Today's Giveaway Prize
Ooma is offering a $50 Rebate towards the Ooma Telo VoIP Phone System. Thanks gps470
Notable deals:
Frontpage Deal
$50 Ooma Rebate: Ooma Telo VoIP Phone System + Bluetooth $149 or less after $50 rebate + Free Shipping
Wiki Community Board
This can and should be used by you to post updated deal information.
Be sure to read this because it may contain answers to your questions!
This can and should be used by you to post updated deal information.
Be sure to read this because it may contain answers to your questions!
Information about the rebate:
The owner/user of the Ooma needs to create an account online to manage their Ooma service. Billing and credit card information is put into this online account. The $50 rebate credit goes to the credit card information held in this account. Therefore, if you are gifting this Ooma to someone else, you will not be the one receiving the $50 credit. Whoever sets their billing credit card number will get the rebate money.
General information about the Ooma:
- Requires an "always on" broadband Internet connection
- Includes 911 service
- Includes "free" long-distance US calling to any state including Hawaii and Alaska
- Overseas (international) reduced costs available (comparable to Skype pricing).
- Device can be taken anywhere in the world and still be used.
- For example, take the device to Japan and plug it into a broadband internet connection. Call anyone in the U.S. for free since the Ooma phone number is still a U.S.-to-U.S. call.
- Regular Ooma service costs about $4 to $5 per month depending on taxes and fees charged by your city and emergency services. No other monthly cost unless you opt-in to be a Premiere user.
- Premiere Ooma service costs $9.99/month and includes extra software features (hardware is the same).
- Free calls to Canada
- Connects with your Google Voice account and features
- Second line
- Second phone number
- Three-way conference calls
- Ringtones
- Extra voicemail features (listed below)
- "Do Not Disturb" hours
- Call screening
- Feature-rich Caller ID
- Blacklist creation
- 911 notification (if someone calls 911, next of kin gets automated texts/e-mails notifying them that you made a 911 call)
- Free porting of your current phone number
- Free calls through your iPhone while mobile (Ooma iPhone App)
- Ooma requires you to manage your account through their website.
- Keep your current phone number by porting it. For Regular Accounts, this costs $40. For Premium Accounts, this service is free.
- Ooma usually processes number porting within five business days, but requires you to call and validate the authentication with your telephone service provider. Delay is usually on the telephone service provider's end, so porting a number actually takes 2-6 weeks (2 weeks on average for most customers).
- Your choice of phone number in your area code if you do not port your existing phone number.
- Device has a built-in voicemail.
- Playback voicemail through the built-in speaker.
- Call your own home number and hit the "#" key to listen to your voicemail (Regular & Premium Account).
- New voicemails can automatically be e-mailed as MP3 files to your preferred e-mail address (Premium account).
- Device has a built-in router for QoS packet management to prioritize Ooma phone calls before any other internet traffic.
- Device is compatible with hearing aid friendly handsets.
- Device can signal most DECT 6.0 wireless handsets to flash their lights to signify new voicemail.
- Device comes with ethernet ports but no WiFi - the WiFi dongle is an additional $50 (802.11N/G/B WiFi).
- LED indicator lights have multiple brightness settings down to "off".
- Ringer has multiple volume settings.
- Automatically checks for updates at 3AM.
- Ooma can be connected directly into your home's telephone lines so that all wired phones in the house can be used/controlled through the Ooma Telo.
- However, this requires you to disconnect the telephone power line coming in from outside the house, which can be done by you but is usually a free service provided by your telephone company when you terminate your PoTS contract.
- Ooma averaged 1.5 days of outage in 2011 in the Eastern U.S.
- Generation 1: The "Ooma Core" consisted of the "Ooma Hub" with an additional add-on called "Ooma Scout"
- The generation 1 Hub & Scout Package were free of any taxes or fees. Conversely, the Hub sold alone or sold as refurbished units have always had fees and or taxes.
- With the announcement of the new "required taxes and fees", anyone who also purchased and activated a "Ooma Scout" add-on would still be free of any taxes and fees.
