OBiTALK Community

Region Specific Technical / Service Provider Support => North America - Including Google Voice, Skype, etc. => Topic started by: JH2011 on April 07, 2014, 04:21:27 PM

Title: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 07, 2014, 04:21:27 PM
I foolishly signed up with Anveo.

Wasted a whole day but could not get it installed in my Obi box.

Their customer support email address bounced back - undelivered!

Phone calls said "Bye" as soon as you choose "Support"...

So finally, I go to Paypal and file a complaint.

Immediately, within one minute, I get an automated response from Anveo about how because of the Paypal complaint, they (Anveo) have now "deducted" (confiscated) my money from my account saying that I am somehow connected with "fraudulent activity" ?!?!

It seems they really don't like Paypal's resolution system... and prefer to call their customers activity "fraudulent"?!?!?

I didn't complete or receive a single phone call with Anveo... they took my money and never provided anything in return, except automated emails. I emailed Obi and they finally responded after a few hours but it was far too late for me...

Anveo is a horrible company.

After that experience, I signed up with a much more well known provider and got everything hooked up in exactly 5 minutes. Literally!

So there was absolutely nothing wrong with my Obi box!

The whole problem was Anveo's horrible installation system.

I REALLY, REALLY DON'T RECOMMEND ANVEO!
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: AlanB on April 07, 2014, 04:38:40 PM
I've emailed Anveo customer support a few times and they have been very responsive. I've never gotten a bounce back. It would appear that you mistyped the email address or there was a temporary glitch and now it's their fault. I'm not saying they are perfect. I'm just honestly saying that what you describe doesn't appear to be solely their fault.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 07, 2014, 05:08:43 PM
It's 100% their fault, the contact email was taken from here: www.anveo.com/contactus.asp

The bounce back is shown below:

Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:

customer.support@anveo.com

Technical details of permanent failure:
Google tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the server for the recipient domain anveo.com by mw.anveo.com. [74.86.97.193].

The error that the other server returned was:
550 <customer.support@anveo.com>, Recipient unknown
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: CLTGreg on April 07, 2014, 05:37:35 PM
I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I would suggest to others that run in to a problem with the new plan that they try contacting Obi since they are partners. I've never used that page to e-mail them. I used the ticketing system but since they charge for that I certainly wouldn't recommend it unless it is a last ditch kind of thing.

The other thing is, if you clicked on the e-mail link it would fail. They have a protection mechanism on that page that I find unfathomable. I understand what they are trying to use but they don't say on the page. You have to copy the e-mail address if you don't know it.

Section 16 of their terms of service outlines resolution paths when an alleged false charge is claimed and does mention fraud charge as potential reprisal though it doesn't mention forfeiture of funds. They state that unused funds will be refunded when an account in good standing is closed following the methods in the TOS. I doubt that some of their threats would hold up in court since being a Paypal business subscribes you to certain procedures that include charge backs. They also threaten "legal action" for charge backs they don't like and then later say arbitration is mandatory.

Finally, I sent a test message and it didn't bounce. The problem may not be in the way you addressed the e-mail but may have been transient either on Google or Anveo's end.

I'm sorry it didn't work out. They have good service.

Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 07, 2014, 06:48:00 PM
I was jumping through hoops for hours when it should have only taken 5 minutes.

The bad "support" email address is only a small part of the problem.

#1 - Their install method didn't work at all.

#2 - No support, no phone response, no email response.

#3 - Very bad attitude towards Paypal's dispute procedure.

They absolutely DON'T have "good service".

BUYER BEWARE!
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: AlanB on April 07, 2014, 06:49:43 PM
I sent a test message about the time I made my original post.  I received a response back from Anveo customer service 43 minutes later stating that they had received my test message.  It wasn't an automated response, it was an actual written response to my test message.

Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 07, 2014, 08:05:02 PM
This morning, I paid a total of $49.99 ($39.99/yr + $10.00 deposit for international calls)

I never made or received a single call because the Obi box couldn't be configured.

