Unacceptable Service Levels with 2Talk

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#517128 5-Sep-2011 20:55

networkn: Well I have no trouble MAKING calls, just RECEIVING calls :)

I hope you put this as a joke because for all intents my comment was at getting *ANY* service, incoming and outgoing.

networkn: I have no trouble paying for quality...

And yet when presented with alternatives you decided to stick with something that is clearly not working, and most likely because of price?

As sbiddle said...

networkn

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#517149 5-Sep-2011 21:21

Freitasm: Yes the smiley face is generally used to indicate someone is being jovial.

I didn't decide anything yet, I did however state that I think the problem is getting re-ported which took 10 days and left me without a phone for 3.

Price is a factor as it is to any sensible person, why else would you pick VOIP in the first instance as a consumer?

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#517178 5-Sep-2011 21:51

I understand price is a factor, but it goes to a certain level where it is not anymore... WorldxChange VFX for example, on a naked Broadband line, is about $10+GST/month. Even if you pay a bit more for a few more features, paying a couple of dollars more for something that works out of the box makes sense.

False economies are... false.

networkn

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#517182 5-Sep-2011 22:04

Is there such a thing as a price/features comparison between the major providers?

I have a customer that I am sure is using worldexchange but I am pretty sure they won't support him unless he uses one of the sanctioned brands and models they sell? Also don't you need to be with them for broadband to get VOIP with them?

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#517185 5-Sep-2011 22:09

I am with TelstraClear and use VFX.

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#517226 5-Sep-2011 23:45

Beccara: Can be called from Vodafone but not Telecom, Can't be called internationally and this was occurring 48hours+ post porting conformation.

The seem to simply fail in a large number of ports and whilst it's not 2talk porting direct (It's callplus) They just can't seem to sort their stuff out and wont push callplus or anyone higher to get things sorted.

i had trouble calling a 2talk line (@nate) from a callplus sip trunk.... havent checked lately to see if the issue was fixed (reported to callplus).

Error when calling Callplus => 2Talk was "too many hops". Some weird loop occuring somewhere...

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networkn

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#517232 6-Sep-2011 00:04

I didn't know that 2talk was a callplus company, that explains an AWFUL lot. :)

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#517240 6-Sep-2011 00:42

networkn: I didn't know that 2talk was a callplus company, that explains an AWFUL lot. :)

i dont think you'd call 2talk "a callplus company", but there are still common owners involved i think....

going back a few years, post airing of NZ Dragons Den, the Annette Presley v Malcolm Dick debacle:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10467354

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maverick

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WorldxChange

#517251 6-Sep-2011 06:25

Malcolm is involved with both ... do the math 2talk don't have any real infrastructure as such do you think Malcolm will let anyone front his other company ...

Ray Jackson is the main man over at 2talk hell of smart bloke and good guy but really they are only running, asterisk and freeswitch platforms and don't have any real infrastructure Callplus front this for them, they have a good product but if you want to look at what the support options are you will find it's just a couple of people, always has been.

Yes I am a employee of WxC (My Profile) ... but I do have my own opinions as well

https://www.facebook.com/wxccommunications

techmeister

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#517265 6-Sep-2011 08:09

2talk use agents to support their service, so find a 2talk agent and they will sort your issues out, they are a
self help type of service which has it's good points and bad, if you don't like it use someone else (VFX)
As for porting, only time I have had issues with porting a number to 2talk is when the other telco refused it or some other issue with them, the range of reasons is vast!

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#517267 6-Sep-2011 08:12

networkn: Is there such a thing as a price/features comparison between the major providers?

I have a customer that I am sure is using worldexchange but I am pretty sure they won't support him unless he uses one of the sanctioned brands and models they sell? Also don't you need to be with them for broadband to get VOIP with them?

There has never been a requirement to have broadband with WxC to use VoIP with them. Likewise you can use any hardware or software you like, but if you want support and a guarantee that your device will work properly then buying a device that is fully supported makes sence. Despite SIP being a standard, there are many things that can cause incompatibilities between hardware and softswitch platform, just ask Orcon who have clearly had lots of trouble with getting flashhook working with Genius and their NSN platform.

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#517275 6-Sep-2011 08:35

sbiddle
As this 2talk service dicussion seems to continue(rightly so) can I hijack the thread and ask how VFX is doing in comprison? I do not remember seing any posts about lack of support from VFX?
How is their interface? As you mention there is no need for signing up for broadband nor forced to have their hardware, does this equal to no support at all?
Is it a big hassle mowing from 2talk to VFX?

