Comments on: Vonage IPO and Very Angry Customers http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/ Tracking the Internet Evolution Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:51:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Vonage Get Hung Up On http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52524 Vonage Get Hung Up On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 04:44:55 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52524 <p>[...] has no luck. First a botched IPO, now a court orders Vonage to stop using Verizon VoIP technology it is accused of violating in an [...]</p> [...] has no luck. First a botched IPO, now a court orders Vonage to stop using Verizon VoIP technology it is accused of violating in an [...]

]]> By: James http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52523 James Mon, 26 Jun 2006 02:34:41 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52523 <p>Happy Igonet User</p> <p>Hi there…I was just reading all the comments about Vonage…seems as though there are a lot of happy and angry customers. I was a bell customer for years. I was fed up with the prices I was paying and quit. My friend gave me a website for Igonet ( www.igonet.biz/AuslynEnterprise ) I have now been using this Voip service for 6 months. I absolutely love it. </p> <p>I have over 22 features on my phone including features such as:</p> <p>Alternate Caller ID Number International Call Blocking Anonymous call rejection Music on Hold Blacklist Repeat Dial Call Filter Short-Digit dialing Call Forwarding Speed Dialing Call Return Three-Way Calling Call Waiting Call ID Voicemail notification via email Wake up Call Call Blocking Personalized Voicemail Do Not Disturb VoIP To Go Find Me Follow Me Hunt Groups </p> <p>Plus Unlimited calls to the US and Canada and over 39 Countries for $35.99 / month (cad). As I mentioned above I love the saving and have have no problems with the service since the day I started 6 months ago. I recommend anyone try to find a cheaper, better service, and one that offers as much as many features as they do at no extra cost. And the best part is there are no hidden fees in your bill. Same price month after month with no fluctuation like Bell or Vonage. </p> <p>Ex Bell User</p> <p>James</p> Happy Igonet User

Hi there…I was just reading all the comments about Vonage…seems as though there are a lot of happy and angry customers. I was a bell customer for years. I was fed up with the prices I was paying and quit. My friend gave me a website for Igonet ( (link) ) I have now been using this Voip service for 6 months. I absolutely love it.

I have over 22 features on my phone including features such as:

Alternate Caller ID Number International Call Blocking
Anonymous call rejection Music on Hold
Blacklist Repeat Dial
Call Filter Short-Digit dialing
Call Forwarding Speed Dialing
Call Return Three-Way Calling
Call Waiting Call ID
Voicemail notification via email Wake up Call
Call Blocking Personalized Voicemail
Do Not Disturb VoIP To Go
Find Me Follow Me Hunt Groups

Plus Unlimited calls to the US and Canada and over 39 Countries for $35.99 / month (cad). As I mentioned above I love the saving and have have no problems with the service since the day I started 6 months ago. I recommend anyone try to find a cheaper, better service, and one that offers as much as many features as they do at no extra cost. And the best part is there are no hidden fees in your bill. Same price month after month with no fluctuation like Bell or Vonage.

Ex Bell User

James

]]> By: Patrick Caya http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52522 Patrick Caya Tue, 13 Jun 2006 17:09:16 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52522 <p>I tried vonage!! lousy voice quality & service. after many calls and having to wait 15 to 20 minutes for someone who couldnt speek vevy much english I decided to cancel my service. I was charged a disconect fee and also charged for the router that was supposed to be free and told if I returned it I would be credited for the price of the router. Now I have been told I will not be getting a refund for the router and they say they will not return it to me. for anyone considering switching to Vonage. DON'T DO IT!!!!!</p> I tried vonage!! lousy voice quality & service. after many calls and having to wait 15 to 20 minutes for someone who couldnt speek vevy much english I decided to cancel my service. I was charged a disconect fee and also charged for the router that was supposed to be free and told if I returned it I would be credited for the price of the router. Now I have been told I will not be getting a refund for the router and they say they will not return it to me.
for anyone considering switching to Vonage.
DON’T DO IT!!!!!

