Overall Cost of OOMA

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sfhub
Posts:348
Joined:Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:22 am
Re: Overall Cost of OOMA

Post by sfhub » Sun May 02, 2010 2:39 pm

highq wrote:You say "My issue is that the fees that are quoted do not include the sales taxes! Which is deceiving, given that I believe the sales taxes can be high."

There are many localities where it is not legal to include the sales tax in a quoted price. And whether it is legal or not, I cannot recall a retail store or a catalog or an internet site where the sales tax was included in a cited price. Sales tax rates vary with city or county or state, so people to learn to know what's the rate in their own bailiwick.
I think you are misinterpreting what he is complaining about.

He is complaining about the RRF fees which he can find by typing in zip code.

He is complaining that there is a section reserved for state and local taxes which is currently $0 because according to Ooma even after the $3.47 (less in some areas) RRF, there are still additional state and local taxes which they are currently eating and haven't started collecting yet. He is worried in a few months, the $3.47 is going to ballon to $10 after adding in state and local taxes.

I think his estimate on the state and local taxes is crazy and I don't think the actual state and local taxes will be more than $0.50-$1.50.

In principle though, I don't like it when companies leave these blank fields in the bill where they say we are eating this known cost right now, but can add it back at any time. It would be different if this was some future tax they weren't aware of, but these are state and local taxes where if they go through the trouble of figuring out the RRF per zip code, they must have some idea what the taxes would be for that zip code and should just publish them up front in the monthly bill calculator.
Last edited by sfhub on Sun May 02, 2010 2:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

RobinWyman75
Posts:17
Joined:Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:33 pm

Re: Overall Cost of OOMA

Post by RobinWyman75 » Sun May 02, 2010 2:39 pm

sfhub wrote:
RobinWyman75 wrote:Right, Which was after I canceled Vonage, changed my phone number etc. I asked when the fees are charged. My issue is that the fees that are quoted do not include the sales taxes! Which is deceiving, given that I believe the sales taxes can be high.
I'm sorry but you are really getting out of control with this taxes thing.

You are saying the taxes and fees are going the be $10 on a $0 service plan while for your Vonage $17.99 plan you say the taxes are $4 making it $22/mo. That makes no sense to me how you would assign over twice as much taxes to a Free service plan as you would to a $17.99 plan and makes me think in the back of my mind you have some other motive.
I never said I knew the taxes, I was just estimating since no one gave me a response as to the amount. I don't know what the taxes will be. The issue is the fact that I was directed to the fee calculator and the results are not accurate. Later to find out that there will be more fees. How about in a month from now, will there be additional fees? Will more basic services become premium, forcing you to sign up for premium.. Maybe in a month the voicemail will become a premium feature. There isn't an alterior motive, its the fact that I thought one thing, come on the web site to get info, and then get confusing information.

sfhub
Posts:348
Joined:Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:22 am

Re: Overall Cost of OOMA

Post by sfhub » Sun May 02, 2010 2:55 pm

RobinWyman75 wrote:I never said I knew the taxes, I was just estimating since no one gave me a response as to the amount. I don't know what the taxes will be.
Then why are you estimating the taxes and fees will be $10 for a Free service plan?

Your $17.99 Vonage plan only had $4 of taxes and fees. It's not like these two companies are offering completely different services subject to different taxes.
RobinWyman75 wrote:The issue is the fact that I was directed to the fee calculator and the results are not accurate.
Actually the calculator is quite accurate. The amount it spits out is what Ooma will be billing you.
RobinWyman75 wrote:Later to find out that there will be more fees.
There *could* be more fees and there *will* be more fees are two different things.
RobinWyman75 wrote:How about in a month from now, will there be additional fees?
Could your Vonage plan cost more over time?
RobinWyman75 wrote:Will more basic services become premium, forcing you to sign up for premium.. Maybe in a month the voicemail will become a premium feature.
This is a totally unfair statement. Ooma has bent over backwards to make sure they honored what they have promised to previous customers. To my knowledge they have *never* taken anything away from an existing customer that was promised to them. They have created new plans which offer different combinations for *new* customers, but for existing customers, they've seen no change from what they were promised. Further, even with the new plan offerings, they continue to honor what was advertised on the product packaging even when those offerings are no longer available.
RobinWyman75 wrote:There isn't an alterior motive, its the fact that I thought one thing, come on the web site to get info, and then get confusing information.
All I can say is you are being very selective about what you choose to respond to almost to the point someone would think you actually don't care about finding something that works for you but just want to whine.

