(Copied from an e-mail requesting info on the free OOMA phone service at the Delegates' Meeting June 3, 2011)
Hi Elaine,
In response to your question about the OOMA phone service, I have to tell you, OOMA is one of the best-kept secrets out there right now. I was paying $50-$60 for regular phone service like everyone else for years. I then went to Vonage about five years ago and used it for three years, paying 24.99 + tax for a total of about $30/month. It was much cheaper and quality was just as good as regular land line. Then, about two years ago, my wife Sharon found OOMA on a website somewhere. We knew that nothing is free in this world, so we were skeptical and dubious at best. Because it was unknown and untried by anyone we knew, we decided to purchase the OOMA box that allows the service to be used while leaving Vonage running until we were sure that OOMA was a viable option. We used both systems for about a month to compare them against each other. OOMA turned out to be even better than Vonage was, not only with excellent voice clarity but with features and cost.
I just read the latest Consumer Reports survey on internet, TV, and phone services and bundled Internet/Telephone/TV packages from the different phone companies. It rated OOMA first out of the 25 different services rated for telephone services. I'll scan the article and send it to you.
You needn't be on a computer to use OOMA except for only about 15 minutes to initially set up the OOMA and get your phone number. Once it is set up you never need a computer again. And as long as you have power to the OOMA box and the router or modem, you will have service as long as the ISP (Internet Service Provider) is up. If you're concerned about losing electrical service, you simply purchase a small UPS (uninterruptible power supply). As I said in the delegates meeting, I've been using Internet VoIP telephone service for five years now and the service has gone down only once for approximately 3 hours. The problem was on a server at the main headquarters.
Not bad for FREE phone service that you can use all over the country! The only limitation is 5000 minutes (over 83 hrs!) per month. I work full time, travel all over the country for work, call home all the time, and have never come close to that.
Service to any other country in the world is only 1-2 cents a minute. You can call Germany, Australia, Egypt, etc., and talk for an hour for only .60! There is a mention on the website about paying taxes of $3.50 per month, but I don't know what that's about. If you aren't paying a monthly fee, how can they charge tax on something that's free? We don't pay any fees at all. It may have to do with paying monthly for additional lines and features, but that's optional and not required.
I contacted them to see if they provide service to businesses such as UCO. Unfortunately, they only provide residential service.
If you would like to hear the sound and quality of the OOMA, feel free to stop by. If you call me you will hear the sound quality from a recipient's standpoint.
By the way, I'm going to post this e-mail to the blog for others to take advantage of the service if they desire. If anyone reading this is interested in trying out OOMA, please call me first so you can hear the quality of the phone calls. This will give you an idea of the call quality. I can also answer any questions you may have.
Again, the installation is extremely simple:
1. If you have Internet service already then you will probably have a modem and/or a router.
(If you need to purchase a router, which is not necessary unless your modem has only one port, they're very inexpensive-around $20-$30.)
2. Simply plug the cable from the OOMA box into one of the router's ports.
3. Plug the electrical cord into an outlet.
4. Plug any standard household phone into the OOMA port.
5. Go to the OOMA website and register the phone and obtain a telephone number. THAT'S IT!
If any of our non-tech savvy folks decide they want the free phone service and need help with setting it up, I'll be happy to do it for you. Just call me before you purchase and I'll help you with it. No charge, no strings... just the neighborly thing to do to help others save money like we did.
Best regards,
Lee
Lee Hunt
President, Sheffield D COA
561-202-8460 Home
858-922-8743 Cell
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ReplyDeleteSounds great Lee, I am going to check it out. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteNo worries, Barbara. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised...
ReplyDeleteCan you keep your present phone number?
ReplyDeleteYes, you can port over the current number as your new OOMA tel. number. There may be a charge for doing that, however it is included if you purchase the premium plan which gives you a 2nd phone line and additional features over the included standard features. We have the premium plan ($100 per year, or $10 per month) because we need to have two phone lines, so the porting was free. By the way, as part of the free service you also get an answering machine, you can get your voice messages by calling your phone number, and you can also listen to them via your email. You also get all the usual features that the rest have, like call forwarding, call waiting, caller ID, etc. Don't quote me on the prices. Go to www.OOMA.com to get the most up to date information on plans, prices, etc.
ReplyDeleteI received the latest Consumers Reports with ratings of phone services. OOMA was #1 for phone service. If you would like a copy of the article, email me at lhunt800@comcast.net and I'll send it to you. By the way, my palms are not being greased by providing this info to everyone. I want to pass on savings for all villagers when I find them, just as I've saved lots of money for our association already! Why pay $30 a month with Vonage when you can get better quality service for FREE!
ReplyDeleteBelated thanks Lee. Village people who share their information are the best. I don't know why many people do not share, it benefits us all.
ReplyDelete