The use of vonage in Mexico

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Oct 08, 2005 Posts: 1

I want to know if I can activate Vonage phone services in the USA and then take the phone box to mexico and lease it to a business for them to use for there american clients to be able to call back to the USA. So I subscribe to the Vonage service, thus I am responsible for the monthly bill. I take the service to Mexico, set it up in a retail location and change a fee to the owner. He in turn is able to offer his American clients, phone service back in the USA. Obviously I would not use the Vonage name, logos or anything to advertise Vonage. Is this OK?

Posts: 2251 · Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 3:09 pm Post subject: Re: The use of vonage in Mexico

home2000 wrote:

I want to know if I can activate Vonage phone services in the USA and then take the phone box to mexico and lease it to a business for them to use for there american clients to be able to call back to the USA. So I subscribe to the Vonage service, thus I am responsible for the monthly bill. I take the service to Mexico, set it up in a retail location and change a fee to the owner. He in turn is able to offer his American clients, phone service back in the USA. Obviously I would not use the Vonage name, logos or anything to advertise Vonage. Is this OK?

I will not tell you what is right or wrong, neither in Mexico nor on behalf of Vonage, as I am not in a position to do so.

But I will tell you that you would not be the first person to do this.

Posts: 49 · Full Forum Member Joined: Nov 27, 2004 Posts: 49

home2000 wrote:

So I subscribe to the Vonage service, thus I am responsible for the monthly bill. I take the service to Mexico, set it up in a retail location and change a fee to the owner. He in turn is able to offer his American clients, phone service back in the USA. Obviously I would not use the Vonage name, logos or anything to advertise Vonage. Is this OK?

No, it's not OK.

This is pretty clear cut here. First, read the Terms of Service.

For a residential line the TOS clearly states:

Quote:

2.2 Residential Use of Service and Device. If you subscribe to Vonage's residential services, the Service and the Device are provided to you solely for residential use. You shall not resell or transfer the Service or the Device to another party without our prior written consent. You are prohibited from using the Service or the Device for auto-dialing, continuous or extensive call forwarding, telemarketing (including, without limitation, charitable or political solicitation or polling), fax or voicemail broadcasting or fax or voicemail blasting. We reserve the right to immediately terminate or modify your Service if we determine, in our sole and absolute discretion, that your use of the Service or the Device is, or at any time was, inconsistent with normal residential usage patterns. In addition, you will be required to pay our higher rates for commercial service for all periods in which your use of the Service or the Device was inconsistent with normal residential use.

For small business use it says:

Quote:

2.3 Small Business Use of Service and Device. If you subscribe to Vonage's Small Business services, the Service and Device are provided to you as a small business user. You shall not resell or transfer the Service or the Device to another party without our prior written consent. You are prohibited from using the Service or the Device for auto-dialing, continuous or extensive call forwarding, telemarketing (including, without limitation, charitable or political solicitation or polling), fax or voicemail broadcasting or fax or voicemail blasting. We reserve the right to immediately terminate or modify your Service if we determine, in our sole and absolute discretion, that you have at any time used the Service or the Device for any of the aforementioned or similar activities.

What you can do is contact Vonage and request permission in writing to do this. But remember, you'll need to have a business account to have a shot at doing this for a business in Mexico.

Just because someone might already be doing what you are suggesting doesn't mean it is permissable.

How will this retail business in Mexico make emergency calls to the police, fire department, or ambulance? Vonage requires you to give a physical location for an account so that 911 calls can be directed to the appropriate location. Should someone at a retail business in Mexico try to use a Vonage line to request emergency help you could be liable for any delays in getting help there.

I'm a bit disappointed that someone previously took a stance at not stating what was right or wrong about this when it's clearly stated on the Terms of Service. A link could have at least been provided. You deserved a better response than that.

Do let us know if Vonage gives written permission to do this!

Posts: 1389 · Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:37 pm Post subject:

True, that is what the TOS says...
That being said, many people have used residential accounts for home based or small businesses.

I can neither bless nor condemn his decision, but I would give it a try...

Posts: 82 · Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 8:28 pm Post subject:

Go for it, it should work. But if you get caught we are not responsible.

Posts: 423 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Oct 03, 2005 Posts: 423

yes it is against the terms of service, and also check out what kind of internet connection is there - I can't say it enough - Vonage will only work as good as your internet connection and everything on LACNIC pretty much blows. Blows like the exhaust fan in the back of a greasy thai restaurant. Run some serious bandwidth/QOS tests at that location.

Somone I work with was telling me how the head of Mexico's largest ISP basically took the money that was meant to improve the infrastructure of that county's network and bought himself houses, cars and marble fountains and stuff, and basically told the citizens, "too bad".

May not be entirely accurate, but it's not too hard to believe.