pab770
join:2003-12-06
Whitestone, NY
edit:
August 11th, @04:25PM
| [VoicePulse] Line Unavailable Forwarding...3.9???
I having a hard time understanding their policy. If I activate Line Unavailable Forwarding it will cost 3.9 cents a minute.
I don't get it???
Any clarification is appreciated. |
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klapper2001
join:2004-09-16
Los Angeles, CA | Re: [VoicePulse] Line Unavailable Forwarding...3.9
any forwarding will incur a 3.9cents/min for the unlimited LOCAL account only. So that means CAll hunt, line unavailable forwarding both will incur this cost if you have the above said plan. |
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pab770
join:2003-12-06
Whitestone, NY | That is the plan that I have (Local Unlimited). So if I forward to another number in my local calling area I still get charged 3.9 cents.
That doesn't seem right. |
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digiblur
Got Sipura?
Premium
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana
| said by pab770  :That is the plan that I have (Local Unlimited). So if I forward to another number in my local calling area I still get charged 3.9 cents. That doesn't seem right. No, this only applies if you forward to a number that is outside of your calling area. This is the same way POTS works.
On the other hand I was forwarding to my LD IPkall number and was not getting charged for it...or at least it didn't look like I was.
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»[Sipura] Make your Sipura Speak! - GetSipura Guide
Drop me a PM if you'd like a custom Samurize plugin for your device. |
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pab770
join:2003-12-06
Whitestone, NY
 ·VoicePulse
·ViaTalk
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| said by digiblur :said by pab770 :That is the plan that I have (Local Unlimited). So if I forward to another number in my local calling area I still get charged 3.9 cents. That doesn't seem right. No, this only applies if you forward to a number that is outside of your calling area. This is the same way POTS works. On the other hand I was forwarding to my LD IPkall number and was not getting charged for it...or at least it didn't look like I was. Thanks for the clarification |
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burgerwars
join:2004-09-11
Northridge, CA
 ·RoadRunner Cable
edit:
August 11th, @10:23PM
| reply to pab770
Re: [VoicePulse] Line Unavailable Forwarding...3.9???
I'll be able to answer this question positively in about 10 days, when my VoicePulse billing cycle ends, as I've changed to the $14.99 plan. When I wrote them about this, they told me there is a 3.9 cent per minute charge, but some here on BBR have said they have not been charged if the call is what VoicePulse determines is local.
For their $24.99 unlimited plan, I can tell you positively there is no charge for forwarding to US numbers.
Anyone know about their Open Access Plan? |
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tampa8
Premium
join:2005-04-30
Storrs Mansfield, CT
edit:
August 11th, @11:56PM
| This has been discussed before and I have seen the wrong answer given as well as the correct one. There is absolutly, 100%, no charge for using the features or advanced features of Voicepulse on the $14.99 plan. If you go over your long distance 200 minutes, of course you will pay for the call if it is forwarded to a long distance number - but you are not paying for the use of call forwarding you would be paying for the minutes used over your 200 just as if you had dialed it directly. I have had the service for months, use call forwarding almost everyday to my cell phone, my bill is $14.99 every month - no tax - no anything else. The only two times unavailable call forwarding was used/needed because the service was down I also did not receive any charge for it. |
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khobson
join:2001-12-26
Edison, NJ
| reply to pab770
Re: [VoicePulse] Line Unavailable Forwarding...3.9
Just like regular landline, any calls outside the agree coverage area is cost. For example:
1) 14.99 plan includes unlimited local and 200 long distance minutes.
a) calls forward within the US after using 200 long distance will be 3.9 cents/minute
b) calls within the plan minutes are charge as if you were calling from your home (unlimited local and limited long distance minutes)
2) 24.99 unlimited US
a) calls within the plan minutes are charge as if you were calling from your home (unlimited local and long distance minutes)
For example, I forward my calls from my VoicePulse to one or both of my Sprint service cell phones. One cell phone is within the local unlimited calling area. The other phone is Puerto Rico number. I get charge as follows:
Both phones ring when I set up a call hunt but this is what happens:
1) I see a record of the local call to my local number cell phone. No charge will be sent to me since I am under a unlimited calling area.
2) I see a record for call to the Puerto Rico number and I get charge $0.08/minute if I pick up the phone which has already had 30 seconds of VoicePulse usage before I pick up the phone.