Now, Anveo just sent me this email "alert":

>>> LOW ACCOUNT BALANCE: -$37.47
>>> This email alert is to inform
>>> you that your Anveo account
>>> 1224463xxx is now below the
>>> low balance threshold.

I guess they're trying to make it look like I actually used some of their "services".

What a sleezy way to try and "earn" a buck!

I already alerted Paypal.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: c3c3 on April 08, 2014, 01:12:14 AM
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=7610.0

If you had used Vestalink's nonstandard configuration method, that could be a reason for your problem with Anveo.

I have set up 3 Anveo accounts for my relatives and myself, and I have exchanged emails with Anveo customer support.  Absolutely no problem.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 08, 2014, 03:30:16 AM
After wasting so many hours struggling with Anveo, I finally decided to give Callcentric a try and got service installed in literally 5 minutes. So, I really don't see how a previous Vestalink installation could be blamed for the failure of Anveo's non-intelligent install wizard.

In fact, it's Anveo's "installation" that's non-standard - they hide the sip password from the user!?!? Also, another thread here mentions that Anveo's wizard cannot install into an existing Anveo account that's already populated with a 911 address. Yet, you cannot delete that 911 address from their system before retrying the install. Their system doesn't allow it to be deleted.

Anveo's installation failure was compounded by their lack of business ethics and acumen.

Paypal states: "By opening a dispute in the Resolution Center, you will be working directly with the seller to resolve this issue."

Anveo's automatic instant response to Paypal's dispute resolution process?

"We would like to inform you that we've been notified that one of your recent payments was reversed. As the result the payment amount was deducted from your account balance. Please note that we take fraudulent activity very seriously and use of charge-back without following our dispute resolution procedure is in violation of Terms of Use."

So... Anveo's "Terms of Use" carry more weight than Paypal's?!?!  ::)

Really??? They're soooo funny.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: AlanB on April 08, 2014, 03:54:11 AM
It is a shame that you had a bad experience. However you had zero posts on this forum until you came out warning others not to use Anveo. There are plenty of people here who would have tried to help you.

Anveo doesn't hide SIP details on an account directly through them just when you sign up through ObiTalk. They have an agreement for Obhai to provide tech support in this case.

Anyway I'm glad you got Callcentric working. They do have good features on their website.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 08, 2014, 05:20:45 AM
>>> "you had zero posts on this forum until you came out warning others not to use Anveo"

Yes, I joined this forum in 2011 and never actually needed to make a post...

... Until yesterday. (Nuff said.  ;) )

Callcentric was almost too easy!  8)
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: Johnny on April 08, 2014, 05:32:37 AM
I'm sure Anveo is a great company and I'm also sure that JH2011's problems are probably the exception to the rule, but it doesn't help him concerning his issues with Anveo.

To pile on him/her at this point is not being helpful.

I just want to know one thing about Anveo.  How in the world can anyone navigate their web site?  I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but come on.  Why not have a web site that even people like me can understand?  Or is that asking the impossible? ;D

IMO, They seriously need a redesign.

Just my thoughts.......
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: AlanB on April 08, 2014, 08:39:32 AM
Quote from: Johnny on April 08, 2014, 05:32:37 AM


I just want to know one thing about Anveo.  How in the world can anyone navigate their web site?  I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but come on.  Why not have a web site that even people like me can understand?  Or is that asking the impossible? ;D

IMO, They seriously need a redesign.

Just my thoughts.......


That's a common topic for a good reason. I would never have signed up for them without more info because I wouldn't have figured out their plans either. Their website has good features but they are a mess to find and make sense of.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: CLTGreg on April 08, 2014, 09:56:07 AM
It is true that having at least an intro course in rocket science helps when using Anveo's website. It is clear that they are more "under the hood" types than above. Like car mechanics not being able to explain very well and therefore there's a service adviser. Anveo could use one of those too but maybe it's tough considering how low their per minute rates are and substantial discounts for DIDs (compared to Callcentric for example).  Also their  30/6 seconds intervals where I believe Vestalink is 60/60 but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

It might also be that having their website so complicated is to weed out those that might not be able to handle call flow designs which is an amazing service.

