The local cable company offered a great 3-in-1 (Internet, TV and phone) promotional package that I cannot refuse. So I called in to cancel my italkbb service after over 4 years.
When I signed up italkbb's service in 2007, italkbb offered a reasonable value proposition: it was priced at $25, a price comparable to vonage, but it offered free long distance to a few countries/regions, which is a big plus for me. More over, it provided a local access number so that overseas friends and families members can call US.
Fast forward 4 years, the italkbb's price is not competitive any more: first, it tacked another ~$2.50 fee to customers; second, the cable's promotional package includes the internaltional call. So italkbb has lost its appeal.
My billing cycle runs from 20th to 21st. I called in to cancel the service on 12/3, a CSR told me that I will not get refunded for 12/4 to 12/21. She cited that the service agreement includes a clause that italkbb charges on a monthly basis and there is no way for her to refund the unused service. Many consumers have fallen into this trap, and I am surprised no class action lawyer picked up the case yet: how can they have guts to collect money for unneeded and un-delivered services?
I will be filing complaints throuh bbb, fcc and file a charge back through my credit card company. Wish me good luck.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Monday, March 23, 2009
italkbb started to charge $2.95 REGULATORY RECOVERY fee
In the March of 2009 billing cycle, italkbb started to charge $2.95 monthly phantom fee to its customers. Aside from the legitimacy, they did not even bother to communicate the new charge to its customers. As far as I know, both monthly customers and annual subscribers are affected by the fee.
I have done the following:
(1) Actively look for an alternative VOIP service provider;
(2) File a complaint to FCC and State's AG office
(3) Update on my blog so other italkbb customers know their shady practice.
I have done the following:
(1) Actively look for an alternative VOIP service provider;
(2) File a complaint to FCC and State's AG office
(3) Update on my blog so other italkbb customers know their shady practice.
Monday, August 20, 2007
italkbb voicemail
Italkbb started to offer voicemail which can be sent as an email attachment. This is one of the features I missed dearly as an SunRocket customer. Way to go, italkbb!
I am a little surprised that italkbb did not inform the feature to its cutomers proactively: they could send an email to customers' email address on file.
I am a little surprised that italkbb did not inform the feature to its cutomers proactively: they could send an email to customers' email address on file.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
italkbb outage on 8/14/2007
At 9pm EST, incoming calls work fine, but I cannot dial out: either fast busy or dead air. I have tried local number, US domestic number and international numbers. None of them works.
This is totally unacceptable.
Update: the outage lasted for about 20 minutes from the time I found to the time I could called out.
This is totally unacceptable.
Update: the outage lasted for about 20 minutes from the time I found to the time I could called out.
Friday, August 3, 2007
italkbb login bug
italkbb login bug:
==========================================
Server Error in '/CS' Application.
Thread was being aborted.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.
Exception Details: System.Threading.ThreadAbortException: Thread was being aborted.
Source Error:
An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.
Stack Trace:
[ThreadAbortException: Thread was being aborted.]
System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +495
System.Web.ApplicationStepManager.ResumeSteps(Exception error) +590
System.Web.HttpApplication.System.Web.IHttpAsyncHandler.BeginProcessRequest(HttpContext context, AsyncCallback cb, Object extraData) +140
System.Web.HttpRuntime.ProcessRequestInternal(HttpWorkerRequest wr) +426
Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:2.0.50727.832; ASP.NET Version:2.0.50727.832
==========================================
Server Error in '/CS' Application.
Thread was being aborted.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.
Exception Details: System.Threading.ThreadAbortException: Thread was being aborted.
Source Error:
An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.
Stack Trace:
[ThreadAbortException: Thread was being aborted.]
System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) +495
System.Web.ApplicationStepManager.ResumeSteps(Exception error) +590
System.Web.HttpApplication.System.Web.IHttpAsyncHandler.BeginProcessRequest(HttpContext context, AsyncCallback cb, Object extraData) +140
System.Web.HttpRuntime.ProcessRequestInternal(HttpWorkerRequest wr) +426
Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:2.0.50727.832; ASP.NET Version:2.0.50727.832
Saturday, July 28, 2007
italkbb service outage on 7/28/2007
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear iTalkBB customers,
Due to the Fiber cut at Austin caused by one of the major internet backbone service providers, iTalkBB service is temperately down since 5:00 AM 07/28/07. ITalkBB customer service center and website are down for the same reason.
