Outbound Caller ID - Come on Vonage!

Posts: 1389 · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:46 pm Post subject:

tbmcdonald wrote:

If vonage doesn't have this fixed by December 2006, I will be canceling my subscription. I am giving them a time frame, but I would really like my name on my phone calls leaving my number, and if they can't do this. well, another VOIP company will..

Ok, please don't take this the wrong way, but what needs to be fixed per se? It is not something that they had and then took away or "broke" so how can it be fixed? Just a question.....

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 1

I am a new Vonage customer but I must say I was shocked to find that my new business class Vonage phone service does not list my company name on my customers caller ID. I am considering disconnecting the vonage service due to the problems this is causing me. Thank goodness I kept my primary phone line in place just in case I ran into a problem like this. Vonage missed the boat by not including outgoing Caller ID.

Posts: 131 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Apr 06, 2004 Posts: 131

I agree that outbound caller ID needs to include a name. It should be no different than a traditional phone line. In particular businesses need some control of the outbound name. For example, even though my Vonage business line does not normally transmit my business name, if I send a fax to a service like onebox, my name (not my business name) shows up in the sender field. So clearly, at some level, Vonage is sending some kind of name info...just not the name info that I would prefer.

If Vonage wants to include an option to disable the outbound name, that would not hurt my needs at all.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 23, 2004 Posts: 1

It would be nice to have some kind of control over the name... perhaps let the user enter a caller id name on the website, but have Vonage review/approve it before making it active?

Posts: 131 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Apr 06, 2004 Posts: 131

I have to say that it's hard to get control of outbound name, even with a traditional phone company. SBC never got mine right...or if they did, it did not product the desired effect.

It seems that the name data has to propagate to other systems somehow, so there was always someone, somewhere, that saw the wrong name, or no name at all.

Posts: 4

I've see outbound caller id with other than Vonage Holdings.
But ur right being able to change it from the web acct. would be great

Posts: 81 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 81

There are many sites, services and devices that will spoof or block caller ID. Just do a google search.

Posts: 131 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Apr 06, 2004 Posts: 131

Well...I see a lot of references to caller ID spoofing, but they all appear to be articles about how bad it is. I did not see any references to a device that is available for sale, and I would have to say that is everyone is in an uproar about the idea, and trying to figure out how to stop the practice, then I would be reluctant to purchase a device to do so.

I believe that ultimately, this is something that Vonage needs to address if they want to play with the big boys.

Posts: 81 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 81

Seems like most the devices have gone. The services you set up at a web site require you to give the number you're calling, your number and the name and number you want to show on the recieving caller ID. The site places the call to you and the receiver. I assume they keep a record, and they charge you a fee per call and per minute.

One thing you can do is *67 before each call. That blocks your ID from being sent. It will show as "Private" or "Unavailable" on the receiver's caller ID.

Posts: 131 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Apr 06, 2004 Posts: 131

We don't want to block our company name - we want our customers to know who is calling!