They all have problems

[Anne]

I've been reading Sykpe and Ooma blogs; they sell service/devices on the order of magic jack, and all have problems and customers who complain bitterly about the product and lack of customer service.

Ooma is a little device that costs anywhere from $200 to $400 - I've seen both prices quoted - one customer wrote to say in the fine TOS print, the company projects a life span of around three years for their product, then you get to buy another one. Yesterday I read Skype was blocking accounts due to non-payment for call time, and people were saying they had sufficient money in their accounts - it just was not showing up.

So far so good with my magic jack. I get to call an elderly (aren't we all) housebound relative every day; I couldn't do it with regular charges.

Anne

[az2008]

one customer wrote to say in the fine TOS print, the company projects a life span of around three years for their product, then you get to buy another one.

Someone posted the same observation on this forum. IMO, that reduces much of my concern about Kab-Ooma. When the Kool-Aid drinkers were running around reciting "free calls for life" I thought they were intentionally trying to mislead people. There's simply no way anyone can provide free anything for life based upon a one-time, up-front purchase. That is the classic definition of a Ponzi Scheme. Providing return on investment using the revenues generated from new investors. It's an unsustainable model. Therefore, fraudulent.

If Kab-Ooma lasts 3 years before requiring another hardware purchase (or changing to a "plan"), that's not too bad. That's about $75 per year. About the same as anyone would pay for Skype, vbuzzer.com, Future Nine, et. al. One sixth the cost of a land line.

Of course, the customers of those other services don't run around like cult members, spreading the gospel.

IMO, the smartest thing anyone can do is to have a variety of tools in their toolchest. I use three services. I didn't have to lay out $250. They meet my needs. If MJ doesn't get better in 3-4 months, I may switch to a Skype monthly service. Again, relying on backup services.

Mark

[maine-iac]

one customer wrote to say in the fine TOS print, the company projects a life span of around three years for their product, then you get to buy another one.

I didn't find that in the TOS but I found this in the ooma FAQ:

9. What if my ooma system breaks? Is there a warranty?

Absolutely. All ooma devices come with a one-year limited warranty for material defects. This means, we'll replace or repair your ooma device for one year from the date of purchase. You can extend the one-year warranty to three years for the one-time fee of $69.99. This option is available any time during the first year of service. To purchase an extended warranty, please call a member of our customer support team at 1-888-711-6662.

So, take your chances after a year or prepay $70 for a new ooma you might not need up to three years.

[az2008]

So, take your chances after a year or prepay $70 for a new ooma you might not need up to three years.

I still maintain that if Kab-Ooma doesn't have a 3-year lifespan (either through stated hardware lifespan, or exception detailing the company's right to charge a fee after 3 years) then the whole thing is a scam.

They'll either change the terms. Or, they have some kind of way to remotely disable the hardware -- making it appear it simply died ("sorry, you have to buy more hardware").

I could respect them as a provider if it was clear up front that the hardware is a proxy for purchasing 3 years of service. Or, that it's an introductory program, and they plan to charge published fees. But, the way it is now, everyone knows it's an unsustainable business model, without any clue what Kab-Ooma's real intentions are.

That lack of transparency along with their equivocation concerning the use of customer landlines to terminate calls for other customers (creating huge security concerns) doesn't give me a warm feeling.

Mark

[Anne]

Below is part of what I quoted; the portion about the device having a three-year life span is elsewhere. Please don't ask me to research it.

I only wanted to make the point that not everyone is satisfied with Ooma, Skype, or Magic Jack.

Anne

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike P - July 30th, 2008 at 5:15 pm PDT
David notes that Ooma is “free forever” but couldn’t find where on their web site it says how long “forever” is. The fine print I found before (maybe they hid it better), said that they only promise “free” for 3 years.

[maine-iac]

As with anything: some people love it; others hate it. Your mileage may vary.

[mberlant]

Just as with magicJack, if ooma goes belly up or the device dies after you have gotten your money's worth, you have won.

One of the ways that MJ will keep afloat for a while longer is through abandonment. Anyone who gives up on MJ after the first month abandons the remainder of his/her service year. And, if the MJ was bought at Radio Shack and is returned within the first month for refund, Radio Shack eats that refund and MJ enjoys the benefits of the abandonment.

[pagemen]

I've heard nothing but good, even rave reviews about ooma's voice quality, from users with (cheap) magicjack and (more expensive) other VSPs. However, the posts about ooma on BBR really concern me...

Given the fact that MJ is actually a standard SIP VOIP service, there're a lot to play around---softphone, ATA, Asterisk, mobile device----that's what ooma and skype are missing. However, less tech savvy users, without knowing ATA or thin client, may end up paying more for leaving the PC on 24x7 while get inferior service due to the crappy usb dongle, and that's where most bad MJ reviews come from.

[az2008]

However, the posts about ooma on BBR really concern me...

As MJ users, do we have a basis to criticize Ooma for tracking calls and selling usage history as advertising? Is the difference that we agree to it, but Ooma doesn't disclose it?

Given the fact that MJ is actually a standard SIP VOIP service, there're a lot to play around---softphone, ATA, Asterisk, mobile device----that's what ooma and skype are missing.

What is a good SIP-conforming replacement for MJ? I've considered going to Future Nine (if MJ doesn't improve) because it is SIP. However, it's a little more expensive than Skype. I'm not sure SIP is that important to me. But, I don't like the idea of buying a proprietary ATA adaptor for Skype.

I'm wondering what other SIP services there are.

Mark

[pagemen]

As MJ users, do we have a basis to criticize Ooma for tracking calls and selling usage history as advertising? Is the difference that we agree to it, but Ooma doesn't disclose it?

At least there is no suspicious traffic with MJ's softphone, not to mention ATA.

What is a good SIP-conforming replacement for MJ? I've considered going to Future Nine (if MJ doesn't improve) because it is SIP. However, it's a little more expensive than Skype. I'm not sure SIP is that important to me. But, I don't like the idea of buying a proprietary ATA adaptor for Skype.

Depends on the usage, I'm fine with a prepaid outgoing plan, while others might consider an all-you-can-eat unlimited one. In my case, I would go with callcentric.com for incoming, DIDs are as low as $3/mo in certain areas, with GREAT voice quality, then F9 for outgoing. The total cost would be around $5/mo.

Anyway, thats the worst case, assuming MJ and all other free services are down. Otherwise, I can do gizmo5+backdoor dialing for some calls, and IPKall+DukaDial for the rest----to get a completely free VOIP setup.