Lingo Review – Tell It How It Is – by Paul Jenkins
Lingo has been around since 2004 and is headquartered in Virgina. Over the years Lingo received a bad reputation with many customer complaints and bad reviews. It didn’t help that their parent company Primus declared bankruptcy in 2009. Many complaints arose in 2008 when Lingo declared they were going to impose a $99 cancellation fee to their customers who cancelled before their contracts ended. It seems Lingo must be trying to work out their issues because they no longer provide contracts, and you now order their service on a month to month basis with no cancellation fees. Their prices are about average – you can get unlimited calling to the US and Canada for $19.95 a month.
Why It Rocks
Lingo allows you to pay month by month so if you don’t want to lock in this could work.
Lingo can be used on Blackberry and Android Phones for an extra fee, so if you want to use your internet phone on the go this is a great bonus. Most companies who provide smartphone use tend to normally offer it for iPhones only. Lingo is the opposite, so if you have a blackberry and want to be able to use your internet phone this is something to consider.
Lingo offers 24/7 tech support. Few companies offer tech support around the clock. If you like to know that someone is always there to help Lingo could be an option.
Lingo allows you to port your number. This means you can bring your number with you to the internet.
Lingo offers international numbers for $10 extra a month. Most US companies offer domestic numbers only. If you’re looking for a number abroad to stay in touch with family or clients you could check out their area codes.
Where It Strikes Out
You can’t BYOD with Lingo. If you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person and want to use your own adapter you’ll want to skip lingo. You have to use the Lingo adapter which means you can only use it with their service.
According to one of their sales agents they do not offer a second line. If this is a feature that interests you – there are other companies that offer second line for free.
Lingo does not offer a softphone so if you wanted the option of using your internet phone on your computer you’re out of luck.
The Last Word
Lingo has gotten a bad rep by customers over the years but could it be possible they are trying to change their ways? The good news is that if you’re willing to give them a shot at least you know you don’t have to lock in anymore. You can pay month by month and not worry about paying any cancellation fees.
My Straight-Up Advice: If you don’t want to do a lot of work, don’t need a lot of features and don’t want to lock in this could work. It could also work if you have a blackberry or are looking for an international virtual number.
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