Top 27 Things You Should Know About Internet Phone Service Providers
“Hey, I didn’t know that!” This is probably one of the most common complaints I hear people say a few weeks after they sign up with an internet phone provider. Why is it that some people feel like they were misinformed or not given all the information at the time of purchase? Well, part of it is because some providers don’t advertise certain facts because it’s not in their best interest to do so. They would rather focus your attention on all the advantages and features they offer rather than what they don’t, what could go wrong, and what surprises you might find in their fine print. But the other part is because you as a customer did not take the proper steps to get informed. Now, I am not saying that there aren’t a few shady companies out there that might be crossing the line. But in the end the competition is fierce, so if you want to get the best deal and select the best internet phone provider that suits your lifestyle – it’s up to you to get yourself informed. The good news is that all you really need to know about internet phone companies and what you should consider is right here in this list.
1) Check that your area code is available before you buy. It’s easy to get excited about getting an internet phone. You’ll save money, drop your old phone company and get some awesome new features like email voice messages. But before you take the plunge with a specific provider you should check that they do in fact offer your area code. Most of the time this is not a problem but if you don’t live in a big metropolis it could be. Some providers will let you automatically check for the number you want on their site. Other providers require that you proceed as if you were going to buy in order to see if the number you want is available and then you can withdraw before it’s time to give your credit card information. To be on the safe side you should call them to confirm that your area code is available even if their site says it is. This is because just like any other product sometimes companies run out of stock – and they may have run out of your area code.
2) You can BYOD with some internet phone providers. Many internet phone providers now allow you to “bring your own device”. This is great if you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person. This way you don’t have to lease the phone adapter from the provider, you can buy your own and set it up yourself. This means you’ll save on shipping and handling costs and you can use your adapter again if you change providers. It also means you can tinker around and have more control over what your internet phone can do.
3) Most providers do not offer tech support if you BYOD. Personally, I am all about bringing your own device and setting up your own adapter. My philosophy is do a little extra work and save more money and be self-sufficient. This way you’ll be less dependent and have more control over your phone. Of course this isn’t for everyone. Some people just don’t have the time and others are simply not interested. However, if you are a do-it-yourself kind of person and you do decide to take this route you should know that you probably won’t get much tech support from your internet phone provider. Your provider will pretty much give up all responsibility and leave you to your own devices. This is all about keeping you in the dark about how things work. And again, it’s about keeping you invested and dependent. Not to worry though. If you do decide to go against the grain there is lots of help available. You can use this site to get information; you can check out our blog, books, videos and articles. And you can use other resources like other websites and forums. Don’t fear technology, let it liberate you.
4) Some providers charge you an Activation Fee. Although this is now not really the case anymore, it is something to look out for. In the past it use to be that providers charged a fee to get you started, but now most companies have waived this fee.
5) Most providers charge you shipping & handling when you lease their phone adapters. Some providers charge you for the adapter but nowadays most just charge you for the shipping and handling costs. This is usually true even if the adapter is “free”. Even if you don’t have to pay for the adapter you still have to pay for the adapter to get to your place which generally costs around $14.95 US. And remember, if you’re leasing the adapter you also have to return it so you also have to pay for the shipping and handling when you return it – even if it is two years later.
6) Some providers charge you a Cancellation fee. It used to be that most providers charged you around $99 if you cancelled before your contract was over. However since late September 2010, this is no longer the case with most providers. Now most providers offer pay as you go so you don’t have to worry about a cancellation fee.
7) Some providers charge you a Recovery fee. When you cancel or end your service with a provider you have to return the adapter if you have leased it. This means that if you don’t return it within the time frame they’ve allocated (usually 30 days from the day you cancel) they might charge you a recovery fee (generally around $75). It also has to arrive in proper working order and with all the pieces. If not, they may also charge you.
8.) Some providers require that you phone them to cancel and not send an email. If you decide to cancel your service make sure to check how this is done. Some providers do not accept email cancellations.
