Vonage Online Cancellation? Why The Heck Not?

September 08, 2005 | 17 Comments

My trials and tribulations with Vonage (etc. — see this for reference) have really hit an all time low when it comes to customer experience.

This is worse than my experience with Overstock. I never did get them to actually take my gift certificate. Anyway, back to Vonage…

After wasting about 3 more hours trying to get the service working and after trying a new router and running into several new problems and several new dead ends, I decided to give up. I mean, this was a supreme waste of my time and I was already so mad that I just wanted it to end.

So I logged in to my account (which I created online) to cancel my service. After much hunting and pecking I got to this message:

If you would like to cancel your Vonage service please contact us at 1-VONAGE-HELP (1-866-243-4357) or 1-732-650-6699 for further assistance. Our Cancellation Department is available to assist you Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - midnight EST and Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST

WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE TO CALL YOU? I don’t want to talk to you any more! Argh. I just want to put an end to this fiasco, but no, now I’ve got to wait until tomorrow to waste more time trying to cancel this service that I didn’t even get to use. It’s not bad enough I’ve got to take the hardware back to the store, where I’m sure I’ll have to fill out all sorts of paperwork, now I’ve got to relive the whole god-awful experience with yet another clueless customer service person.

It really bugs me that they’ll let me create an account (all of which went very smoothly) by myself and provide me with almost all the help I could ask for when giving them the information they need to take my money. But as soon as they’ve got that info they do nothing to help me get the service I paid for, and worse, they make it doubly hard to simply put an end to an already really, really bad experience.

It’s almost like they’re rubbing my face in it. But this post made me feel a bit better.

UPDATE: Oh my god. What a nightmare. Please, please, if you are reading this, take my advice do not ever sign up for Vonage. In addition to the previous problems I had to jump through more hoops and deal with more BS than I ever would have expected to get this cancelled. I mean, as if I wasn’t mad enough, they pretty much called me an idiot because I couldn’t get it to work and tried to bully me into “advanced tech support” to try, yet again, to get it running.

When I told them that at this point it was a matter of principle and that I was so frustrated with previous efforts to get it up in running that I just wanted it to end, I was questioned as to my motivation and to my previous efforts. I pretty much had to yell at the tech and tell him I didn’t want to hear another word from him except that my service was being shut of and my money refunded.

He said the service was shut off and hung up. No apologies, no “thanks for trying Vonage” and, most importantly, not confirmation that my money was going to be refunded. Now I’ve got to check to make sure that’s happening. What a nightmare.

Filed under: Web General
Keyword Tags: vonage customer+experience

Comments

1. Mike D. said:

… which is even more ironic, because theoretically you don’t even have the phone service with which to call them and cancel.

Posted on September 8, 2005 08:01 PM | #

2. Keith said:

Mike – Seriously. I wanted to try this because I’ve got really bad cell coverage at home. I mean I have to leave the house to use my cell…

Posted on September 8, 2005 08:12 PM | #

3. Dood said:

Actually the reason you cant cancel online is quite simple. They want you to call so that they can get you on the phone with a rep that is paid to try and get you to stay. AOL was just recently sued for this same reason and the clients won the class action.

Big business will hire very well spoken intelligent people to work the “cancellation phones” with the sole purpose of talking you out of it. Often the phone process is just as hard to navigate with hundreds of menus and people to sort through. Once you get to the right person they will most likely offer you free service for a month or so in the hopes that you will forget to cancel and simply go on paying. If they actually allowed you to simply cancel online they risk losing thousands of potential customers that are gullible enough to be talked out of it. Its just one of those things and its LAME. For your sake I hope you don’t get sucked into the silver tongue. Good Luck!

Posted on September 8, 2005 09:50 PM | #

4. Keith said:

Dood – Oh I know why. But, still, WHY? ;0)

Posted on September 8, 2005 09:53 PM | #

5. Abel Rios said:

Mike – Seriously. I wanted to try this because I’ve got really bad cell coverage at home. I mean I have to leave the house to use my cell…

You mean, you have Cingular too?!?! Don’t even get me started.

Posted on September 9, 2005 07:26 AM | #

6. Ray said:

This is not meant as an advertisement, but why don’t you try out Packet8? I’ve been using them for around six months with no problem.

