Internal Vonage problems porting # back to phone company

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 15, 2006 Posts: 3

I thought I would share my experience with Vonage today.

A few months ago we signed up for the Vonage service. We were supplied with a virtual number with the service. We decided to switch our existing local phone company phone number to Vonage. Which was completed without a problem.

Members of the family were not pleased with the internet phone so we decided to go back to the regular phone company. I believe the problems were more related to the operation of the internet connection rather than a problem with the Vonage service.

Here is where Vonage customer support really messed up.

When we ported the phone number back over to our local phone company we were left with no phone number. The Vonage dashboard listed the only phone number available as the one that we just ported back to the local phone company. They had also deleted the virtual number that was given at the time of signup.

So we were left with no phone number for people to contact us using the Vonage service with. Which is understandable. A quick email to Vonage customer support should fix this.

My first email resulted in them telling me to setup a new virtual number. Rather than going on about the 2nd email telling me to get a virtual number and telling me it would be free, not being able to be connected with a live agent, holding for 10 minutes and having someone answer the phone and repeat that they couldn't hear me on the phone (apparently a bad phone connection, .. how ironic Smile

, the 2nd agent transferring me to the billing department because it was no longer a technical issue, 10 minute hold, the 3rd agent telling me that they did not have the ability to issue credits because they were not an "Advanced Billing Representative", another hold for 15 minutes, and finally to the 6th person I delt with.

The 6th rep that I communicated with had a very hard time understanding basic logic and felt the need to tell me she understood and that I was not understanding. After explaining the 4th time slowly and making sure that she was following me on every step of logic. ex. (the phone number transferred to qwest, I no longer have a phone number for people to call me on, does that make sense?) Apparently the first 3 times it did not, but I'm happy to report that on the 4th time of explanation and 15 minutes into the call she did understand. She was finally able to issue a new virtual number and because it was her fault she was suddenly in a 'jolly' and courteous mood. She explained that my first contact via email should have fixed the problem by the techs simply issuing a new number for the Vonage service. Sounds like an internal communication problem in the company. I'm going to send them a copy of this as well, in hopes they can provide better customer service is this should happen to any poor sap in the future.

My god, this issue must come up more than once? I'm very surprised.

My phone is operational again and the fees were reversed.

Posts: 350 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Dec 04, 2005 Posts: 350

Or you could have changed your Vonage phone number in the web account in about 2 minutes...