9) You will be charged from the day you order your internet phone even if there are delays with setting up your internet phone. Some people freak out when their internet phone is not set up right away. I don’t blame them – especially if the service was presented to them as prompt. However, there are some circumstances which may cause a delay in getting you set up. If you live in a rural area you may be affected. This is because for your internet phone to work you need an adapter and if you’re leasing the adapter you’ll have to wait for the delivery. If the package is coming from the opposite coast or you’re located somewhere obscure you might be delayed. Also, regardless of where you live if you receive your adapter and it is missing parts or it’s defective you’ll have to wait for a new one. Delivery can take up to a few days and if there are holidays thrown in the delay could be greater. There are also times where the internet phone provider takes longer than usual to get a number assigned to you. Usually internet phone providers are pretty fast at getting you a number, so if this is a concern be sure to check with the company to see how fast they can get you a number.
10) If you’re leased phone adapter gets stolen you’ll likely have to pay for a new one. Take care of your adapter. If it gets damaged or stolen you’ll probably have to pay for it.
11) If someone hijacks your adapter and makes calls with it you’ll likely have to pay for those calls. Probably unlikely, but if this is a concern be aware of any unwanted intruders.
12) Porting your number can take 10-20 days on average but it in rare cases it can be as long as 30-60 days. The fact that you can port your number to the internet is awesome. I have one number that I have taken with me everywhere and this way no matter where I am or where I move people can always reach me. But it does sometimes take a while to make this happen and while its happening your number will be out of service. Your number won’t work until the port effective date. Luckily companies usually give you a temporary internet phone number while your phone number is going through the porting process. Many people also have cell phones which they can use for the week or two that their number is being ported. In the end, if you’re going to port your number just try to find out the average time it will take and make sure that you’re set up to deal with a temporary number if it comes to that.
13) If you want to port your number it must be active and not disconnected. It can be an exciting thing to port your number to the internet. In fact, some people get so excited about leaving their old phone company that they cancel their number before it has been officially ported. Then they end up hugely disappointed when they realize that the internet phone provider can’t find their number. In order to port your number, internet phone providers require that your number still be active. Porting is a joint process between your old phone company and your new company. Usually your new company will contact your old company to confirm this switch. If you’re porting your number it’s best to double check with both companies to see how they want to proceed with the porting process.
14) Unlimited calling is technically not really unlimited. Most providers advertise as having unlimited calling – usually within the US and Canada. It is true that you can call anywhere within the US and Canada, but it’s not unlimited. Providers have a fair usage clause which allows them to limit your monthly calling. Usually providers cap your calling at around 5000 minutes per month before they start charging you more per minute. That’s about 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. A few others cap it even lower at around 3000 minutes. Generally for most people 5000 minutes is more than enough. If you have a business at home that requires you to talk more than this you might want to consider a business calling plan which usually provides unlimited incoming. Again for most this is not a problem, but if you spend your days talking on the phone this is something you might want to consider.
15) You can set up multiple phones around your home with most providers. Some people may only need one phone, but others may prefer to have multiple phones especially around the house. This is usually fairly straightforward to do. The most common way is to use a wireless phone with a base and multiple phones attached to it. You can also use the wiring in your home to do this. You can check out the How-To Section for more details.
16) Some providers allow you to use one phone number on multiple devices. Not only can you use an internet phone number on a regular phone but you can also use it on your computer or even your smartphone. This is something I highly recommend you take advantage of especially if you’re on the go a lot. The only thing is that different providers will offer you different options. So, you should check with your provider to see what they offer. For the most part providers will allow you to use your number on two devices at once, i.e. home and computer or home and smartphone. But usually you can’t use your number on three devices at the same time unless you set it up yourself.
17) Most internet phones work on iPhones, some on Androids and less on Blackberry. If your provider offers a smartphone option it is likely for an iPhone. Not to worry though. If you really want to use an internet phone on your blackberry there are a few providers that allow for this.
18) Not all softphones are Mac friendly. If you want to use your internet phone on a computer and you have a Mac you’ll have less options. Most providers that offer softphones tend to be biased towards PC’s. If you have a Mac check with your provider to see if they support it.
