Ooma Telo

After we got the Ooma Telo box, which is just a simple normal setup a VoIP which works like one would have with a cable company through the router, (what many of us think of as landlines are actually VoIP already, if your phones is plugged into the router/modem you already have VoIP voice over Internet Protocol) or you can go wireless. The Ooma website is extremely easy to navigate. You can keep your phone number, that’s called “porting”, we’ve had the same number since the early 80’s. Ooma Customer service has always been nice, fast, and helpful. It is straight up no negotiations, no bull. I couldn’t wait for the first bill so that I could show the cynics who were saying it was too good to be true, that little $5 charge spoke volumes and they were speechless.

We had a problem with the sound on our answering machine (which is included with the Ooma Telo). I made only one phone call to Ooma, a very short phone call and no hassle, no problem. They shipped out a new unit and paid the return shipping for the old one. Just think about that scenario with a cable corporation. I’m laughing because I remember all the absurd time wasted sitting on the phone with that cable company. Multiple calls disconnections just trying to get an incorrect charge on a bill fixed, only to have it show up on the next month's bill. All of that waste of something so valuable, time, gone. All of the stress dealing with problem after problem, gone. All the ridiculous monthly bills that kept creeping higher and higher, gone.

I wish I had switched to Ooma the first day it was available. They have home security, business phone setups, and a lot of other services. I’m the one in the family who has had to deal with the cable internet phone that’s why this is so long because I am passionate about finding a company that I don’t have to fight over bills with, I’m able to relax about this part of life. I did not think that would happen. I fully expected to be on my deathbed on the phone trying to explain to Comcast Xfinity that I’m in the ER dying and need to cancel my service and having them try to upsell me on some quadruple play. Ooma probably saved me from a stress induced heart attack. They are worth checking out. If you’ve read this far go to their website.

I gained all the bells and whistles that I'd have to pay even more for w/ the Premier service level and even gained a 2nd number for whatever use I wanted. When I moved, all I needed in the new home was an internet connection and my phone service came with me by just plugging it in. (Live on day 1.) I can't say enough about this service and product. I've had zero issues and when I needed some answers to some service specifics, if it wasn't already on their site, a customer service rep would answer for me. In these current days of short use technology that always seems to be needing replacement, OOMA has lasted the test of time and still works perfectly 9 years and running.

In December 2016, the Ooma Telo enabled me to replace the Vonage hub and save even more, since under their service there is no monthly charge for basic service (although you still have to pay the US phone tariff tax). So for the cost (less than $100) to buy the Telo hub (which I purchased through Costco when they were having a sale), I eliminated a double digit monthly fee. Ooma enables transferring your phone number easily, usually at no cost. I upgraded to Premium service which also incurs an annual fee, but was still significantly less than what I had been paying.

On the phone service side in the four years since I estimate my savings to be $1,500, assuming the Vonage service costs would have been unchanged. They also provide an app for my smart phone that allows me to make and receive calls (including WiFi), potentially avoiding other fees from my wireless provider. I personally do not make many wireless calls, so this hasn't saved me a lot of money.

But there was more value to be had. I had installed a home security system about 1995 that was monitored for a monthly service charge. Ooma provides bluetooth-based sensors that I could easily replace the existing wireless system self-installing the sensors and pairing them to the Ooma. I have twelve sensors deployed (plus a siren) and have customized the warning modes for when I am home, temporarily away, on vacation, or during nighttime. All of this I control and monitor from an app on my smart phone. I am comfortable self-monitoring my security status, but Ooma also offers 24-hour/day monitoring for an additional fee (I have not opted to do this). My sensors monitor external doors, garage door, windows, motion on three levels, the presence of water around my water heater, and smoke on two levels. I have a separate CO detector which doesn't connect to my Ooma, unfortunately.

You can configure your security app to automatically change modes from home to away based on geolocation, and vice versa when you return so that monitor modes change automatically. I have submitted some suggested improvements to the app over the years and they have updated the apps in response. The app has been very stable.

My Telo hardware failed a couple of years ago, but I was covered under warranty and received a replacement unit in a couple of days. The app warns you when a battery is failing in a sensor and also if the sensor is being tampered with. The one sensor type that isn't provided that I would like to have is breaking glass sound detector; I had a couple of these in my old system.

I have my system on a battery backup UPS that supports my internet network and the telo during a power outage. Since I purchased my Telo, Ooma has added a version which has a battery backup built into it with a cell service backup if the internet is not available. I haven't deployed this because I already had the backup configured to accomplish something similar. If the internet provider goes down, the cell alternative would be a plus. I might consider this in the future, but my service has such high availability, it hasn't been an issue for me. I consider my Telo and home security one of the best, most cost-effective decisions I've made.

