Shopping for common household items is hard enough, but it turns out that shopping for a Canadian home phone provider is even more complicated. Plunging through the myriad of terms, conditions and contracts can be a nightmare for those not studious enough in the reading of fine print and this makes finding a phone company a pretty tough prospect.
As I’ve outlined over the last few days, my ongoing struggle with Rogers has really pushed my buttons. It’s not that the quality of the home phone is inferior. If anything, the quality of their home phone line was perfect. Never a hiccup. Sound quality was perfect.
Their dishonesty over rates has been enough motivation for me to turn my eyes elsewhere though in terms of a phone service. My main goal has been to find a phone company that offers reliable home phone service (whether it’s VOIP or traditional phone service), but that’s turning out to be harder than you might think.
So why am I switching ?
It’s a matter of principle really. I feel cheated by Rogers misleading advertising and poor response to my customer service complaint. I won’t rehash the story but you can read more about that here.
I talked recently about dishonesty in advertising. There’s really no way to know that any of Canada’s providers can be universally trusted, of course, and that can make going to a new provider a bit of a headache.
Rogers, as I’ve noted, continues to advertise rates that are set to increase in weeks. The odd thing is, Rogers is still advertising a Classic phone plan rate of $24.95 / month for a service they know will be increasing by $3 / month in 2 weeks. There is still no disclaimer on their web site. It’s just plain dishonest.
Shopping for a new service provider isn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be. So, I asked myself a few questions before staring this shopping exercise:
Do I need a home phone ? Do I care if the home phone service is reliable ?
At this point it occurred to me … I wrote a post a few months ago titled: The Office phone is Dead. It occurred to me that the HOME PHONE is also dead. Cellular phone adoption is at an all time high. Most people in North America have a cell phone attached to their person like another limb. So why do people need a home phone ?
Many don’t. Some more traditionalists still do. And people requiring access to 911 services still do.
I realized why I still need a home phone line when I was providing instruction to my daughter’s baby sitter this past week-end. I needed to explain to her how to dial “911” from our Norstar phone system. “Pick line 1 first. Then dial 911”.
So I would call the home phone the “necessary evil”. Something I will eventually cancel in favour of my cell phone, but until then, I’ve got to grin and bear the $30 / month.
So, where do I go ?
I checked out comparable services from Vonage, Primus, Comwave, TeleHop, Yak, Rogers, and Bell Canada to see who can save me the most money and who can offer me the best bang for my buck.
The metrics I have used to determine where I will sign up include:
Quality, Features, and Price.
Quality:
Not all service is created equal. Some providers offer VoIP service and others offer voice over the traditional BELL phone line. My concern with regards to true VoIP is that the provider is running their service over the internet access coming into my home. Crappy internet service means crappy voice quality.
Before doing the research for this article I had just assumed that providers like YAK were VoIP providers. Surprise. Yak’s service is a traditional line resell, meaning that their service is NOT VoIP. They are using the Bell feed coming into the home. The others, as far as I could tell are VoIP providers: Comwave, Telehop, Primus, Vonage, and Rogers all use VoIP, although Rogers is slightly different because they own the pipe coming into my home.
One of the downfalls of using VoIP is – no internet means no home phone. Crappy internet means crappy home phone. No electricity or power failure means no home phone means no 911 access.
From a pure VOICE quality perspective I would suggest the best service would come from Bell and Yak followed by Rogers followed by the other players.
I’m not overly bothered by the poor voice quality considering both my wife and I have cell phones and we rarely use the home phone. I am concerned about having access to 911 though, but the fact that it might go out during a power failure doesn’t bother me much.
But, the above is worth noting when making a decision.
Believe it or not, my first choice for a new VoIP provider isn’t even listed on the list. I had assumed that I could get a Canadian SkypeIn number and could transfer my home phone number to Skype. NOT. Apparently SkypeIn service isn’t available in Canada. That discussion is worth an entire post on it’s own and a subject I will tackle in another article.
Winner: Bell Canada followed by Yak
Features and Price:
There is a mixed bag of features from all of the providers, and the importance of these features will vary from consumer to consumer. Voice Mail and call display are important to me. Long distance and call forwarding might be important to others … For the most part though the features are quite comparable across the board and although all the providers do offer all of the features, they come with different price points.
The tricky part of doing this post though was trying to compare apples to apples. Many people don’t need voice mail, or call forwarding or call waiting or (you get the point).
In this regard Vonage seems to offer the best feature for dollar value. You can take a look at the chart.
If you are looking for a more scaled down plan with pay as you go long distance then you might want to consider Comwave’s “Enhanced” $14.95 plan which includes voice mail, call display and 911 access.
MY CHOICE:
I think I am going to give Vonage and Comwave a call. See how they respond on the phone. How’s the customer service ? Can they reply to the basic questions ? How long do I have to wait on hold for ? Can they port my current 905 home phone number ? Do they offer a service guarantee ?
