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Callcentric's free NY DIDs will transition to $1/month

Started by SteveInWA, December 10, 2018, 03:43:34 PM

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sorinut

Quote from: Lavarock7 on December 11, 2018, 11:46:12 AM
Quote from: dudly on December 11, 2018, 11:12:27 AM
I had two free Callcentric phone numbers.  One which i used for inbound faxes and the other for calls.  I will keep the fax line and dump the other.  It is only $1.00/month.  BFD.

You might be able to use the line for both with some type of call treatment. A recording asking to press 1 to connect with you, otherwise it times out to the fax service.

Unless I misunderstood, it's $1/month for two incoming numbers.

Ember1205

What I'd like to understand is what other service providers offer the free inbound DID / VoIP service (if any)?

My "landline" usage is negligible, so paying for it at all is not something I want to do. Even the switch to a very low monthly fee from CC is not appealing.

SteveInWA

There is no such thing as totally free phone service.  Somebody has to pay for the infrastructure costs, business taxes, regulatory fees, etc.

It's one freakin' dollar.  Tell me what you can buy for one dollar?

Ember1205

Quote from: SteveInWA on December 16, 2018, 11:51:54 AM
There is no such thing as totally free phone service.  Somebody has to pay for the infrastructure costs, business taxes, regulatory fees, etc.

It's one freakin' dollar.  Tell me what you can buy for one dollar?

Does that mean I can send you the bill? :)

I have multiple numbers that need to be supported. None of which get any substantial amount of use. If I'm going to have to start adding on costs, the benefits go out the window pretty quickly.

I don't want totally free "service", just the inbound portion. The outbound is handled by Google Voice. I can handle the inbound with them as well, I just have to sacrifice the SPAM filtering since it's required to have a forwarding number in place in order to filter the calls.

scott818

Quote from: SteveInWA on December 10, 2018, 05:34:48 PM


  • However, if a Google Voice phone number is not used for some unspecified time interval (formerly 9 months, now undisclosed duration based on new algorithms), it will be reclaimed (taken back by Google).  "used" means:  make outbound calls or send text messages.  Inbound doesn't count, as an abandoned number will still receive robocalls.

I would hope that doesn't apply to numbers that were ported into GV.

Ember1205

Quote from: scott818 on December 18, 2018, 06:56:19 AM
Quote from: SteveInWA on December 10, 2018, 05:34:48 PM


  • However, if a Google Voice phone number is not used for some unspecified time interval (formerly 9 months, now undisclosed duration based on new algorithms), it will be reclaimed (taken back by Google).  "used" means:  make outbound calls or send text messages.  Inbound doesn't count, as an abandoned number will still receive robocalls.

I would hope that doesn't apply to numbers that were ported into GV.

Why wouldn't it? You can maintain "control" over the number so long as you're showing that it's being used (meaning you could port it somewhere else if you wanted). But, the "owner" of the number is GV (or whomever). If you demonstrate that you've abandoned the number, they are not required to maintain it for you indefinitely.

If you stopped paying your phone bill, your telecom provider would have the right to reclaim your number and issue it to someone else. Since there's no actual payment here, the only way to prove you're still using the number is to actually use it.

scott818

Quote from: Ember1205 on December 18, 2018, 08:36:00 AM

Why wouldn't it? You can maintain "control" over the number so long as you're showing that it's being used (meaning you could port it somewhere else if you wanted). But, the "owner" of the number is GV (or whomever). If you demonstrate that you've abandoned the number, they are not required to maintain it for you indefinitely.

If you stopped paying your phone bill, your telecom provider would have the right to reclaim your number and issue it to someone else. Since there's no actual payment here, the only way to prove you're still using the number is to actually use it.


Well, considering it costs a whopping $20 to port a number into GV, I would hope they wouldn't be so stringent with the users who paid. A lot of people park their numbers with GV. I've never heard of any other provider charging a customer to port in a number. I am sure there are some but it's rare.

