Hey PNW gang...small rant here!

I have been landline free for almost 5 years now and enjoy it (the costs were so inflated and taxed to the hilt). Previously Mo & I have used our cell phones for everything. About 2 years ago we signed up for Vonage because VoIP was improving quality-wise. Other than 911 issues I have been fully satisfied with my Vonage experience.

Then we move...and we decide to try out the Comcast Digital Phone service (with their Triple-Play promotion of cable/8meg internet/phone). Well it has only been a week and I can't stand it! They swear they "didn't sell our number" but I receive 5-10 pushy soliciations every day (magazine subscriptions, security companies, moving companies, insurance companies, newspaper subscriptions, etc).

They claim that they have a setting called "Privacy All" which is supposed to help keep them from giving "3rd party partners" our number [<---doesn't that scream that they are the root of this?]. They applied it to my account today.

In addition, they claim that people only call me because my number is public information. Well my Vonage was public too and I never got a soliciatation call on that. They say that in order to have my number unlisted it'll cost me $5/set-up and $1.50/month.

So here's the breakdown:

Vonage
$24.95 a month unlimited calls
VM, Call-Waiting, etc.
Get an email with an attachment of every vm each time a person calls & leaves one
Can listen to my vm's online
Can look at my entire call statement online at any time (outgoing and incoming)
So much customization through website!!!
Cheap fax lines & second lines!

Comcast
$33 a month
VM, Call-Waiting, etc.
Monthly statement only
No directions even on how to set up vm box or even what my phone number when tech was out (I finally had to call my cell phone to get it)
PLUS LOCAL, STATE, & FEDERAL CABLE COMPANY TAXES
PLUS $5/set-up and $1.50/month <-- which is probably also taxed
With no service guarantee (I've called them three times and they really don't care about me as a customer

Oh well...to the comcast employees out there...I'm not mad at you guys. It's the overall corporate greed that goes on over there.

So as of right now...I'm hooking my Vonage modem back in and Mo's on the phone cancelling our problem child. Now I remember why we left the land-line/baby bell world behind so long ago. These companies are so antequated and frustrating.

VONAGE ROCKS!!!!!!! I would recommend them to everyone!!!

 

<toes company line> go qwest...
<steps back>

who said that??

 

hehehehe

 

You know, I'd have to say that Vonage is probably the best value for any landline you can get nowadays. The only real advantage through comcast is they wire all the jacks in your house...

CA, if you want to PM me with a list of complaints and your comcast phone number I can get the ball rolling. One of the perks of working for Best Buy is that I have an in with pretty much every service company out there. I know the Comcast rep pretty well and he's always been happy to light a fire underneath the right people's toes.

 

Glad to see Vonage working well for you CA... In the freelance world TONS of developers I work with use it. I just use my cell because I am never in one place at a given time, the joys of working many jobs. The times I have used it the service rocks!! Now if they can just get some business phones back into the mix on their website instead of the retarded Wifi phones..ugh.

 

^^ I don't know anyone that uses Vonage that was happy with it but I am glad its working for you. I highly recommend checking out Viatalk (http://www.viatalk.com/). It's cheaper than both Vonage and Comcast and has the same features. They also fully support Asterix integration if you had any interest in setting that up. /end nerding out

 

Asterix is the bomb!! I was going to use it for work but didn't have time to play with it so I just went with a Panasonic Phonesystem. I do have an FXO card tho for an Asterix system.. I should play with it some more....

 

 

I learned about phone solicitation while dealing with our previous credit card company. Directly after swapping over to this 0% interest company we started receiving numerous phone calls and days later snail mail up the yang for all this other stuff.

I called the credit card company after I had put two and two together to inquire about all the solicitations I had started receiving, even though we are on a NO solicitation number. She forwarded me to India (okay, i'm kidding about the india thing), she forwarded me to a central agency who had access to all the credit card "partners" who jointly share info through an umbrella ownership (for lack of better terms).

Through this loop-hole, the other companies had total access to my info and was using it the fullest (as far as I was concerned anyways). The only positive side of this story is with that one phone call (and the whole computerized phone tag system), I was able to put myself back into a "no solicitation" status.

 

Doesn't everyone know that comcast sucks...... lol

In havne't heard too many complaings about vonage, my parents have it and they like it. As for me, I won't ever get a land line. Cells are cheaper and you can use them anywhere anytime.

 

Isn't vonage going outta business cuz they stole Verizon's patents?

 

yeah we have had plenty of problems with the comcast triple play, they came over and wired our house for all kinds of things, and screwed up our in house wiring system, had to pay the people 1000.00 to come out and fix the smart house wiring and help get the house wired up corectly, finally this last weekend Kai Kei come over and finds one thing unpluged and plugs it back in, poof the whole house is working again.LOL yeah I have had not very good expeirience with comcast, but they seem to have the market cornered in our neck of the woods.

 

Ummmm Comcast employee here. I apoligize to everyone who has had problems and will ever have problems. Unfortunately there are tech's out there that are not a part of comcast but are contracted by comcast. These contractors do not get the same training as us in house techs get so to help I would recommend that you request an in-house tech perform your install. CA *99 is vm access passcode is last 4 of your number. Number shoulbbe on the work order. Just my 2 cents. Plus 911 doesnt work with vonage

 

That is simply not true Matt. Comcast does not have anything that Vonage, ViaTalk or any other voip provider doesn't have in terms of 911. In fact none of them have true 911 they have E911.

http://www.comcast.com/Customers/FAQ...s.ashx?Id=3035

 

*cough cough* QWEST *cough cough*




sorry must still be getting over that cold 2 weeks ago...


lmao

 

What about Qwest voip? It has the same E911 and is more expensive than the competitors

 

never said we were cheap.... but u are paying for us to answer the phone with a smile in our voice....

so our CEO says anyways...

but we were top marks in customer service this past quarter...or something...

but chances are you'll not talk to me unless you get way mis-routed... or happen to work for a companies telco help desk.... but if you have a t1 or higher.. give me call

and yes our menu is way bad/confusing when calling in troubles..

 

My parents have had Vonage for a couple of years now and have been satisfied with it. One problem: they're never home to freakin use it! If they could get cell coverage on the house, there would be no reason for them to keep any landline.

 

That is true we use E911. But it's my understanding that with Vonage you can take your phone to anywhere you can use a broadband connection. So my question is where are the emergency workers going to show? The home that the phone is registered to nt your buddies house where you are using the phone. With Comcast E911 our switches will not allow you to move the phone box to other parts of the land. Also the reason we use an E911 (enhanced 911) is due to the box we install in your home. This box generates your dialtone un like Qwest and verizon where dialtone is generated off site and sent to your home. I am not trying to start a debate just trying to help with any questions that may have not been answered at time of install.

 

I know that Vonage for example requires address registration when you setup your account for E911 services. So if you do move your service to another address you would have to reflect that change in your account. I am pretty sure ViaTalk does it the same way. I wasn't trying to start a debate either but you did say Vonage didn't have 911 services I don't even know why I am still posting in this thread hahaha I don't even use any voip