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Why no "free" RingTo for old-timers?

Started by MrRoper, June 25, 2014, 09:48:24 AM

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MrRoper

I am baffled as to why the free RingTo offer applies only to devices purchased on or after May 1st 2014.

It strikes me as poor customer service. The message I see - if you got your "free" ride with Google Voice, we don't care about you.

OBitalk Marketing - can you explain your rationale?


AJor

Quote from: MrRoper on June 25, 2014, 09:48:24 AM
I am baffled as to why the free RingTo offer applies only to devices purchased on or after May 1st 2014.

It strikes me as poor customer service. The message I see - if you got your "free" ride with Google Voice, we don't care about you.

OBitalk Marketing - can you explain your rationale?

If you didn't know, Google Voice is still working normally for many people. Give it a try. I can't get a clear answer on why but it's been about 40 days since the supposed service cut-off.

gderf

Here's your clear answer: There was no planned cut off by Google Voice.
Help me OBiHai PhoneOBi. You're my only hope.

giqcass

Quote from: gderf on June 25, 2014, 02:15:30 PM
Here's your clear answer: There was no planned cut off by Google Voice.
Yes it appears they only told companies like Obi to "stop supporting Google Voice".  With the NDA and the lack of clear verbiage most of us were interpreting their statement incorrectly.  I am hopeful Google will make an official announcement when they finally do cut off XMPP which appears to be inevitable.  Any changes to the XMPP standard will also end OBI/XMPP support assuming I am not misinterpreting the current information.

As to the question from the OP Ring.to says they cannot support all of the Obi devices at this time.  There is not a promise in that statement but the fact that they qualified it with the words "at this time' suggests they may support the "old-timers" eventually.  I am encouraging users here to go to the Ring.to website and recommend they support older Obi devices.  They have a system in place to vote for suggestions.  With enough votes they might implement this feature.

Please support the idea by Voting for it here.  You will need to sign up at Ring.to first but you don't need to port a phone number or pay anything just join so you may use their forums.
Long live our new ObiLords!

ceg3

Here is the response I got from them a week or so ago:

We're not sure if/when we will allow older ATAs to be attached to RingTo. Per our FAQ, we are not positioned to support every Obi device already in circulation at no cost.

This service with Anveo 911 added seems like it would have been the perfect replacement for Google Voice if it had come along at the first of the year before so many people moved to other services, though it has some of the same limitations, such as no CANM or MWI.  Actually, MWI is working perfectly in my GV account at the moment.  It's no frills, but that was the beauty of free GV calling.  You accepted that you didn't get everything, because it was/is free.

My feeling after watching Google drop projects over time is just when we think GV free calling using an OBi is not going away, it will be gone.

rastoma

Quote from: MrRoper on June 25, 2014, 09:48:24 AM
I am baffled as to why the free RingTo offer applies only to devices purchased on or after May 1st 2014.

It strikes me as poor customer service. The message I see - if you got your "free" ride with Google Voice, we don't care about you.

The message is you did a one time purchase of a product of which Obihai made MAYBE $15 profit.  And since then Obihai hasn't gotten a penny from you.  No matter if anyone bought more than one unit. They are one time purchases.  They can't stay in business by spending money every month to their employees and money to run their business, including maintaining web hosting for this website and forum.

It was ring.to's decision to put a limit on how many customers they wanted to accept right now because they are GIVING AWAY FREE phone service.

The cost of a Obi100 or 110 is the same or less than ONE MONTH of POTS service generally.  How much have you saved since having yours?  Exactly.  So buy a new box and put your old one on Ebay and you'll get back 50-60% of what your paid.  So you'll be out of pocket maybe $20?  So first year of service with Ring.to would be $39 (counting Anveo's 911).  Still cheaper than any other approved service provider... WAY cheaper since the others only give 300 minutes or so for that amount of money.

I'll spend 2 hours searching online to save $5 on an item when I buy it.  But needing to buy a new device and getting most of that money back by selling the old one to get almost free unlimited phone service is a no-brainer.

ipse

@rastoma: While I agree that it seems ATM that the limitation is enforced by Ring.to rather than Obihai, I cannot buy your arguments along the lines of "stop being cheap and shell some more money so that Obihai can survive".
Did you have to buy a new TV when you got HBO?
Of all the things I lost, I miss my mind the most. - Mark Twain

mykmayk

Quote from: ipse on July 24, 2014, 12:44:32 PM
@rastoma: Did you have to buy a new TV when you got HBO?

although i don't subscribe to the logic of buying new to enjoy free but is the TV-HBO logic comparable to @rastoma's logic?  if the cost of free HBO "for life" (like ring.to), exceeds the cost of the TV, then that would be comparing apples-to-apples.  then maybe "yes" was his answer to that question.

but i doubt HBO was free when he got it in the first place.  so it wasn't free to begin with, like ring.to for new OBis.
əʞɪɯ mɪke