- Report: #232930
Complaint Review: Vonage - Internet
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Vonage
vonage.com Internet, U.S.A.
Phone:
866-243-4357
Web:
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Vonage ripoff uses their "free trial" period to hook and charge additional fees Internet
*Author of original report: Still Waiting - Lies, Lies and more Lies!
*Author of original report: 10 Days Later, More Phone Calls - Maybe a Partial Refund?
*Author of original report: Finally - We Get the Refund!
*Author of original report: Finally - We Get the Refund!
*Author of original report: Finally - We Get the Refund!
*Author of original report: Finally - We Get the Refund!
When signing up for the "free trial" the consumer should be very careful to read the terms of service.
Their "free trial" deal works as follows: the "free trial" consists of one paying the shipping fee to get the internet appliance - In our case it was $16.01. This fee is $12.00 more than what they pay to send the device. Once you receive the device, you will more than likely have to call their Customer Care center. This center is in India, and if you really have a problem, expect to spend a long time on the phone. The Customer Care operators have a limited knowledge of the English language outside of what they have been scripted to say.
We needed to change the number they gave us before the device arrived. (We did not have local Vonage service so we needed to pick an area code and exchange). There was an $11 charge to change this number (even before we activated the account!). The number they gave us turned out to belong to a local company in a neighboring city. 3 calls to their "Care Center" resulted in frustration, and finally - we were sent to a person in the US. They discovered the error and preceded to change our number - AND CHARGED US AGAIN! We now have 3 charges (and they quickly took it out of the bank).
We had it with the service, so we decided to disconnect before the "trial period" was over. They attempted to charge us a $40 disconnect fee, which they waved and gave us an RA to return the device. When the USPS delivery confirmation showed they did indeed deliver the device back to them, we called to close the account. At this point, they CHARGED US THE $40 DISCONNECT FEE. When I called to complain, they told me to "read their TOS". They also told me it would take at least 10 days for them to verify that I did return their device and that they would return my money after then.
To sum it up: Vonage has taken $76.72 directly out of my bank account in a blink of an eye. I returned their device and now I have to wait a minimum of 10 days to get my money back.
In my opinion, I would recommend others to stay as far away from Vonage as they can. Their customer service is very poor, they take your money and then take as much time as they can to return it to you.
Gary
Clifton Springs, New York
U.S.A.
Their "free trial" deal works as follows: the "free trial" consists of one paying the shipping fee to get the internet appliance - In our case it was $16.01. This fee is $12.00 more than what they pay to send the device. Once you receive the device, you will more than likely have to call their Customer Care center. This center is in India, and if you really have a problem, expect to spend a long time on the phone. The Customer Care operators have a limited knowledge of the English language outside of what they have been scripted to say.
We needed to change the number they gave us before the device arrived. (We did not have local Vonage service so we needed to pick an area code and exchange). There was an $11 charge to change this number (even before we activated the account!). The number they gave us turned out to belong to a local company in a neighboring city. 3 calls to their "Care Center" resulted in frustration, and finally - we were sent to a person in the US. They discovered the error and preceded to change our number - AND CHARGED US AGAIN! We now have 3 charges (and they quickly took it out of the bank).
We had it with the service, so we decided to disconnect before the "trial period" was over. They attempted to charge us a $40 disconnect fee, which they waved and gave us an RA to return the device. When the USPS delivery confirmation showed they did indeed deliver the device back to them, we called to close the account. At this point, they CHARGED US THE $40 DISCONNECT FEE. When I called to complain, they told me to "read their TOS". They also told me it would take at least 10 days for them to verify that I did return their device and that they would return my money after then.
To sum it up: Vonage has taken $76.72 directly out of my bank account in a blink of an eye. I returned their device and now I have to wait a minimum of 10 days to get my money back.
In my opinion, I would recommend others to stay as far away from Vonage as they can. Their customer service is very poor, they take your money and then take as much time as they can to return it to you.
Gary
Clifton Springs, New York
U.S.A.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
Gary
Clifton Springs,New York,
U.S.A.
