The call that broke the camels back.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Aug 04, 2004 Posts: 1

You know, I love Vonage for a number of reasons. First, they have that startup vibe, they are still responsive to customers and not least of all they are based in my home state of New Jersey.
But, for the moment I am pissed off at Vonage. To be fair, it's not entirely their fault, you see I enjoy getting a full-nights sleep and recently I was put on nights at the job where I work (i'm doing a rotation on the night shift of my company's 24/7 support line). So, I end up sleeping during the days. This means that every little telmarketer, pollster, chimmney sweeper thinks that it's "ok" to call me at all hours of the day with no regard for the fact that to me it's the equivlent of 3 am in the morning.
So, you see, the other day I was fed up and turned off the phone in my room so that it would not ring. As a result I missed an extremely important phone call. Is it Vonage's fault, no. Could they have done something to prevent it, yes. A simple ACR or a nice call filtering system would be ideal.

It's hardly like i'm the only person asking for this:

http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic172.html
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic1887.html
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic276.html
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic5619.html
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic6460.html
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic7375.html
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic916.html
http://www.vonage-forum.com/sutra17153.html
http://www.vonage-forum.com/sutra31635.html

Vonage has still not implemented any form of call blocking whatsoever despite all the above calls to do so. In fact,
In this thread from late 2004:
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic916.html
an offical Vonage representative, JScott, sums up vonage's call filtering plans

Quote:

Nope, not yet.

eloquent mr scott.

then in this forum thread from january of 2005:
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic2482.html
has the owner of this site, dconnor, emphatically stating over 9 months ago that a

Quote:

RELIABLE SOURCE [says] anonymous call block will be made available on Vonage Very Soon.

he also says that call filtering will be avalible at

Quote:

about the same time

So, what has happened in the past 9 months?

Why am i waiting for what should be such a trivial feature to implement.
This has become a deal-breaker. Anyone have any alternatives to Vonage that allow this. Or a SIP-compatible device that I could use with Vonage that would allow me to implement this? I am hardly a non-technical user. Anyone know if I can use asterisk with Vonage? that should allow me the measure of customization that I require.
Someone from Vonage needs to get up off their butt and do something about this.

Posts: 605 · Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:31 am Post subject:

I pay 10 dollars a year to be on the State of Florida do not call list with the dept of agriculture and consumer affairs. Also I signed up for the national do not call list which is free. I have not received ONE telephone solicitaion since I have been with Vonage.

Posts: 605 · Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:33 am Post subject:

I have told a lie. I do receive a call from time to time from non-profit orgs that are exempt from the do not call list. But I find if blast music really loud into the phone they dont call back.

Posts: 37 · Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 10:24 am Post subject:

Hello adammuller, just go an put your name on the national 'do not call" list...can be found here: https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

just click on register a number..it is free and within a short period of time you will stop receiving most telemarketers calls

good day

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 11:15 am Post subject:

I'm using a cell # that was ported over to Vonage... it IS on the Do Not Call list, but I've never had it be an issue either.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 23, 2005 Posts: 1

With all due respect, recommending signing up for a Do Not Call list--while a good idea in general--is a workaround, not a fix. One could even call it avoiding the issue.

Inbound CallerID filtering is a reasonable feature request, as is Distinctive Ring based on CallerID and/or Virtual line, plus a double handful of other features that I've seen requested.

I've been with Vonage for about a year now, and am happy with the service, but I'm really tired of waiting for some pretty basic features to appear. It's just an IP service, and the opportunity cost of switching to another provider is...well...practically zero. Seriously, a few days of screwing around, and I could be up on SunRocket, or an equally well-reviewed provider that offers precisely those features for the same cost.

And, one of these days, Comcast (my ISP) will probably offer "digital phone" services, and while it will probably be a bit more expensive and less feature-laden, I'm willing to bet that the call quality and reliability will be on par with Vonage--that's practically the only thing the large services have to hang their hat on. I'd be shocked if they pushed the envelope on features.

I like Vonage. I'd rather not switch. But I will.

c

Posts: 47 · Full Forum Member Joined: Aug 18, 2005 Posts: 47

I think the problem is one of a police radar race. I can't think of a better or more reasonable metaphor, so let me explain:
The same jerkwad who invented police speed-checking radar invented the radar detector. So he made a buttload of money on selling radar to the ossifers, then made a buttload more by selling radar detectors to The Fast and the Furious crowd.

So back in the EIGHTIES, which some of you are too young to remember, something called "Caller ID" was invented. Suddenly members of certain communities were upset about the loss of anonymity, and rightly so. You know if you call some places, they turn around and sell your name & phone number to other solicitors. But I digress...
Caller ID came along, and for a time, things were good. Then came the outcries of "How do I make an anonymous call to the police about the mafia hit going down across the street from me now?"

Those cries were silenced shortly thereafter. Allegedly.

So when companies were selling you Caller ID so that you knew who was calling you, but the callers wanted anonymity, they started selling Caller ID Block. So now, just like the cops and the hot rodders both had useless, neutralized technology, everyone could buy Caller ID or Caller ID block.
Vonage is the exception because they don't Charge for caller ID but they seem to still follow the tradition. They offer free caller ID and free caller ID block.
So if they offer caller ID block, how can they offer anonymous call block? It'd be their own customers blocking more of their own customers. Now it goes from a police radar war to a Bugs vs. Elmer Fudd war, where each side keeps pulling out a bigger gun.

Only time will tell. (Dconnor =/= time)

-tix3oN

Posts: 2251 · Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:48 pm Post subject:

Ok, I was with you right until the end: "(Dconnor =/= time)"

I spent 10 plus minutes thinking about, went for a walk, had a glass of wine and played we the golden retriever (Luke). I even asked the wife (big mistake)...

I am still at not getting it: "(Dconnor =/= time)"

I need one more clue, please.

Smile

Posts: 47 · Full Forum Member Joined: Aug 18, 2005 Posts: 47

Oh! Sorry big D, I was just saying "Only time will tell" and "Daniel Connor is not equal to time", just meaning that even though you know more about Vonage than most of the executive management staff of Vonage, you can't predict when they'll get around to developing or releasing a feature.
-

Posts: 2251 · Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 2:53 pm Post subject:

ah, ok

I think it is safe to say that all of the Kings men and all of the Kings horses are working on 911 implementation.