The ViaTalk customer service scam.

[OldCavLT]

OK, gang... I just NOW finished a wait of almost precisely 3 hours... 182 minutes, to be precise. I typically bill out at $150 per hour. Can I expect a check from VT for my time?

I've got 2 teenagers who live by the phone, and when VT is tanked, they die by the phone. My entire family is giving me S__t for signing up with you people, because I'm out $400 and I've got nothing to show for it.

I started out number 68 in the que, and I've got stuff to do, but getting my fricking phone to work is more important, so, no biggy.

Made it down to number 2, assured every 30 seconds or so by the robotic female voice telling me that:

1. My call is important. (Obviously, it wasn't important)
2. As soon as they are done giving GREAT customer service to another ViaTalk Customer, they'll do the same for me... or words to that effect.

5 o'clock local time (PDT) roles around, and they shut their tech support down. They kill my waited-for-3-hour call. (And there is NOTHING ANYWHERE that says tech support is going to close down at this time!)

Look, I understand that VT is getting slammed as a result of the SR debacle. While I am an SR refugee, I was, simultainiously, also a VT customer for several months as well.

But there is absolutely, positively, NO EXCUSE FOR THIS.

NONE.

I burned 182 cell phone minutes... and they hang up on me because it became quitting time?

I had no idea VT customers meant so little. I had no idea that the concept of expanding tech support to handle the influx was such an arcane thought. I had no idea that VT doesn't give a damn about customers.

But, most of all, I had no idea, until now, that this whole thing is a scam. They've taken my money, and their system does not work.

While people can call me, I only get a rapid busy signal (And this is for the last 3 days, around the clock) when I attempt to call out. This is on VT equipment that had worked until 3 days ago, I'm not using my SR gizmo at all.

So, the hell with it. I'm going to bundle all of this stuff up, notify my state attorney general, the FCC and the Justice department. I'm also going to post this story everywhere that has the ability to post, so I can spread the good word that you people don't give a damn about us.

Let's see if VT customer service will treat them better then they treated me.

##########################

Feedback?

1. It's assinine that anyone should wait more then 5 minutes to talk to a real, live human.

2. If your system accepts my call in the queue, and I wait, then you'd damned well BETTER talk to me.

3. GO TO 24 HOUR PER DAY LIVE TECH SUPPORT, YOU MORONS! THERE IS NO REASON ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH WHY I GET BETTER TECH SUPPORT FOR A SOUND CARD THEN I DO MY PHONE!!!!!

4. AND WHEN THE ISSUE IS NOT BEING ABLE TO COMPLETE A CALL, DON'T HAVE ON YOUR TROUBLESHOOTING SITE: "If this does not restore full service, please call support at 1 866 626 7150. Thank you for choosing ViaTalk!"

IF I COULD CALL VIATALK, I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WHERE I WOULD NEED TO TALK TO YOU!

Why is it that I doubt my little rant will make any difference?

[kieranmullen]

Download gizmoproject.com on your pc and you can use your headset or bluetooth headset to make toll free calls for free.

KM

[gsquare]

Geeze Kieranmullen with a suggestion like that, this poor guy will simply shoot himself. He might have already!!!!!. This is the first post I've seen where the customer was both SR and VT. I suppose that would be classified as a Hybrid Rocketeer. I have read his post several times and the only thing we have learned is his VT outbound doesnt work, he makes $150 per hour, his kids are on the phone too much, his family is hurting his ego.
The really interesting thing is that his SR service tanked and its affecting ability to restore a VT problem. He's his own problem. I wonder what he will do when he waits hours to talk to his state attorney general, the FCC and the Justice department.
These useless rants, which are really threats, are becoming a bore. Why not just go back to POTS, pay $60 a month, and work on the family issues.

[kieranmullen]

If he used the free toll free he wouldnt burn up his minutes...

I have my own issues with them. I have byod.

The voice turns into one way voice at random intervals.

