No Activation fee on Retail bought adapters?

Posts: 1320 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1320

When I signed up for Vonage just over a month ago, the sales rep tried to charge me the $39.99 connection fee, I said no way buddy am I going to pay that I will go to another VOIP service and they don't charge. He said just hold a minute sir, this call is being monitored and my supervisor told me if you sign up now the fee will be waived, all you need to do is pay the $19.99 for shipping, and I got the first month free. I hope others reading this didn't pay that connection fee.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 04, 2006 Posts: 4

I have the same problem, i have a dsl with bell. How to manage to change to a nude dsl on the sametime? Why no just change to nude dsl before?

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 4

I was at FutureShop a couple of weeks ago one Saturday afternoon and the Vonage reps were selling a big Vonage promo - free hardware, no activation, no annual contract and they threw in a $150 FutureShop gift card. The catch was that you had to commit for a year and I think it was only one day. What you notice very quickly is that whenever they give you something free, they take something away which is worth more. They always recoup more than they discount.

Exampe:

- Free hardware, but you pay an activation fee. Buy the hardware from the retailer? - no activation fee. Coincidence?

- Free month but you pay the same amount for shipping (shipping normally is less than $10 for something so small). Coincidence?

The only place to save money on this deal is in the monthly cost.

Posts: 1320 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1320

I am on a year contract and if I break it there is a fee.

You are correct on the shipping and the free month. Primus has VOIP service and they don't charge for shipping the unit, not sure how their service is and they don't have free long distance to selected countries in Europe. I wish Germany was a free call I am going to be spending some time there in the new year.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 4

Telus doesn't charge for the connection, but they do charge for the device. Like I said, the only reason you get a 'free device' from Vonage is that they get their money for it from your hook-up fee. Telus tells you there's no hook-up fee but then charges you $69 for the hardware.

I compared both and found that overall the startup cost difference was negligable. The Vonage service ended up being cheaper on a per-month basis and saved me about $20 on hookup. It had no geographic restrictions. It also has more usefuil features such as the automatic forwarding should your internet connection go down.

I just wish they'd be honest about the costs instead of all the BS 'creative' cost juggling. I guess they can't though if one company is saying 'free month' then they have to say 'free month' too, even if there isn't one.