Fongo Community Forums

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ MY ATTACHMENT. THIS IS THE UNPROFESSIONAL WAY FONGO CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM HANDLED MY SITUATION.
IT WAS UNPROFESSIONAL, AND IMPOLITE. THIS IS MY REVIEW ON FONGO MOBILE. I CAN ALSO SEND EVERYONE SCREENSHOTS OF OUR EMAIL THREADS IF YOU EMAIL ME FOR IT. ABENAMAGGI87@GMAIL.COM

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ!

The reasons for why an account may be deleted have been outlined at https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/arti ... t-deleted-.

A complaint that can't be resolved through customer support with any service provider should be directed to CCTS: https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/complaints/.

I wish there was something we could do here to help, but this is a community run forum and we have little to no involvement in poeple's accounts.

As mentioned above, if you can't get a resolution through support tickets, which it sounds like this might be the case, then you have to take it above Fongo to the people that regulate them.

Although Fongo Support may read this post here, I wouldn't expect a reply as this sort of thing will be a private matter between you and them.
I hope you get some sort of answers though, and sorry we can't be of more help.

I would not put a lot of diligence into Fongo's customer service. It's by far their biggest downfall.

I have been using Fongo Mobile on and off for years (probably started 2016-ish) and the one thing I've learned is that when you ask for help they either respond with good answers or they don't respond at all.

I recently emailed them twice and haven't heard a word. Also, why bother having a phone number to "ask questions" with when the automated voice just tells you that the support team will respond back with an email? You may as well not even have a number to call...

The service is good, the voice quality is the best there is out of any FREE app, but if you need help... good luck.

Barryere wrote:
I recently emailed them twice and haven't heard a word.

Support requests should be submitted via online tickets: https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new.
Their business hours are 9AM-4PM EST, Monday to Friday excluding holidays, and I typically allow 2 business days for a response.

Barryere wrote:If I may make a suggestion, you may wish to change providers, instead of using an android/ios app, pay a small monthly/yearly fee for a VOIP home phone service and ( TRY ) to get your current Fongo Mobile number ported to it.

You can't port away from deleted accounts, and abenamaggi isn't reporting service related issues here other than the account being deleted.

Some services that I've been studying are Ooma

Locked proprietary devices

If the service, for whatever reason, goes under or bankrupt, you're left with a useless brick, unless you can figure out how to hack its proprietary device.

Magicjack

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_pho ... cjack.html

At least, some people have hacked their devices in the past to use with other services.

https://forums.redflagdeals.com/magicja ... #p20853671

Nettalk

Another potential brick

Also the threat of the brick has been real in the past: https://forums.redflagdeals.com/nettalk ... t-1905579/.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/n ... -1.3410685

What I find amusing is that Iristel, which is a CLEC and was owed money by Nettalk, was trying to make Nettalk customers act as a collection agency by asking them to nag Nettalk to pay Iristel: http://forums.redflagdeals.com/nettalk- ... #p24922345.

Nettalk is only around because it was acquired by Primus or Birch Communications in the U.S., which owns Primus: https://www.yelp.ca/biz/birch-communications-macon-2.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report- ... e28316877/

Fibernetics, which is the largest privately held CLEC in Canada, is the parent company of Fongo and Freephoneline and is, in turn, also the phone number provider for those two services. The advantage is that what happened between Nettalk and Iristel can't happen between Fibernetics and Fongo or between Fibernetics and Freephoneline.

and Vonage

Vonage also sells locked ATAs. Vonage is pricey service for those that can't learn (aren't technically inclined), in my view, whereas many users on these forums are paying $0 on an ongoing basis after paying for Freephoneline's VoIP unlock key and an ATA.

I would have to be compensated with large amounts of money on an ongoing basis for me to use any of the services you just mentioned.

The greatest thing about VOIP home phones is that you can take your adapter with you wherever you go

Fongo Mobile, which is what abenamaggi is using, is even easier to transport on a smartphone and is a free service. There's no need to cart around an ATA. I can also use Freephoneline on a smartphone, although, I feel Fongo Mobile is better to use on a smartphone than Freephoneline, provided the Fongo Mobile app works well for the user. abenamaggi is not complaining about Fongo Mobile's service here. Rather, abenamaggi is upset that a Fongo Mobile account was deleted.

I may be one in a few, but personally I don't want to be carrying around any kind of communication device, they are a pain; especially smartphones, as they go off every time you got yourself a notification, sure you can turn it off/put it on silent but then that takes away from the "experience".

Most if not all VOIP devices are likely locked to the company you purchase them from as a strategy to keep you as a customer and if someone like me wants to use the device THEY paid for with another company that should be allowed...

Barryere wrote:I may be one in a few

According to Statscan 2017 publication, 76% of the Canadian population owns smartphones.

but personally I don't want to be carrying around any kind of communication device, they are a pain

Then it stands to reason that carrying around an "adapter with you wherever you go" is also a pain.

especially smartphones, as they go off every time you got yourself a notification, sure you can turn it off/put it on silent but then that takes away from the "experience".

The greatest thing about VOIP home phones is that you can take your adapter with you wherever you go and make calls as if they were local

abenamaggi is using Fongo Mobile on a smartphone, which contains a battery and uses cellular data provided abenamaggi subscribes to or pays for a cellular data plan. abenamaggi can't bring an ATA or IP Phone outside and use it without both electricity and internet service, and ATAs, IP phones, or "home phone adapters" are additional devices to be carrying around. Suggesting to someone using Fongo Mobile (or any VoIP service on a smartphone) that the same person can bring a "home phone adapter wherever you go and make calls" is an untenable position the moment that person steps outside. A smartphone does work outside. Moreover, wherever Fongo Mobile is used, outgoing calls to destinations within Canadian provinces are free as well; there's no advantage over Fongo Mobile based solely on the statements you've made.

Most if not all VOIP devices are likely locked

Many ATAs and IP Phones sold in retail stores, such as Newegg.ca, are not locked to any service provider and can be used with any BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) service provider, such as Freephoneline. All of these devices are not locked: http://forum.fongo.com/viewforum.php?f=15. Also, Fongo Home Phone, to its credit, hasn't sold locked ATAs: http://forum.fongo.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 28&p=75985. For that reason alone, I would use Fongo Home Phone before doing business with any other service provider you've mentioned in this thread.