Cam
Premium
join:2003-01-25
Luther, OK
clubs:
| reply to ogar
Re: VOIP Vontage Questions
I've had Vonage for about 9 months now and I have been very happy with it. One thing to keep in mind with Vonage (or any other Phone over Broadband company) is that it is only as reliable as your internet connection.
You should have PLENTY of bandwidth with lots left over, so that shouldn't be any problem at all. There are no hidden costs with Vonage. It is $24.99 per month, there is a $1.50 fee for regulatory reimbursement (or something like that) and a 3% federal excise tax. That is it, your bill will come up right around $27 each month.
This is the same plan I got, I didn't really have a need for unlimited long distance. Unlimited Regional calling (Check Vonage's web site for what will be local to you) and 500 minutes of long distance in the US and Canada was more than sufficient for me.
There is a $39 disconnection fee when you terminate your service (if it is after the 14 day trial period). You can avoid the service fee by returning the ATA device in the original packaging. This is the important part, save the boxes it comes in so that you can return it.
I don't really like the provision that says you need to return it in the original packaging, but it is an improvement over the old policy that said that everyone pays the $39 disconnection fee.
Before you sign up with any VoIP company, keep in mind that they are not going to be 100% reliable. It is not a bad idea to have a cell phone or something as a back up. Vonage is the only one of the Voip companies with 911 service, but it is not the same as 911 service you would get from your local phone company. There are some questions about whether or not it will always connect you to the correct local emergency number, so that may be something you should consider.
The one other thing I would suggest is that you go to www.vonage.com and read through every page of information there (there is a lot of it). It might keep there from being any surprises after you get your service.
All in all I have found Vonage to be very reliable, and a large improvement to my budget. |
