The continuing search for VoIP

Well, who'd thought getting a simple softphone for my computer would be such an adventure? I sure didn't. I was sure that it would be an easy process.

After my experience with Packet8.net (they still want a second chance... I'll let you know how that goes) and my experience with VoIP.com, I was getting a little frustrated. It was time to try Vonage. I figured that they must be good... after all, they sure tell me that on the TV all the time, and a message like that has got to be true? Right?

Learning about the service.

I sent a few emails back and forth through the day that had the normal questions... Can you do this, can you do that? How do I know it will work? Yada yada yada.

At first, I couldn't find anything, anywhere on their site about the softphone service, but I was sent to this link.Through all the emails, I received enough confidence that I should try them out on their trial program.

Trying to sign up.

So, I go to their site. I was assured in an email that in order to get the softphone, all I had to do was sign up for the service and then after the service was going, I would just need to add the softphone. I spent a few minutes trying to get signed up, but the only options required that I either buy some device or use a device I purchased from the store.

I didn't want a device they provided because then I would be locked into a 1 year contract. I didn't want to get a device from the store because I didn't need a device. I didn't want their VPhone because I didn't want to pay the $40 for the little USB phone since I just wanted software. Plus, I can't use my USB Gaming Headphones which provide superior call quality with that stupid little thing.

I tried for a few minutes online and finally broke down and called them... and you know how much I love that.

The Call.

So, I called them. When I told the girl that answered what I wanted to do... namely sign up for service but not use a device... just use a softphone, she didn't know how to do that, so I had to wait while she found out the procedure. I only waited about three minutes, so it wasn't too bad.

When she got back on the phone, she said, "No problem, let's get you signed up!"

I was ready to go. She got my area code, address, name, and other vital stats (not the credit card info, yet). She then said, "It will be $24.99 for the main, unlimited phone line and then another $9.99 for the softphone."

"Huh?" was my response.

She repeated.

I couldn't figure it out. Why would I have to pay extra for a softphone? It uses the same, exact technology that a regular phone uses. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Then, I went back to the "link" and looked to see what I had missed. Sure enough, hidden under a link was the following:

Get a $9.99/month Soft Phone Plan. You get 500 minutes of US nationwide long distance and calls to Canada every month. Only 3.9¢ per minute after the first 500 monthly minutes.

Aside from the fact that the information shouldn't have been hidden on the page, I said, "I don't get it. You are telling me that the only phone I am going to have is this softphone, which uses the same technology as the devices you sell, and I have to pay an additional $9.99 per month... on top of that, when I go over 500 minutes, I have to pay your more on a service I am already paying on?"

She said, "Yes. Or you can get the VPhone."

I wasn't so pleased.

Conclusion.

Hidden pricing. Stupid business model. Misapplication of technology.

Makes for an unhappy customer.

Man, there has got to be an easier way.

So, Vonage... Nope.

Corey Smith
Co-founder of Resumango where you can build a better resume for free