Finally - We Get the Refund!
#2Author of original report
Sun, February 18, 2007
After the calls and waiting, we finally got the money back that we were owed. Now we are getting calls from them wanting us to return - they are offering 2 free months. Fat chance that will ever happen.
Gary
Clifton Springs,New York,
U.S.A.
Finally - We Get the Refund!
#3Author of original report
Sun, February 18, 2007
After the calls and waiting, we finally got the money back that we were owed. Now we are getting calls from them wanting us to return - they are offering 2 free months. Fat chance that will ever happen.
Gary
Clifton Springs,New York,
U.S.A.
Finally - We Get the Refund!
#4Author of original report
Sun, February 18, 2007
After the calls and waiting, we finally got the money back that we were owed. Now we are getting calls from them wanting us to return - they are offering 2 free months. Fat chance that will ever happen.
Gary
Clifton Springs,New York,
U.S.A.
Finally - We Get the Refund!
#5Author of original report
Sun, February 18, 2007
After the calls and waiting, we finally got the money back that we were owed. Now we are getting calls from them wanting us to return - they are offering 2 free months. Fat chance that will ever happen.
Gary
Clifton Springs,New York,
U.S.A.
10 Days Later, More Phone Calls - Maybe a Partial Refund?
#6Author of original report
Wed, February 14, 2007
It has been 10 days since my last adventure with the highly qualified "customer service" reps at Vonage. Today I attempted to collect my refund for the $32.61 that Vonage still owes me. My first call was to India. After hanging on hold for nearly 10 minutes, they told me that they were refunding the $32.61. I checked my account on the internet and found that they had only put in a credit statement/refund statement for $16.60. I called again and this time got "technical support" in the US. As I write this I am again on hold and have been on the phone for 18 minutes. They are all confused even though we have been told that they still owe us $16.01 which happens to be the free trial period "start-up cost (aka shipping). 20 minutes - now the "technical support" rep is telling me that they cannot refund more than we paid. Geezus - these people are so _ _ _ _ _ (fill in the blanks). I paid them $16.01, $11.02, $5.58 and $44.11. They refunded the $44.11 and the $11.02/$5.58 ($16.60) but they think I am trying to get more than I paid. 25 minutes (my ear is falling asleep) - they finally may have gotten it. They issued a credit statement for $17.30 - an invoice for $1.29 (to make it $16.01) and finally a refund statement for $16.01 I will post one more time (hopefully) when the $32.61 is back in my bank account. The last time took 4 business days to finally show up. I now have spent close to 2 hours in 12 calls to them in the past month. They only way to get your money back is to hound them, they will not do it on their own!!!
Gary
Clifton Springs,New York,
U.S.A.
Still Waiting - Lies, Lies and more Lies!
#7Author of original report
Sat, February 03, 2007
After filing this report, I spoke with Vonage and was told we would receive a refund of $76.72. They told me I would receive this refund no later than January 30th. LIE #1. On the January 29th, we were told by Melissa, ID# 25922 that she was refunding the $44.11 immediately as we should never have been charged the disconnect fee when they had the device in house. LIE #2 On Feb. 3rd, I called Vonage and got the TYPICAL run around, wait, runaround. I was told by Cassandra that Melissa had not requested the money be returned to us and it would take 3 - 4 business days. She also claimed that they had just processed the return of the device on Jan 30th (they had already had it for 3 days at this point) - because their "shipping department was backed up" (yah - right - returning the devices from other dissatisfied ex-customers). To her credit, Cassandra did issue a refund today, Feb 3rd for the $44.11. Vonage still owes us $32.61 which is SUPPOSED to be returned on Feb 9th (plus, I bet, 3-4 business days for the bank). As of today, let me reiterate. If you sign up for the "free trial", return their device, and cancel your account in the "free trial period" it will cost you many times more than you expect (in our case $76.72 for 2 weeks of service), they will charge you to cancel the service, than you have to wait a month to get your money back. Is Vonage really worth it?