Now here is the rub. If I pick up either cell phone, I am charged the international rate of $0.08/minute even through the local area cell phone was picked up and shows the recorded time of the call. The Puerto Rico hunt shows only 30 seconds of usage since the beginning of the incoming call to the home. I am working with VoicePulse to figure out if this is a bug or policy.
So if you forward to long distance number and pick up, you will be charge either under the limited number of 200 long distance minutes or 3.9 cents/minute for overages. One nice thing with VoicePulse is the 6 second calling rate for the international calling.
By allowing call forwarding to international number, you could forward to pre-paid cell phone in the country and pay VoicePulse international calling rate.
Also, the reason for the Sprint Puerto Rico (or US Virgin Island) number is Sprint has $5 add-on for unlimited incoming calling for these areas. I could have with Vonage or Optimum Voice since they include unlimited Puerto Rico calling under their plans but I would not have VoicePulse call filtering. I am hoping VoicePulse will include Puerto Rico in the future calling area so these calls will come out of the 200 long distance minutes. |
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khobson
join:2001-12-26
Edison, NJ
| Clarification, I am only charge for 30 seconds of calling to Puerto Rico if I pick up the local cell phone number no matter how long I am on the call.
This allows me if figure out if it is worth getting an unlimited incoming plan with a cell phone vendor (Nextel or Sprint, now Sprint Nextel) for extra cost. With my calling patterns, the additional cost is not worth it since I can applied that same cost to VOIP solution with call forwarding. For a family, the VoicePulse solution is more flexible since it allows multiple call hunts with voicemail backup. So if the family did not want to give out their cell phone number, they could set up a call hunt to ring everyone's cell after ringing at home. After a number of call hunt rings, it could fall back to VoicePulse voicemail. The only issue is when one of the cell phone is:
1) off
2) out of range
3) online do data transfer
That cell phone's voicemail will pick up. In most cases, the particular cell phone user may be able to forward the voicemail message to the other members of the family if they use the same service and the service allows voicemail forwarding. |
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nycityny
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY
·RCN CABLE
·VoicePulse
·ViaTalk
| reply to tampa8
After reading this post, I went directly to the source for the answer. The answer was not the one that I wanted to hear. In an e-mail I sent to VoicePulse (my VOIP provider) today I wrote:
I have been reading bulletinboards with differing opinions on one of your services. Reading your website is inconclusive too. On your local unlimited + 200 plan, if a call is "absolute forwarded" to a local number is there a charge for the forwarded call? To put it another way, is it $.039 per minute for all calls or only long distance calls over the 200 minute allotment? Thanks. The answer I received was:
With the Local Unlimited +200 calling plan, local and long distance calls that are forwarded will be charged 3.9¢/min. You cannot be clearer than that. |
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PCInTech
Hey, I'm still alive, eh?
Premium
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY
clubs:
·VoicePulse
·RoadRunner Cable
| said by nycityny :You cannot be clearer than that. I had the Local Unlimited once, and never really used the call forwarding feature. Nonetheless, I changed to the America Unlimited for the extra $10./mo, just so I wouldn't have to watch the clock.  |
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nycityny
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY | I have the America Unlimited and any thoughts of downgrading are eliminated by the $.039/minute for forwarded calls. |
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tru215
join:2005-07-01
Quantico, VA | reply to pab770
Re: [VoicePulse] Line Unavailable Forwarding...3.9???
I looked at Voicepulse as a second line for a cheap backup. Any thought of that was killed by this charge. This is a major strike against Voicepulse's $14.99 plan. I use call forwarding all the time. |
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burgerwars
join:2004-09-11
Northridge, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to pab770
Remind me when my billing period ends on the 27th. I have the $14.99 unlimited local + 200 other minutes plan plus an open access number. I've forwarded both local and long distance calls from both lines, and should be able to determine if I was charged (I've haven't exceeded the free long distance minutes on each number). |
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digiblur
Got Sipura?
Premium
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana | reply to pab770
Re: [VoicePulse] Line Unavailable Forwarding...3.9
I've never been charged for the forwarded calls inside my unlimited calling area. |
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RICKinFL
join:2004-01-17
Palm Bay, FL
| reply to pab770
Re: [VoicePulse] Line Unavailable Forwarding...3.9???
Well folks heres my take on this...I've been with VP for over a yr now and usally forward my calls to my cell phone with the same area code as my VP # The only charges I recall getting is roaming and LD charges against my cell phone # Never been charged the 3.9 cents I have the VP $14.99 plan.