I have my device set in the dmz zone.

I have the correct codecs set. I would imagine if I didnt it would not work at all.

I have a 5mb/5mb internet connection without downloads.

I have had a ticket open on this issue without updates for 1.5 weeks. I just have not been ranting about it.

Have a good day.

[KLH]

It sounds to me like you need to go back to a POTS line if your phone is worth so much money to you..

[Dude in VA]

:mad:


OldCavLT is right... The 24/7 phone support is a SCAM. And BTW, the cost he was referring to was the cost of his time, not his phone minutes.

I called on Saturday 8/4 at 7pm. I was #51 in line. after 2:45 hours, I had reached #1, then slipped back to #2 then #3... Wasn't too upset, I understand their "priority support" scheme. But then pretty much EXACTLY 3 hours after I got in the queue, the voice said something like "support is not available, try online", and then disconnected me!!!

I was so furious, you have no idea...

On Sunday 8/5 around 2pm, I tried again. Started at #41. crawled up the queue again. Reached #1. Slipped a few times. Got back to #1. Then almost EXACTLY 3 hours after I got in the queue, I got disconnected AGAIN with exactly the same message.

Basically, I think nobody was there, and the system is set up to kick you off after 3 hours. I supposed I crawled up the queue only because the folks in front of me either gave up, or hit the 3 hours limit.

I find it not just scandalous, it's almost pitiful. It is so unprofessional, it makes me want to puke. I will make sure my experience is placated in as many places as possible.

Of course, VT DID charge my credit card already... $240 to be clear. I was hoping for a better experience. I am a SunRocket casualty. I won't let VT screw me this time. I will cancel... as soon as I can reach them that is.

[rscottf]

:mad:Twice now I've had the experience of spending hours on the phone to be suddently disconnected. This afternoon - the exact situation of wating right at 3 hours to get to #2, the #3, to #2. Then suddenly the line just went dead. After THREE hours. I don't have the heart to start all over again. I've tried to call at different times too to receive a message that "phone support is" closed or not available (forget exactly) with a reference to the website. The website, by the way, says notes 24 hour support and notes how good the service is. Well last Sunday I did submit a ticket, yet the ticket was never accepted so there isn't even anything to follow-up on.

My issue is my phone adapter blew. I am using the softphone as a back-up. But was told a new one was being shipped ( got through last Sunday after a disconnect situation last week too). Nothing has arrived, no ticket about a shipment.

I cannot afford to burn the cell minutes off the weekend.

Very poor service. I feel trapped. I've paid for this service through March of 2008.

Is there any improvement in site. I was told this was because of the Sun Rocket failure and all the calls they were getting from people wanting service. Can that be ? Either way - they've had a week to hire temp help to answer phones, work tickets, whatever. Just seems something more could have been done in this amount of time so one could actually get service. :mad:

[kieranmullen]

You should be able to cancel via the website with a special form they made. Have you checked your web panel?

[biacs]

Same thing here, I've waited on hold and reached the 3 hour mark a couple times to be disconnected. The times I was disconnected were well within the posted support hours of operation. What else burns me is now that VT has finally ported 1 of my 3 numbers (40 days after port request) they have just added another monthly charge. I'm just glad I signed up for monthly billing and didn't pay a year in advance, I can just walk away to voip.com and dispute the charges with my bank.

Guess what else, I called voip.com and THEY ANSWERED THE PHONE!

[Dude in VA]

:mad:

I am STUNNED by such POOR business practices!!!

After my TWO bad experiences this weekend, I call this morning to cancel my account. I end up #62 in the queue... Knowing better than to wait another 3 hours before I get dropped, I enable the "priority support" feature. Sure enough, when I call again, I end up #2 in the queue. 10 mins later, Collin picks up and helps me with my cancellation request.

