View

Overall Rating

This is not a review,but a solution for the person who posted the review. Sign up for a Google Voice account, which is free, & is open again -- it was closed to new accounts, and was, previously, by invitation only, but it recently reopened to new accounts and you don't need any invitations. All you need is a valid email address. And, you can select the phone number you want from their lists,or do a search of the preferred prefix & number to check availability. I used the last four of my home #, which I set up to ring both home and cell phones. You can make calls by dialing online ("dial" online, and it will call your handset, then connect you to the call you want to make) or with any phone number you register to your GV # ,and you can register multiple phones to your GV #, and set it up anyway you want to ring one or all phones, OR you can opt for a non-GV number, though you will lose some of the features it offers if you use a non-GV #. And, anyone with whom you want to exchange phone calls can also sign up for the same area codes and prefixes, or similar phone numbers. GV is, basically, a call forwarding service, not a phone service provider. But, it offers free voice mail, free text messaging, free call and VM transcription services (though this is a bit and a half hinky), plus, you can make and receive domestic and international calls free or very cheaply (most countries are @ 2 cents a minute). It allows you to have a phone in an area code in a different state, while still being able to have people call you at a local number. And, you can set it up to ring multiple phones at the same time. Plus, you can screen calls. I set up accounts for myself and my mom, & my sister set up a local number my mom can call for free,even though my sister lives across country, so mom doesn't have to wait until evening to make "free" LD calls from her cell; & my brother & his wife can keep his phone numbers & cell phones from our home state, while having a local number for his new home in a different state. Call quality is good, even on international calls. If you register a number to one account, you will, however, need to verify that you want that number on another account -- so you can have one account for personal calls and one for business. Pretty neat. I think this will fit the bill for your needs. Best of all is it is FREE! Just Google GV sign up, and you will find the sign up page.

Overall Rating

One feature available is “VIP Distinctive Ring,” which makes your ringer sound different depending on who’s calling. Since day one, the ‘on/off’ switch has been missing on my account page (something went goofy on my profile). I contacted customer support via their support page to correct this… haven’t yet heard back, and it’s not fixed. It’s been a month… I’m not concerned enough about it to write back, but it just shows another failure on their customer support that I heard such great things about. Just got my bill. I expected some taxes and whatnot, but was a little bit surprised when those taxes comprised 40% of the bill (typical telecom trick). Some are required by law, some could be built in to their base price, if they chose. Not complaining about the price here, $16 a month is still great for 500 minutes, but I don’t like how they don’t disclose these taxes and fees until you receive your first bill. I read every word of the fine print. The surcharges are always ambiguously referred to, even in the fine print, and you have no idea what they are going to be until you've had service for a month. Customers should know what the total monthly cost to them will be before purchasing a telephone service. I will keep my service and would purchase the ITP plan again (both powerful statements), but they do have some room to improve and could irritate some customers with the quirks mentioned above. Not a perfect choice, but leaps and bounds superior to Vonage!!