Has It Begun? The disintegration of Vonage?

Posts: 172 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Apr 19, 2006 Posts: 172

houuser wrote:

The question is: Is Vonage leaving us?

I vote no...

Vonage will still continue providing their service and no changes on the rate plans as well unless you as a customer upgrade or downgrade your plan.

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Who said being Beautiful automatically means you're dumb?

Posts: 61 · Full Forum Member Joined: Mar 09, 2007 Posts: 61

don't really have much to compare to as a new customer. Service was perfect a month ago when I signed up. This week it ****. I can not keep a call going. The call keeps dropping, I cant call and ask for help because I am on hold so long, my call ends up getting dropped. I was really happy, now I just don't even know what is going on. I guess if I switch now after less then two months I will have to pay a penalty. I switch from Lingo after being with them for 3 years. I hate to make another switch that will take another 3 or 4 weeks to have two numbers ported and more activation fees. I just hope all will be fine with Vonage and I will not have to switch, but I can not go another weeks with calls dropping like this. I can hear them, they cant hear me. I do rentals, and this is not good to my renters, because some of them are using pay phones. They called with a problem and they are not happier when they have to make another call to me. I will keep hoping for the best.

Posts: 153 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Jan 11, 2007 Posts: 153

danielbo wrote:

Service was perfect a month ago when I signed up. This week it ****. I can not keep a call going.

It sounds to me like something changed in your network setup, either inside your own network or at your ISP. Can you think of any changes, even if you wouldn't expect them to affect your Vonage service, that you made a week or so ago?

Posts: 66 · Full Forum Member Joined: May 25, 2006 Posts: 66

Bear in mind they're probably playing with their network at the moment - they have to get around these patent issues.

If they don't, they get shutdown tomorrow (I think the two weeks expires Friday?).

So maybe cut them a little slack while they make some changes...

Posts: 26 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Aug 11, 2005 Posts: 26

I was very encouraged Vonage found a work around for the patent mess until this morning when I read that the patents from Voip Inc. wouldn't get them out from under Verizon's suit. A few sources had reported it would.......

http://gigaom.com/2007/04/04/the-vonage-voip-inc-deal-mess/#more-8630

There is so much pressure on Vonage right now. Their stock has nearly been cut in half since the beginning of the year.

Posts: 21 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 17, 2004 Posts: 21

This may be a small concern to some, but it's a major factor in my decision to stay or go...keeping my phone number. If Vonage is forced out, I'm afraid my phone number will die also!

My gut feeling is to bailout right now, then hopefully return in the future in a more stable environment.

I have been with Vonage since March of 2004 and have had nothing less than great experiences...with the exception of the recent glitch that took out service for almost a day.

Posts: 73 · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:25 am Post subject:

jehowe wrote:

I was very encouraged Vonage found a work around for the patent mess until this morning when I read that the patents from Voip Inc. wouldn't get them out from under Verizon's suit. A few sources had reported it would.......

http://gigaom.com/2007/04/04/the-vonage-voip-inc-deal-mess/#more-8630

There is so much pressure on Vonage right now. Their stock has nearly been cut in half since the beginning of the year.

This is not a work around: Deal with VoIP Inc unrelated to Verizn patent loss

Posts: 233 · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:17 am Post subject:

I seriously doubt Vonage will show their hand right now (tell you all about their work around). If they did then I feel Verizon's lawyers (aka pack of wolves) would immediately plunge upon it and see how they could stop it. I don't have the reference in front of me right now, but somewhere I read that Verizon is already trying to examine Voip, Inc. This whole escapade makes me feel like the object of the game is not actually protecting a patent. Rather it is a method of lashing out at the best known target in hopes companies will back off. Don't forget that Verizon is a cloak for GTE and Bell Atlantic who both enjoyed monopoly status for years. Even after Judge Green took the axe out and deregulation happened, they got a cut of the cash on hardware with the "must carry" rules. God forbid somebody find a full work around their income.

Personally, I wouldn't sweat a sudden shutdown of the service. I won't say it is a 100% guarantee, but I would say a lot of people will be very unhappy if it happens. I feel like politicians' #1 goal is to make money, but they can't reach the #1 goal if they can't stay in office. Politics! I am so happy I am an engineer.

Whatever happens now you probably don't have enough time to make a transfer and protect a telephone number if the decision went against Vonage. I think the whole thing will not drag on long unless Verizon decides to make another legal move. In either case we are not talking about much if Vonage makes the payment and then wants to license the patents.

Now, let's take worst case and assume I wake up on Saturday to no dial tone. I went to the store, bought my Vonage adapter, and had dial tone within 10 minutes of getting home. I can still do that, granted I would change phone numbers. For those with strong affection for certain phone numbers it may be a problem.

Posts: 61 · Full Forum Member Joined: Mar 09, 2007 Posts: 61

What to do? What to do?
I know I don't want to switch. I just got everything set up. I have been looking, but I am happy where I am at. There is a couple of things I have found in some other companies that look more appealing. Most of them cost less, and I mis my speed dialing I had with Lingo. I really think that is the only thing I would like to see with Vonage. I wish I just would have known about this problem with Verizion before I made a commitment with Vonage.

Posts: 208 · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:37 pm Post subject:

speed dial? isn't that a function of your phone?