]]> By: Patrick Caya http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52521 Patrick Caya Tue, 13 Jun 2006 17:02:40 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52521 <p>I tried vonage! terrable voice quality and service. every time I tried to contact them there was inevitably an 15 to 20 min wait to talk to someone that couldn't realy speek engilsh, then another transfer taking another 10 to 15 minutes to talk to someone else. Finally got fed up and canceled my service and was charged for the disconect fee and the price of the telephone router that was supposed to be free. I was informed I could return the router for a refund of the purchase price and did so. Now they are telling me I cannot get a refund or get the router I paid for returned.</p> I tried vonage! terrable voice quality and service. every time I tried to contact them there was inevitably an 15 to 20 min wait to talk to someone that couldn’t realy speek engilsh, then another transfer taking another 10 to 15 minutes to talk to someone else. Finally got fed up and canceled my service and was charged for the disconect fee and the price of the telephone router that was supposed to be free. I was informed I could return the router for a refund of the purchase price and did so. Now they are telling me I cannot get a refund or get the router I paid for returned.

]]> By: Chris Anderson http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52520 Chris Anderson Wed, 07 Jun 2006 00:29:30 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52520 <p>The big issue with Vonage and their stock price is that they're not making money. When they start to close that loss gap, I'll be a lot more cheerful about their stock price. Until that point, I don't see a bottom for their offering.</p> <p>I've used their service for 2 years with zero problems. I quite like it.</p> The big issue with Vonage and their stock price is that they’re not making money. When they start to close that loss gap, I’ll be a lot more cheerful about their stock price. Until that point, I don’t see a bottom for their offering.

I’ve used their service for 2 years with zero problems. I quite like it.

]]> By: Tim http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52519 Tim Fri, 02 Jun 2006 18:00:43 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52519 <p>When they offered shares to customers, that definitely raised a red flag!</p> When they offered shares to customers, that definitely raised a red flag!

]]> By: Patrick Mullen http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52518 Patrick Mullen Fri, 02 Jun 2006 15:03:29 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52518 <p>According to the Wall Street Journal, due to a technical problem with their initial offer to customers (no hyperlink to the prospectus) Vonage may be forced to repurchase the stock from customers that bought in.</p> According to the Wall Street Journal, due to a technical problem with their initial offer to customers (no hyperlink to the prospectus) Vonage may be forced to repurchase the stock from customers that bought in.

]]> By: dunkin dohh nuts! http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52517 dunkin dohh nuts! Fri, 02 Jun 2006 02:29:17 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52517 <p>C A R L O S</p> C A R L O S

]]> By: bluechihuahua http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52516 bluechihuahua Thu, 01 Jun 2006 20:24:38 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52516 <p>Wanna put your money where your mind-mouth is? for everyone who has an opinion abot Vonage--lucky you, on Friday June 2, equity options will be open for trading. I chuckled when I saw the strike list--with stock skidding down its oily slide, the exchanges will have the 10/ 12.5/15 strikes. I asked an LMM--what about the jun 7.5 kind? </p> <p>To Stewart--a shareholder of VG who is a HAPPY customer--who wonders what the value of this company will be in 1 year, or 10 years. Value? forget value--don't buy anything because you "are happy and love it"…you must be the guy that won't dump the lying/cheating/moneyrobbing girl because she promised she would make you happy. stay with a stock that delivers, you sap.</p> Wanna put your money where your mind-mouth is?
for everyone who has an opinion abot Vonage–lucky you, on Friday June 2, equity options will be open for trading.
I chuckled when I saw the strike list–with stock skidding down its oily slide, the exchanges will have the 10/ 12.5/15 strikes. I asked an LMM–what about the jun 7.5 kind?

To Stewart–a shareholder of VG who is a HAPPY customer–who wonders what the value of this company will be in 1 year, or 10 years. Value? forget value–don’t buy anything because you “are happy and love it”…you must be the guy that won’t dump the lying/cheating/moneyrobbing girl because she promised she would make you happy.
stay with a stock that delivers, you sap.

]]> By: Jake http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52515 Jake Thu, 01 Jun 2006 18:15:53 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52515 <p>When the Directed Shares Program was proposed last year with the early S-1 filings, I figured it was a tool to try to reduce churn during the period from S-1 to IPO. I'm not sure if churn had been increasing at Vonage leading up to the S-1 filing, but it seemed like this was a carrot to keep more customers on the service.</p> <p>Did it work? Did churn rates stabilize or decrease over the last 6 months? </p> <p>Maybe any churn introduced by dissatisfaction with the DSP can be balanced by reduced churn leading into the IPO. </p> <p>The PR issue, though, cannot. And for a company that basically plans on spending the IPO cash on more marketing, that is unfortunate.</p> When the Directed Shares Program was proposed last year with the early S-1 filings, I figured it was a tool to try to reduce churn during the period from S-1 to IPO. I’m not sure if churn had been increasing at Vonage leading up to the S-1 filing, but it seemed like this was a carrot to keep more customers on the service.