How does Ooma Telo perform? I honestly can't tell the difference between the quality of my calls before Ooma and since I've installed it. The only drawback is that when the internet goes down due to storms, etc, then Ooma is offline and that's why it's good to have a mobile phone, too. Here in the Midwest that may happen 2 or 3 times a year, usually just for a very short period, rarely more than an hour at most. Verdict: If you or a loved one has a landline and wants to have lower phone bills, Ooma Telo is the way to go. They also offer Telo for business. Think of the potential savings there!

Ooma allowed me to keep my fee-free status, even though it was tied to the device, not me, to transfer to this Telo device. It is sleek easy to use and set up. The "buttons" which are not buttons, but just touch-sensitive areas that are illuminated on the face of the device, are almost too sensitive, as I find I end up turning something on or off if I just reach over it to get something else. Otherwise, it has worked out well in the years since we've had it and I just hope it does not fall prey to any lightning surges, and I have to get a replacement that will incur the fees. Around $5/month isn't much, but it's more than the nothing I pay now.

However today, a few days later, I was alerted by a friend that calls to my old OOMA number were being answered in India by somebody offering "free" money. In other words, a "phishing" scam. Alerted I also first blocked my caller ID and then called the number and sure enough I talked with a man who is apparently in India and when I let him know I was on to his scam and was going to be calling everybody in the world to stop him, he hung up on me just as he had done with my friend who alerted me to the problem. I began calling OOMA and of course I no longer have service with them. After three phone calls and talking with five different people all of whom somehow hung up on me or disconnected me I finally got action from a "supervisor" and only after I told him that my next call was going to be to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). Great service while I had it. Lousy service when I cancelled and after I had cancelled.

Then we decided to port one of our incoming business lines to Ooma. Once the port went through, I then learned that our incoming business line was ported to a fax line. Thankfully one of my existing customers emailed me to tell me that he could not reach me because when he called my business line, he got the loud beeping of a fax machine in his ear. I don't know how many prospective customers I may have lost during the time that my main business line was connected to a fax line. When I tried to contact Ooma customer service to fix this problem (because their admin portal won't let me fix this myself), I waited on hold for 20-30 minutes. Once someone picked up, I had to be transferred to someone else and then the call was dropped. This happened to me two times before I was able to reach someone that was able to reattach my business line to a phone that I could answer.

Also, there is no music on hold included with Ooma business plans. You have to buy your own royalty-free music and upload it yourself. Otherwise, your customers hear dead silence when you put them on hold. I also was unable to make my after hours business voicemail greeting work the way it did on RingCentral (and the way it now works on DialPad). Their system couldn't do it. Meanwhile, I continue to get sales calls from Ooma trying to get me to switch back to their service.

At this point, we started looking for another provider that could provide a simple solution for a sole-proprietor business at a savings. We found DialPad, which has been a DREAM to set up. Every interaction with DialPad has been pleasant and easy. We initiated the porting of our business number from Ooma to DialPad. Because of the length of time the porting took, we went over our 30-day trial period. Once the port was complete, cancelling the Ooma service was a nightmare. They want to hit me with the cost of the desk phone! There was a rental agreement hidden in the contract. The phone was not free! Early termination fees! They want me to pay to ship the phone back to them that I didn't want, otherwise they will charge me for the phone if they don't get it back.

This whole experience has been like extortion. If you don't need any phone hardware to run your business, DO NOT accept any "free" equipment from anyone trying to get you to switch to Ooma. I spent 37 minutes on the phone trying to get them to send me a prepaid return label for the phone. I was transferred to a manager who told me that he sent me the label. After hanging up, there was no label, just the boilerplate email with the shipping address that they want me to send it to. I replied saying that the manager told me that he was sending the label. The response was that they don't send prepaid labels. FAIL! DialPad lets you try their service for free, test it out, without any equipment rental entanglements. Once we knew that we loved it, we switched to a paid account so that we could initiate the porting process. DialPad ROCKS!

But, worst of all, is that it just stops working. The blue Telo light makes you think that the system is working, but the handsets themselves are dead in the water. I find this out only after getting a voicemail by email. I've missed important calls, and that a problem that the low monthly cost doesn't make up for. Instead of continuing to call support and play with it, I wish I had returned it right away. Now six months later, I guess I'll have to live with it - I can't bring myself to just throw away $310. But I won't renew my upgraded calling plan and eventually I'll just give up on it.