Have the prices just gone up?

Posts: 122 · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 6:23 pm Post subject:

Trowski,

Yeah, I know I can take my money elsewhere and that's what I did when I left Verizon, so don't tell me something I already know. Furthermore, the only point I was trying to make in my post was the fact that Vonage is starting to get cheap and stingy. Cases in point: 1. No more free Second month if you sign-up through this website. 2. No more free RTP-300, now you have to spend $9.99. Yes, $9.99 is still a very good price for a quality adapter such as the RTP-300, but it's $9.99 more than I had to spend for the exact same adapter 2 months ago! 3. For the Free adapter they will send you, it's a Refurbished Motorola. My free adapter WAS a brand-new RTP-300.

Yes, Vonage is entitled to make money. It's a business. Just like Exxon-Mobile is entitled to make $10B in a single quarter right? Also, when's the last time you bought a half-gallon of ice cream? You can't anymore! Now, they're all 1.75 quarts (instead of 2 quarters = half gallon). Did the price of ice cream go down because the amount went down? NO! All I'm trying to say is everywhere you look around here lately, we the consumers are getting ripped off and we have no choice but to take it. Why?! Because the companies all know you can't go anywhere else. Don't get me wrong Trowski, I'm a HUGE advocate for Vonage and I'm very glad I went with Vonage and left overpriced Verizon, and I'm telling all my friends about Vonage and even looking for some referrals to come in. I guess the next time you complain about your Caller ID not working, I should respond to you - "Hey, if you don't like it, you can always go somewhere else!". Gee thanks, but that's not my style. Go back and re-read my post in the context I was trying to convey -- which is, why does it all of a sudden cost Vonage extra for the RTP-300's versus when I signed up 2 months ago? Also, just for the record, these recent changes have affected me personally. When I signed up I was told I'd get my second month free. When I called Vonage and asked about it, they said they were no longer doing that. I had to pitch a fit and tell them "I don't think so!" and they went ahead and credited my account $24.99 for the free second month. But I had to stand up and make a fuss. I shouldn't have had to do that, they should have honored what they promised. (I have the screenshots to prove it.) So don't tell me none of this doesn't apply to me because I'm an existing customer. To some degree a lot of this affects me and the rest of us existing customers because when we tell our friends what a great deal we got and invite them to sign-up and then they find out that they have to pay extra now or don't get all of the nice bennies that we got, it makes all of us look bad.

All I'm saying is when you've got a good selling formula, leave well enough alone. I think what Vonage had was really good. I don't think it's good business practice to raise the prices and offer less benefits, which is what they've done. That, in my opinion (which I'm entitled to express as a paying customer of this company), is the beginning of heading down a slipperly slope where you are no different and no better than the POTS Big Boys.

Posts: 1389 · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 10:45 pm Post subject:

Please post the screenshots.

Edit-There are so many people that blame Vonage for everything under the sun. Yet the Golden Rule still applies-He who has the gold makes the rules. Personally I cannot see the comparison between ice cream and Vonage charging $9.99 for a great router. The interesting part will be if that router has to be swapped out, will there be another $9.99 charge each time? Who knows...

But, I don't see how Vonage raising STARTUP costs can be considered bad business or stinky or whatever people choose to call it. Is it more for new customers? Yes. But the real key is that the monthly plan rates have not changed. That to me is when red flags would go up. Vonage has to pay for E911. They need to be able to have the money to keep the great uptime Vonage has. They are one of the best Voip providers IMHO. But upgrades to the backbone, etc costs money. And if it is $10 for a router as opposed to $10 more per month on my bill, then sorry new customers. I feel for you guys, but it is well worth it, and I mean that honestly.

Sorry if you took my post as harsh, but it is mearly a suggestion. That's all, nothing personal. But watch how many people on forums will rant and rave till the cows come home for months about how bad Vonage is, it wrecked their marriage, and causes hurricanes. But yet they stick with it...

What was the definition of insanity again?

Posts: 57 · Full Forum Member Joined: Sep 03, 2005 Posts: 57

All I have to say is this is a market economy.
For one, it is possible that Cisco has up the fee for those routers they charge Vonage so Vonage is passing it down.

If not, Vonage knows better than anyone on this board what's a good marketing strategy. To build mass audience at the begining, a start up (or not a start up, but a brand new product) heavily promotes its business through free offers and free equipment. It applies to all businesses, because people are natually skeptical, especially comes to a phone service that they have come to rely on. At certain point of the life span, a business no longer needs to heavily discount the product because it has proven its quality and usefulness and had acheived a desired critical mass.

Vonage needs to stay financially healthy to keep your own service going. Have you thought about that? I believe Vonage has created general awareness of Voip product, they no longer need to provide a steep free offer like it used to.

Believe me, they know. As soon as fewer and fewer people sign up, the free promotion machine will start again. It's the market. It's the business stratedy. Not a bad one at all, if people continue to sign up. Reduce cost if neccessary is EVERY businesses's plan these days in order to compete. I will do exactly the same.

Posts: 1389 · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 7:48 am Post subject:

Exactly Libbyloo.... Applause

Posts: 122 · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 8:56 am Post subject:

Trowski,

I appreciate your response and I very much see your point about how people on this board will rant and fuss about this and that with Vonage or its CS reps (Good quality Customer Service in today's businesses is also very much a thing of the past, but I'll save that for another thread). I'm definitely not doing that with Vonage and frankly if it gets to that point with me, I've learned to either shutup and keep the service and put up with it because the product is worth it to me or leave and take my business elsewhere. That's what I did when I left Cingular and went to another carrier and that's what I did when I left Verizon and came to Vonage. It's just that I'm always leary when I see companies start changing the magic formula. I've got a huge trust issue with modern day companies because I feel like a lot of them don't value each of us as customers anymore, but rather more as just a number. A number that brings in numbers (money) for them. Nonetheless, thank you for hearing my side and now, let's lock arms and start preaching Vonage on every street corner! Very Happy

I'll send that file of the screenshot to Dan and ask him to post it for me. I've tried posting images in the past and haven't had any success.

Libbyloo, very good point about the rising costs from Cisco and also about the fact that now that they're so popular and they've reached the "critical mass" point they've wanted/needed, they're going to start taking away all of the startup freebies. However, just like I said to Trowski (above), it still makes me wonder......Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Question

Posts: 1389 · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 8:59 am Post subject:

You too of course Mr_Sorento...

It happens with alot of the providers...One that used to give away free Uniden phones now gives away $100 in out of country long distance charges. Things are a-changing in the Voip world.