I’m getting closer to making a switch. Let’s see how this goes.
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Written by: Jeff Wiener. www.digitcom.ca. Follow TheTelecomBlog.com by: RSS, Twitter, Identi.ca, or Friendfeed
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Hi Jimmie,
I do believe that magic jack is compatible with primus internet however with no phone to connect your internet to you would need a dry loop which is 5$ more.
Should be no reason that it wouldn’t be compatible. For example Rogers offers home phone service but i just use their internet with a Magic Jack.
yes it will work. Works with any internet provider. The real question is do they have your area code.
One other thing to note with the Magic Jack. I have noticed that some local people on Rogers home phone have to dial the 506 area code to reach me but anyone on bell doesn’t have to. not a big deal but something to be aware of.
DON’T GO WITH COMWAVE, they are really unorganized. I have cancelled my account and after 3 months they’re still charging me and say that they can’t do anything about it and i have to pay them all!! Poor service and low quality. not recommended
To start most of these companies have scammed you into thinking they arn’t the same… Bell and Rogers are in fact the same company. Alot of other companies such as telus, fido and virgin are also the same companies as Bell and Rogers.
This is why they play the games they do with their customers is because in truth they have no competition.
It seems likly they promoted this website to sell their over priced crap.
I don’t know about their cancellation policy, but I can say that after a few months with Comwave, I have no problems with the service. I had an issue two days in a row when I first got the voip device where the phone would not work for almost an hour each time. Had to reboot the device once, and the internet wireless the second time. But when I complained to Comwave customer service about it, they were right on it… so much so that they called me three days in a row after the problem was fixed (remotely, I might add, without me even realizing they were fixing it) just to see whether my service was still working properly. I am certain that I would have difficulties with them if I were to try and cancel, based on what I’ve seen from just about every review out there. But if the phone keeps working like it does right now, I don’t see a reason for switching… eventually cancelling home phone service entirely, yes, but not switching. Made two long distance calls to Toronto from Ottawa and the rates appeared to be about bang on what was advertised… So far, so good… Oh, and I like being able to keep track of ALL individual calls in or out with their online service. Never got that kind of service from Bell.
last nov11 i was contactedby comwave i received nov dec jan free service and i was charged for feb. I askedwheres my 6 months free service. I cancelled and the kept phoning for money from19.95 to $112.00 for one month. I told i them i didnt want any service they cancelled my phone
. and i didnt hear from them. now a collection sent me a bill for$1200.00 AND i filed a complaint with the bbb and misleading canada agency bus. practises.the consumerbureau. this company has shafted me.
i was with bell since the big bang but now with ever increasing rates i am considering change to a voip service( Vonage) . Bell has increased their monthly bill four times in a year, first- rate increase then bundle discount decrease then paper bill charge – its like crazy, their appetite for money seems to be increasing day by day. This blog has really helped me a lot in taking final decision.
I switched my internet and phone from Rogers about a year ago to Teksavvy. I’m not sure how to say it, but its Bell’s stuff they sell. But they have an awesome reputation and company philosophy. No special treatment. Everyone gets the same deals. Unlike Rogers who gives discounts for complaining and not paying your bill. ugh. They only have a few products/packages. Easy to decide what fits your needs. Prices very reasonable and customer service awesome. I am very happy with my move. I only wish I could get my tv with them too and toss Rogers on their behinds for good. I moved to Ottawa 4 years ago and would never have believed any company could be worse than Cogeco. I was wrong. Rogers is way worse. GL to you.
Hello ,
I signed up for comwave global phone. On the comwave website you can see unlimited calling to 60 countries. But actually you can call some limited calls. One of my friends start using it and he was charges about 200 Dollars (one month).
I was also charged for the trial month although I did not use their service often.
The comwave is a scam company. The best way if they treat you badly or they send you wrong bill, their habit and they do so intentionally, the best way to drag them to court.
One of my friend has the same issue with the Bell and he got 9000 dollars in the court.
The way these service providers send the unfair bills to collection agencies we being a customer have an option to knock at the door of court.
Amazingly I was promised that they will give me my trial charges and almost 20 days has being passed. I got nothing till now. They also charged me 50 dollars and they did not tell me.
Due to comwave I changed the credit card number. Now they send me email every day that my credit card has been declined. They have the system to send automatic emails but we do not such kind of system.
Long story short do not sign any agreement in writing or on the phone. If they have collection agency then we have the court. Even for minor fault they can be sued because everyone knows about their practices.
Can anyone enlighten me on Brama Telecom VOIP How is their service.