You chose to buy a product when you weren't sure about it and further bought it from a place where you cannot return it and canceled your previous service. Most places (including Ooma) have some return period, especially if the product was sold to you with marketing that said $11.75/year but the product you were delivered had different terms. In the latter case, many times the retailer will even waive a no-return policy because they didn't deliver what they sold you. You need to accept some responsibility here.

allo
Posts:267
Joined:Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:58 am
Location:FL

Re: Overall Cost of OOMA

Post by allo » Sun May 02, 2010 3:11 pm

I think this whole thread is a waste of time!
To keep it simple: His regulatory recapture fee is $3.50 and his state sales tax no more than $1 assuming he buys Premier.
In Total, his taxes would be pretty much the same as Vonage .
I don't see what's so complicated to figure out that...

.

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DTMF
Posts:285
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Re: Overall Cost of OOMA

Post by DTMF » Sun May 02, 2010 7:37 pm

RobinWyman75 wrote:The message the company is sending is ...

OOMA telo - bad!

OOMA hub/scout - good.

Either way, very confusing.....
Maybe the message is "if you want more, you have to pay more?" The Telo is the more advanced device. Someday there will be an even more advanced device, and I expect it will cost more than the Telo will at that time.

BTW, the main charges on the service outside of Premier are being levied by your Federal government and in some cases, your state and local governments. It's not reasonable to expect Ooma to absorb them. Your local grocery store doesn't absorb the sales tax on your groceries. Your local car dealer doesn't usually offer to absorb the sales tax when you're making a deal on a vehicle. Don't like the fees? Blame the government, not the merchant!
Ooma customer since November 2009.
Formerly employed at another VoIP company.
My opinions are my own.

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southsound
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Joined:Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:31 am
Location:Harstine Island, WA

Re: Overall Cost of OOMA

Post by southsound » Sun May 02, 2010 8:51 pm

RobinWyman75 wrote:
Returning the Box is not an option.
If you purchased your ooma new from an authorized distributor then you most certainly can return the device because ooma has a 30-day risk free return policy. What I think you are saying is that you purchased it from either a gray-market dealer or possibly from ebay or ??? I only say that because you claim it cannot be returned.

Would you be kind enough to describe WHY it cannot be returned? If you are embarrassed by the answer then you might want to end the discussion by not continuing to post to this thread. So just how did you get your ooma? Did it "fall off a truck?" :P
ooma customer since February 2009
VoIP hardware: 2 Telo w/3 handsets & Linx / ooma core
Total Lines: 8 / Numbers: 11 / Handsets: 20
Lifetime Premier Member
Friends don't remember what Landline Integration was or why we did it.

tommies
Posts:862
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Location:Atlanta

Re: Overall Cost of OOMA

Post by tommies » Mon May 03, 2010 11:10 am

You folks forget people like me, ooma clients without premier, who, I believe, is the majority. I'm a lucky early bird and not paying any thing for the past 14 months and the years to come.

For a new comer in my zip code, the monthly fee/tax will be $3.47 according to the calculator. It sure beats the $22 plan from Vonage.
tommies

allo
Posts:267
Joined:Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:58 am
Location:FL

Re: Overall Cost of OOMA

Post by allo » Mon May 03, 2010 12:16 pm

tommies wrote:You folks forget people like me, ooma clients without premier, who, I believe, is the majority. I'm a lucky early bird and not paying any thing for the past 14 months and the years to come.

For a new comer in my zip code, the monthly fee/tax will be $3.47 according to the calculator. It sure beats the $22 plan from Vonage.
It is not written in stone that you will never pay any taxes... even though it said so when you bought your hardware... it also said that ... TOS can be changed at any time!
.

sfhub
Posts:348
Joined:Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:22 am

Re: Overall Cost of OOMA

Post by sfhub » Mon May 03, 2010 3:04 pm

Assuming Ooma is a success and grows a lot, the percentage of old-timers will become smaller and smaller by virtue of the old plans not being offered anymore, growth in monthly customers, attrition, etc., to the point that it wouldn't be worth it to start charging them compared to the negative publicity it would garner. It would be much easier to just add a few cents to the paying customers.

On the other hand, if Ooma doesn't grow, then we are all doomed.

tommies
Posts:862
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Location:Atlanta

Re: Overall Cost of OOMA

Post by tommies » Mon May 03, 2010 3:32 pm

allo wrote:
tommies wrote:You folks forget people like me, ooma clients without premier, who, I believe, is the majority. I'm a lucky early bird and not paying any thing for the past 14 months and the years to come.

For a new comer in my zip code, the monthly fee/tax will be $3.47 according to the calculator. It sure beats the $22 plan from Vonage.
It is not written in stone that you will never pay any taxes... even though it said so when you bought your hardware... it also said that ... TOS can be changed at any time!
.
This is so true. I will not cry if ooma reverses the ToS and start collecting taxes on the origianl core users, and I'm sure happy if they don't.

However, it's needed to reminder this tax/fee ooma is bound to do by law. As some one had said earlier, don't blame the merchant for the tax(es).

PS.
In today AJC (Atlanta newspaper) reports that tax/fee will be raised arcross the board. For example, a business license now is $15, it maybe (proposed) $25/per employee next year. Talking about taxes....
tommies

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