But then the most comical (if it wasn't pathetic) thing happens. Collin informs me that he can only refund my original order, MINUS the priority support fee!!! Now VT wants to charge me $1.95 for NO service (the device never even shipped!), NO support, 6 HOURS of waiting time, and 2 MINS of cancellation time!

There is NO LIMIT to the stupidity of those business processes, and to the lack of "reasonable training" of the support staff.

This is the most ridiculous case of "adding INSULT to injury" I've been through.

And while Collin was arguing that he could not refund the $1.95, I was explaining to him that just his arguing was costing his company MORE than the $1.95 itself...

[kieranmullen]

Just just save yourself the time on hold and cancel via the website and dont forget to leave a review of HostRocket on the link found in my signature.

[capelyddol]

I opened a ViaTalk trouble ticket on July 22nd because my "unavailable" voicemail message was recording ok, but wouldn't play back when the phone was left unanswered. The ticket still sits there today (August 8th) unanswered and, I suspect, unread by anyone at so-called "Customer Service". At least Sunrocket would get around to giving some sort of response within two or three days at most.

"Ah," I hear ViaTalk say, "but they did drop you in the financial dirt."

Well, I've paid up for a year with ViaTalk. How do I know they won't do exactly the same?

I have another ViaTalk trouble ticket sitting idle since July 22nd. This one to their "Accounts Dept". It reads:

"I paid $199+tax to Sunrocket on July 5th. When I signed up for VT you were offering compensation of up to 6 months free for Sunrocket customers in this position. To date I have been billed for the full year and have had no indication of this offer being recognized. When will this offer be honored?"

How long can this go on? The excuse that they are swamped by ex-Sunrocket customers can only hold up for so long. There is no customer service when things go wrong. I was one of the lucky ones. My phone worked ok from the outset as soon as I received my adapter, which in fairness was quite quickly. I did pay the expedited fee. Also, my number was ported from Sunrocket efficiently. Much quicker than Sunrocket originally took to port it from AT&T. Now, though, I feel totally isolated, unable to contact anyone if I get problems. My sympathy goes out to those whose service hasn't worked or has gone belly-up. They are out in the cold. These forums are full of their woes.

My advice to anyone thinking of signing with ViaTalk? Go elsewhere. Good customer service is unimportant till something goes wrong. Then it's vital. You won't find it at ViaTalk.

[WithoutService]

DUDE IN VA...Don't have to wait to get through to cancel. Here's the link:
https://support.viatalk.com/billing/order_status/cancelaccount.php
(it's about the only link that works really well on their site. ;-) )
We canceled this evening and set up new service already.
<Relief>
Good luck to you.

[WithoutService]

Just talked to Vonage CS tonight, waited about 15 min. It's peak time. Totally different experience, didn't have to pay extra to be treated like a customer.
Nice.
Hope you can get through, I feel for you. It was a BAD experience for us too.

[waldeje]

OK, gang... I just NOW finished a wait of almost precisely 3 hours... 182 minutes, to be precise. I typically bill out at $150 per hour. Can I expect a check from VT for my time?

I've got 2 teenagers who live by the phone, and when VT is tanked, they die by the phone. My entire family is giving me S__t for signing up with you people, because I'm out $400 and I've got nothing to show for it.

I started out number 68 in the que, and I've got stuff to do, but getting my fricking phone to work is more important, so, no biggy.

Made it down to number 2, assured every 30 seconds or so by the robotic female voice telling me that:

1. My call is important. (Obviously, it wasn't important)
2. As soon as they are done giving GREAT customer service to another ViaTalk Customer, they'll do the same for me... or words to that effect.

5 o'clock local time (PDT) roles around, and they shut their tech support down. They kill my waited-for-3-hour call. (And there is NOTHING ANYWHERE that says tech support is going to close down at this time!)

Look, I understand that VT is getting slammed as a result of the SR debacle. While I am an SR refugee, I was, simultainiously, also a VT customer for several months as well.

But there is absolutely, positively, NO EXCUSE FOR THIS.

NONE.

