Vonage Charging for Replacement of defective Router

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 26, 2007 Posts: 4

My router was "determined" to be defective after 3 hours and 2 reps later on the phone. the tech rep said he'd have to send out a new router. I was leaving town so I called back when I returned. Much to my surprised I received an email after I requested the replacement that Vonage CHARGED ME $97! Customer "CARE?" told me that was because my warranty expired! How ridiculous.

Time Warner doesn't charge for a replacement of a Roadrunner router when it is defective. This equipment is necessary for Vonage or any company to provide the service I am paying for! Hell, at my Spanish home, even Telefonica provides the phone for free! This is a great way for Vonage to lose customers...no where on my original agreement did it say I was buying the router and I was responsible for it. Nowhere did it state I received an instant rebate for the router. It all came with the kit for which I paid for shipping only.

Has anyone else been so mistreated? I am sure the router doesn't cost almost $100!

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

With cable modem services you lease the modem for a monthly fee.

Section 2.13 of the Vonage TOS clearly states you own the device.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 26, 2007 Posts: 4

THANKS for the info...you must work for Vonage.

This does not appear anywhere on the written contract I have. If it was changed afterwards, a notice should have been provided. it was not part of my original agreement.

NO I do not lease my cable modem. I pay for the service. It would be foolish to pay $40 a month for a piece of equipment that I could buy for much less than a year's lease.

The same goes for my Spanish telephone, TV and internet service. Telefonica provides the equipment so they can provide the service. It is part of the infrastructure. Do you think TMobile is charging customers for the new routers they provide for the inhome wifi/cell service? No.

Vonage is wrong. I called a few other Voip companies and they do not charge. Only one did and it was $25 for a replacement, which they said basically covered shipping and handling. So where does Vonage get off ripping off customers for $100?

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

RER wrote:

THANKS for the info...you must work for Vonage.

This does not appear anywhere on the written contract I have. If it was changed afterwards, a notice should have been provided. it was not part of my original agreement.

NO I do not lease my cable modem. I pay for the service. It would be foolish to pay $40 a month for a piece of equipment that I could buy for much less than a year's lease.

The same goes for my Spanish telephone, TV and internet service. Telefonica provides the equipment so they can provide the service. It is part of the infrastructure. Do you think TMobile is charging customers for the new routers they provide for the inhome wifi/cell service? No.

Vonage is wrong. I called a few other Voip companies and they do not charge. Only one did and it was $25 for a replacement, which they said basically covered shipping and handling. So where does Vonage get off ripping off customers for $100?

Nope. I don't work for Vonage. Just did a quick scan of the Terms of Service.

I use Comcast cable modem and my modem rental is $3 a month. They itemize it on the bill. I have the option of buying my own but I got burned with that in the past with another company.

Since most of the retailers charge $49 for the device, why not just buy one at a retailer and call Vonage and have them program it as your replacement?

Posts: 448 · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:35 pm Post subject:

ShelChgo wrote:

I use Comcast cable modem and my modem rental is $3 a month. They itemize it on the bill. I have the option of buying my own but I got burned with that in the past with another company.

Not true with every cable system. Brighthouse Road Runner includes the modem as part of the monthly service. I have the option to buy my own modem, but it does not reduce the bill in any way.

Posts: 448

RER wrote:

Much to my surprised I received an email after I requested the replacement that Vonage CHARGED ME $97! Customer "CARE?" told me that was because my warranty expired! How ridiculous.

After ~3 years as a customer, my adapter was out of warranty also, but they refused to replace it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It costs a LOT less to retain a loyal long-term customer than it does to acquire a brannd new customer.

Long story short, after talking with 4 reps who only had "No" in their vocabulary, I called the cancellation department and told them to close the account if they wouldn't replace the adapter. I told him I was not going to spend $80 for the "privilege" of remaining their customer, when their competitors would gladly give me one for free.

New adapter arrived, free of charge, several days later.

Saying "No" to reasonable requests from long-term customers is a very effective way of killing whatever loyalty your customers might have. No wonder they are hemorrhaging subscribers from every orifice.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 3:52 pm Post subject:

Vonage's ToS has always stated that you own the adapter, at least it has for the last 2 years and change I've been a customer, and I can't believe they've changed it before that. The Cable companies who provide a modem either have it baked into the monthly fee or they line-item it.

Vonage is on the "cell phone" model. They'll give you a free or nearly free adapter, but only once. The difference between them and the cell companies is that their "early termination fee" is $40 instead of $175-200, but once your initial contract ends, you can't renew it and get a new system.

Rebus is correct, I'd start by calling the cancellation department and informing them very politely that the service is no good to you without an adapter, and that they can choose to send you a new adapter, or they can cancel your account.

If they cancel it, you can go to the store and choose from any of the Voip companies (including, but not limited to, Vonage) and get a new adapter for free all over again. Or you can likely port your number to another Voip company (but you have to maintain your Vonage account until that port is complete, or you run the risk of losing the number - standard practice in phone number ports).

Frankly, I don't know of any of the Voip companies that will replace an out-of-warranty adapter for you for free. Maybe some will, I've only done business with Vonage, but I can't imagine many of them handing them out upon request and staying in business. $100 is actually a fairly reasonable price for a Voip adapter and router combination, and even at cost that's a lot of profits eaten up when you swap out a device like that.

Though, if you end deciding to replace the device yourself, I'd heavily advise you to buy the cheapest Voip adapter you can find (I think the PAP2 is about $50 with no rebates required), and get yourself a decent, SEPARATE router. Vonage can easily move your account to a new, retail-purchased adapter. SOME people have even reported success in buying a used one on eBay, but that doesn't always work, and is a risky way to swap it out IMHO.

But I think a few calls to the cancellation department will eventually yield you a customer service rep who can get you a new device for free. Remember - in all likelihood, that will "reset the clock" on your contract (which would probably become 2 years) and cancellation within that timeframe will set you back $40. But a chance of paying $40 tomorrow is better than a certainty of paying $100 today...

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 26, 2007 Posts: 4

thanks to all for your sound advice....as for a company providing the adapter for free, well I spoke with Voip for Life today and they replace them free but there service is more expensive, monthly fee and the monthly fee for the international virtual number I need for my family to call me in the states. Plus they have no contract and no cancellation fees. I will call the cancellation dept and see what they have to say.

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 10

After 3 years with Vonage I also switched to "VoIP Your Life" when my Vonage router failed - VYL sent me a free router, do not have a contract requirement, very friendly English speaking service, ported my old Verizon number from Vonage in about four weeks, good quality audio on all VYL calls, never looked back....

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 26, 2007 Posts: 4

I got a call from VyL and their costs are much higher than Vonage's. Especially for the international virtual numbers. But that still does not mean I won't switch.

I sent back the adapter Vonage sent. Can you believe they are charging $97 for a USED device!? A new one at CompUSA is $40...same Vonage kit. Cheeky eh?

I'm traveling again, so I will deal with this nightmare later and just rely on my cell phone for the time being. At least my home calls are forwarded to my cell so I won't miss any calls.