Trying to call new Vonage customer but cant

Posts: 230

So I signed up my parents for Vonage today which is great because of me getting 2 months free and all but here is the problem.

I am trying to call them at their house on their MCI number but I automatically get sent to there Vonage Voicemail and cant get a hold of them because of it. Vonage tells me that I have to call them on there virtual number but I said they just signed up and do not have the equipment yet, so how am I suppose to get a hold of them. The answer, you'll have to wait until they get the voice adapter and call them on there virtual number until there MCI number is ported.

Thanks, I can wait 5 days in order to talk to my parents, Whatever. The customer service rep Jesse was not so friendly either.

Vonage needs to fix these stupid little quirks before they start adding features like wireless phones and video phones.

Posts: 170 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Dec 05, 2004 Posts: 170

You know, I was considering trying to get my parents to sign up and never thought of that problem. We all have cell phones too though so it's not a major issue. As far as Vonage is concerned, the number being ported is the primary number on the account. If you call from a Vonage line and dial that number, it sees it as a Vonage number and automatically dials the Vonage line, regardless of whether the number is ported yet or not. It would be nice if there was a way to dial it so that it bypasses the Vonage system and goes to where it is supposed to.

Maaz

Posts: 448 · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 10:35 am Post subject:

Vonage should NOT activate that number in your account until after the LNP is approved by the carrier and the transfer is completed, because that phone number becomes homed on 2 different phone systems (internally homed on Vonage's network, and externally homed with your local telco).

Here is a perfect examply why. I have a friend who bought a standard Vonage line to use with his fax machine, just so he could port his existing number to it. (you can't LNP to a $9.99 fax-only line) His LNP has been pending since November. It's impossible for me, or any other Vonage customer to send him a fax.

Why?

His fax is connected to his POTS line where that fax# is still active. He works from home (independent sales rep) and relies heavily on the fax machine, so he absolutely cannot plug the fax into the Vonage line until the LNP is completed.

I am on Vonage now. Neither I, nor anyone else using Vongae, can send him a fax because when I dial his fax number, it's routed to his Vonage line-- and as I already said, his fax machine is still connected to POTS line for obvious reasons. If any of his customers use Vonage and are attempting to fax him, they will not get through and he could potentially lose a sale because of it.

I think it is highly irresponsible for Vonage to activate an unported number for this reason.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 23, 2005 Posts: 2

This is not a big problem folks. Log into your Vonage account. From the features page access your call forwarding options. Set your option to: Will ring >> instantly before being forwarded to >> 1XXXYYYZZZZ. Enter your POTS number in place of 1XXXYYYZZZZ. Make sure "instantly" shows in the drop down menu. Hit the activate button. Do this for each number you have. Deactivate, or pick a different number to forward to, this once the LNP is complete.

Posts: 170 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Dec 05, 2004 Posts: 170

jandr100 wrote:

This is not a big problem folks. Log into your Vonage account. From the features page access your call forwarding options. Set your option to: Will ring >> instantly before being forwarded to >> 1XXXYYYZZZZ. Enter your POTS number in place of 1XXXYYYZZZZ. Make sure "instantly" shows in the drop down menu. Hit the activate button. Do this for each number you have. Deactivate, or pick a different number to forward to, this once the LNP is complete.

Does this really work though? Vonage is not going to route it outside of its network if it is a Vonage number. So it would think it's forwarding to itself, if it will even let you do that.

Maaz

Posts: 448 · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 12:09 pm Post subject:

jandr100 wrote:

This is not a big problem folks. Log into your Vonage account. From the features page access your call forwarding options. Set your option to: Will ring >> instantly before being forwarded to >> 1XXXYYYZZZZ. Enter your POTS number in place of 1XXXYYYZZZZ. Make sure "instantly" shows in the drop down menu. Hit the activate button. Do this for each number you have. Deactivate, or pick a different number to forward to, this once the LNP is complete.

Ummmm.... dude, you're not listening. Vonage considers the unported number as local to their network. If you forward your Vonage line to your unported POTS number, you are looping it right back onto your Vonage line.

Posts: 230 · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 4:52 pm Post subject:

Why is it that they have to put the pots number in the system? And the forwarding does not work. The fax machine problem is absolutely ridiculous as well. They need to fix these stupid a$$ problems if they want to play with the big boys.

Posts: 448 · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 10:02 pm Post subject:

tommy13v wrote:

Why is it that they have to put the pots number in the system?

I don't know, but I cc'd Jeffrey Citron on my response above. They are doing their customers a great disservice by activating a number on their network before it's ported, because of the incorrect routing issue. They should associate the number for accounting purposes, but not for routing purposes.

tommy13v wrote:

And the forwarding does not work.

The forwarding won't work because they route the unported number within their own network.

tommy13v wrote:

The fax machine problem is absolutely ridiculous as well.

Again, it's due to the single routing issue. "The number doesn't belong to us yet, but we're going to route it on our own network anyway." All they need to do is NOT route the number in transition until the previous carrier actually releases the number. It's a pretty cut and dry solution.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 23, 2005 Posts: 2

Dude, I am listening. I did it. Vonage told me to do it. It works.

Posts: 230 · Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:56 pm Post subject:

It does not work I get this error.

Error
The following error(s) occurred:
Invalid forwarding number: Both phone numbers cannot be equal