Our engineers are working their best to restore the service at this moment. We expect that you phone service will be back to normal shortly.
Sorry for the inconvenience. We will keep you update.
Customer Support
ITalkBB
05:20 AM July 28, 2007
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
尊敬的用户,您好!
我们很抱歉的通知您，我们的网络供应商 Level 3 的主干线发生故障，光线电缆被截断。我们的网站，部分电话服务及热线电话都受到了不同程度的影响。Level 3的技术人员正在当地抢修。我们的服务将在抢修完成后恢复正常。我们为此事件为你造成的不便深表遗憾。
诚挚的
iTalkBB 团队
Dear valued customer,
Our internet provider, Level 3, has experienced a fiber cut on their internet backbone. This has affected our website, some phone services and our 877 customer service line. Level 3’s engineers are working to correct this problem immediately. Our service will be restored as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue.
Sincerely
iTalkBB Team
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Review of italkbb's Service from A Customer
on 7/17/2007 I signed up italkbb's global monthly plan after a long deliberation. I think I own myself and people who are in search of a quality VOIP provider a balanced review of the service. To achieve this goal, I pledge NOT to solicit any referral from perspective readers. Someone has a similar blog at italkbbreview.blogspot.com, where the author continues to pump italkbb and ask for referrals, so I think it's time to have a balanced force.
I will write my reviews in 3 areas:
First, my experience of setting up the service: 5
Customer and Technical support: 1/5
The final push for me to sign up the service is due to the recent implosion of SunRocket (SR henceforth), which has provided my phone service in the last two years. I really enjoyed their service, and it's a shame they went out business without warning.
On the second day (7/18/2007) I signed up italkbb, I filled out the line-port authorization form and faxed it along with my SunRocket's invoice to italkbb. Since the SR's service could be gone any time, I called italkbb's customer and tech support and inquired if they had received the fax. The CSRs were courteous, but none if them was helpful: no one knew where to find if the fax had been received. Instead, they suggested me to call back on the following day, which I did and nothing changed. Long story short, today is the 5th day after I faxed in the LNP form and I still have no knowledge if the form has been received, or italkbb has taken any action at all to port the number in.
On the second day after I signed up my service, italkbb started to run a promotion for former SR customers. I called in after I became aware of it and the CSR was again no help: sorry, Sir, there is nothing I can do since you are now our customer.
I had a problem where the China DID (basically an access number for people in China to call the italkbb number in US) did not work from a phone, and I called the tech support and was told that there would be no incoming calls within the first 24 hours. Immediately after I hang up, I called my friend in China and asked him to call me back, and it worked! So I think that the reason was the access number did not work in all areas or from all phones. But they could tell me this instead of "incoming call does not work within 24 hours."
So, I made 5 or 6 calls to the customer and tech support, every time with a problem to be solved and they score nil. I only gave them a 1 because CSRs are polite, albeit useless.
Quality of Service: Voice Quality and Features: 2.5/5
Being a SR's customer, I am sort of "spoiled:" SR did have occasional service outage, but I have absolutely no complaint about the voice quality and richness of features. I have used italkbb for 3 days and I rated them a 2.5 out of 5.
I have made about 200 minute calls since the service was activated. It has happened multiple times that a portion of the conversation was "chopped." The situation was deteriorated to the level where neither party could hear each other and we had to hang up and dial again. Even when it actually worked, the voice is often not natural (think of the sound made by a male duck).
As I mentioned earlier, the access DID in China does not always. I have a little sense of being cheated since this is their selling point: isn't it nice for your friends in HK, Taiwan and Mainland to call you at US for free? The fact is that it works for some phones, but not for others.
Compared to SR, the features of italkbb's service are quite limited. The following is a partial list of features I had with SR but missing in italkbb:
Overall, I rate the quality of service 2.5 out of 5.
If you are an italkbb customer, I hope you can leave a comment which will help others. If you are a perspective customer, I hope you find my blog useful.
=======================================================
Update 1: On 7/23/2007, my LNP request showed up on the web portal. italkbb also sent me an acknowledgment email that the request has been received. Good communication!
------------------------------------------------------------
Update 2: On 7/30/2007, my LNP status changed to "ACCEPTED."
Hopefully the number port will be finished soon.
