Vonage is one of the largest Internet telephone providers in the United States with just over 2.6 million subscribers. Vonage provides phone service to its subscribers by way of VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) which means that all calls are routed through broadband Internet connections. Vonage is known as "the broadband phone company" by many and is a leader in the quickly growing VoIP industry. Besides the United States Vonage also provides VoIP service in both Canada and the United Kingdom. Vonage first became popular for its relatively cheap price in comparison to traditional land line phone service in the areas of local, long distance, and international calling. Despite being a VoIP service Vonage still provides nearly all of the features people are use to getting with regular landline services such as caller ID, call waiting, voicemail, call forwarding, call waiting and much much more. Since Vonage was established there have been a cluster of new VoIP providers, some of which are now offering lower prices. Vonage is now considered to be priced very averagely when compared to other VoIP providers but it more than makes up for this with its extra features and high quality service.
How Does Vonage Work?
For Vonage to work you must have a broadband (DSL) Internet connection. Once that is in place it can work in two different ways. The first option is for subscribers to get a analog telephone adapter from Vonage and use it to connect their regular phone to their computer. This allows subscribers to use their regular phone just as they did with a traditional landline. The other option is to get their softphone application which is a computer program that allows you to make phone calls directly through your computer. Both of these options are fairly easy to use and make for an easy transition from your old school landline.
How Much Does Vonage Cost?
The most popular Vonage plan the "Vonage World Residential Plan" costs $24.95 per month plus taxes and fees. This plan includes unlimited local and long distance callings within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and to 60 countries worldwide. In order to get this rate you must agree to a 1 year contract.
There are also a few other plans that provide more and less services. The other two residential plans include the "Vonage Pro Residential Plan" for $34.99/month and the "Basic 500 Plan" for $17.99/month. The business plans include the "Premium Unlimited Small Business Plan" for $49.99/month and the "Basic 1,500 Minutes Small Business Plan" for $39.99/month. Yes, Vonage is slightly more than other VoIP providers but the extra costs bring you more features and better quality than what you get from the average VoIP service provider.
How Well Does Vonage Work?
Currently there are over 2.6 million Vonage subscribers so it is logical to think that Vonage works pretty well. From what have seen up to this point Vonage works very well. Sure there are issues with some users but these are often attributed to problems with the users Internet connection or computer rather than the Vonage service. In other cases there are sometimes issues with Vonage itself. It is important to understand that VoIP is still a rather new technology and it has a ways to go before it is perfect but most problems can be solved in-house or by calling Vonage customer support. From all of the information we have gathered we have determined that for most customers Vonage works extremely well and we highly recommend it as an alternative to a traditional landline. It's definitely not the cheapest VoIP service out there either but remember that you get what you pay for.
What Is Vonage's Refund Policy Or Guarantee?
Vonage offers a 30-day money back guarantee for all new subscribers for their first line of service. It is important to note that in order to get the refund you must return all equipment in good and working condition within 14 days of canceling your service. You are also responsible for all shipping charges for sending the equipment back if you decide to cancel.
Which Countries Does Vonage Provide Free Calling To?
The countries that can be called for free via Vonage include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas*, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei*, Bulgaria, Canada*, Chile, China*, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guam*, Hong Kong*, Hungary, Iceland, India*, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya,Latvia, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Republic of Macau*, Malaysia*, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico*, Romania, Russia, Saipan*, San Marino*, Singapore*, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand*, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States*, U.S. Virgin Islands*, Venezuela, and Zambia.
*Calls to cellular phones included
Can I Keep My Old Number With Vonage?
Yes, in most cases new customers can keep their old phone number. It does however take about 10 days to process a transfer.
How Good Is Vonage Customer Service?
As a whole most Vonage customers seem to be satisfied with their quality of customer service. Despite this Vonage has had a number customer service complaints but this is to be expected with any company that has millions of subscribers. The old adage that you can't satisfy everyone is clearly true here. In fact, in a lot of cases issues where often a result of customer errors and stupidity rather than because of something Vonage did. We have found that Vonage does have better customer service than most companies of its sizes. One good thing is that they provide both online and phone support which allows you to choose your preferred method for help. One of the best things about Vonage is that it works so well and flawlessly most of the time that you will hardly ever have to deal with customer service.
The Vonage Bottom Line
Vonage is not only a great innovation that has helped rendered the traditional landline obsolete but it also comes at an excellent price and provides high quality service and a ton of features. Vonage is not the cheapest VoIP service out there at just under $25 per month but it is well worth the extra couple bucks when you consider its voice quality and extra features that make it one of the best VoIP providers. If you are looking to keep a home phone while saving money or cut your business phone bill then Vonage would be an excellent choice. Go ahead and give it a try and if you don't like it you can always return since it comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.
