do not use it it remains a dollar. If there are other questions? Please let me know maybe I can answer them.

That exactly reflects my experience with VoxOx ... a frequently recurring top-off to $1.00 on my accounts.

But don't be bashful, Rick.
Apparently you ain't just "a Voxox customer." With no intention of being disrespectful, your direct access to the higher ups at VoxOx could well benefit BBR members.

»getsatisfaction.com/voxo ··· -news4la

Incidentally, you might mention to those 'higher ups' at Voxox that a bunch of us are still awaiting an official go ahead to register our accounts/DIDs on our own ATAs, IP-Phones & SoftPhones.
hok (banned)
join:2002-02-27

1 edit

hok (banned)

Member

said by N9MD:

Incidentally, you might mention to those 'higher ups' at Voxox that a bunch of us are still awaiting an official go ahead to register our accounts/DIDs on our own ATAs, IP-Phones & SoftPhones.

Unfortunately and realistically, this suggestion is not going to be accepted despite it has been most voted suggestion for years per »voxox.uservoice.com/foru ··· gestions and all comments via »voxox.uservoice.com/foru ··· -devices

Furthermore, Voxox is considering some paid Voxox options as they are looking to upgrade their servers and provide a more stable, more robust system per »www.surveymonkey.com/s.a ··· hA%3d%3d
Those options are:

$3.99 USD a month - Access to all Voxox features PLUS unlimited calling to US, Canada, and Mexico. Additional credit may be purchased for international calls.

$0.99 USD a month - Access to all Voxox features, no calling plans. You may purchase credit for international calls, as needed.

I suspect that they may be willing to keep the current free offering, but will remove free forwarding to Canadian and United States telephone number feature as it cost the most to offer. In other words, Voxox will start charging forwarding calls to Canadian or United States telephone number at US 1¢ per minute and always round up to next whole minute.

By the way, the only feature keeps me stay with Voxox is I can upload custom ring back tone (caller tune). Is there any other provider offer the same for free?

N9MD
Too busy to chat
Premium Member
join:2005-10-08
Boca Raton, FL

N9MD

Premium Member

said by hok:

Unfortunately and realistically, this suggestion [allowing BYOD] is not going to be accepted despite it has been most voted suggestion for years...

Furthermore, Voxox is considering some paid Voxox options...

$3.99 USD a month - Access to all Voxox features PLUS unlimited calling to US, Canada, and Mexico...

$0.99 USD a month - Access to all Voxox features, no calling plans.

I suspect that they may be willing to keep the current free offering, but will remove free forwarding to Canadian and United States telephone number feature as it cost the most to offer... ...Voxox will start charging forwarding calls to Canadian or United States telephone number at US 1¢ per minute.

Although this may be a step in the right direction, their new business plan still seems to have flaws that will limit new personal and small business account sign-ups:

•The prospect of choosing from a $3.99 per month or $0.99 PAYG plan is certainly reasonable and so is a 1¢ per minute fee ... but Voxox will be competing with far more feature-rich providers such as Voip.ms, CallCentric, Anveo and others ... with equal or lower pricing models.

•Voxox will not attract personal and small business users who are looking to provide their own devices (BYOD) ... ATAs, IP-phones, non-Voxox SoftPhones, PBXs. (The providers noted above do allow BYOD and do provide SIP-registration info.)

•Unless the new pricing model offers DIDs in area codes/rate centers other than select California locations, the new plan will likely fall flat. However, since they do currently have availability of Virtual Numbers/DIDs in numerous (but not all) other states, this point will probably be moot ... so long as the pricing for non-California DIDs is the same as for California DIDs.

•VoxOx's current 'free account' offering has been around for a while ... free DIDs, free incoming calls, free call forwarding to US/Canada ... but, in truth, it would seem to appeal only to Californians or a limited number of users in other states ... most of whom are just looking for a free DID (in California). The cost of a Virtual Number in a non-California rate center is a tad too high, given the very limited feature set (not to mention the prohibition against BYODs).

•Although Voxox has been on the scene for a few years now ... and they will still be seen as new to the game when and if they begin the next step of their business plan. They had better come up with a sophisticated feature set if they are to overcome the competition from the current crop of BYOD providers. It would be wise for VoxOx's powers-that-be to conduct an intensive corporate brainstorming session before publishing their 'final plan'.

Note: I bear no ill will toward Voxox ... or its executives, technical, and support staff. They have always presented themselves in a professional manner. I am just 'thinking out loud' about any plans they may have to move forward with their VoIP product.

brg
Premium Member
join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL

brg

Premium Member

It is also rather chicken-and-egg. I do not use Voxox mobile, which seems to be their exclusive development focus in recent times. But the Voxox desktop app (and the web portal that provides some similar functionality) is buggy and long in the tooth. Voxox probably needs/wants cash before it can invest in fixing those items. But those will be the items on the table when it starts asking for cash, and I wouldn't pay for a service that gives me such buggy tools... Catch-22.
brg

brg to hok

Premium Member

to hok
said by hok:

By the way, the only feature keeps me stay with Voxox is I can upload custom ring back tone (caller tune). Is there any other provider offer the same for free?

