shuntva
join:2003-07-20
Falls Church, VA
|  NorVergence Continued
The BajaJoe thread was declared "too old" to accept a reply.
NorVergence has descended on me as well -- and my BS meter went sky high. Just too "on message" for me.
My primary concern is the 5 year contract - especially if they are out of business in one or less. I have agreed to get them contract data and get a proposal but also intend to do a LOT more digging before agreeing to the deal.
My strategy is to look at this contract as a cell service alternative and any added data T-1 support as just gravy. With 30+ cell phones in the local area I think we have a reasonable basis for getting a payback in less than a year. If so then our risk is minimal.
KEEP POSTING your observations so we can all benefit from this effort. |
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joein610
join:2003-07-03
Media, PA
| There are a FEW other companies that Do the SAME THING..
STAY TUNED... I've heard a few reports from different people.
Norvergence called my father-in-law with 3 telephone lines?? and they want to meet with him... Give me a break!
I think they are 100% scripted because of Lawsuits.. They dont want to say the wrong things!!!
Out of over 25 Posts.. How come NOBODY on this Board has NORVERGENCE UP and RUNNING????? THEY have 1000+ Customer as they Claim !!!
Joe V |
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jimgriggs
join:2003-06-21
Houston, TX
| reply to shuntva
Has anyone used NorVergence for broadband? I don't get it and they refuse to give any details. We are in an area that exceeds the 18,000 foot distance limit from the central office. I wonder if their system would allow dsl to work. If so, at what data rate? It sounds like a scam to me. Their website is not much help. They make a lot of references to Fortune 500 Corporations and Nortel. I wonder if Nortel even knows who they are. They want to come out for an appointment to "see if I qualify". I think what they do is get you to say how much your total monthly communication costs are and then sell you a five year contract at something less than your current cost. They call that free. The problem is signing a contract with a third party leasing company for five years. If NorVergence goes out of business in a year, you are stuck paying for worthless equipment and have to go back to your current system. It bothers me that no one who is using them has responded with details. |
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nyctechnobab
join:2003-07-22
Newark, NJ
| I can answer your questions: Norvergence is hardly going out of business anytime. They will be in 40 markets by January, and still growing.
But so what anyway, once you have the matrix box- your on an unlimited calling circuit from Qwest and a local loop from your local provider. You pay your local loop to whomever @ 160 whatever, and pay your rental of the matrix and go on down the road. Norvergence only qualified your company for it and provisioned the services.
I bought a Dell laptop, but if they go out of business I can still use it I suppose.
Everyones concerned about thier affiliation with the big guys. Nortel networks engineered the solution, and Qwest provides the unlimited calling circuit for outbound traffic. Both are the largest in thier respected fields, and fortune 500. The alliance of Norvergence with these companies are on a level of lateral reciprocation which does not warrant a banner on thier websites, or a mention as you say.
Did you know that SBC owns Cingular? Wonder why they do not sell Cingular wireless on the SBC website? Corporate affiliation do not always affiliate themselves on a consumer level. |
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stickfigure
join:2002-06-11
El Cajon, CA
| Most affiliates do associate themselves. Look at Ford's website, has links to Aston Martin, Volvo, Mazda.... why wouldn't you when you can advertise to more markets using affiliates? By the way you should look closer at SBC's website...
»www02.sbc.com/Products_Services/···,00.html |
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jimgriggs
join:2003-06-21
Houston, TX
| reply to nyctechnobab
Do you use the service or do you work for Norvergence? What is the answer to my DSL question? Why are the Norvergence telemarketers so evasive about details? Why is there no cost info on the website. Also, the links on the website to Quest and NorTel go to their home pages with no reference to Norvergence. I called Quest Corp. and they had no information about Norvergence. I searched Nortel's site and again nothing about Norvergence. So let's see, $160 per mo. for the service and $xxx.xx per mo. per Matrix Box for the the equipment rental/lease. So how much is x? |
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mastermind278
Premium
join:2001-07-12
Newark, NJ
clubs:  
 ·Optimum Voice
 ·Optimum Online
| reply to nyctechnobab
My guess is he works for Norvergence, since he is from Newark also. If you guys would like I don't mind walking Total Distance: 2.01 miles and checking out their office and take some pics for everyone. If you want PM me some questions and I will try my best to pass by them this week.