- If you purchase an "Ooma Core" (Hub + Scout package) and activate it now, you can still avoid taxes and fees. However, if you only buy the Hub, you will pay the same taxes and fees as though you're buying the newer generation Ooma device.
- Generation 2 (the current one): "Ooma Telo"
- You must pay applicable taxes and fees. Fees are for 911/Emergency-related calls and vary by locale.
Existing customers can refer a friend and get $25 amazon certificate. http://www.ooma.com/refer-a-friend/
New ooma buyer may avoid the rebate hassle.
Looks like it's the same program they ran a couple of summers ago. http://www.ooma.com/blog/2010/06/...d-program/
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I'd rather pay a $150 up-front cost and $3.50 in fees/taxes per month than what I used to pay ($33/month, local calls only - what a horrible rip-off by my old telephone company!)
Have found the out-of-the-box quality to be good with occasional stutter which hopefully goes away when I find the time to tweak and customize the configuration. Have used it extensively to call US and international numbers and it works fine. Setup was simple and took about five minutes.
I bought the Costco bundle for $199 which includes the blue tooth adapter (note that the blue tooth range is rather limited but it works). Costco bundle can be found at http://www.costco.com/Browse/Prod...9*&topnav=
If you sign up for the one year premier package (which I did today), you get to choose from a number of different freebies:
(a) Free Blue Tooth Adapter (do not need it, Costco bundle has it included)
(b) Extended Warranty (Thank you again Costco - If it breaks anytime over the next two years, I return it to Costco for a refund; Backup plan - American Express card used for purchase provides additional one year of Warranty)
(c) Free Wireless Adapter (did not need it, I have it hard wired to my router)
(d) Free number porting - I took this, saved me $40 in fees
Wished they threw in their handset as a freebie for use with switching between phone lines - have not yet figured how to do it with my normal Panasonic wireless phone. A tip for those interested - price listed on Ooma website is $120 for one year premier service. Call their Customer Support and they will give it for $100....saves you $20...not sure if this is always the case but it worked for me.
Here's the link for the rebate - http://www.ooma.com/sites/default/files/$50_Offer_Final.pdf
Rebate Valid Apr 6 - Apr 30
Here's another link on Ooma's website which lists Ooma Telo with Bluetooth Adapter for $189.99 shipped....not sure if you need a code - http://www.ooma.com/refer-a-friend/
Costco for $10 more is the better option for me given their 'satisfaction guaranteed or return and get refund' policies. I know this option is not available for all but for those who can, it is better, IMO. Note Costco charges taxes but shipping is included. Not sure if Ooma charges taxes.
I'd rather pay a $150 up-front cost and $3.50 in fees/taxes per month than what I used to pay ($33/month, local calls only - what a horrible rip-off by my old telephone company!)
May want to get Obi and use free google voice.
May want to get Obi and use free google voice.
While for google voice, there is no changes yet. And the Obi devices work with many Voip services so can switch to use other low cost Voip easily.
May want to get Obi and use free google voice.
I received a notice that my fees may increase after November (2011) depending on my location.
My fees did not increase at all. Average increase for most people on the Ooma forums was about 2 cents after the new fee & tax change, IF their fees changed. Most people on the forums saw that their area's fees did not increase.
I wish I could get it, I really do
I wish I could get it, I really do
Also if you allow it to be your router so it goes from your modem to ooma and then ooma to network or to router it will carve out 384kbs with QOS so you wouldn't be able to saturate your calls.
Also if you allow it to be your router so it goes from your modem to ooma and then ooma to network or to router it will carve out 384kbs with QOS so you wouldn't be able to saturate your calls.
of course speed has nothing to do with this, but the connection is also anything but stable, 24/7 stability is a must if you are using it as a phone connection in my opinion
I do believe you can get faster connections in the middle of the sahara desert
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_Chile
so between 50% and 66% of the connections in Chile are faster than mine
Honduras is a different story however, but not really comparable to the US in any way shape or form
just as a fun fact, when I lived in sweden they introduced 3Mbps connections in 2002, and now you can get up to 60/12 Mbps through the telephone line for the same price I get 3 Mbps here
if only the tax money had not been wasted... oh well