Did it work? Did churn rates stabilize or decrease over the last 6 months?

Maybe any churn introduced by dissatisfaction with the DSP can be balanced by reduced churn leading into the IPO.

The PR issue, though, cannot. And for a company that basically plans on spending the IPO cash on more marketing, that is unfortunate.

]]> By: pchi http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52514 pchi Thu, 01 Jun 2006 17:56:27 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52514 <p>My pattern detection was as biased by Om's penchant for typos as it is for failing to recognize that 50% think Vonage is worth more than $5.</p> My pattern detection was as biased by Om’s penchant for typos as it is for failing to recognize that 50% think Vonage is worth more than $5.

]]> By: Jake http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52513 Jake Thu, 01 Jun 2006 17:54:53 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52513 <p>SEC stepping into a Citron business will also raise eyebrows.</p> SEC stepping into a Citron business will also raise eyebrows.

]]> By: Tony http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52512 Tony Thu, 01 Jun 2006 16:57:42 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52512 <p>This is as bad a situation as Vonage could imagine. If they buy back the shares of people who refuse to pay, they face a possible class action suit from investors who DO honor their debts. If they don't, their IPO underwriters (Deutsche Bank, Citigroup, et al) could potentially sue them. In either case, Vonage's plan to generate goodwill among customers has instead angered some. Combine this situation with Vonage's recent technical problems going into the IPO, and the fact that Vonage is still in its quiet period and can't publically say much to try and placate investors. AND the fact that the SEC will almost certainly have to step into this situation. Vonage is really in a tight spot. Wow.</p> This is as bad a situation as Vonage could imagine. If they buy back the shares of people who refuse to pay, they face a possible class action suit from investors who DO honor their debts. If they don’t, their IPO underwriters (Deutsche Bank, Citigroup, et al) could potentially sue them. In either case, Vonage’s plan to generate goodwill among customers has instead angered some. Combine this situation with Vonage’s recent technical problems going into the IPO, and the fact that Vonage is still in its quiet period and can’t publically say much to try and placate investors. AND the fact that the SEC will almost certainly have to step into this situation. Vonage is really in a tight spot. Wow.

]]> By: Vladimir Orlt http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52511 Vladimir Orlt Thu, 01 Jun 2006 15:25:51 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52511 <p>Stewart is right in that many companies' IPOs fall after issue, and not all those companies are bad long-term holdings. I can't comment expertly on Vonage's prospects… but people who read blogs probably use Skype, who probably still beat Vonage on a per-minute basis for the average caller, even before they offered free NA to-phone calling (the only beef that I have with Skype so far is that their international (NA to Europe) call quality is often bad). I also find Vonage's ads are really annoying… IMHO they do betray some problems, but then again very few commercials appeal to me.</p> Stewart is right in that many companies’ IPOs fall after issue, and not all those companies are bad long-term holdings. I can’t comment expertly on Vonage’s prospects… but people who read blogs probably use Skype, who probably still beat Vonage on a per-minute basis for the average caller, even before they offered free NA to-phone calling (the only beef that I have with Skype so far is that their international (NA to Europe) call quality is often bad). I also find Vonage’s ads are really annoying… IMHO they do betray some problems, but then again very few commercials appeal to me.

]]> By: Mo http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52510 Mo Thu, 01 Jun 2006 15:14:00 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52510 <p>In my comment above, it should read "36 plus 27 = 63."</p> In my comment above, it should read “36 plus 27 = 63.”

]]> By: Mo http://gigaom.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52509 Mo Thu, 01 Jun 2006 15:13:02 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/05/31/vonage-ipo-and-very-angry-customers/#comment-52509 <p>pchi, no Om did not transpose the numbers. 36 27 = 63. You should be smart enough to figure out how he got to that number.</p> <p>It's a polling trick. :)</p> <p>Om, I love the Vonage fanboys coming out to defend them in full force. I like how Stewart thinks this company will be around for 10 years…lol.</p> pchi, no Om did not transpose the numbers. 36 27 = 63. You should be smart enough to figure out how he got to that number.

It’s a polling trick. :)

Om, I love the Vonage fanboys coming out to defend them in full force. I like how Stewart thinks this company will be around for 10 years…lol.

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