Nothing I've ever used, so I don't know about other providers, but (to sound rather like @mazilo for a moment) you can probably do it with a software PBX (asterisk with-or-without the GUI of your choice)...
Stewart
join:2005-07-13

Stewart to hok

Member

to hok
said by hok:

... the only feature keeps me stay with Voxox is I can upload custom ring back tone (caller tune). Is there any other provider offer the same for free?

Anveo and VoIP.ms, among others, support custom hold music / ringtones when ringing multiple destinations. Though they don't provide free DIDs, a third party free DID could be fed into those systems, with some limitations.

news4la
join:2009-01-05
Universal City, CA

news4la to N9MD

Member

to N9MD
Hi N9MD,

I try my best at what I know. They are re writing the desktop Softphone They are about a third of the way I think they said. I think they are looking at SMB and corporate as there main business. They have other divisions as well. I am also a CloudPhone customer. A virtual office setup. Which is better than standard Voxox. But the bugs there are very small compared to regular Voxox. Would not mind paying for that Virtual office set up. If I can help anyone at dslr with my experiences I don't mind doing so. I should mention I am a Callcentric, Anveo,Voicemeup and Freedom Pop customer as well. Sorry to bend everyone's ear.

N9MD
Too busy to chat
Premium Member
join:2005-10-08
Boca Raton, FL

N9MD

Premium Member

said by news4la:

Hi N9MD,

I try my best at what I know. They are re writing the desktop Softphone They are about a third of the way I think they said. I think they are looking at SMB and corporate as there main business. They have other divisions as well. I am also a CloudPhone customer. A virtual office setup. Which is better than standard Voxox. But the bugs there are very small compared to regular Voxox. Would not mind paying for that Virtual office set up. If I can help anyone at dslr with my experiences I don't mind doing so. I should mention I am a Callcentric, Anveo,Voicemeup and Freedom Pop customer as well. Sorry to bend everyone's ear.

Hey, Rick! Any insight into Voxox's operation/plans is appreciated. I doubt that many DSLR/BBR members will be affected by or care about changes to the Voxox product ... given the push toward corporate plans.

I suppose that most DSLR/BBR members who currently have one or more 'free' Voxox DIDs will eventually let them lapse (or port them to other providers if the DIDs are of some value).

I guess that Voxox's corporate-oriented plans will not depend on SoftPhones ... as do their current SoftPhone-based residential offerings. And depending on how one defines Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) usage, I don't suppose the pending changes will attract many of those folks, either ... especially when we have Voip.ms, CallCentric and Anveo with their awesome features and capabilities ... and very reasonably priced plan options.

Maybe "the cloud" ... Cumulonimbus, Cirrus, Cirrostratus, Cirrocumulus, Altocumulus, Altostratus, Stratocumulus, Cumulus, Stratus ... will attract some.

news4la
join:2009-01-05
Universal City, CA

news4la to N9MD

Member

to N9MD
If you are interested Grandstream sent me their new softphone type app. to be put on android 4.0 or better phone. It has 6 lines and will do any sip provider. It is called the Grandstream Wave. I asked them how many different providers will it handle at the same time. They said it will handle six different providers all at the same time. That got me curious. Maybe you might like to look at it. I'm used to Grandstream having Hardware.Interesting Hmm.

N9MD
Too busy to chat
Premium Member
join:2005-10-08
Boca Raton, FL

N9MD

Premium Member

said by news4la:

If you are interested Grandstream ...

Thanks for the offer/info. I have a Grandstream 702 locked to VOIPo. I have multiple PAP2Ts (used as BYODs with various providers including Voxox ). I have a Linksys (Cisco) SPA8000 with ability to register 8 separate VoIP accounts/DIDs.

As a SoftPhone on my laptop, I am using Express Talk Business Edition (from an Australian company) which allows registering 6 separate VoIP accounts/DIDs. I tend to use this modality mostly when travelling.

Since I have an iPhone (not an Android), I am using BRIA which allows an almost unlimited number of SIP/DID accounts ... each of which can be easily toggled independently on and off for outbound calling. Although BRIA works well for incoming calls, I instead call-forward several of my DIDs directly to my cellular number (which avoids having the BRIA app open all the time, thereby draining down the phone's battery).

mugurd
join:2001-05-24
Ottawa, ON
·Bell Fibe Internet
·Fido
(Software) pfSense
Netgear RAX50
Netgear R7000

mugurd to N9MD

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to N9MD
Update on this issue:

I found that they actually flipped my old number, despite having 3-4 calls within the month (I always do...).
Not only that, but the new Cali number they gave me (shouldn't I be able to choose???) appears to belong to some poor soul on T-Mobile.
Granted, he might have cancelled or change number, but I don't need someone else's calls on my US number used to fwd GV calls.

