After watching about 2 million Vonage commercials, and checking their website for all of the details, I did a little grade-school math, and found I would save approximately $40 per month in long distance fees and the cost for a standard telephone line, if I were to sign up for Vonage broadband voice service rather than keep my existing telephone service carrier.
My Vonage account was set up over the telephone, but there is also the option of signing up on the internet. All you need to do so is a credit or debit card. There is no annual contract, either. If you decide Vonage isn’t what you wanted, simply cancel the account. Your credit or debit card is billed each month for your telephone service.
For $24.99 (plus the standard fees and taxes) per month I get: Three-way calling, 911 service, caller ID, voicemail, unlimited local and long distance (U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, and parts of Europe), call return, repeat dialing, call forwarding, call waiting, call transfer, take Vonage with you, the list goes on and on. There is also worldwide Network Calling, which means no matter where in the world you’re calling, as long as the other party is a Vonage customer, it’s free. I wasn’t getting half of these services with my previous telephone company, but I was paying more money per month – not counting the long distance, taxes, and other fees that are tacked on that everyone has to pay.
There are cheaper packages, but the lesser packages have limits on minutes you can use and where you can call. There is also the option for business lines, and multiple home lines. Vonage phone calls come through clear, and there is a step-by-step CD-Rom guide that comes in the box with the Vonage Device. It takes literally minutes to connect to your internet and computer. All it takes to set up the Vonage Device is two cables and a phone cord. There is nothing to install on your computer, either. It’s so easy, a child could do it.
I live long distance from all of my family and my husband’s family. We are even long distance from the town where my children attend school, because we live so far out in the country, yet still within the school district. When my children call their friends it adds additional long distance charges each month, as well.
You don’t have to change your phone number unless you live outside of the listed Vonage areas for your area code. In the event that you are outside of their listed areas for your area code, Vonage will assign you a telephone number with the prefix that corresponds with the closest city listed. In my case, I have a Little Rock phone number, but I live 45 minutes outside of Little Rock. Being outside of the areas on the listing for your state and area code will not deem you unable to have Vonage services, you just choose the city closest to you, and let Vonage generate the phone number.
Vonage didn’t waste any time delivering the device used to connect our phone to the internet, either. I received mine within five days of ordering, and that’s counting the weekend. There is a one time set up and delivery fee, but after that your phone bill is all you pay. The existing phone you have always used is all you need. There’s no “special” phone that needs to be purchased so that Vonage works properly.
Using your phone line while on the internet does not slow down your computer, or cause you to miss calls. As a test, I talked to my husband while on the internet, and both the phone and internet connection functioned just fine. I didn’t have any reduction in internet speed, or call clarity issues on my telephone.
The Vonage Dashboard allows you to view your account including recent calls made and received, billing, and voicemail. Account information on the Vonage Online Account Management is real time and available 24-hours per day, 7 days a week. I give Vonage an A+ for quality, price, and the ability to call more than just my neighbors without being charged long distance fees.