Hello Francis,
I do not know about Brama Telecom VOIP but I want to tell you that every company is bad and every company is good. I am saying this because while doing contract or dealing a company tell them to send you the term and condition via email. Do not trust their phone speech. I want to give you my example in regards to com-wave. Their customer service representative say one thing and do another. They charge your credit card right away and if they you some money then it will take month to get refund. Just for nothing I am charged 56 dollars and they suspended my service after 4 hours and they owe me money and they did not give it to me. They will charge you and then will give you in form of credit to spend the money ( so they do business like this)
My advice to you that search the company well and satisfy yourself only by getting email written from them because in case you need to knock the court door .Good Luck
Greetings…..and thanks for all the posts here. I agree that Rogers are cheats and liars. I had to fire them 7 or 8 years ago when I discovered they had lied in their advertising in order to get me to sign up. There was nothing in their Ad about charging me up to the nearest minute for my phone usage….and I read all the fine print. But they slipped that into the actual agreement you signed. I guess they wanted people to believe that their computers were too stupid to actually keep track of the time you used. Poor hard-pressed Rogers!
Then they tried to harm my credit througfh Equifax – apparently they don’t believe a citizen should have the right to fire them for lying.
So I took up with Fido – who billed you to the exact second you used…..only to have Rogers buy up Fido a short time later. I loved their first ‘Fido’ Ad, which stated “Did you know that most cell phone companies steal up to 40% of your phone time?”
So they ratted on themselves…..but of course the CRTC did nothing about it. Wouldn’t it be nice if they were working for Canadians instead of the Phone companies?
Naturally I quit Fido as well. Finally I have tried Comwave, and it seems to be much better so far. Time will tell.
Good luck out there finding any honesty. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Federal Government had the rights of Canadians as their main agenda?
Good luck with that one…..
I was disgust with Bell and switched to Primus VoIP about 5 years ago and have no regrets! My broadband router went down once and was replaced within 2 days. If the net goes down calls automatically goto my cell which is rare I. My area.
$35 a month total, unlimited long distance in North America, all phone features and a 519 and 905 number!
Thought about Skype but happy with this and it’s been reliable. FU and ripping people off BELL!
i have had BellCanada for some time and did not get good service with either land line or mobile.
i have at this time nettalk voip and it seems ok once you have set ip up right.
i have ody .net internet and there refusing to get me faster interner for expra pay.
it seems bell Canada is refusing me faster line as al DSL goes over bell Canada landlines
We have been using talkit home phone service since January 2010 when it used to be called CANTALK9000 and we have been saving hundreds of dollars every year and never looked back. The service is very reliable and overall have been very pleased. Most of our family and friends are using them now. It just makes sense.
For more information checkout http://j.mp/XTFRqI
I was with Brama for about a year and the service was fine. Price was great but please don’t be fooled by any of these companies that they provide “unlimited” service. There is no such thing. Unlimited is “limited”…you need to either ask them or look for it in the fine print. I called Comwave a month ago and asked them what their “unlimited” was limited to…they refused to answer until I kept asking the question……they kept saying “Nobody goes anywhere near it”. The answer I believe is 3000 minutes. That doesn’t work for me. So I would have inadvertently signed up and then found out later with either my phone service being cut off or a humungous bill. By the way, Brama is 5000 mins. Magic Jack is also limited to something 50 calls..that’s it. phone quality with Magic Jack I heard is horrible for most.
Primus was a nightmare for 2 years. Poor customer service, poor quality and being cut off all the time along with “beeping” on the phone. They did not live up to good quality service. However, one of the problems was the router….SPA 2102 is crap and it doesn’t work for all “voices”.
Personally I think it really is luck and your voice…..voices don’t all work with routers…sounds funny but it’s true. I’m currently with a brand new provider and the service has been horrible. I guess my mistake was going with a brand new company until they have been in business for at least 6 – 12 months while they are working out the “growing” pains. Now on the lookout for yet another VOIP provider. Contacted Brama but they don’t seem to want my business. Most of them don’t speak English very well yet it’s a Canadian company. go figure!
We have been using talkit for 3 years and we recommend t to our friends and family. about two or three times a year you need to unplug it and plug it right back. Other than that we are very satisfied with the service. We are saving about $40.00 every month using the talkit service. It is the best deal in the market.
I have been using Magic Jack for the past 6 years..
Originally I started with Magic Jack and I have upgraded to Magic Jack Plus.
Magic Jack was and is hooked up to the computer via a USB port while Magic Jack Plus is wired to a router, Voice quality is picture perfect. You get all the extras, Call Waiting, Call Display, Voicemail, Missed calls are emailed to your inbox, 911 and the best is No Long Distance charges throughout North America.
Yes all USA and Canada and Porto Rico
Cost of Hardware US$69.95 with First year phone service FREE.
Cost for service thereafter US$29.95 per year.
Small fee for Call forwarding.
Canadian number $10.00 year.
International Rates vary, however you can call most European Countries for 0.02 cents/ minute.
I got caught to comwave shity service and now I am stuck with it for the next 24 months. These people whoever they are should be restricted operating in these first world countries where law and order at its best and I am sure that this servise brought here by a dog vomit country either in Asia or the Middle East where all things are done in hap-hazzad manner. There should be a class action law suit against Comwave and stop them practisings in Canada and in USA!
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