Rick |
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nycityny
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY
·RCN CABLE
·VoicePulse
·ViaTalk
| Re: [VoicePulse] Line Unavailable Forwarding...3.9
I just talked to Mark at VoicePulse and asked again about this. The official policy is that under the Local+200 Plan ALL "off-network" forwarded calls are charged $.039 per minute. I asked if calls forwarded to a local cell phone would incur this charge and he said yes. I then asked how it was possible that some people do not incur this charge. He said that anything is possible and that this could be a "billing issue" with these people. I guess the best that can be said about this is that VoicePulse is so good that when there is a billing issue it is in the customer's favor. |
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khobson
join:2001-12-26
Edison, NJ
edit:
August 25th, @10:39PM
| Mark is wrong. Local forwarding calls no matter whether you do the forwarding or it is line unavailable forwarding is not charged 3.9 cents. Off-network calls is any calls not via voicepulse but voicepulse low cost plan includes unlimited local off-network calls. Verizon (and their representives) would say the same thing in their literature. I had to correct both vendor's representives since they did not acknowledged unlimited local calling as part some of their plans coverage. If you were on Verizon metered landline plan (I just want unlimited incoming), the user would incur charges to make a call.
Do you have any idea how VOIP vendors would fare against traditional Bells when their users see a bill for line unavailable forwarding charges when their user's ISP service goes down or VOIP service cannot contact the the user's device while receiving calls?!!! Making VOIP's absolute forwarding billing charges different that other regular forwarding billing would be more complex.
If unlimited calling is included in a plan (Bell or VOIP vendors), the number which is forwarded to as long as it is a number you can call from your home as part of the unlimited call will be charge the same as unlimited calling.
Sprint's cellular division charges the same charge for all forwarding ($0.10/minute) since their billing system is not set up for utilizing anytime, mobile-mobile or night/weekends minutes charges. In this example if a call came from a Sprint cell phone and the Sprint receiver has forwarded the phone to another Sprint cell phone, what does Sprint charged the forward cell phone user? If their billing system was correctly set up, the forward cell phone user should have been charge PCS-PCS minutes which on most plans is unlimited. Other cell phone vendors (Cingular via BellSouth/SBC), I hear, have billing system set up to know how to "bill" usage charges if you forward calls from your cell phone to allow for anytime, mobile-mobile and night and weekends minutes. |
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chrisexv6
join:2002-12-13
| reply to pab770
If Mark at VP is wrong, then so is their website which states that all forwarded calls under the Local+200 plan are charged at 3.9 cents/minute.
Taken from the "manage features" part of the My Account website:
"Absolute forwarding allows you to forward all incoming calls on a line to another phone number. Calls forwarded to a non-VoicePulse number will be billed the same as regular calls made from your account (the local, regional, and long distance rules of your plan will apply) for those on Unlimited calling plans. Forwarded minutes on local calling plans will be 3.9¢ per minute."
and
" Line unavailable forwarding allows you to forward all incoming calls to another phone number if a problem prevents your phone from ringing. Calls forwarded to a non-VoicePulse number will be billed the same as regular calls made from your account (the local, regional, and long distance rules of your plan will apply) for those on Unlimited calling plans. Forwarded minutes on local calling plans will be 3.9¢ per minute."
I can verify that this is absolutely true with the Local+200 plan. I was bored one day so had my number forwarded to my work number. I then called my number from work and watched it ring home, and then ring back to my work phone. Then I checked my billing for that month and surprise I was billed 3.9 cents extra (I didnt actually pick up my forwarded call, but I assume I got charged a full minute anyway).
I dont think VP could make it much clearer (maybe a "warning" when you go to sign up for the Local+200 plan?). Its even listed on the page that compares all of their packages. Maybe the charge doesnt incur if you forward to in-network numbers. But chances are most people wouldnt be forwarding to another VP number (I assume most people would forward to a cell or work number).
So if you think you will be forwarding a lot of calls, factor in 3.9 cents/minute, and maybe the 24.99/month plan is better for you (which does NOT charge for forwarded calls).
-Chris |
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burgerwars
join:2004-09-11
Northridge, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to khobson
The results for me are now in. My VoicePulse billing period has ended, I use the $14.99 plan, and have done a lot of line unavailable and regular forwarding from my line (both local and long distance, but mainly all local), and none of that was added to the bill. I did not go over the 200 minute long distant allotment. The only additional charge to my bill was one call to South Africa, for the exact amount.
So for me for the past month, there was no charge. |
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