Posted on September 9, 2005 09:15 AM | #

7. Christian Watson said:

Why can’t more companies be like Netflix which let’s you cancel your account in about three clicks (and stores it for three months in case you decide to come back). Now that’s customer service.

Posted on September 9, 2005 11:04 AM | #

8. Chris U said:

Actually, we have had very postive experiences with the company and are completely happy with the service.

Ironically, I believe that what you experienced is typical of most any service. Once you are unhappy, nothing would make you happy except leaving them.

Good luck with whatever route you go.

Posted on September 9, 2005 03:39 PM | #

9. Keith said:

Chris – I’m glad you had a good experience. My guess is you didn’t come across any issues. Just wait until you want to leave…

Vonage is by no stretch of the imagination typical. I’ve dealt with poor customer service and the kind of stuff you need to deal with to get out of something. But this was really, really bad. They actually mocked me for not getting it set up.

Posted on September 9, 2005 03:51 PM | #

10. Brandon said:

What you have described is kinda like what they did to me. I just signed up for the service and HAD to have it overnighted because I was leaving town. I did it 3 days early just to make sure it got here on time. ON THE DAY I WAS LEAVING I called and talked to a rep asking where the hell my package was because it had been 3 days. Well she was very rude and had a snotty attitude. TURNS OUT, the rep I bought the service from FORGOT, i repeat, FORGOT to even process the order. They had my money, and my package, AND the expenses for overnighting it to me and I got nothing. NO compensation for my lost time, nothing. She acted like it was a normal occurrance and totally blew it off. THEN, and lastly, when I asked to speak to a supervisor because I was sick of her she told me none were available which violates FCC law. I still don’t know why I didn’t cancel then but it was too much hastle (this being the 3rd company I tried to go through). In short…I feel your pain.

Posted on September 9, 2005 05:20 PM | #

11. Ty Jones said:

My friends and family know me, but for those that don’t, i’m a level-headed, intelligent, computer-savvy, bargain-minded, easy to talk with, easy to get along with guy - basically an average American and mild-mannered Christian who has no enemies.

NOTE: I have never and don’t intend to ever again do anything like this but this was such an ordeal and such a hassle (basically such a scam) that those whom i know, and those i don’t, have to be told:

Executive Summary: NEVER, for ANY reason have ANY dealing with Vonage. Every phone call i had with Vonage support or customer service was peppered with lies and false commitments and after 8 months of such lies, having never received service (despite being told “just a few more days”) over and over again, i left and went with AT&T. AT&T had both my lines transferred and up and running in 10 days - no hassle, no problems. Vonage, meanwhile, now refuses to give me credit for the money i paid them. After having such a negative experience with Vonage, i have since done some on-line research and found story after story similar to mine. Vonage is perhaps the largest scam every being pulled. People beware.

Now to the actual ordeal. I first attempted to sign up with Vonage (a internet (voice over IP) phone service company) based on their cool commercials and affordable plans. The website was easy to navigate and within several minutes i was signed-up and told that in the next 20 - 30 days, they would have my existing numbers transferred to their system and start saving me money.

Wrong! After 30 days i called and they had lost my letter of authorization (one of several pieces of paper and e-forms to get the process initiated) to execute the order (thanks for not calling me to let me know you lost it). so i downloaded it again and sign it again and faxed it again. now, i’m in line for another 20-30 days. after 30 days i call back. “Sorry Mr. Jones we are having problems with this or that” (i say this or that because each time i called they had a new excuse). And each time i called there was between a 10 to 45 minute wait to reach a person, then a few more minutes to reach the right person. Random occurence - nope. How do I know? because this went on and on for over 6 months. each time i had to hold. each time i had to start from scratch with explanations and requests just to hear similar promises and lies about when they were turning it on or over to another department or it was the service providers problem or blah blah blah. So here i am paying for my regular phone company local and long distance and paying for Vonage and month after month - still no service. Your thinking by now, shame on me - and it’s true. but all the time i had already invested made me want to believe them and try to stick it out. plus they told me that they “now owned my number and i could not have it back.” Which i found out from At&T that was another lie. They never successfully “ported” my number to their system. They had no plans of doing it - obviously.