I burned 182 cell phone minutes... and they hang up on me because it became quitting time?

I had no idea VT customers meant so little. I had no idea that the concept of expanding tech support to handle the influx was such an arcane thought. I had no idea that VT doesn't give a damn about customers.

But, most of all, I had no idea, until now, that this whole thing is a scam. They've taken my money, and their system does not work.

While people can call me, I only get a rapid busy signal (And this is for the last 3 days, around the clock) when I attempt to call out. This is on VT equipment that had worked until 3 days ago, I'm not using my SR gizmo at all.

So, the hell with it. I'm going to bundle all of this stuff up, notify my state attorney general, the FCC and the Justice department. I'm also going to post this story everywhere that has the ability to post, so I can spread the good word that you people don't give a damn about us.

Let's see if VT customer service will treat them better then they treated me.

##########################

Feedback?

1. It's assinine that anyone should wait more then 5 minutes to talk to a real, live human.

2. If your system accepts my call in the queue, and I wait, then you'd damned well BETTER talk to me.

3. GO TO 24 HOUR PER DAY LIVE TECH SUPPORT, YOU MORONS! THERE IS NO REASON ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH WHY I GET BETTER TECH SUPPORT FOR A SOUND CARD THEN I DO MY PHONE!!!!!

4. AND WHEN THE ISSUE IS NOT BEING ABLE TO COMPLETE A CALL, DON'T HAVE ON YOUR TROUBLESHOOTING SITE: "If this does not restore full service, please call support at 1 866 626 7150. Thank you for choosing ViaTalk!"

IF I COULD CALL VIATALK, I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WHERE I WOULD NEED TO TALK TO YOU!

Why is it that I doubt my little rant will make any difference?

################

Have you ever hear the term "EntreMANURE"? Well, the founder of HostRocket/ViaTalk is exactly that! An entreMANURE also known as a "Sh#t Stain on the Tapestry of the Ethical Business World"! You know, a sh#tstain! Something that sh#t finds so vile that it leaves it behind! "Anything for a Buck"; "No Pocket Too Small to Pick"; "Willing to crawl through 50 miles of broken glass to extract the gold out of the teeth of deceased relatives prior to internment". Just the kind of person that a reasonable customer would have no problem taking a Ballpean Hammer to his teeth!. A bottom feeding tumblebug! Planet garbage. Wow Brendan, you are really becoming popular!

May you life turn to Sh#t, and may all the bad wishes from those customers you have pooped upon come true!:(

[waldeje]

Any company who treats their customers time as a worthless commodity deserves to be harrassed rather than engaged. If you have to pay $1.95 for priorty service so that you can cancel, look at it as if you are paying to have a malignant growth removed form you butt! Worth every penny! :(:(:(

[kieranmullen]

Yo dudes. get a life.

If you have problems use the links in my signature to rate the company and then terminate your service. Teleblend claims to have service up within a day.

KM

[waldeje]

Download gizmoproject.com on your pc and you can use your headset or bluetooth headset to make toll free calls for free.

KM

I thought toll free calls were free:confused: Isn't that why they are called "Toll Free?"

[kieranmullen]

They are not all free with all voip providers. Especially some that are pay by the minute. Gizmoproject.com requries no payment no credit card etc.

KM

[waldeje]

Yo dudes. get a life.

If you have problems use the links in my signature to rate the company and then terminate your service. Teleblend claims to have service up within a day.

KM


Teleblend got me up in a day. The only problem is that I can't get ViaTalk to process my credit and acknowledge that I recinded my Number Porting LOA. The credit to my CC?? That may take legal action but I got my bases covered. "HE WHO HAS THE BEST DOCUMENTATION WINS" --- That would be me!

[kieranmullen]

Some companies post credits the next day, some by the next billing cycle. Give it 30 days. You have upto 90 days to dispute it with your credit card company. So chill.