The thing to remember about them is that if you are not using the Obi plan there are three things you have to deal with. The cost for the account (plan) which is located here: http://www.anveo.com/consumer/service.asp - I use the free one.

The cost of the DID: http://www.anveo.com/consumer/mainphonenumbers.asp which itself is complicated because there are three options. Use the per minute if you're just parking something but consider the unlimited plans if you use a number a lot because that $2 buys unlimited incoming calls like the Obi plan has. Finally, there's the rate you pay for the minutes used: http://www.anveo.com/consumer/rates.asp which for the U.S. is 1 cent per minute where Callcentric is nearly 2.

I like both. Free incoming Callcentric is the bomb and they can hold numbers that Anveo can't. Parking numbers I think is best at Anveo because you can park a number for .50 per month. Good also to use junk numbers or have a different one for faxes or business needs and never answer if you want to avoid the 1c. Return call another way for example.

I don't know how this all would mix with the new Obi plan. I have both and need to figure it out soon.

PS: I also sent a test message to Anveo that said "test ignore" and they replied to it. Hopefully not many more of us did.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: Marty.ba.calif.usa on April 08, 2014, 05:37:29 PM
Yes, their website takes some getting used to.  I personally saved each link that was useful as I came to it, and made a note of the category or title, using a simple wiki-type program that handles links (gnote, on linux).  But by the time I did that, I learned how it was organized, and it started getting much easier.

Yes, their basic handholding is non-existent.  They aren't for novices unless the novice is motivated enough to learn what's going on.  Personally, they were the 2nd one I tried soon after getting my Obihai ATA, and it took about 5 minutes for me to manually set it up using a $2/month DID plus 80 cents for E911.  Seemed like a cheap way to try it out.  Honestly, how much support can you expect at a price like that??  I'm serious, what do you expect for that price? 

There are more expensive provicers who will provide more handholding, but people like me who don't need it don't want to pay for people like you who do.  Why should I pay more?  I went into this just like you, knowing nothing.  I configured my Obi, and I configured an Android softphone also to work with Anveo.  It was truly not that difficult, although yes, I needed to actually think about it.

So, go with who you need, but chill out and don't advertise your lack of expertise.  I like the fact that I have  completely stopped all telemarketer calls using Anveo's IVR, for only $2.80/month.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: AlanB on April 08, 2014, 06:36:45 PM
Quote from: Marty.ba.calif.usa on April 08, 2014, 05:37:29 PM

So, go with who you need, but chill out and don't advertise your lack of expertise.  I like the fact that I have  completely stopped all telemarketer calls using Anveo's IVR, for only $2.80/month.

I agree with you.  I love the IVR.  Up to 10 call flow items are included in the ObiTalk plans.  That's enough to block those nasty telemarketers.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: MikeHObi on April 08, 2014, 07:59:48 PM
I've generally found most voip provider's websites a challenge mostly because each of them seem to do something a little different, or at least advertise different things.   I assume it is the flexibility that is available is a selling point as well as part of the problem with making it easy to understand.

The up side the cost to get started with any of them is low.  Once you start doing that you start to get a feel for what options might be possible.  I think where Anveo gets confusing the "Plans and Pricing" tab on their sight seems to indicate something that might be "all inclusive" but in fact that isn't what it means.

where they could help themselves is if they had a service calculator that allows you to combine things and see what your estimated calls might be.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: nitzan on April 09, 2014, 03:43:33 AM
Quote from: Marty.ba.calif.usa on April 08, 2014, 05:37:29 PM$2/month DID plus 80 cents for E911.  Seemed like a cheap way to try it out.  Honestly, how much support can you expect at a price like that??  I'm serious, what do you expect for that price?
As someone who runs an ITSP (Future Nine) I agree, and disagree - initial hand-holding is not a problem and we do it all the time - it only takes a few minutes per user and then they're set for months or years. Those users are not a problem.

