Q: Does the Vonage World offer include inbound calls?
A: Yes, it does. Vonage World is currently being offered at an all-time low of $14.99/month for the first 6 months, and $25.99/month thereafter. It includes unlimited free inbound calls, as well as unlimited outbound calls to the US and 60+ countries. So you can talk as much as you want for one low price. (Please note that although all inbound calls are included, collect calls are not.)
Q: Does Vonage allow collect calls?
A: Vonage does not allow outside services to add charges to your Vonage bill, so at this time they don’t allow collect calls. However, there is a work around. If you know where you might be expecting a collect call from, you can sign up for an outside service that will bill the collect call to you and then ring the call through to your Vonage line.
For example, if you’re expecting a call from a correctional facility, you can create a pre-paid account with Correctional Billing Services. Then when you receive a call on your Vonage line it will be billed through this account instead of Vonage. Or if, you know that a specific person will be calling you there is the option of buying them a pre-paid calling card. You’ll even save money with this choice, as collect calls are traditionally more expensive.
Q: If I sign up for Vonage do I need to cancel my Verizon plan?
A: In a word, no. Verizon’s land line phone service and Vonage can easily work side by side. Some customers even like the idea of having a “backup” land line in case the power goes out and they need to make a call. If this is the case, you can save money by paying for a basic Verizon plan and using Vonage World to make all your long distance and international calls. You will need two phones, one for the Verizon line and one for the Vonage line, but it’s easy to find a frugal phone deal these days.
Q: I need a business phone line with an 800 number for customers. What are my options?
A: Vonage has several different home and business plans. To determine which one would be best for your needs, you should take a look at what the phone uses will be for your business. Will you need to call internationally or just within the US and to Canada? Will you need a dedicated fax line too?
If you’d like a dedicated fax line and only need to make calls to the US and Canada, you should consider Vonage Small Business Premium. If you don’t need a dedicated fax line and you’ll be making calls outside of the US, take a look at Vonage World. Although this is considered a “home” plan, it will work exactly the same as the business plan. Vonage is running a great deal right now where Vonage World is just $14.99/month for the first 6 months (and $25.99/month thereafter). You can even signup for Vonage World and add on a dedicated fax line for just $14.99/month. To compare all the Vonage plans, check out our comparison chart.
It’s easy to add a 800 number once you’ve signed up for any of the Vonage plans. The name of the plan is Toll Free Plus and it lets you to receive inbound calls from anywhere in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The cost of Toll Free Plus is $4.99/month for 100 minutes. Once the first 100 minutes have been used, the cost is 4.9 cents for each additional minute.
If you’re still confused about the options available, or have any additional questions, Vonage reps are standing by at their toll-free number: 800-705-5042.
The following is an actual user submitted question:
Q: If I sign up for Vonage, can I keep my existing phone? Do I have to have my computer on to make or receive calls?
A: Yes, if you sign up for Vonage you can keep your existing phone. The only caveat to this is that it needs to be a touch tone phone, not a phone where you physically dial the numbers. Either a cordless or corded touch tone phone is OK.
You do not need to use your computer in any way to make or receive phone calls with Vonage. Vonage only requires a high speed internet connection and a touch tone phone. To learn more about how Vonage works, check out our How Vonage Works section of the site.