LNP Complaint Procedure

Posts: 104 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jan 31, 2004 Posts: 104

Do you feel that the time to 'port' your number is taking too long?

The FCC has told the industry that they expect the existing operator to complete the porting process for wireline operators within 4 business days. For wireless ports, the expected time is 2.5 HOURS!!!

The FCC has indicated they have not 'adopted' this timeframe as a mandatory rule, it indicated it would re-examine the issue in the event it receives numerous compliants from consumers.

LETTERS have MORE impact than emails. In writing a LETTER to complain, simple factual statements are needed. Key points:

(1) The porting of my telephone number has taken too long (give specific dates)
(2) This delay has resulted in my reconsidering the selection of the new service.
(3) This delay thus has impacted my consumer right of choice.
(4) I am requesting the government investigate potential abuse by my current telephone operator in limited my rights as a consumer.

You should send your letter to:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Complaints
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554

If you are a Vonage user, send a copy to:

Jeffrey Citron, CEO
Vonage
2147 Route 27
Edison, NJ 08817

Also copy the CEO of your current crummy telephone company:

Ivan Seidenberg, CEO
Verizon
1095 Avenue of the Americas, 36th Floor
New York, NY 10036

or

William Daly, CEO
SBC
175 E. Houston
San Antonio, TX 78205

or

F. Duane Ackerman, CEO
BellSouth Corporation
1155 Peachtree Street, N.E., Room 15G03
Atlanta, GA 30309

Incumbents hate nothing more than receiving these types of letters. In fact, they have entire departments who do nothing more than follow-up on these type of letters.

If you are feeling very sporty, send a copy as well to your state's Public Utilities Commision. They are generally ineffective HOWEVER they forward your complaint to your local telephone company and DEMAND a timely response.

The bureaucracy of your local telephone company is dwarfed by the incompetence (or wrath) the federal government can rain upon these companies, use this to your advantage.

Only by complaining in a concise and cool manner will change occur. If your port took too long (but has already occurred) don't hesitate to complain 'after the fact'. The FCC is very keen on VoIP issues and is looking for consumer comment.

Posts: 12 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 16, 2004 Posts: 12

Yes, I will write to the FCC to log in my complaint and I hope everyone else who are not happy with LNP will do so too. After six weeks and no transfer date ? I'm going to write letters now !

Posts: 104 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jan 31, 2004 Posts: 104

Vonage is an "information" service

Final note -- if you do submit a complaint please ensure that you DO NOT refer to Vonage as a "telephone company".

Vonage operates as an "information service". They do not have telephone numbers issued to them nor do they directly connect to the highly regulated PSTN.

Vonage works in conjunction with traditional telephone companies to provide connectivity between the growing number of IP-enabled voice services and the existing PSTN world.

Traditional regulatory personnel would love for VoIP to be defined as a telephone company thereby unleashing 100 years of tax legislation against them in a single stroke.

Posts: 51 · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 12:36 pm Post subject:

Bump to the top. Rolling Eyes

Posts: 89 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Feb 04, 2004 Posts: 89

Forum Moderator,

This is good information, please put a sticky on this one.

Posts: 51 · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 12:17 pm Post subject:

Has anyone actually had any success filing complaints with/agains LNP? I have written letters and emails, placed calls, and LNP has not budged an inch. Have they just become immune to dissatisfied customers? No one has even attempted to apologize or admit that there is a problem with a 1-2 month transfer period. The best I have gotten so far was $5 "customer service" credit from a very helpful CS rep that couldn't really do anything else for me. How do you get a response out of these trolls? I have written the FCC, Mr. Citron, and Mr. Seidenberg. Do I have to go to the BBB too? Evil or Very Mad

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 11, 2004 Posts: 3

So finally my LNP got transfered today, March 10th 2004. I sent my letter of authorization in on November 25th 2003. That's 3 and a half months. I called about a month ago to see what the hell was going on, and I found that my LNP request was rejected because of my area code had been processed as 316, when in fact my number is 310.

I look back at my copy I sent them and plain as day, my paper said 310.

I eventually threatened to cancel and take legal action for the 3 months of service that was useless b/c I couln't integrate it into my home, and they gave me one free month because it was 'their fault'. The stupid thing is that it wasn't really a free month, I got charged $1.75 for the taxes.

Anyways, finally got transfered and all is good. Vonage blamed the delay on my former carrier, the big V. <-- Twisted Evil

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 16, 2005 Posts: 4

We're quick to blame the phone companies, but from what I can see, the delay is largely Vonage's fault.

If, after 9 weeks, Vonage cannot status me on the transfer, such as confirm the date on which they sent the transfer request . . . if also they can't reply to enquiries properly (stupid use of inapplicable form letters) . . . if also their executives promise a reply in 2 hours and you don't hear anything more . . . if they admit that they bundle the transfer requests holding them up rather than devising a better system . . . if when you call them and you hear them ask for "the spreadsheet" and then they spend minutes and minutes reviewing it . . . THEN YOU START TO CONCLUDE THAT VONAGE HAS NOT GOT PROCESSES OR PEOPLE IN PLACE TO DO THIS JOB RIGHT.

I have asked to cancel out and leave the existing phone service in place if they can't get the job done by date x. That's a reasonable request, wouldn't you say? No answer from Vonage.

I wish I had never heard of these people. And this is the supposed Executive Team! The lower-level customer responders hardly knew how to read the same account screen that I have access to.

Posts: 32 · Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 12:27 pm Post subject:

I have to agree with you, mayfam. I have waited over 7 months for my transfer, and I've experienced everything you mention. None of those things can be anything but the fault of Vonage management. Their company is understaffed, undertrained, and lack efficient and effective procedures (I do policy and procedural systems as part of my job, so I know of what I speak). I almost feel bad having to vent my frustration at the Vonage employees who are the victim of this "growth and branding" strategy that puts their staffing, policies, and procedures a distant second place to making millions for the company big-wigs. And if you don't think this is what's happening, read the financial papers and periodicals. Like all new tech products, they will suffer the public perception consequences later on and invest a tremendous amount to change it. But in the meantime, some higher-ups will have already made their millions. Classic principal/agent problem.

BTW, my experience isvonage-forum.com/ftopic2925.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="postlink">detailed on this other thread.

Posts: 17 · Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 2:43 pm Post subject:

Does anyone have the contact info for the head of Paetec. I found out that they are the ones handling my transfer and keep delaying it (Approaching 45 days). I wanted to make sure the letter I send to the FCC, SBC, Vonage, etc gets sent to the head of Paetec.