--
Mastermind 4 Life ® ™ © |
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klawler
join:2003-08-01
Danvers, MA
| I searched the internet for info on Norvergence and here is where I have ended up.
They have also visited me twice now. I am a skeptic by nature being in sales myself. If it looks to good to be true etc.
Here is the quote they gave me based on 6 lines, high speed internet, 3 cell phones and an 800#
Currently with Allegiance charges are as follows
Domestic Outbound $111.39
800# $100.4
Cellular $520.05
Internet $300.33
Total $1032.17
Norvergences Propoal
Cellular Unlimited $59.97
Internet $159.25
800# $24.95
Matrix Rental $478.35
Total $722.52
Looks good on paper but does it makes sense with the 5 year contract? I have gone through several providers over the few years. MCI called an hour ago with 4c/minute and 53c line charge blah blah blah.
I would really like to know if Norvergence is working for anyone and if this Matrix rental plan makes sense. I will also say that the "if your approved" speech was a little much for me. |
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Thee One
Theeone. What? Ain'T No More To It.
join:2000-09-27
Chicago, IL | What I find most interesting Klawler, about your quote is the Matrix Rental is almost twice as much more by itself than the charges for the actual service.
--
Life is an interlude to Death. |
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klawler
join:2003-08-01
Danvers, MA | reply to shuntva
Does anyone think that the Matrix Rental Agreement can be negotiated; both the term and the cost. |
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stev32k
Premium
join:2000-04-27
Mobile, AL
·Mediacom
| reply to klawler
quote:
Matrix Rental $478.35
That must be one hell'va box to be worth $28,701 over a five year contract. The other prices look pretty good. My bet is that if these guys can make any money this way the competition will drive the price of the box down. If that happens you will be stuck with an expensive and likely obsolete piece of equipment for maybe two or three years of a five year contract.
The other thing I wonder is are all the other prices for cellular, internet, and 800 service fixed for the life of the contract, and what recourse do you have if NorVergence goes belly-up. And what if the local (or national) service providers refuse to go along with the NorVergence pricing ie Nortel, or Verizon or some backbone provider becomes concerned that NorVergence is driving the pricing down too low and decides to raise the wholesale rates.
Maybe they will become the Microsoft of Telecommunications and maybe they won't be around by the time the current five year contracts expire. So I'm going wait and watch their progress over the next year or two before committing to a long term contract. |
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Frank
is chilling
Premium
join:2000-11-03
somewhere
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to nyctechnobab
said by nyctechnobab  :
I can answer your questions: Norvergence is hardly going out of business anytime. They will be in 40 markets by January, and still growing.
But so what anyway, once you have the matrix box- your on an unlimited calling circuit from Qwest and a local loop from your local provider. You pay your local loop to whomever @ 160 whatever, and pay your rental of the matrix and go on down the road. Norvergence only qualified your company for it and provisioned the services.
I bought a Dell laptop, but if they go out of business I can still use it I suppose.
Everyones concerned about thier affiliation with the big guys. Nortel networks engineered the solution, and Qwest provides the unlimited calling circuit for outbound traffic. Both are the largest in thier respected fields, and fortune 500. The alliance of Norvergence with these companies are on a level of lateral reciprocation which does not warrant a banner on thier websites, or a mention as you say.
Did you know that SBC owns Cingular? Wonder why they do not sell Cingular wireless on the SBC website? Corporate affiliation do not always affiliate themselves on a consumer level.
pardon my suspicious overtone but you sound like one a norvergence sales rep. |
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pfershin
join:2003-07-29
Warren, MI | reply to stev32k
Our quote topped that. Matrix box=$4955.58 per month.