19) All features are usually created equal but not always their prices. Nowadays any internet phone can pretty much do everything that a traditional phone can do but more. In fact there are some pretty awesome features like receiving texts on a regular home phone. The problem is that many providers will act as if a certain feature is really special – which it may in fact be- but it is not necessarily unique to that particular provider. So, don’t get too enchanted with a feature because it is likely that the next provider offers it. Also, most of the time most providers offer the same free features. There are a few features however, that some providers may charge extra for while others don’t. For example porting and 411 are sometimes free. Or sometimes some providers charge more for a feature than another company. I would first figure out what features I really want and then take it from there. I would also check to see if a provider charges for softphone or smartphone access. There are a few providers that offer both for free which I think is a pretty awesome deal.
20) Most providers now offer 911 services. In the past it used to be that people were concerned about how 911 would work when getting an internet phone. But the good news is that most companies now offer 911 services. It’s a little different than traditional service but it still means that 911 can locate you if necessary. All you have to do is register your address with your internet phone provider. It won’t work if the power or the internet goes down but most people have a cell phone with them anyways. The important part of this service is that you register your address and keep it updated. In fact if 911 is dialled at an unregistered address you may even be charged a fee.
21) Faxing is not great with internet phones. Not all providers offer fax services and even then the service may not be the greatest. Faxing will work best for local faxes under a high speed internet connection. For the best fax service you’re better off going with a bigger provider and buying a second line for about 10 bucks a month that is strictly for faxing.
22) Second Line does not mean you get a second phone number. Nowadays, many providers offer a “second line” for free or as part of their calling plans. This is a really useful feature but a lot of people get it confused with a second number. Having a second line means that you can have another phone set up in the house that you can make outgoing calls on while the first phone is being used. This means that the two people can use the phone at the same time. The difference is you can only receive calls on one line.
23) Internet phones don’t always work with non-voice communications equipment that require a phone line to operate. Home security systems and medical monitoring devices many not be compatible with your internet phone line. Faxing can work with internet phones but not all companies provide it. If this is an issue be sure to check what equipment can be supported.
24) Not all tech support is created equal and you get what you pay for. There is a wide range of tech support in the internet phone world. Some providers offer very little support while others go all the way with 24/7 phone support at your disposal. How much support you need will be a matter of personal choice. Some people need to be able to talk when they get stressed. Others don’t need much help but like to know it’s there, while still others may never use it at all. Internet phone support can be expensive for companies to provide so this will show up in their price. Personally, I think the companies that provide email support are the best deal, but again that’s just me.
25) Trial offers sometimes do not always offer enough time for you to get set up and test your phone. Trial Offers are great because they allow you to test out a provider and you get your money back if you’re not satisfied. But if you’re thinking of using a trial offer make sure to take into consideration where you live and whether you’re porting your number. If you live in a rural area or somewhere far from where your internet phone adapter is coming from it may take longer to get to you. It should only take a few days but if there is a holiday or some other delay it could take a week or longer and then you’ll have less time to set up and test out your phone. Also, porting your number can take a few weeks, in some cases a month or more. So, if you’re going for a trial offer opt for the 30 day one instead of the 14 days and make sure its enough time for you.
26) International unlimited calling usually applies only to landlines. Some companies offer great international unlimited calling plans to generally around 50 countries or more. However, this unlimited calling tends to be limited to landlines only. So if you have relatives in Europe that you want to call regularly these plans work better if you’ll be calling their land line. If you want to call international cell phones you’re better off buying prepaid minutes for that country or countries.
27) Many U.S. companies offer domestic virtual numbers, fewer offer international ones. One of the great things about internet phones is that you can get a number for another location even if you’re not there. This means you can maintain a local presence with customers and business associates almost anywhere or you can stay in touch with family and friends from your hometown. If you’re looking for an American virtual number many companies offer this service. However, fewer companies offer international area codes. If this is something you’re looking for you’ll want to check out a provider’s international calling options.
So there you have it. The stuff that internet phone providers may or may not tell you but that you should know! If there are other things you think should be added to the list or that you think are just not quite right send me an email or make a comment. Of course if you found this helpful let me know as well!
