PCWord article "Web Phone Woes"

[KLH]

So I was reading PC World today, and saw an article about VoIP. It actually has ViaTalk listed in the article.


Many VoIP providers impose very restrictive terms of service, including low-usage fees--surcharges that apply if you don't incur enough regular charges in a month--huge early termination fees, and mandatory shipping costs for returning faulty equipment. ViaTalk requires that the ratio of calls received to those placed be roughly equal; if you receive 75 percent or more of the calls on your account, or make 75 percent or more of them, you risk being designated as a business account and incurring a steep rate hike.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,126160,pg,4,00.asp

[S.L.A.P.]

You tend to see a lot of people on residential plans that make very few minutes of outgoing calls but thousands of minutes on incoming. With the added bonus of calling the number and finding out it is actually a business voice greeting.

[tauzinger]

This refers to an old terms and conditions. The current one reads:

A single account shall not be used for purposes inconsistent with regular residential usage patterns as defined by ViaTalk as more than six times the average monthly usage of a ViaTalk residential customer. This figure is currently approximately 5100 minutes of usage over a 30 day period. ViaTalk will be the sole and final arbitrator in regards to decisions related to what constitutes acceptable average use of service.

It's a little bit easier to monitor.

[localt]

This refers to an old terms and conditions. The current one reads:



It's a little bit easier to monitor.


And also more fair, many months I either get many calls or make many calls. I've never considered to make calls to balance it :)

[Heat305]

And also more fair, many months I either get many calls or make many calls. I've never considered to make calls to balance it :)

Same here. As long as they can verify that customers are indeed using the line for residential use then there is no need to contact them by phone, even though there are some folks out there that will try to use a residential line for business. Hope the good doesn't suffer for the bad.