Now for the kicker, i called them today to cancel my account and get credit back for things i had paid for and (disconnected). i call back in and get someone new and go through it all again just to hear “sorry sir, we cannot give you credit” I asked to speak to their supervisor (wait…wait…wait) i re-explain everything and he offers some credit back, we go on to discuss the other months in question and (disconnected). I call back, get patched through him and her and final get back to the same department (or so they say) where an underling says that now the credit i had been promised just 20 minutes ago has been denied. i explain to him that Joe (the supervisor i spoke with) just told me he was giving me credit. He puts me on hold and comes back saying Joe said he did not say that and that they will not give me credit. lies. lies lies.

So, moral of story, never signup for Vonage phone service. they are by far the worst company i have EVER had dealings with (and i’ve had plenty). i have never been lied to so often, promised so much and given so little in my life. These people are nothing more than scam artists with TV time. someday soon, dateline or 60 minute will catch these guys, then maybe i can get my money back … not!

And please tell your friends. I realize I can never get my time or my money back (it’s little man versus large company), but if i can keep them from roping others in - i will feel somewhat better.

Sincerely,

Ty Jones

Posted on September 14, 2005 12:21 PM | #

12. Kathy said:

I LOVE Vonage and have had nothing but GREAT service…They even comped me 2 months free service when there was a delay on their part in my existing phone number transfer w/SBC. Glad I made the switch……..Taking the router w/me to other locations is a breeze and amazing to have my phone ring at ANY household with a DSL line!

Posted on September 28, 2005 07:08 AM | #

13. blib said:

i had a similar nightmare with vonage.
I have been trying since november of 2004 to cancel my vonage service (i moved back home and dont need it any longer)
to make a long story short…over the past 6 months i have called vonage 8 times…been put on hold for over 2hrs every time…and not allowed to cancel my account.
thats right folks, their customer service simply *hangs up* on me as soon as i tell them i want to cancel my service.
i have tried numerous times to cancel my service. i even wrote a complaint letter to BBB and got a reply from vonage saying…what do you know….that i have to call their customer service to cancel the service.

if you are reading this post, do not …do NOT get vonage. you can email me at blibblub@yahoo.com and i will tell you my entire story in detail.

AVOID VONAGE AT ALL COSTS. their service was not all that impressive, their customer service is horrible and they will NOT allow u to cancel their service.

Posted on October 30, 2005 08:52 PM | #

14. mike said:

Vonage works fantastic. Why pay someone like Verizon double what you pay Vonage $14.99 (unlimited) and long distance included. why would you ever pay more for phone service elsewhere?

Set up was easy and phone has worked excellently ever since. Perhaps recently vonage has fixed their customer service and technical difficulties of the past. I have nothing but compliments for the company.

Those who don’t like Vonage - keep on paying double or triple for your phone service that I get for $14.99.

Posted on February 8, 2006 09:08 AM | #

15. mike said:

Vonage works fantastic. Why pay someone like Verizon double what you pay Vonage $14.99 for 500 minutes or $24.99 for unlimited and long distance included. why would you ever pay more for phone service elsewhere?

Those who don’t like Vonage - keep on paying double or triple for your phone service that I get for $24.99.

Posted on February 8, 2006 09:11 AM | #

16. Julie said:

With all due respects to Mike above… that is THE problem: when it works, it’s great and cheap (like the first few months I had it) but when it doesn’t or you run into problems… it quickly becomes a nightmare. I have serious doubts about a company that makes it that difficult and expensive to cancel their service. If it’s such a great product, than why do they care if you cancel? I can understand recovering the cost of the device- but mine wasn’t eligible for a rebate and surely the people whose service was a year or longer, more than paid for it… so what is the inflated charge for other than an intimidation tactic?
I suspect they will be hit with a large class action law suit in the near future and drop this practice. Like AOL, Blockbuster and various mobile company’s are learning unethical could be just as costly as illegal.

Posted on March 23, 2006 10:57 AM | #

17. Nick said:

Our experience with Vonage started out okay, with good service and good rates. However, quickly the service went downhill and efforts to cancel the service took nearly a year!

Like others, I have found the representatives to be rude, curt and impossible to deal with over the phone.

I am writing a letter to the FCC and urge others to lodge complaints as well.

Posted on April 13, 2006 11:07 PM | #