Re: Porting Delayed- OOMA process is horrific/incomeptent
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 10:15 pm
It sounds as if Ooma could have done more to assuage your anger. But it also seems as if at least part of the problem was not of their making.
In the US it is increasingly common to find companies that do not care about their customers. I just went through a similar go-around with Acronis over their backup software. An official saw my post, stepped in, and got me the support I needed. It should not happen this way but it often does. I am glad that Ooma came to your rescue, or at least tried to.
I don't know your situation but in my case it appears Ooma will be saving me $63 per month. Prior to Ooma my setup included a copper line from Verizon and two VoIP lines. One was a convenience and one was my fax number. Faxes diverted to e-Fax and I never heard them.
$55 Verizon line, with taxes.
$22 Voice Eclipse VoIP, 2 lines, with taxes.
=====
$77 Total cost per month, with taxes.
Ooma will cost me a lot less.
$10 Ooma premier service, 1 full line, 1 fax line (inbound only).
$ 4 Taxes
=====
$14 Total cost per month, with taxes.
The savings is $63 per month, after I recoup the $200 cost of the Telo in 3.5 months. I have lost two dial-out lines, neither of which was essential, and I have kept my inbound fax service by having my 2nd number transferred to K7.Org, a free fax service. So I will be saving over $700 per year once the Ooma Telo is paid off.
It turns out that Paetec, the owner of Voice Eclipose, carries some of Ooma's traffic. If Ooma could negotiate a deal for e-Fax I would be on board in a heartbeat.
In deciding to go with Ooma your posting was very helpful. I found a number of problems reported on this forum. I saw a number of solutions and I found what appears to be a company open to working with their user community. I found a few heavy complaints such as yours. Some seemed valid, some seemed questionable. I did not find many flames or patterns of trouble on forums at other Websites such as DSL Reports.
That one of the main flames (this one) involved porting serves to re-inforce that I have made the correct choice. Please don't take that as a knock against you. I suspect you have been through the mill and you are not terribly happy and you are understandably upset. Complaints about porting are common, a result of odd regulations and Telcos that don't all cooperate.
I would have stayed with Voice Eclipse if they had any sort of technical support. They are winding down their home VoIP business so support is lacking. I have called Ooma a few times and they have been johnny on the spot every time. One issue involved something unique to my setup, which they resolved quickly. Two involved porting, which was done on time but there is a problem with the former carrier.
Now that I am up and running I like the service. There are a few practical issues. DTMF (touch tones) don't relay well and some callers' voices can trigger DTMF signals to sound. That happens with cell phones, too, even on my landlines. It also happed on my prior VoIP lines. Ooma has been able to handle both incoming and outgoing fax, which many VoIP carriers do not, and most calls have been trouble free. I can also check voice mail on line and I am saving $63 a month.
So hang in there and I hope things work out for you.
Just to clarify, my relationship with Ooma is only as a customer. I am not employed in the TeleComm business and I do not earn money from promoting Ooma services.
In the US it is increasingly common to find companies that do not care about their customers. I just went through a similar go-around with Acronis over their backup software. An official saw my post, stepped in, and got me the support I needed. It should not happen this way but it often does. I am glad that Ooma came to your rescue, or at least tried to.
I don't know your situation but in my case it appears Ooma will be saving me $63 per month. Prior to Ooma my setup included a copper line from Verizon and two VoIP lines. One was a convenience and one was my fax number. Faxes diverted to e-Fax and I never heard them.
$55 Verizon line, with taxes.
$22 Voice Eclipse VoIP, 2 lines, with taxes.
=====
$77 Total cost per month, with taxes.
Ooma will cost me a lot less.
$10 Ooma premier service, 1 full line, 1 fax line (inbound only).
$ 4 Taxes
=====
$14 Total cost per month, with taxes.
The savings is $63 per month, after I recoup the $200 cost of the Telo in 3.5 months. I have lost two dial-out lines, neither of which was essential, and I have kept my inbound fax service by having my 2nd number transferred to K7.Org, a free fax service. So I will be saving over $700 per year once the Ooma Telo is paid off.
It turns out that Paetec, the owner of Voice Eclipose, carries some of Ooma's traffic. If Ooma could negotiate a deal for e-Fax I would be on board in a heartbeat.
In deciding to go with Ooma your posting was very helpful. I found a number of problems reported on this forum. I saw a number of solutions and I found what appears to be a company open to working with their user community. I found a few heavy complaints such as yours. Some seemed valid, some seemed questionable. I did not find many flames or patterns of trouble on forums at other Websites such as DSL Reports.
That one of the main flames (this one) involved porting serves to re-inforce that I have made the correct choice. Please don't take that as a knock against you. I suspect you have been through the mill and you are not terribly happy and you are understandably upset. Complaints about porting are common, a result of odd regulations and Telcos that don't all cooperate.
I would have stayed with Voice Eclipse if they had any sort of technical support. They are winding down their home VoIP business so support is lacking. I have called Ooma a few times and they have been johnny on the spot every time. One issue involved something unique to my setup, which they resolved quickly. Two involved porting, which was done on time but there is a problem with the former carrier.
Now that I am up and running I like the service. There are a few practical issues. DTMF (touch tones) don't relay well and some callers' voices can trigger DTMF signals to sound. That happens with cell phones, too, even on my landlines. It also happed on my prior VoIP lines. Ooma has been able to handle both incoming and outgoing fax, which many VoIP carriers do not, and most calls have been trouble free. I can also check voice mail on line and I am saving $63 a month.
So hang in there and I hope things work out for you.
Just to clarify, my relationship with Ooma is only as a customer. I am not employed in the TeleComm business and I do not earn money from promoting Ooma services.