Porting Frustration

[PhoneBillCrazy]

Besides saving money, the other reason I loved VOIPo was the ability to keep my phone number. However, I received an email today saying:

Unfortunately we do not support phone numbers transfers in this area.

17 days after I purchased VOIPo service.
15 days after VOIPo received my porting paperwork.
7 days after I already received my VOIPo equipment and used it.

Would have been great to know BEFORE I purchased. Why would VOIPo lead me to believe that it could be done?

This blows.

The third reason I chose VOIPo was because of all the rave reviews on their customer service. I hope VOIPo can come through with a refund or a better effort at porting my number. I've been bragging to people how easy and great VOIPo has been so far and now I kind of regret it.

I really don't want to start from scratch with someone else like Vonage, but I guess that's where I'm at.

Any info or insight would be appreciated. I'd like to stay with VOIPo.

[energyx]

I hope VOIPo can come through with a refund or a better effort at porting my number.

If they can't port for some reason and you don't want a new number, there is a 30 day money-back guarantee. Just curious, what area code is your number in?

[PhoneBillCrazy]

Vonage has a "Keep Your Number?" feature on their home page and according to them, I could keep my number if I went with their service.

Why can't VOIPo port if Vonage can?

Why doesn't VOIPo have a "Keep Your Number?" feature on their site? I could have made my decision on a carrier BEFORE I paid and received the equipment.

By the way...My area code is 315

[VOIPoTim]

In order to provide service in an area, we have to work with a carrier partner that has equipment in that area.

Different VoIP providers deal with different carriers and it's possible Vonage has a contract with one that we don't.

Sometimes it appears there's coverage in an area because our carrier partner has a presence there but then they reject it only after it's been submitted.

You'll definitely be able to cancel and get a refund with the guarantee if we don't have coverage.

If you want to PM me the phone number or e-mail me at tim @ voipo.com I can double check the coverage for you to be 100% sure we don't have an alternate carrier we submit it to.

[MisterEd]

If you REALLY want to stay with Voipo and they can't port Google Voice now allows porting (for a $20 fee). See if you can port your current number in to Google voice then use their forward to get your calls. That way you can use ANY provider and never worry about porting your number again. For outbound you can use the "beta" MOBILE option and then your outbound will have the right caller-ID as well. A true "phone number for life."

[energyx]

If you REALLY want to stay with Voipo and they can't port Google Voice now allows porting (for a $20 fee). See if you can port your current number in to Google voice then use their forward to get your calls. That way you can use ANY provider and never worry about porting your number again. For outbound you can use the "beta" MOBILE option and then your outbound will have the right caller-ID as well. A true "phone number for life."

Google voice is an option, but it looks like only mobile numbers will port in, at least for now.

From the Google Voice porting page:

Please note: at this time, number porting to Google Voice is not available for land line numbers or corporate mobile numbers.

[holmes4]

Just to note that GV in-porting is not yet available to everyone.

[MisterEd]

Google voice is an option, but it looks like only mobile numbers will port in, at least for now.

From the Google Voice porting page:

Please note: at this time, number porting to Google Voice is not available for land line numbers or corporate mobile numbers.

You are right, I forgot about that.

[VOIPoTim]

In this case, it was an area without Level3 or VoIP wholesaler coverage so unfortunately there likely won't be a VoIP solution yet. Level3 isn't even there. Bandwidth is building out coverage there, but it's not live yet. Hopefully once they bring it live, we'll be able to help this customer move to VoiP.