Total 5 year cost $297,934.80. |
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stev32k
Premium
join:2000-04-27
Mobile, AL
·Mediacom
| quote:
Our quote topped that. Matrix box=$4955.58 per month.
Total 5 year cost $297,934.80.
They must have quoted you the 100 gig, super deluxe, dual turbo model. LOL  - I think that's called charging whatever you think you can get. |
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pfershin
join:2003-07-29
Warren, MI
| Even with the extremely high cost of the box our rep stated that our savings would still be around $3000/month. As soon as we started pressuring them they could'nt get out of our office fast enough. We're just waiting to see how long Norvergence will be around and what competition will enter the marketplace. |
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NoVaTechie
join:2003-08-10
Mclean, VA
| reply to shuntva
I signed up with Norvergence for my company about a month ago. Things have been moving VERY slowly. Finally, last week, the Matrix box was installed and the T1 hooked up. Outgoing lines connected to our old key phone system. Not like we wanted it, but might be ok. The cell phone thing seems like it should be good, but we still don't have the phones, over a month later. The few that did come, came locked, with no one at Norvergence available to explain how to handle that. The T1 line doesn't have the IP allocation we were promised. Calling Norvergence Tech Support is a nightmare so far ... waits of about 30 minutes. The people, when you finally get one, are just super ... knowledgeable and enthusiastic about helping. But there must only be a handfull, or maybe they don't have enough lines (???). I'm quite concerned about what happens when something goes wrong and I can't get a person to help. Their canned sales pitch (which was truly obnoxious as people have repeatedly said in these threads) particularly trumped how their service would exceed Verizon, Winstar, blah blah blah. Sucks so far by my experience. The cost looks promising (about 250/mo for matrix, 150 for the line). We'll see. My judgement is still on hold, but my concern meter is gyrating wildly. |
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stev32k
Premium
join:2000-04-27
Mobile, AL | Thanks for the report NoVaTechie. And welcome to DSL reports. You'll find there is a lot of good information and knowledge passed around here. Keep us posted on your experience with norvergence. |
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fairie21
join:2003-08-24
Elizabeth, NJ
| reply to NoVaTechie
Hi NoVaTechie...
Things do go a little slow on the install, but that's mainly because you have to have the local service provider set a date to install the t-1, etc... And the reason there is such a wait on tech support and customer service is the lack of reps at this point... The customer base is outgrowing the number of c/s reps rapidly. They are hiring like mad, though, so it should get better soon. |
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Norvergence user
@67.128.x.x
| reply to klawler
There definitely are big savings if you switch to NorVergence, but you will have many headaches and will have wished that you hadn't, especially if they give you AT&T cell phones. Our company has now been waiting in excess of 2 months for a reimbursement check due to over 40 contract breakages from our prior cell phone provider. This amount is somewhere in excess of $10,000. I do not know why it is taking so long even though there has been many inquiries regarding this reimbursement check. Also, many of our phones are already starting to break and after waiting 35 minutes to speak to a human being, I was told to bring them to the manufacturer. NorVergence will take no responsibility regarding this matter. Not to mention, the reception of the cell phone is subpar.
As for the T-1, just make sure you can definitely get access to other lines in case it goes down because it will go down.
Advice : Get the T-1, but make sure you definitely can get access to your other lines when the T-1 is down. As for the cell phones, if you are a company that relies on them heavily, stay away from the cell phone part of this deal. |
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Marvelous
@uslec.net
| reply to jimgriggs
I just had a meeting with a Norvergence salesman. The offer does seem too good to be true. One thing I noticed is that in their literature they reference the Nortel Matrix box. I cannot find any product like that from Nortel. Then I noticed the picture on their website and in their literature,
»www.norvergence.com/PDFs/matrix_···lick.pdf
and it's identical to the Adtran Total Access 750 box I currently have from US Lec. I've had this box for over 2 years, hardly new technology.
»www.dealtime.com/xPF-Rayman_Arena
I noticed it's made in Canada so it could be Nortel, but I just wonder if this Matrix box is really just marketing. |
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