Ember1205

Quote from: scott818 on December 18, 2018, 09:18:10 AM
Quote from: Ember1205 on December 18, 2018, 08:36:00 AM

Why wouldn't it? You can maintain "control" over the number so long as you're showing that it's being used (meaning you could port it somewhere else if you wanted). But, the "owner" of the number is GV (or whomever). If you demonstrate that you've abandoned the number, they are not required to maintain it for you indefinitely.

If you stopped paying your phone bill, your telecom provider would have the right to reclaim your number and issue it to someone else. Since there's no actual payment here, the only way to prove you're still using the number is to actually use it.


What if you instead look at it as Google charges a one-time fee while every other vendor charges recurring fees for porting in that number? Any other provider charges you for service every month. Stop paying THAT bill, and your number will get "reclaimed" by the provider.

Well, considering it costs a whopping $20 to port a number into GV, I would hope they wouldn't be so stringent with the users who paid. A lot of people park their numbers with GV. I've never heard of any other provider charging a customer to port in a number. I am sure there are some but it's rare.

SteveInWA

Quote from: scott818 on December 18, 2018, 06:56:19 AM
Quote from: SteveInWA on December 10, 2018, 05:34:48 PM


  • However, if a Google Voice phone number is not used for some unspecified time interval (formerly 9 months, now undisclosed duration based on new algorithms), it will be reclaimed (taken back by Google).  "used" means:  make outbound calls or send text messages.  Inbound doesn't count, as an abandoned number will still receive robocalls.

I would hope that doesn't apply to numbers that were ported into GV.

Ignore the answers from Ember1205.

The correct answer is:  if you ported in the number, it will never be reclaimed, since it wasn't Google's carrier's number to begin with.

To make the lawyers happy, this disclaimer applies:  you can continue to use Google Voice with that number, as long as you comply with Google Voice's Terms of Use and Acceptable Use Policy.  If you violate those rules, your Google Voice service may be suspended at any time.  You can appeal the suspension, but if your appeal is denied, then you can no longer use the service, and that phone number goes to purgatory.  There is no way to port out a number after an account has been suspended.  Technically, all US phone numbers are the property of the FCC-regulated Local Exchange Carriers to which those numbers were originally issued, according to the NANPA numbering plan.  Customers do not own their numbers.  Carriers permit their customers to use the carriers' numbers, as long as the customer complies with their terms of use.  Customers have no legal control over the use of the number, beyond that.


Ember1205

Quote from: SteveInWA on December 18, 2018, 05:57:04 PM
Ignore the answers from Ember1205.


Apparently, I've somehow offended you somewhere... Your response could have simply started with something like "actually, there's more to the story" or "That isn't actually how Google has it set up to work."

I was merely discussing the topic and never said I knew the answer for certain.

Rick

For those of you that have been using Callcentric's free DIDs, you know that starting March 1st they go away, the new service is $1 per month (plus the $1.50 per month for E911).

I had no plans of continuing my service, my OBi 110 hasn't been real useful since GV stopped working on it.  I did forward my GV numbers to Callcentric to ring my OBi, but couldn't make outgoing calls without using GV to ring my landline to make the call.  So I decided that paying $30 a year for E911 plus two Callcentric numbers isn't worth doing, and I'll also save by removing a bunch of almost-never-used wireless phones throughout my house, going to 100% cellular (testing E911 via Verizon's Wi-Fi calling later today). 

I never wanted to spend my time filling up my Callcentric account with funds, so I would regularly hit it with a refill.  Last refill was done in mid-2017 with a gift card someone gave me, and that's been dwindling away, coincidentally running out at the same time as their free DIDS, with a small balance left.  I inquired as to a refund, and learned that Callcentric has no plans to refund anything to anyone.  They cite their policy of only provided refunds for balances paid within 90 days of cancelling service (even though THEY are doing the cancelling).  They also pointed out that even if the balance had been paid within 90 days, they charge $0.70 to refund anything and you must have $2.10 or more in your account for a refund to be processed.  No idea how many accounts are affected, but this change is clearly putting money into Callcentric's coffers.

They also did point out that I could maintain E911 without paying for any service, just paying $1.50 a month.  Hadn't really thought along those lines, but I no longer see a need for E911 via Callcentric if my Verizon test works later today.