I've been a subscriber of their plan. According to their website (http://philippines.vonage.com/), it is unlimited calling to all globe numbers in the Philippines for only $29.99 a month. The site goes on saying that
- It has no annual contract
- Unlimited calling to any or all Globe numbers in the Philippines
- Unlimited calling to the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico
- Call from your phone or mobile
- Unlimited calling to landlines in 60 other countries
- Only 9cents a minute to other phone numbers in the Philippines
Six months ago, I told my wife about this plan and she was so excited because all of her immediate relatives (parents, sisters, and brothers) are all using Globe as their carrier. So, we subscribed to the plan. Since then, she was able to talk to her parents anytime, anyday.
However, today, I received an email from their Usage Department stating that our "use of the service is highly abnormal" and they reserve the right to terminate or suspend the account.
According to their email, over 95% of their customers on their "unlimited residential calling plans use less than 3000 minutes per month and do not exhibit a combination of patterns suggesting impermissible or abnormal use, including but not limited to, excessive:
- Unique numbers called
- Call lengths
- Call forwarding/transferring
- Conference calling
- Short duration calls
- Number of minutes used
- Number of terminated and re-initiated consecutively, which, in the aggregate, result in excessive call lengths during a specific time frame
- Other abnormal calling patterns indicative of an attempt to evade enforcement of the Reasonable Use Policy"
So, I replied to their email asking for proof or some kind of report indicating why my account was tagged as abnormal considering that we are using less than 3000 minutes per month. Thus,we are one of so called 95%.
And they responded...
"Please
know that there are no limitations on minutes. The amount of minutes used is
one of, but not the only, indicators that we use to assess whether usage is outside
of normal residential use. The Vonage Unlimited to Globe Philippines is a
residential calling plan, and we disclose before sign-up that the plan is subject
to normal residential use.
Normal
residential use guidelines are based on the usage levels and patterns of Vonage
Unlimited to Globe Philippines customers. Our usage guidelines may be viewed in
our Terms of Service (sections 5 and 10) at www.vonage.com/tos/#SERVICE and our
Reasonable Use Policy at http://www.vonage.com/reasonable_use_policy. Specific details are communicated directly to
customers whose usage falls outside these guidelines to help them adjust their
usage to be consistent with normal residential use. This is the reason you have
been emailed.
We only
identify usage as irregular when a combination of characteristics is present.
These characteristics include international minutes, international Call-Forwarding
minutes, international call durations, or the amount of unique international
phone numbers dialed. Customers are not contacted unless their calling patterns
have surpassed that of 90% of our users.
Average
Call Length
For
example, almost all of our Vonage Unlimited to Globe Philippines customers use
less than 1,500 international minutes each month compared to your projected use
of over 3780. Additionally, the Average Call Length of a Vonage Unlimited to Globe
Philippines customer is 12 minutes compared to your 55 minutes. For customers
using Vonage Extensions, all usage is combined in the assessment of your
account."
Let's see if I can understand what Vonage is saying...
"Please know that there are no limitations on minutes"
Well, there shouldn't be considering that the plan is UNLIMITED. However, in the first email, they assess you with the number of minutes used. Isn't it that the definition of 'unlimited' is 'not restricted in terms of number, quantity or extent'. The next point of interest will show that there's indeed limitations on minutes.
"Almost all of our Vonage Unlimited to Globe Philippines customers use less than 1500 international minutes per month"
In the first email they mentioned that normal usage doesn't go beyond 3000 minutes per month. In the second email, they said that "Vonage unlimited to Globe Philippines customers less than 1,500 international minutes each month compared to your projected use of over 3780". So, I went back to determine if our usage was over 1500 minutes. All of the six months were below 1500 minutes except for one because the period was 40 days instead of the normal 28 days. So, how did they come up with 3780 minutes? The key term is projected. They project that we will be using over 3780 minutes in one month but, on the contrary, for the past six months, we haven't used over 1500 minutes. Vonage was comparing apples to oranges, 1500 is a fact while 3780 is a projected number. Can you put a person in jail because somebody projected that the person will be committing a crime?
"Additionally, the Average Call Length of a Vonage Unlimited to Globe Philippines is 12 minutes compared to your 55 minutes"
So, our average call length is 55 minutes as compared to 12 minutes. Isn't average defined as 'The result obtained by adding several quantities together and then dividing this total by the number of quantities"? So, to get the average of 12 minutes, Vonage summed all the call length and divided it by the number of calls. I wonder what's the longest call length and the shortest call length. I bet there are calls that are more than 55 minutes in the list.
If we follow Vonage's logic, they said that almost all customers (let's say 95%) are using less than 1500 international minutes, which they imply as normal usage. So, a customer can use 1499 minutes a billing period. Take that number and divide it by the number of days in a billing period; for simplicity, let's say 30. So, everday, the customer can use 49 minutes for a phone call. Our calls maybe long but we seldom call the Philippines.
Vonage assessment is based on several factors as stated in their Reasonable Use Policy. However, I hope look at all the factors as a whole, and not bits and pieces. For example, our calls are 55 minutes on the average. Sure, I agree but how often do we call the Philippines? I can call the Philippines at the start of the billing period and talk for 60 minutes, then I can call back again at the end of the billing period and talk for 50 minutes. This is still 55 minutes on average but I only made two phone calls. Does Vonage want me to call often because of the "12 minute average"?
Is this plan truly UNLIMITED? I don't believe it is. You are bounded by their so-called Reasonable Use Policy, which contradicts the definition of unlimited.