I'll give you an example of a user who WAS a problem: guy signed up for an outgoing-only pay-as-you-go account, made literally 11 cents of calls a month, and managed to open a dozen support cases during a month wasting hours of our time. After a few months of this I've had enough and politely asked him to move on, and refunded his money. Not going to let people like that ruin support quality for the other 99% of users. Hand-holding is fine - nagging and complaining just for the sake of complaining is not.

The timing is kinda funny with the CircleNet thread, because quite frankly at his rates Sam is very likely to run into this problem quite often - users who bring in almost no revenue but keep opening support cases. I'm not sure, but I think CircleNet is a part-time project so his time is limited - get enough of this guys in the system and it'll impact his ability to support everyone else. Lowest price is not always a good thing neither for the provider, nor for users - (quality) support costs money to provide. :)
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: CLTGreg on April 09, 2014, 08:19:20 AM
I like Anveo a lot but it seems that support is a profit center for them. Shouldn't be a surprise since they are so ala carte but sometimes it makes me nervous when something may be a sales question or a problem on their end.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: aopisa on April 09, 2014, 09:20:12 AM
Quote from: 7Priest7 on April 08, 2014, 12:56:01 PM
I've had a bad experience with callcentric and their limitless fees.
You seem to be not very concerned about the price.
Callcentric will charge you every fee and tax imaginable.

I've seen a few complaints about Anveo.
So far, Vestalink is looking best for post xmpp migration.
Maybe circlenet+callcentric free did(if you can avoid the 911 tax)

I would caution you against Vestalink too for the time being. I have had numerous problems with the service going down over the few weeks I have been with them. If you check in the ISP forum you can see a three page thread where I and several others have posted about how we cannot not make or receive calls over the last two days. Vestalink's web portal shows that I am connected both to my Obi and the iPhone app, but neither is working.

I fear this is only going to get worse as the GV cutoff approaches and more people start piling onto a system that is not able to handle their current customer base.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: AlanB on April 09, 2014, 09:39:20 AM
Quote from: CLTGreg on April 09, 2014, 08:19:20 AM
I like Anveo a lot but it seems that support is a profit center for them. Shouldn't be a surprise since they are so ala carte but sometimes it makes me nervous when something may be a sales question or a problem on their end.
So far I haven't used an official support ticket yet.  Emails to customer service are a good start.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: Sam_from_CircleNet on April 10, 2014, 02:36:04 AM
nitzan,
You are correct. We do need to hand hold customers as they first come onto the service but that is an investment in what will hopefully be a long relationship. After the initial setup in most cases the level of support required drops off very quickly however a disproportionate number of cases do come from a small percentage of our customers.

I don't think this pattern is unique to VOIP. I've seen it in other IT businesses. Between 1997 and 2007 I help startup (They were running but in a basement) and grow (Regional network, MPLS, Fiber, Microwave) an ISP from 100 or so to 25,000 customers and the same customer support patterns existed there.

Between 2000 and 2007 we also did dedicated server hosting and the same pattern was true. We had customers for years that I barely knew and then others that I was sure I must have been a relative as often as we spoke.

Maintaining quality support will be one of our largest challenges. We're a family business and honestly our margins are thin but we're well funded and happen to have a LOT of engineering DNA in our family tree :-).

I love the level of competition in this market because it gives everyone a choice of providers and it's why I like the free trial concept. Different customers have different requirements for support level, reliability and price and none of us provide the proper fit for every customers needs.

CircleNet can provide a reliable outbound calling service and we'll help get it working. If a customer is looking for a full service inbound/outbound provider with lots of features and the support level that $$$ monthly provide we probably won't be that customer's best bet and we'll be the first to say it. 


Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: CLTGreg on April 10, 2014, 01:02:14 PM
Quote from: 7Priest7 on April 09, 2014, 10:22:14 PM

When May 15th rolls around, I will be going with LocalPhone for outbound calls at half a penny per minute and callcentric ny did forwarded from GVoice for free inbound calls.
I decided to also get Red Pocket Mobile(4G) (http://goredpocket.com/plans#gsmt-mi) at $10 a month and use Zoiper (http://www.zoiper.com/en) for mobile calling.
To further reduce my costs I will probably try to use Google's callback feature when possible.

The thing that bugs me about Red Pocket is they don't define what "4G" is. Looks like they are an MVNO for AT&T so LTE should be available but why not just say it?
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: SkOrPn on April 10, 2014, 02:28:10 PM
Quote from: Johnny on April 08, 2014, 05:32:37 AM
I just want to know one thing about Anveo.  How in the world can anyone navigate their web site?  I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but come on.  Why not have a web site that even people like me can understand?  Or is that asking the impossible? ;D

IMO, They seriously need a redesign.

Just my thoughts.......

That is funny that you mention this. I spent about 5 minutes (if that) in their website and saw everything I needed to see, no way in the world I would sign up with them if their site is that poorly designed.

On the other hand, when going to Obivoice, it redirected to Vestalink and that was MUCH easier to work with. In fact, a child could navigate that place. Easy website, lowest yearly price I have seen so far and descent quality according to their users. Once GV is no longer working I may go with them.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: ceg3 on April 10, 2014, 05:14:59 PM
Odd that you refer to yourself as "priest." Seems kind of ironic, since you seem to enjoy giving people the devil so much.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: CLTGreg on April 10, 2014, 08:33:43 PM
Quote from: SkOrPn on April 10, 2014, 02:28:10 PM
That is funny that you mention this. I spent about 5 minutes (if that) in their website and saw everything I needed to see, no way in the world I would sign up with them if their site is that poorly designed.

On the other hand, when going to Obivoice, it redirected to Vestalink and that was MUCH easier to work with. In fact, a child could navigate that place. Easy website, lowest yearly price I have seen so far and descent quality according to their users. Once GV is no longer working I may go with them.

I'm not defending Anveo but try Vestalink with javascript disabled. Or if you like, take a blank piece of paper and stare at it. Same result. I like Vestalink but "blank" is not a great web design either. The page should have a logo and link to non-whatever or at least a message telling you that the site cannot be used AT ALL with javascript disabled. Some of us authorize JS on a site by site basis but when you hit a blank screen it takes a moment to figure out what's not going on.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: sailing on April 11, 2014, 04:09:15 AM
From Wikipedia

In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people,[1] by posting inflammatory,[2] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a forum, chat room, or blog), either accidentally[3][4] or with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[5] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 11, 2014, 07:06:22 PM
If it looks like a troll,
sounds like a troll
and smells like a troll...

Guess what? It's a troll!  8)

Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: chmedly on April 13, 2014, 12:10:57 PM
I signed up with Anveo back in January and I spent a considerable amount of time figuring it out.  I have 2 obi boxes and was trying to get them both configured which is not something that is spelled out on the Anveo site or the Obi site.  I sent an email to Anveo support and got no response.  A few weeks later (after I figured the config issue out on my own) I tried a support ticket (I assumed that they just don't answer support emails) about a billing oriented question and got no response to that either.  The actual phone service has been working fine so far with no service interruptions that I'm aware of and it's relatively cheap.   But it is not an easy setup path in my opinion.  Also, I've finding that I'm being charged for incoming unanswered calls.  This is apparently because they hit the routing options and so are considered an answered call.  So, it's not as cheap as I had thought it would be but so far it's a lot cheaper than the land line service that was in place before. 
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: c3c3 on April 13, 2014, 02:46:49 PM
Quote from: chmedly on April 13, 2014, 12:10:57 PMAlso, I've finding that I'm being charged for incoming unanswered calls.  This is apparently because they hit the routing options and so are considered an answered call. 

