Free call forwarding from vonage phone to cell phone?

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 19, 2005 Posts: 3

My cell phone company allows me to receive unlimited, free incoming calls from one phone number, (which I have to pre-register with them). I'd like to register my Vonage phone number, so that if someone from home (using my Vonage phone) calls my cell phone it won't count against the minutes in my cell phone plan. OK no problem there.

I'd also like to setup call forwarding, from my Vonage phone to my cell phone, so that if the call isn't answered at home it will ring to my cell phone. Ok so far even a caveman could do this. Oh, well let’s not go there.

Anyway my question is, will the forwarded call, from my Vonage phone, to my cell phone, be received as a call from my Vonage phone number (and therefore be received as a free incoming call on my cell phone), or will it show up as coming from the originator of the call (and count against my cell phone minutes and possibly cost me long distance charges besides)?

Has anyone tried this and checked to see if forwarded calls are actually forwarded from your Vonage phone number or just rerouted around it?

Thanks,
Rich

Posts: 42 · Full Forum Member Joined: Sep 27, 2005 Posts: 42

The number that appears on all forwarded calls is the number of the originating caller. Looks like you'll be paying long distance charges if you set it up this way.

Posts: 216 · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 3:54 pm Post subject:

caralmar wrote:

The number that appears on all forwarded calls is the number of the originating caller. Looks like you'll be paying long distance charges if you set it up this way.

I agree that the number that shows up is the number of the originator. What I don't understand is why you would pay Long Distance charges.

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 19, 2005 Posts: 3

Some people are claiming that if you have the $14.95 Vonage package, then forwarded calls count against your 500 minutes as if the call was actually answered by your Vonage phone.

I was hoping that Vonage was "relaying" the call from the original caller to my Vonage phone and then from my Vonage phone to my cell phone, especially since the call is coming off my Vonage minutes.

I'm just trying to make sense of all this.

I wonder if Vonage is just forwarding the caller id information.

Posts: 216 · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 4:04 pm Post subject:

weiss04 wrote:

Some people are claiming that if you have the $14.95 Vonage package, then forwarded calls count against your 500 minutes as if the call was actually answered by your Vonage phone.

I was hoping that Vonage was "relaying" the call from the original caller to my Vonage phone and then from my Vonage phone to my cell phone, especially since the call is coming off my Vonage minutes.

I'm just trying to make sense of all this.

I wonder if Vonage is just forwarding the caller id information.

First, incoming calls do not count against your 500 minutes.

That being said, I would tend to think that you would be charged for minutes when you forward calls. So, if you really want to set it up like this then you should get the unlimited plan. Of course that would not help your cell phone bill. Wink

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 4:17 pm Post subject:

weiss04 wrote:

I wonder if Vonage is just forwarding the caller id information.

Yes, they are.

And since your Cell Phone company almost certainly uses the caller ID information to determine whether the call is chargeable or not, that means that you will probably get charged for the incoming calls.

Posts: 216 · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 4:22 pm Post subject:

So, again, if you sign up for the Vonage unlimited plan you would be covered on the Vonage end of things.

Now you just need to do something about your cell phone bill. Wink

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 19, 2005 Posts: 3

OK I was thinking of getting the $24.95 Vonage plan for unlimited incoming and outgoing calls anyway. I'll just have to confirm with my cellular company on how they determine where the call came from (from the caller ID or some other method)

So if my next door neighbor calls my Vonage phone (which is a local call) and then I forward the call to my cell phone which is a long distance phone number could he get charged for a long distance call?

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 09, 2006 Posts: 1

I have Vonage, the business unlimited with Sprint and free incominmg calls. It is perfect, i never miss a call.

Posts: 216 · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:45 am Post subject:

weiss04 wrote:

So if my next door neighbor calls my Vonage phone (which is a local call) and then I forward the call to my cell phone which is a long distance phone number could he get charged for a long distance call?

He should get charged for a local call.