So, before subscribing to the Vonage Unlimited to Globe Philippines plan, or to any plan that are 'UNLIMITED', PLEASE READ THE FINE PRINT. Your unlimited plan may not be truly unlimited.
"Please know that there are no limitations on minutes"
Well, there shouldn't be considering that the plan is UNLIMITED. However, in the first email, they assess you with the number of minutes used. Isn't it that the definition of 'unlimited' is 'not restricted in terms of number, quantity or extent'. The next point of interest will show that there's indeed limitations on minutes.
"Almost all of our Vonage Unlimited to Globe Philippines customers use less than 1500 international minutes per month"
In the first email they mentioned that normal usage doesn't go beyond 3000 minutes per month. In the second email, they said that "Vonage unlimited to Globe Philippines customers less than 1,500 international minutes each month compared to your projected use of over 3780". So, I went back to determine if our usage was over 1500 minutes. All of the six months were below 1500 minutes except for one because the period was 40 days instead of the normal 28 days. So, how did they come up with 3780 minutes? The key term is projected. They project that we will be using over 3780 minutes in one month but, on the contrary, for the past six months, we haven't used over 1500 minutes. Vonage was comparing apples to oranges, 1500 is a fact while 3780 is a projected number. Can you put a person in jail because somebody projected that the person will be committing a crime?
"Additionally, the Average Call Length of a Vonage Unlimited to Globe Philippines is 12 minutes compared to your 55 minutes"
So, our average call length is 55 minutes as compared to 12 minutes. Isn't average defined as 'The result obtained by adding several quantities together and then dividing this total by the number of quantities"? So, to get the average of 12 minutes, Vonage summed all the call length and divided it by the number of calls. I wonder what's the longest call length and the shortest call length. I bet there are calls that are more than 55 minutes in the list.
If we follow Vonage's logic, they said that almost all customers (let's say 95%) are using less than 1500 international minutes, which they imply as normal usage. So, a customer can use 1499 minutes a billing period. Take that number and divide it by the number of days in a billing period; for simplicity, let's say 30. So, everday, the customer can use 49 minutes for a phone call. Our calls maybe long but we seldom call the Philippines.
Vonage assessment is based on several factors as stated in their Reasonable Use Policy. However, I hope look at all the factors as a whole, and not bits and pieces. For example, our calls are 55 minutes on the average. Sure, I agree but how often do we call the Philippines? I can call the Philippines at the start of the billing period and talk for 60 minutes, then I can call back again at the end of the billing period and talk for 50 minutes. This is still 55 minutes on average but I only made two phone calls. Does Vonage want me to call often because of the "12 minute average"?
Is this plan truly UNLIMITED? I don't believe it is. You are bounded by their so-called Reasonable Use Policy, which contradicts the definition of unlimited.
So, before subscribing to the Vonage Unlimited to Globe Philippines plan, or to any plan that are 'UNLIMITED', PLEASE READ THE FINE PRINT. Your unlimited plan may not be truly unlimited.
have you canceled you vonage? Im thinking about trying it but Ive heard about their unlimited not really unlimited. How easy is it to get out of the service. I dont believe the average call length is 12 minutes. No Filipino or anyone calling international to talk for only 12 minutes not especially to philippines.
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't cancelled my Vonage yet. I am waiting for them to move me to a different plan. That's when I am going to cancel.
DeleteSince you don't have any contract, you can cancel the service anytime.
And yes, you are correct. I don't believe that it's only 12 minutes. Vonage is trying to limit usage on their unlimited plan, that's why.
And yes, their unlimited plan is not truly unlimited. Read their reasonable use policy and you'll see understand what I mean.
Do you have any idea of any other carriers or programs that would be able to give me the ability to call the Philippines for less than what vonage wants?
ReplyDeleteMy brother uses Magic Jack to call the Philippines. It has a U.S. number and it is about $20 a year. The downside is the jack should be connected to a computer to be able to talk to them.
DeleteI've tried Startec, Owtel, and even landline international subscriptions, and so far nothing beats Vonage when it comes to call rates. For about $40 a month, I can call the Philippines "unlimited" from my landline and two other cellphones (they charge $5 for each additional phone; first one is free). The only downside is that you have to control your calls (e.g. length, frequency, number of unique phone numbers). Right now, if they move me to another plan, I will just be using Skype, even if it's just once a week.
Skype has very low quality to phones in PH and actually charges about .20 a minute (they say small connection fee...) That said, I am interested to know if the unlimited plan still exists. I saw it years back but they rolled that off the table
DeleteNo, the unlimited plan doesn't exist anymore. They changed it to Vonage Globe 3000.
DeleteThank you for posting your dealings with Vonage. My mom is very interested in signing up for this plan and asked me to research this plan, but I would highly advise her not to sign up now because of your dilemma. I agree! How many people just talk to their relatives for just 12 minutes? Skype may be the best resolution.
ReplyDeleteWe just signed up for Vonage to Globe yesterday. Did they ever adjust your plan?
ReplyDeleteYes they did. They adjusted it to Vonage 3000.
DeleteI had Vonage, twice. IT NEVER WORKED quality was very low and you could spend hours on hold for tech support only to get cut off. They are a horrible company.
ReplyDeleteMy girlfriend is in PH Our average call is about 40 minutes. Business calls are shorter - typically 7 minutes. Vonage is admitting that the average usage is 1780 minutes per month, or about 30 minutes a day - probably because the call quality is so low . Also - the calls are typically to mobile numbers - private parties use mobile phones for a long duration while business use to cell phone is very short.
I will post again - let has come up with a FREE internet calling plan to the Philippines and cut out the companies!