What a mess. Others are reporting the same on their community page.

brg
Premium Member
join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL

brg

Premium Member

@mugurd: if you haven't already, contact Customer Service to see if you can get your old number back. I was able to do so -- repeatedly -- because Voxox repeatedly "reclaimed" my number even though it was being used regularly in compliance with their TOS.

mugurd
join:2001-05-24
Ottawa, ON

mugurd

Member

Thanks...but how do I even do that? I could only post on the community site...I don't have an email or means to talk to a human. Cheers.
79176722 (banned)
VoIP.ms, Magento, and lotsa open tabs
join:2015-02-19
Miami, FL

2 edits

79176722 (banned)

Member

Ah... The price you pay for "free gifts"...

--
Disclaimer to a disclaimer:
Any and all information provided in this message is declared true and holy, and is not just a suggestion. I'm fully responsible for any and all damages caused to you directly or indirectly as a result of using the information provided in this message. All complaints and grievances must be printed on premium-quality toilet paper such as Charmin Ultra and sent to me by expedited shipping.

brg
Premium Member
join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL

brg to mugurd

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to mugurd
said by mugurd:

Thanks...but how do I even do that? I could only post on the community site...I don't have an email or means to talk to a human. Cheers.

Hmmm; I wonder if the "contact us" mechanism that I used last summer and fall has been dropped now that they have that new forum. When I was having problems almost a year ago I'm pretty sure I logged into the Voxox website (myvoxox) using my account info and posted a ticket-like complaint using some kind of "contact us" link. I sure don't see that now...

So, at the same time they eliminate any direct contact outside the forum, they want to roll out a pay-for model? Interesting...
PX Eliezer1
Premium Member
join:2013-03-10
Zubrowka USA

PX Eliezer1 to mugurd

Premium Member

to mugurd
said by mugurd:

Thanks...but how do I even do that? I could only post on the community site...I don't have an email or means to talk to a human. Cheers.

Sounds like the Google Voice approach.
79176722 (banned)
VoIP.ms, Magento, and lotsa open tabs
join:2015-02-19
Miami, FL

2 edits

79176722 (banned)

Member

Sounds like the Google Voice approach.

Ah... The price I paid for that "free gift"...

(Is there an echo here?)

--
Disclaimer to a disclaimer:
Any and all information provided in this message is declared true and holy, and is not just a suggestion. I'm fully responsible for any and all damages caused to you directly or indirectly as a result of using the information provided in this message. All complaints and grievances must be printed on premium-quality toilet paper such as Charmin Ultra and sent to me by expedited shipping.

news4la
join:2009-01-05
Universal City, CA

news4la to mugurd

Member

to mugurd
Monday to Friday at 9AM to 5PM Pacific. An employee is on the Support Forum.They will answer you and can make that decision. I don't find any different than e-mailing anveo or callcentric. I am pretty sure you will get an answer one way or the other.

mugurd
join:2001-05-24
Ottawa, ON
·Bell Fibe Internet
·Fido
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Netgear RAX50
Netgear R7000

mugurd

Member

said by news4la:

I am pretty sure you will get an answer one way or the other.

Actually I did..."Matt" offered to help me recover the number, but by then I reconfigured everything with the new number. I just hope this doesn't happen again.
Does anyone know if calls forwarded GV->Voxox->cell count as "usage"?
I did post the question in their forum...will see what I get back.

brg
Premium Member
join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL

brg

Premium Member

said by mugurd:

Does anyone know if calls forwarded GV->Voxox->cell count as "usage"?

My personal experience is that a call that flows through Voxox and is answered somewhere other than Voxox's own voicemail system "counts."

Such a call could originate with GV pointed to Voxox, or directly with Voxox.

Such a call in turn forwarded from Voxox to a cell, which is then answered, or where it goes to the cell VM should "count."

I have experimented with Voxox forwarding to Ring.to which immediately answers and then provides false ringing until the call goes to the Ring.to VM. Such calls have been being "counted as usage" by Voxox.
hok (banned)
join:2002-02-27

hok (banned) to mugurd

Member

to mugurd
said by mugurd:

Update on this issue:

I found that they actually flipped my old number, despite having 3-4 calls within the month (I always do...).
Not only that, but the new Cali number they gave me (shouldn't I be able to choose???) appears to belong to some poor soul on T-Mobile.

Few years ago, for a period of time, Voxox did allow users to choose a DID from a list of DIDs. However, other than this period, Voxox assigned one DID in southern California without allowing users to be able to select a DID.
said by mugurd:

What a mess. Others are reporting the same on their community page.

I cannot find any, would you please provide URLs to them?

mugurd
join:2001-05-24
Ottawa, ON
·Bell Fibe Internet
·Fido
(Software) pfSense
Netgear RAX50
Netgear R7000

mugurd

Member

said by hok:

I cannot find any, would you please provide URLs to them?

At the time of my posting there, there were a few posts that popped up before I could log mine a a new problem (you know how the system encourages you to use an existing thread)....I didn't keep links. But see brg's post in this thread...this has happened quite a few times to him.