DonGould

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#517317 6-Sep-2011 09:36

So far I've done 1 port with 2Talk and it was fairly straight forward but it did take time to complete.

It was a Telecom number, on TelstraClear at the time, and moved to 2Talk.

I took the time to talk to the porting person directly first to understand all the issues, though I've been in telecoms for 20+ years, so I have a good feel for where stuff could go pear shape.

I found it interesting that 2Deg would port a mobile number from VF to 2Deg in a fraction of the time.

I agree with all those who have suggested this OP should be dealing with a reseller. He's facing saving ~$250 a year just for 1 phone line and more if he wants a couple of lines. So over the next decade that's $2,500. Yet he won't spring for the services of someone else to help him get set up?

As for Steve's emails... I've said it before, Steve's a fantastic guy helping people and I have to thank him for the help he's given me. I also think this is new technology that as an industry we have a vested interest in making work for consumers and I honestly think the more we can help each other out and just not bad mouth the service the better! :) :) :)

I confess I'm not always good at this either. Like many, I get hacked off with how hard it is to make this stuff go.

I spend hours this week working on getting an auto provisioning system for the Cisco ATA's going. I discovered that while Skype has no issues with 30 layers of NAT, sip falls over at 2.

2Talk is a fantastic product. If you try and buy the same features from Telecom then expect to pay 10 times as much per month. For that you get a well staffed foreign call center. You never have to speak to the same person twice, they won't bother you with emails (because their they don't know how to configure email servers correctly to send email). TelstraClear is exactly the same except it's owned by Australia - call center in Manilla, have people on email who just know nothing about major technology aspects.

Call 2Talk and you deal with:

Julian for tech support
Jude for accounts
Nykki for porting

All based in Auckland from what I can tell.

I signed up as a reseller. So far I've sold 2 service because I have discovered this is a complex space.

Having said that, let's remember that Telecom committed to a whole national VoIP platform and have backed away from it (aiui). Orcon (government owned) just launched their VoIP offerings and have crashed and burnt with hundreds of customer complaints.

It strikes me that the OP is the kinda guy who whinges that his cap isn't big enough, is speed is to slow and he's paying to much when compared to .us.

If we want better services in .nz then we have to get focused on pushing telephone off layer 1 and on to layer 3. That's what I'm doing.

Promote New Zealand - Get yourself a .kiwi.nz domain name!!!

Check out mine - i.am.a.can.do.kiwi.nz - don@i.am.a.can.do.kiwi.nz

networkn

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#517323 6-Sep-2011 09:46

Don: your comments are completely off base, and unfair. Anyone is entitled to expect that if there is a support mechanism in place on a service that is being charged for it should be provided in a timely fashion. I have no problems paying for help, if they had an 0900 number I would have called it in an instant.

It almost sounds like you are defending crappy service because they are the cheapest!

Secondly if you read my postings, no "reselller" would have been able to help with the porting issues, since it was a fault, which they would have no control over. Possibly they would have been able to explain things a little better but part of the fun of new technology is finding out about it. Lastly some of the "experts" here have given advice completely contradictory to the advice given to me by 2talk support themselves, and following their advice made for a much simpler and easier solution.

I wasn't even aware there were people who I could pay to assist with the setup of 2Talk until this discussion.

DonGould

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#517342 6-Sep-2011 10:11

networkn: It almost sounds like you are defending crappy service because they are the cheapest!

Sorry. That was not my intention. I was attempting to point out that my experience with this low cost service was still better than dealing with the high cost providers.

networkn: I wasn't even aware there were people who I could pay to assist with the setup of 2Talk until this discussion.

Yes. 2Talk aren't doing a good job with that one currently. I don't know why. I can take some ownership of it. I've been coming up to speed with the whole process and so far haven't presented any marketing that I can provide assistance. I would agree that Steve doesn't have a page on his web site with a rate card that I've seen and we did have on reseller here a couple of months back that was shown the door for being more focused on commerical than community presentation.

Anyway, before I get further dragged off topic and down a pointless hole...

Did you get your issues sorted? Do you need some more assistance? Do you have your services running now?

Promote New Zealand - Get yourself a .kiwi.nz domain name!!!

Check out mine - i.am.a.can.do.kiwi.nz - don@i.am.a.can.do.kiwi.nz

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