[Cherijj]

I just looked at one of the forums on dslreports.com. There are several via talk customers posting that signed up for service just befor I did (July 19). They all have their equipment and are yapping about their contract buyout credits.
I guess if you signed up for the year in advance plan, you got your equipment faster. Hmmmm!:rolleyes:
Sunrocket burned me once, I am not going to pay that much in advance until I am comfortable with the company. This lousy customer service and customer support brush off is not making that happen.

[jgs5700]

I came to VIA Talk via blogs, never used them before and will never rely on blogs again as VIA Talk has taken my money, told me I would receive my equipment in several days and now they tell me that it will be several weeks, yet I have no service and this counts towards my yearly contract, VIA SHIT as far as I am concerned!!!

[TSull]

Either cancel or when you get your equipment and the rush on Support is over, call and have your service date adjusted.

[WithoutService]

We canceled last Friday and got another provider. They set us up for free and we are up and running today. The adapter was free, even the next day shipping was free. That's customer service.
Meanwhile, Viatalk is still making charges to our card although we already canceled. We have to charge back everything they are charging.
My understaning is that with chargebacks that a company might loose the priveledge to sell in particular states if they accumulate too many chargebacks.
While they can ignore you on the phone and by email, they cannot ignore the creditcard company or it hurts them monetarily.
Best advice is chargeback now! Cancel immediately before it gets worse!
Thanks for the links KM!

[kieranmullen]

No problem. I still have them. My father has them and my fathers friend has them. My brother has sunrocket too but he decided enough with VOIP.

[jbrannon7]

I came to VIA Talk via blogs, never used them before and will never rely on blogs again as VIA Talk has taken my money, told me I would receive my equipment in several days and now they tell me that it will be several weeks, yet I have no service and this counts towards my yearly contract, VIA SHIT as far as I am concerned!!!


Blog is just another word for cow manure. ViaSh*t is a correct description of an internet phone company that can't or won't deliver.

[wayne8888]

I still have an unanswered trouble ticket dating back to July 21st every time I called I was 40 something or 60something in line. Finally on Sunday night, I called and was an amazingly low 21 in line .....then 20 then back to 21 then slowly down to 3 then up to 4 then (after 2 hours of this) I get the message that phone service is no longer available and to long onto support.viatalk.com for "24 hour support" (the same support that had not answered my month old question). Like many of you, I was furious but at least my service was working. My only problem is that when I call my brother who also has ViaTalk (but is thinking about switching to Comcast), his phone won't ring. He is using simulcasting so his cell will ring but not his ViaTalk line. This only happens if I call him from my ViaTalk phone. If I call his ViaTalk phone using my cell phone it rings no problem (only ViaTalk to ViaTalk). Strangely, he can call me ViaTalk to ViaTalk. I thought it might be due to his simulring (I have call hunt he has simulring). So I had him disable his simulring to see if I could make a ViaTalk to ViaTalk call like that. It didn't work. It does eventually go to his voice mail but if he does not have his cell phone on or if he disables simulring to cell, then he hears no ring and ends up with a voice message. I have given up making ViaTalk to ViaTalk calls to him. Anybody have any clues? Thanks!
Wayne

[kieranmullen]

I would stay far far away form teleblend if I were you. Mysterious operation that came out of nowhere. Go with Broadvoice.com

I signed up with telecrapblend after thinking my number would never port. I signed up because they had a sign that said same day service, well it wasnt, so I waited a day, then they had a notice and this is why I dont buy your line form waldeje that they got same day service.. From their website..

TeleBlend is still accepting signups from former SunRocket customers! Signup online today to ensure retention of your current phone number. We will work with our carriers to restore your service as quickly as possible; in some cases, however, it may take 5-7 business days before your services are fully restored.


I called comcast today to see how much their digital voice would cost me after the promo period without cable service. $55 per month! No thank you. They do not however have a limit on minutes, but then again you could afford a couple of viatalk or broadvoice.com accounts for that price.