The Truth about LNP and Vonage!

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jun 25, 2006 Posts: 23

Or at the very least Vonage is using Focal as a Gateway Provider.

Your number, or DID, is held not by Vonage, but a different network provider. Vonage uses Focal Communications and Level 3 Communications for DID and Voip --> PSTN gateway services. In a less technical description, Vonage uses other companies to get service, and packages it for you so you do not have to be a total techie to......enjoy Voip.

Or be given a pain in the ass. Too bad your not an East Indian, eh. It's great to see Vonage is doing there part in sending what should be US jobs to another country. Jeez it makes you wonder where it is Vonage believes Americans get money from, if not a job. Vonage must think we all have a rich uncle who pays the bills for us.

Posts: 37 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Jul 12, 2006 Posts: 37

For me, my problem isn't that I have waited over 3 months for my number to transfer. My problem is that Vonage wants to CHARGE me although my phone line hasn't transferred.

Vonage needs to either 1) Send me my modem and let me tinker around with their FREE service or 2) Don't send me or bill me anything until my number transfers over.

I still find it very rediculous that Vonage will send you a modem the next day and then start billing you for it although your number hasn't transfered yet.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 6

Woo! I started on April 4th. I've been "escalated" at least 5 times Razz

First I was Confused

Then I was Evil or Very Mad

Now I laugh Lol

Next month I'll be Rolling Eyes

Next step... cancel

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jun 25, 2006 Posts: 23

Nope Vonage ain't free my friend, modem or Vonage phone. I believe you are referring to Skype.

Your lucky that you have number portability where you live. It said nothing on the box about a lack of portability in some areas when I purchased my phone....nothing in the directions when I was setting it up. Nope I found out about it while completing my setup online....a nice little notice popped up that their was no service in my area yet. So unless I want to saddle every local who calls me with long distance charges I have to run an 800 number for an additional 4.96 a month. It's of course a pain in the butt to have to tell everyone I know that my number has changed after the month long free recording relaying that info ends that my current phone company offers.

So if you have problems with Vonage porting your number it makes no difference whether your online or not. I would suggest that you check out the two companies mentioned in the previous post. It seems one or both of them are dropping the ball.
Check out the last sentence of this post and try your luck. If you are able get the phone number for Focal Communications or Level 3 Communications call them and ask what the hell the problem is....because my guess is it is with one of them. Vonages tech service Indians have been told not to mention it....or their scripted answers don't include any information about it so, of course, you don't get a relevant or useful answer. The tech service people actually KNOW NOTHING about Vonage phonesor the network....they do actually read answers from a script..and quite probably are contracted to field "tech service" calls for a number of businesses. All of the businesses for which they field "technical services" calls for supply them with such a list of frequently asked questions and the appropriate answers. So in essence your mom could be a Vonage "expert" offering "Technical Services". The trick is getting an American on the phone and I say TRICK in capital letters. An American who works at the Vonage headquaters office who understands the network and is willing to give you real answers to real questions. At the very least you may be able to prod them to work immediately with either Focal Communications or Level 3 Communications to straighten out your problem,

Believe me, I'm no expert on this....I knew as much as you about the peculiarities of Voip a week ago. I've had a couple of intimate dates with Google and educated myself....and the dates aren't over yet....If Vonage forces me to do their jobs for them then I will.....and I might try charging them for it as well. The internet is a powerful tool...and an informed consumer usually gets what they pay for,,,or their money back.

Best Wishes and Good Luck being one of the pioneers of a new technology,

RCD

Posts: 533 · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:21 pm Post subject:

I have to ask, what basis do any of you have for saying Vonage takes too long to port a number? Is there some kind of recognized industry standard for mean time to port? Does anyone have any other experience in porting a number that doesn't involve Vonage they can share?

Now, is five months too long? Sure it is, but there will always be corner cases like that where there is some strange extenuating circumstance.

Like the original poster said, every day your carrier hangs on to your number is another day they can bill you for. What possible motivation does Vonage have for not processing your port? They only have your business to lose if they don't do it.

Posts: 37 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Jul 12, 2006 Posts: 37

What does Vonage care about porting the number? They still charge you even if they don't port it. And if you cancel within the first year, they charge you a cancellation charge.

Posts: 533 · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 11:24 pm Post subject:

nutty wrote:

What does Vonage care about porting the number? They still charge you even if they don't port it. And if you cancel within the first year, they charge you a cancellation charge.

Because that doesn't make good business sense. They'd rather have you as a customer for years than collect a small cancellation charge. Market share is just as important to Vonage as revenue.

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jun 25, 2006 Posts: 23

It doesn't make good business sense...but when you market as heavily as Vonage does your new customers more than make up for the ones that you are pissing off. In fact I would hazard to guess that Vonage is nothing more than a smash and grab enterprise...it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Vonage suddenly and mysteriously goes out of business....I give them six months at best. Going public so quickly is a dead give away. The owners of course will abscond with a pile of cash,,,the stock holders will get screwed.

How much long term sense does it make to hire a bunch of non-English speaking script readers to do your tech service calls? Not to much if you plan to stay in business very long...then again I guess it wouldn't make any difference if you didn't.

RCD

Posts: 533 · Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:47 am Post subject:

Ok, carry on, have fun with your whining session...

Posts: 1123 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 1123

EzCo, I'm starting to like you more and more every day. Very Happy