don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Problems using My Ooma? Ideas on how we can make it better? You’ve come to the right place.
sfhub
Posts:348
Joined:Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:22 am
Re: don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Post by sfhub » Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:15 am

FeiGeiWay wrote:I just don't it's fair to force me to pay the e911 tax when i don't live in the country and would be useless to me.
If you buy an alternate product which doesn't have service and phone # based in the US, they won't charge you E911 fees.

FeiGeiWay
Posts:13
Joined:Tue May 18, 2010 7:57 pm

Re: don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Post by FeiGeiWay » Fri Jul 16, 2010 4:29 pm

I think this amounts to false advertising. They said no monthly fees, but they are charging me a few dollars a month. The fact that I have a US phone number is irrelevant, the is for the e911 service, which i don't need. The tax is not for the US phone number.

I'm going to put a debit card (walmart moneycard) on file that has $.50 on it so I can't be charged every month.

User avatar
southsound
Posts:3519
Joined:Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:31 am
Location:Harstine Island, WA

Re: don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Post by southsound » Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:40 pm

FeiGeiWay wrote:I think this amounts to false advertising. They said no monthly fees, but they are charging me a few dollars a month. The fact that I have a US phone number is irrelevant, the is for the e911 service, which i don't need. The tax is not for the US phone number.

I'm going to put a debit card (walmart moneycard) on file that has $.50 on it so I can't be charged every month.
I'm just curious - what did your box say regarding fees? My Telo box says 11.75 per year after the first year (subject to change). Newer units are subject to the $3.47+ per month rate. If you have one that came in a box that states 11.75, I believe that ooma is still honoring it. Too bad you weren't able to return your purchase and get one of the core systems that have NO fees. It would have saved you two months of unease regarding the situation.

A breakdown of those fees to put perspective to the situation:

- From ooma's website, only $1.59 is actually charged as a 911 fee. This is the amount that you should or could be concerned with.

- Federal Universal Service Charge is 0.29 and is probably based on number of connections to ooma's servers - not where your actual device is located. Ooma uses this fee to recover contributions Ooma is required to make to the federal Universal Service Fund, which provides support to promote access to telecommunications services at reasonable rates for those living in rural and high-cost areas, income-eligible consumers, rural health care facilities, and schools and libraries.

- Regulatory Compliance Fee is $1.59. Ooma uses this fee to recover certain of Ooma’s costs associated with compliance with regulatory, legal and tax requirements and includes: (1) fees Ooma is required to pay to support the TRS fund, which supports facilities and services used to provide telecommunications services for individuals with hearing or speech disabilities; (2) annual regulatory fees assessed on Ooma by the Federal Communications Commission; (3) costs Ooma incurs administering, billing, collecting and making required tax and regulatory filings; (4) regulatory surcharges Ooma pays to the providers of telecommunications that Ooma uses to provide its services.

Let us know how the fifty cent debit card works out - I have an idea that once they try to bill it and it rejects the charge, you may be moved to an inactive state. Kind of makes me wonder - is it really worth all this hassle for a couple of bucks? Here in the states you can barely buy a Starbucks for what you will be paying each month even if it is the $3.47.

Just one more thought for comparison. I have a basic landline with NO features (except dialtone). I pay Qwest $13.50 for it - but fees and taxes add $8.01 to the bill. Now THAT is outrageous!
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.

User avatar
bw1
Posts:1781
Joined:Wed Mar 18, 2009 9:06 am
Location:MI

Re: don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Post by bw1 » Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:35 pm

southsound wrote: Let us know how the fifty cent debit card works out - I have an idea that once they try to bill it and it rejects the charge, you may be moved to an inactive state. Kind of makes me wonder - is it really worth all this hassle for a couple of bucks? Here in the states you can barely buy a Starbucks for what you will be paying each month even if it is the $3.47.
I suggest reading section 8 of the terms of service. https://www.ooma.com/legal/terms-and-conditions
In particular, these two parts:
If your credit or debit card expires, you close your account, your billing address changes, or your credit or debit card is cancelled and replaced on account of loss or theft, you must advise us at once and provide new credit or debit card information or we may terminate Service to you.
Your account will be automatically terminated if you put a stop payment on your account with a financial institution in connection with payment of any of your monthly or annual charges.

Pass the popcorn! :D

oom101
Posts:95
Joined:Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:57 pm

Re: don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Post by oom101 » Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:59 pm

I thought that Ooma is only officially available for use in the US? If this is true, you are wasting our time. You've already got a deal. Point the address at a police station in some town.

The Ooma site says...
Also, if you choose to install and use the Ooma system outside the US, you'll be solely responsible for compliance with international laws and subject to all associated fees, taxes, tariffs, and legal penalties.

This means that they don't support use outside the US, but it implies that it might work. You're risk. Some countries systems block use of VOIP, I hear. It also might be illegal. Who knows.

FeiGeiWay
Posts:13
Joined:Tue May 18, 2010 7:57 pm

Re: don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Post by FeiGeiWay » Sat Jul 17, 2010 11:18 pm

The advantage of having VOIP is that you can be free to use it from any country. Until the VOIP police come knocking on my door, I'll take my chances.

Groundhound
Posts:2711
Joined:Sat May 23, 2009 9:28 am
Location:Atlanta, GA

Re: don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Post by Groundhound » Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:16 pm

Regardless of what address you use, if a 911 call comes in from your phone number and the police/fire/rescue departments in the area of the address can't find or otherwise resolve the issue with you - their only recourse would be to contact Ooma about it - it would then be up to Ooma to contact you or take whatever account action necessary to prevent re-occurrence.

User avatar
bw1
Posts:1781
Joined:Wed Mar 18, 2009 9:06 am
Location:MI

Re: don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Post by bw1 » Mon Jul 19, 2010 8:36 am

Groundhound wrote:Regardless of what address you use, if a 911 call comes in from your phone number and the police/fire/rescue departments in the area of the address can't find or otherwise resolve the issue with you - their only recourse would be to contact Ooma about it - it would then be up to Ooma to contact you or take whatever account action necessary to prevent re-occurrence.
This is addressed in the TOS:
Ooma reserves the right to charge you for penalties that we incur when 911 response personnel are sent to the wrong address because you have not updated your physical location.
But it looks like Ooma may blocks 911 calls if the communication is coming from a device with an IP address outside the US:
Should you choose to use the Ooma system overseas, you will not have access to emergency calling.

jakeman02
Posts:22
Joined:Thu May 20, 2010 11:59 pm
Location:Chattanooga, TN

Re: don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Post by jakeman02 » Mon Jul 19, 2010 6:34 pm

You seem very adamant concerning this fee. I'd suggest going with another carrier that can give you unlimited local/long distance calling, voice mail, call waiting and caller ID for total cost of $3.47 or less per month.

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

Re: don't want to pay local taxes, live in china

Post by allo » Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:36 pm

bw1 wrote:...


But it looks like Ooma may blocks 911 calls if the communication is coming from a device with an IP address outside the US:
Should you choose to use the Ooma system overseas, you will not have access to emergency calling.
Not having access to Emergency calling doesn't not mean you don't pay any fee!
It does not mean they will not charge for 911... some States , local govt. require the payment of the 911 fee regardless of the physical location of the hub / telo : china or Timbuktu, as long as that phone is "registered in their jurisdiction!

As for not keeping enough funds to pay for the required fees... you can kiss goodbye to making any more phone calls with ooma (or any other telco) to anywhere from anywhere!

Post Reply