Don’t Use Vonage
June 21, 2007
I used Vonage as my main phone line for a few months in Baltimore, and the service was mostly ok. When I moved home, my broadband connection wasn’t as fast, and as a result, Vonage quality suffered greatly. In fact, it was so bad that I couldn’t use the internet while talking on the phone, or the person to whom I was speaking could not hear my voice. As a result, I cancelled Vonage—and as a result, they charged me a hefty cancellation penalty and didn’t credit me back for the minutes I’d already paid for but not yet used. Maybe fairly standard company policy, but I didn’t like it, and I expressed those concerns.
Today I received an email from myself, encouraging me to sign up for Vonage under their Refer-a-Friend plan. I would never refer a friend or foe to sign up for a 1-year commitment for simple phone service, but there my name is, lending credibility to a poorly-run VoIP telephony service. Shame on Vonage for using their customers’ goodwill to sell their product—particularly their former, unhappy customers. I don’t know who they sent this email to, and it may have been misdirected since it was delivered to myself. The simple fact is that no company has any business keeping former customers’ data readily available for inclusion in spam e-mail.
Now you tell me! I thought that since you had asked them to tell me about their great new deal that you endorsed them. Thanks a lot matt.
Vonage will catch more trouble from their poor customer service/customer service model than all the court cases.
Thirty five total minutes on hold (three seperate calls), MY DIME AND MY TIME, and poor Greg (Vonage) can’t get your(Vonage’s) contractor(S) to return his call. What are you people thinking?
This is unacceptable customer service from: “A BETTER PHONE COMPANY” AND “Customer Care by email 24 hours a day, 7 days a week”
...you cannot visit my house to perform your promised task with email.
Vonage is a horrible company. The customer service is horrible, the billing is horrible, and the connect is horrible.
I couldn’t make calls without trying at least three times. I couldn’t get a dial tone all the time, it’s just HORRIBLE
stay away from VONAGE!
Same thing happened to me with some other stuff. I posted a page on my website to tell others but was afraid it made me look unprofessional. I wish someone would get a classaction lawsuit against them, it just doesnt seem right.
I love Vonage and have used it for several years without the slightest problems. Without any problems with them, I happily recommend them to others as they have saved me hundreds of dollars. I have blazing fast internet and haven’t needed to talk to billing or customer service. I did have an issue where my number was slow to port to their system—no biggie. I used the virtual number and they even credited me two months free for the non-hassle. Sorry to hear such anger from others though . . .
I was taken in by marketing offered by Vonage, a digital replacement to my typical land phone service; so I established an account over the phone with them. The Vonage representative assured me that I would be able to continue to use the phone number I have had for the last 20 years, and that if I decided to cancel – for any reason – I could do so within one month without penalty.
I extended my credit card for the initial charges to receive necessary hardware to activate the service – about $50. After the equipment arrived I phoned Vonage to verify that my phone number would be transferred to their service. After sitting through a matrix of various representatives – a process that had me waiting on the phone for about 40 minutes – I was finally told that my number would not be available for transfer.
I decided to cancel the service and get out while I was ahead; unfortunately Vonage operates their cancellation division on eastern standard time (their new accounts arm works 24/7). Being on the west coast, and working until long after the Vonage cancellation office is closed presented a problem. I attempted to cancel by internet but there is no facility to do so on their website (lots of places to sign up though). I actually lost track of how long it had been since I set up the account by the time I finally had a day I could actually speak to someone. As it turns out, I was attempting to cancel on the 3rd of June and I set up the account on the 3rd of May. As I see it, I was within my one month grace period, as they saw it; I was one day over. The one day cost me an additional $130.00 in fees and charges. Understand that I never even plugged in a phone, just wanted to return their items and be done with it.
You could argue that I had plenty of time to cancel – but Vonage narrowed the available opportunities for west coast residents, and they do not take cancellations on the weekends, so instead of thirty days to cancel; you really only have 20.
I set up the account in good faith, and would have kept it if Vonage would have delivered on their promises – what I discovered through all this was that Vonage is using a veneer of deceptive advertising to lure in customers, and failing to disclose hidden charges during initial conversations. Further, I found that their customer service staff was all smiles until I attempted to cancel the account – then I was treated like a rented mule. One individual laughed openly when I asked to speak with a supervisor.
To add insult to injury, I was told that Vonage would send me an email that included a mailing label and a “Return Authorization” … silly me, I thought that the authorization would cover the return shipping charges – which is what practically every reputable company dose to preserve good will. Vonage; guess again.
If you are seriously considering getting into a contract with these people, head over to one of their many websites and see how long it takes you to figure out how to cancel the service. You’d be better off with a couple of tin cans and a string.
Well to all the unsatisfied customers of vonage you can actually contact the attorney generals office in your state in regards to their business handlings. Just click on file a complaint and they will mediate on your behalf and if things were handled inappropriately they will make them fix the situation. Be sure to fill out the complaint form in its entirety though for best results. Hope this is helpful…
Side topic:
Matt I am working on a revolutionary game and would like to hire your services could you please email me. thanks
After reading this about Vonage, I must agree. This company is trouble. I signed up an account with them for the church, thought that I would save a couple of dollars. They tell you not to call your telephone service to cancel your services that they will. I have embarq, when they call to cancel my telephone service, how about not only did they cancel the telephone service they even cancel DSL. I can’t even use the telephone line at all for call nor internet. These are the hidden things that vonage don’t want you to know.
Vonage then called and asked had I received my equipment. I told them about the problem that I had. The first customer service rep was ok. I told him that it never worked, they said that they offered stand alone DSL with a company by the name of White water or something and they said that they could sign me up for that. I told them that I didn’t want sign up for that service because I had contact my telephone company to get my service back. They then transfered me to the cancelation dept.
I found out to cance it would cost me 39.99. Now when they was telling about the service they said it would be one month for free. and when I cancel they said that it would be 39.99 until they got the equipment back. I beg them not to charge my church debit card because I didn’t have permission to do so. the just last at me and thought it was funny and said it I waited 2 more days that it would cost 100.00 + dollar to cancel because I was coming up on my 30 days. No notice, I signed up on July 23,2008 and got the equipment on 07/28/08 and they said if I left it on pass 08/20/08. it would cost 100.+. These people are crazy. They really didn’t turn my service on until 08/06/08. So how can you have 30 days of service if the service is off.
I read that you can file a complaint with attorney generals office and that is what I’m gonna do. These people need to be stopped. They are just a bunch of liars.