Unless you are using routing options which require the call to be answered, the "start" option "do not answer the line" should be checked.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 13, 2014, 07:30:54 PM
Quote from: chmedly on April 13, 2014, 12:10:57 PM
I signed up with Anveo back in January and I spent a considerable amount of time figuring it out.  I have 2 obi boxes and was trying to get them both configured which is not something that is spelled out on the Anveo site or the Obi site.  I sent an email to Anveo support and got no response.  A few weeks later (after I figured the config issue out on my own) I tried a support ticket (I assumed that they just don't answer support emails) about a billing oriented question and got no response to that either.  The actual phone service has been working fine so far with no service interruptions that I'm aware of and it's relatively cheap.   But it is not an easy setup path in my opinion.  Also, I've finding that I'm being charged for incoming unanswered calls.  This is apparently because they hit the routing options and so are considered an answered call.  So, it's not as cheap as I had thought it would be but so far it's a lot cheaper than the land line service that was in place before.  

I'm not surprised at the difficulties you've encountered in dealing with Anveo. Added to their non-functional install script and lack of response to emails (mine even bounced!)... they appear to have nothing but contempt for GV "refugees" who need assistance. Their attitude to refunds stinks too.

Obi should definitely consider dropping Anveo from their "recommended" list.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: AlanB on April 13, 2014, 08:05:48 PM
The many of us with Good experiences keep getting drowned out by a bounced email.

Anveo may not be the best choice for everyone but I've found the support to be good and call quality to be great.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: Usetheforceobiwan on April 13, 2014, 09:04:18 PM
Quote from: AlanB on April 13, 2014, 08:05:48 PM
The many of us with Good experiences keep getting drowned out by a bounced email.

Anveo may not be the best choice for everyone but I've found the support to be good and call quality to be great.

I have to agree with Alan, there is nothing wrong with Anveo other than their system is extremely complicated and intimidating to anyone new to it or to VOIP in general.  Anveo's provisioning is the most flexible of any other provider I can think of but along with this flexibility comes complication and a steep learning curve.  And Anveo's services are scalable which means you can be caught unaware of costs because of their ala carte approach to providing options.  Nobodies perfect but by no means is Anveo a fly by night provider so they are more likely to be around in the long run.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: c3c3 on April 13, 2014, 09:27:43 PM
I have signed up 3 Anveo accounts for my family members and myself, and I have already ported all 3 numbers from GV to Anveo.  Not a single problem with provisioning and re-provisioning (changing Obi devices).
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 13, 2014, 09:45:12 PM
Those are very poor excuses for the Anveo issues detailed in this thread by experienced users.

Maybe you guys need some company over there in the "Anveo for ObiTalk" thread?

You're beginning to sound like broken records...  ::)
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: Usetheforceobiwan on April 13, 2014, 09:50:37 PM
Quote from: JH2011 on April 13, 2014, 09:45:12 PM
You're beginning to sound like broken records...  ::)

Anveo is not that bad,,,skip,,,,Anveo is not that bad,,,skip,,,Anveo is not that bad,,,skip,,,Anveo is not that bad,,,,,,,,,

Just relax man.  It will all work out for you I am sure.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 13, 2014, 10:37:41 PM
Yeah, Got Callcentric up in 5 minutes total. No "steep learning curve" excuses.

Paypal fixed Anveo's nonsense dead in its tracks - I got 100% refunded.

Anveo's installation script was garbage and their business "ethics" are a joke.

So, yeah... I'm feeling totally relaxed bud...

But you guys? What's your excuse for being soooo jumpy?   ???
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: CLTGreg on April 14, 2014, 12:06:29 PM
Quote from: JH2011 on April 13, 2014, 09:45:12 PM
Those are very poor excuses for the Anveo issues detailed in this thread by experienced users.

