I had some minor issues with the web ordering. Like any good sales system, it tries to up-sell you as you go through the process. Do you want additional units as gifts? Do you want extended warranties? Do you want to pay a lump sum and get free shipping? Do you want to pay for customer service? Yes, that last one is true.
So, everything was going fine. They limit you to a total of two units per purchase "due to high demand."
I opted to pay the lump sum, since I'm cheap. It said to expect shipment within 2-3 weeks due to increased demand.
The step where they asked about an extended warranty was a bit confusing to me, only because I've read elsewhere that they sometimes offer promotions.
It read like this:
For some reason, I kept thinking the asterisk print was implying that for "today," all ordered TK's were automatically receiving the extended warranty (for free), which would have been nice, obviously. A call to their 800 number cleared that question up. What it really meant was that, if I ordered multiple units, and elected the extended warranty, that $20.00 would automatically be applied to my order for each unit to receive the warranty.5-Year Extended Warranty
To protect your TK6000 against damage and wear and tear, you have the option of including a 5-year extended replacement warranty for just $19.95. This way if anything should happen to your TK6000 simply send it back and we will either fix it or replace it with no questions and no hassles.
*All of the TK6000 units you order today will automatically be upgraded with a 5-year extended warranty.
I elected to pay the $20.00, because I already know my "lifetime" service is for the "life of the product." I don't want to get into a semantics battle with customer service about what "life of the product" means when my Tk6000 dies after 3 years. Does it mean the physical life of my unit? Does it mean as long as NetTalk supports that device? Better just to guarantee my extra years of hardware life, and hope the company survives long enough to get my money's worth.
Next, it asked me if I wanted to pay for live phone technical support. 2 months free, then $9.95 per month after that. At first I was a bit indignant, since I've heard many praises of NetTalk's superior customer service compared to MJ. Of course it's better! You have to pay for it! However, upon further consideration, I realized it is a good thing. There are those people who want/need that level of support. If they are willing to pay for it, then that helps all of us to keep our "lifetime" service and low price. I'm content with trouble tickets and forum support, so I passed.
Oddly, at the order summary page, it showed an order for 2 units with extended warranties for both, even though I only selected a quantity of one. I think there is a bug in their software. I briefly selected two units on that step of the process, but changed it to 1 before clicking "next." Apparently, the system only recognizes that first change.
It was easy to delete the second unit and warranty at the summary page before clicking the "submit" button.
Both time I've called their 800 order line, the two separate people I spoke to both seemed quite competent about the product in general, and were friendly, though I declined to order over the phone.
Putting up $120.00 for a product with "lifetime" service, when I know the company is not quite firing on all cylinders yet, is not something I'm accustomed to doing. I'll feel cheated, even four years from now, if the company tanks or says "sorry, we are no longer supporting this product, please consider trying our new femtowidget 7000 for a discounted price of $100.00 plus $50 annual fee." etc.
Also, my wife is asking what we're going to do with the MJ. Our MJ service has been outstanding. NetTalk doesn't offer porting in yet, and she refuses to repeat the hassle of telling everyone we know, including friends, clinics, schools, banks, libraries, etc that we have a new number.
I think in the short term, I'll just forward the MJ to the Tk, but keep the MJ for travel, etc. Who knows, I may end up extending the MJ license if it proves useful in that capacity. If/when NetTalk allows porting, I'll consider killing off the MJ by taking its number.
Ultimately, what swayed me to try the Tk, was:
-Direct router connection (no brainer)
-Promise of "lifetime" service
-Made in USA. Having been raised as the son of an auto worker, in an area of the country that has seen countless factories converted into luxury condos, I'm a sucker for the old "Made in USA" appeal.
I'll try to keep you posted.
