Taxes and fees

[Stuff]

My premier subscription had sales tax, a "gross receipts tax", and the $0.06 federal regulatory fee for a total of $127.52.

Ooma is most likely required to collect this at the time of billing so can't fault them with that. Disclosing taxes and fees is a problem with most industries. Ooma should add a few more "plus taxes and fees" to its advertising.

[lmacmil]

My "local interconnection recovery fee" has jumped 40% since the end of last year. The $ amount is small ($.65) but that's a huge percentage increase. I wonder what's driving this? Actual costs to Ooma or is it just profit improvement?

[TonyW]

My "local interconnection recovery fee" is currently $2.25 (formerly $2.05... /mo), so count your blessings. These taxes/fees are courtesy of your federal/state/local gov'ts burying obscure fees on utility bills, forcing said utilities to act as reluctant collection agents (as well as taking the heat for same). The only upside may be that, no matter how onerous they may seem to you, others probably have it worse.

[lmacmil]

Mine went from $1.60 to $2.25. It's the percentage increase that bothers me, not the absolute amount. In any case, for those of us who still like having a landline, it's better than the alternative.

[ottawagrant]

So Ooma is passing on the tax increase each year. OK. Now how about a little transparency? Would it be too much to ask to notify users that the prices going up, and why? I guess it's a case of hoping people just pay their credit card statements & don't notice. That's not me.

[dude]

I'm pissed as they keep charging me a city tax. Its not the amount,its the prinicpal. Someone is collecting MY money that SHOULD NOT BE and has no right to. I am outside city limits. I've called them several times and it falls on deaf ears. It gets charged on the premier annual charge and the monthly charge both. I agree they should be notifying when they are increasing your monthly fee. Doesn't get noticed until it hits your credit card account.