Maybe you guys need some company over there in the "Anveo for ObiTalk" thread?

You're beginning to sound like broken records...  ::)

Oh trust me, people are holding back out of some level of politeness. The true problems with Anveo are already listed. Transient problems are just that. Transient.

I don't like the rudeness on this thread from either side. A smiley isn't going to immunize that.

One weird thing about Anveo is when I tried to follow-up on an LNP issue I never heard back. But when I sent a test message that said TESTING NO REPLY NEEDED I got a reply.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: CLTGreg on April 14, 2014, 12:09:24 PM
Quote from: JH2011 on April 13, 2014, 10:37:41 PM
Yeah, Got Callcentric up in 5 minutes total. No "steep learning curve" excuses.

Sometimes rocket scientists like rocket science.

Callcentric is great but I'm not willing to pay 2X for. . . well I'm not sure why it's 2X.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: Marty.ba.calif.usa on April 14, 2014, 12:49:25 PM
Quote from: c3c3 on April 13, 2014, 09:27:43 PM
I have signed up 3 Anveo accounts for my family members and myself, and I have already ported all 3 numbers from GV to Anveo.  Not a single problem with provisioning and re-provisioning (changing Obi devices).
I don't think it took me even 5 minutes to get my Anveo account working for their Personal Unlimited plan. I may have used Obitalk to provision it, but not the main advertised plan.  I chose the one for other provicers, then Anveo (and voip.ms for another one to evaluate).  It didn't take much longer to reprovision when I got a new ATA, either. 

I was totally new to VOIP, so it did take me  longer than that to understand what I was reading on their website, mainly because I had to understand that plans were mostly separated into incoming calls requiring a DID and outgoing calls that may not.  But as I went through the website, I just saved and documented the links that I felt applied to me, and when I was done, I had a set of links that I no longer needed because I then understood how it was organized.

I think the main problem, and also the main feature, of traditional VOIP providers is that they are not the "Phone Company", so are not geared to dumb users.  But there are too many dumb users trying to use it right now.

Personally, I assume most problems are my fault, and I ask how to solve them, and learn.  Then there are those who's name I won't mention who find problems and simply want to cry like a child and find everyone else to blame besides themselves.  They don't understand the whole concept of what a forum like this even is, thinking it's a complaint dept or something.  Or maybe psychologists who care about their problems.  Sheesh!
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 14, 2014, 04:40:24 PM
>>>
One weird thing about Anveo is when I tried to follow-up on an LNP issue I never heard back.
<<<

Sounds about right.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 14, 2014, 05:31:02 PM
>>> Callcentric is great but I'm not willing to pay 2X for

I only paid Callcentric 5 bucks... and it WORKS!

paid Anveo $50... but their useless install script never worked...

It's not rocket science.



Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: CLTGreg on April 14, 2014, 06:17:44 PM
Quote from: JH2011 on April 14, 2014, 05:31:02 PM
>>> Callcentric is great but I'm not willing to pay 2X for

I only paid Callcentric 5 bucks... and it WORKS!

paid Anveo $50... but their useless install script never worked...

It's not rocket science.


You don't have a complaint. You're on a mission.

I'm not satisfied with Vestalink but I don't beat them up on threads about them.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 14, 2014, 06:35:57 PM
>>> I'm not satisfied with Vestalink but I don't beat them up on threads about them.

Why would you want to beat up on a company like Vestalink that acknowledges it's shortcomings?

Do you think it's okay for Anveo to "beat up" on people?

What's your "mission?"





Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: ih8anveo on April 14, 2014, 08:13:40 PM
I am going to side with JH2011 on this.  This isn't a mission.  Anveo is in this for a quick buck by going after all of the people jumping ship from Google.  They want their money and then wont support there sub par product.  Their script plain and simple doesn't work consistently.  I understand that it works for the majority of people, but when its broken for as many people it seems broken for I would call it more of a PSA to people thinking which service to jump too.  That seems a worth while mission to me....
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: KAura on April 14, 2014, 08:20:31 PM
Quote from: JH2011 on April 14, 2014, 06:35:57 PM
Do you think it's okay for Anveo to "beat up" on people?