------------------------------------------------------------
Update 3: on 8/3/2007, LNP status changed to "accepted," whatever
it means.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Update 4: on 8/9/2007, LNP status changed to "completed." Finally
I have cut all the ties with SunRocket.
While SR had its own shares of problems, I really miss some of the SR features: a customizable portal; voicemail and email/SMS notification of a voice message. When will italkBB provide such features?
I will write my reviews in 3 areas:
- Set up the service: signup and shipping
- Customer and Technical support
- Quality of Service: voice quality, features
First, my experience of setting up the service: 5
- I signed up through italkbb's website: italkbb.com
- I received an confirmation email about an hour later on the same day.
- I received an email notifying me that the ATA was shipped a day later on 7/18/2007.
- On 7/20/2007 I received the package from UPS and plugged it with power and router and I got an immediate dail tone and I could make inbound and outbound calls.
Customer and Technical support: 1/5
The final push for me to sign up the service is due to the recent implosion of SunRocket (SR henceforth), which has provided my phone service in the last two years. I really enjoyed their service, and it's a shame they went out business without warning.
On the second day (7/18/2007) I signed up italkbb, I filled out the line-port authorization form and faxed it along with my SunRocket's invoice to italkbb. Since the SR's service could be gone any time, I called italkbb's customer and tech support and inquired if they had received the fax. The CSRs were courteous, but none if them was helpful: no one knew where to find if the fax had been received. Instead, they suggested me to call back on the following day, which I did and nothing changed. Long story short, today is the 5th day after I faxed in the LNP form and I still have no knowledge if the form has been received, or italkbb has taken any action at all to port the number in.
On the second day after I signed up my service, italkbb started to run a promotion for former SR customers. I called in after I became aware of it and the CSR was again no help: sorry, Sir, there is nothing I can do since you are now our customer.
I had a problem where the China DID (basically an access number for people in China to call the italkbb number in US) did not work from a phone, and I called the tech support and was told that there would be no incoming calls within the first 24 hours. Immediately after I hang up, I called my friend in China and asked him to call me back, and it worked! So I think that the reason was the access number did not work in all areas or from all phones. But they could tell me this instead of "incoming call does not work within 24 hours."
So, I made 5 or 6 calls to the customer and tech support, every time with a problem to be solved and they score nil. I only gave them a 1 because CSRs are polite, albeit useless.
Quality of Service: Voice Quality and Features: 2.5/5
Being a SR's customer, I am sort of "spoiled:" SR did have occasional service outage, but I have absolutely no complaint about the voice quality and richness of features. I have used italkbb for 3 days and I rated them a 2.5 out of 5.
I have made about 200 minute calls since the service was activated. It has happened multiple times that a portion of the conversation was "chopped." The situation was deteriorated to the level where neither party could hear each other and we had to hang up and dial again. Even when it actually worked, the voice is often not natural (think of the sound made by a male duck).
As I mentioned earlier, the access DID in China does not always. I have a little sense of being cheated since this is their selling point: isn't it nice for your friends in HK, Taiwan and Mainland to call you at US for free? The fact is that it works for some phones, but not for others.
Compared to SR, the features of italkbb's service are quite limited. The following is a partial list of features I had with SR but missing in italkbb:
- No voicemail
- Cannot forward a voicemail for an email with the message as an attachment
- No free second line
- No distinctive ring (i.e., identify a caller by the ring)
- No SimRing (i.e., an income call rings multiple phones)
Overall, I rate the quality of service 2.5 out of 5.
If you are an italkbb customer, I hope you can leave a comment which will help others. If you are a perspective customer, I hope you find my blog useful.
=======================================================
Update 1: On 7/23/2007, my LNP request showed up on the web portal. italkbb also sent me an acknowledgment email that the request has been received. Good communication!
------------------------------------------------------------
Update 2: On 7/30/2007, my LNP status changed to "ACCEPTED."
Hopefully the number port will be finished soon.
------------------------------------------------------------
Update 3: on 8/3/2007, LNP status changed to "accepted," whatever
it means.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Update 4: on 8/9/2007, LNP status changed to "completed." Finally
I have cut all the ties with SunRocket.
While SR had its own shares of problems, I really miss some of the SR features: a customizable portal; voicemail and email/SMS notification of a voice message. When will italkBB provide such features?
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