virtual number is long distance -Thanks Vonage - issue fixed

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 22, 2006 Posts: 2

Thank you to all who responded helpfully. Particularly Steve48 who guided me to help, midnyt_sun, and Hairball who warned me about a potential call forwarding issue. You guys were great!

I am pleased to report that Vonage customer service responded quickly to my request to get a virtual number in my local exchange.

I am new to Vonage and once I found how to get help (again thanks to Steve48), my problem was resolved.

I am very pleased with the excellent Vonage customer service.

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I just signed up today for Vonage service and was hoping to call forward my existing number calls to the temporary (virtual) number while I wait for my existing number to transfer. I was convinced it was okay to go ahead and initiate the number transfer during sign-up.

The problem is that the virtual number I was given is a long distance call (I live in a very large geographic area code). The temporary number is from a far away rural location that is long distance. This means that all of my Call Forwarding would be long distance, and anyone calling my Vonage Temp Number directly would have to place a long distance call..

I am hoping there is a Vonage representative reading this posting that can help me get a virtual number in my local exchange that will carry me through the number transfer period.

Has anyone else had this issue and how can I get it fixed?

Tim

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

You might want to try dropping an Email to them using the forum link (menu, top left, Vonage Information/Contact support). We're told this route gets special attention.

Posts: 174 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Jun 12, 2006 Posts: 174

tmorder wrote:

an inappropriately assigned virtual number without charging a fee???

I agree with e-mailing and staying after them to see if the are WILLING to change your virtual number, but PLEASE change your attitude before doing that . . . you say the number was inappropriately assigned, suggesting that it is Vonage's "fault". The fact is, the only thing Vonage says regarding the temporary number that will be assigned during a number port is

"You will be assigned a temporary phone number for immediate use with the same area code (if available) as your current number. "

I know just what you mean, and I realize that there are many, perhaps even most, areas where numbers in the same area code may still be long distance calls, but the fact is, assuming your virtual number has the same AREA CODE as your old number, then the virtual number was NOT inappropriately assigned, you got just what Vonage said you would get.

If I am a customer service person and a customer calls a little upset and taking the WRONG position that my company has INAPPROPRIATELY set something up or done something, I would be much less open to trying to come up with a fix than if that same customer called and said, "Hey, I setup service and my number port, but it turns out the temporary number I was assigned is long distance from my home . . . is there any way to try and change that?"

Vonage is not wrong here . . . it is frustrating and annoying for the consumer, but it doesn't help to take the stance that Vonage assigned the number inappropriately!

Posts: 36 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Sep 02, 2006 Posts: 36

It more or less takes 20 days to transfer the number to Vonage; until the transfer process is complete your number will continue with your local carrier so you don't need to forward your calls to the temp #.

You can just use tha temp # for outgoing calls.

Posts: 19 · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 2:57 pm Post subject:

I think that your number port will go faster if you call and have call forwarding taken off of your POTS account. I know 4 different people that have signed up and ported their number in the last 6 months and in each case the process was slowed because they had call forwarding on their line. Two of them didn't even use the call forwarding but had to have it removed before Vonage could go forward with the process. Below is a copy of the email one of them received from Vonage. In most case's the number port was completed in 14 days or less. Just be sure NOT to cancel you POTS service. Vonage will take care of that for you after the number port is completed. I hope this saves you some time.

[align=center]************** COPY OF EMAIL FROM VOANAGE************************[/align]

Dear Karen ######,

Thank you for requesting to transfer your number 555-555-5555 to
Vonage. Unfortunately, we have been advised by your current phone
company that there is an issue that is preventing the transfer to
Vonage. The below issue needs to be addressed in order to transfer
your number.

Call forwarding is currently associated with the number you wish to
transfer. You will need to contact your phone company to remove this
feature in order to proceed with transferring your number.

In order to resolve this issue, we suggest that you:
- Call your current phone company and request that Call Forwarding be
removed from the line you wish to transfer.
- Confirm with your phone company that your account has been updated
to reflect the change by getting a confirmation number.
- Reply to this email with the confirmation number.

Once Call Forwarding is removed from your line and we receive the
confirmation number, we can continue with your number transfer.

Please reply to this email within 7 days or your number transfer
request will be cancelled, and your temporary Vonage number will
become your permanent number. Thank you for your prompt attention to
this matter so that we may process your request in the quickest manner
possible.

Thank you for choosing Vonage for your phone service. And please
remember that you can use your Vonage service in the meantime with
your temporary number to start getting the benefit of saving on your
long distance calls.

Sincerely,
Yuvraj Yadav
Vonage Customer Care

Posts: 51 · Full Forum Member Joined: Aug 14, 2006 Posts: 51

any feature on a line would cause the number porting to stop. DSL, Call forwarding, ring master, call forward on busy..

Posts: 19 · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 9:13 am Post subject:

I wouldn't say "ANY FEATURE". My friend also had Caller ID, Call Waiting, 3 Way Calling and voice mail and they were not required to be removed from the account.

Posts: 241 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Mar 17, 2006 Posts: 241

Call forwarding does not interfere with porting the number.

I had my old Verizon line forwarded to my Vonage virtual number right through a port. It went through in about 11 days.