Is Vonage stable enough to pay annually ?

Posts: 99 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Dec 25, 2007 Posts: 99

Hello,

I have been using Vonage for 3 weeks and so far it's been working well.

I really like the idea of saving " another " 20% by paying for one year of service up front.

This reflects to an additional savings of around $6.27 a month.

I do understand that if I were to cancel I wouldn't receive any refund and I'm ok with that.

BUT, what scares me is....what if Vonage goes under ?

Vonage owes so much money from settling their legal troubles and still unable to turn a profit.

Am I just paranoid from reading the business section in the paper and online news ?

What do you all think ?

How many here pay annually ?

PSJ aka Marc

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Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: Nov 05, 2007 Posts: 9

Wow another person thinking like I am. Lol

I joined Vonage in Nov on there 500 min plan. I am thinking of paying annually also.

Vonage just introduced new technology at the CES. So they are still moving forward.

I think I am going to pay the year.

Hopefully Vonage can work on there customer retention now that the lawsuits are behind them.

Chris

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Oct 01, 2007 Posts: 8

Here are two articles from Jan 9 that make the future sound promising:

Vonage Hopes New Services Will Improve Prospects
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141225-c,ces/article.html

Vonage to exceed $1 bln in rev in 2009: chairman
http://www.reuters.com/article/COMSRV/idUSWEN331220080109

Posts: 99 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Dec 25, 2007 Posts: 99

cmarrero wrote:

Wow another person thinking like I am. Lol

I joined Vonage in Nov on there 500 min plan. I am thinking of paying annually also.

I think I am going to pay the year.

Chris

I went ahead a paid for the year....$305.05

Annual Residential Premium Unlimited Plan....This savings of 20% will save me $75.23 equaling $6.27 a month.

PSJ aka Marc

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Posts: 152 · Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:21 pm Post subject:

I signed up for the annual, pre-paid plan shortly after it was first offered last year. I got a bargain rate of $215 for the year. That works out to a bit less than $18 per month. (BTW, these numbers do not include any of the taxes and fees.)

I recently noticed that they started charging me $20.00 monthly, calling it their "Unlimited 12 Month Step Up Plan" even though I still have several months to go on my existing annual plan. There were also "overage minutes" being charged (one for a call to myself?) even though I am supposed to be on an unlimited plan. I called to find out what's up.

The customer service representative told me that the "Unlimited 12 Month Step Up Plan" was a plan that was billed monthly, but required a 12 month commitment. She couldn't tell me why my plan and billing was changed, but her solution was somewhat confusing.

After being placed on hold for a relatively short period, she came back and proudly announced that she had credited me the $20 per month for all the months that the step-up plan had been billed, PLUS an amount that was supposed to be equal to what was left on my original pre-paid annual plan.

I was then offered (today only) to sign up for a new pre-paid annual plan for ONLY $90 (or so, plus all of their credits). That added up to almost a $300 value. With my handy-dandy calculator I pointed out that $300 worked out to ... yes ... the same as the regular rate of $25 per month.

Then I was offered a pre-paid plan for $240 (yes, the same as the pre-paid annual rate on the web site). However, I pointed out that the $240 rate was the same as the $20 per month step-up plan, and I didn't have to pre-pay.

She then had some other offers, but by this time I was a bit leery. I insisted that she simply put me back on the balance of the pre-paid annual plan that I was on, and credit me for the erroneous charges. I will consider any new annual plan when it comes due.

I probably should have taken advantage of her other offers, one of which was a $50 discount (today only) on a pre-paid, annual plan. Since I was not sure if her offer applied to her $300 or the $240 annual plan, I will still wait. I will go online tomorrow to see if the original mess of charges have been corrected, then reconsider.

However, I seems like there are a lot of plans (500 minute plan, residential hold plan, unlimited monthly, unlimited step-up, annual, annual pre-paid, etc., etc.). many of which are not on their web site. I'm wondering if any other Vonage users know about these, or any other [non-published] plans that might be available.

Thanks.

Posts: 830 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 830

Truly amazing. I wonder of, when you choose an "annual" plan, do you change your auto renewal from monthly to annual. IE, at your anniversary are you committed to 1 year rather then month to month.

BTW, what is the step-up, annual?

Lastly can one change plans while still under their original 2 year contract for one of these lower rates?

Thanks!