My question is more on the lines of, "How did Anveo sink
its tentacles into Obihai?".  That's what I want to know!

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/anveo-voip-outage-1467452/ (http://forums.redflagdeals.com/anveo-voip-outage-1467452/)
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: _brett on April 15, 2014, 03:58:04 PM
I agree. From what I read all of the services have their problems, and people should be aware of them in order to make a intelligent choice. I aired my complaint above Anveo's service not to bash them, but in the hopes they might read this forum and learn from their mistakes. I also wanted to educate people who are making the move from GV like I did, and finally I hoped Obihai was reading the forums as well since they are the ones who made Anveo an Obihai approved provider. If Anveo isn't willing to fine tune their business practices, they won't have any customers to be bothered by in the future.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: JH2011 on April 19, 2014, 10:45:37 AM
Quote from: CLTGreg on April 16, 2014, 06:42:55 AM

Vestalink on my two latest contacts NEVER says they even CHECKED their network. If they would JUST SAY I'd be a lot more satisfied. There's a big difference between "we checked our logs and did not see a problem and we recommend you reboot" versus "you should reboot because it sometimes helps".

One is a blow off. Let's say they did check their network and decided to blame me. Fine IF they tell me. Communication is key and when the boss isn't answering the tickets. . . well I'd say YMMV but it doesn't vary for me.


Yep, I can't recommend VL either (but they're good for "no-fuss" refunds :) )

I think it's basically a one-man operation.
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: stevebythebay on April 23, 2014, 05:23:16 PM
This is a really strange setup.  With the email from Obihai re: end of life so to speak with Google Voice I opted to go with Anveo.  Signed up, got a number and waited till today to use their new porting capability.  All appeared smooth.  The port happened within an hour.  However, what confounds me is that I now have both the originally assigned phone number from Anveo plus what was once my Google Voice number.  These are both listed.  The latter has a plan rate of ObiTalk Special whereas the ported one is listed as Personal Unlimited (had a choice of 3 options, but nothing associated with the Obihai deal).  And after the port I suddenly find myself unable to call out because my account has moved from the plus side to minus side in dollars.  The only charge I have went to Google Voice for the $3 port.  So, I'm baffled.  I'm hesitant to do anything at this point.  And I'm not clear who to try and reach at Anveo.

No wonder people are having "issues" with Anveo.  Any ideas on what I should do next to fix this?  Having gone down the road with Anveo, I'd certainly like to give them an opportunity to fix things before I pull the plug.

Update: got Anveo customer support to "fix" what had happened.  They replaced my Anveo sourced phone number with my ported Google Voice number and undid the charge that put me "below the line".  I've offered to help them clarify the porting process to make it clearer (certainly I was "fooled" into adding a new number in thei porting process, rather than porting and swapping as I had intended)
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: AlanB on April 23, 2014, 07:10:30 PM
Their porting process can be confusing.  For others wanting more info, there is quite a discussion on this forum:
http://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=7391.0
Title: Re: ANVEO - Buyer Beware!
Post by: c3c3 on April 24, 2014, 01:34:18 AM
Quote from: stevebythebay on April 23, 2014, 05:23:16 PM
However, what confounds me is that I now have both the originally assigned phone number from Anveo plus what was once my Google Voice number.  These are both listed.  The latter has a plan rate of ObiTalk Special whereas the ported one is listed as Personal Unlimited (had a choice of 3 options, but nothing associated with the Obihai deal).

Did you choose the option "I want to replace the following Anveo phone number to ported phone number"?  With my last port more than a week ago, the number was replaced automatically, and the only charge was the $15 porting fee.