I just signed up last week at www.woopeeconnect.com They have almost the same deal that sunrocket was offering, $220 a year for unlimited calling in US, PR, Canada. Been working great so far.

Jerry33 said:I just signed up last week at www.wopeeconnect.com They have almost the same deal that sunrocket was offering, $220 a year for unlimited calling in US, PR, Canada. Been working great so far.It's pretty obvious that SR couldn't survive based on what they were charging...personally I wouldn't go running to a cut-rate, fly-by-night VoIP company, unless you are ready to lose your phone line and your prepaid investment at any time.

If don't mind doing "no evil" and insist on using VOIP, you should start using a number from here.

NoMoneyInMyWallet said:CANDYLADY said:the whole point is to know there is always a working phone!!!

so much for that thought!!If you expect to always have a working phone, then VoIP is not for you.

Bingo!

I've been using www.sun-dial.net

My home phone is really only a backup to my cell. They had a cheaper plan than Vonage so I figured I'd try it. I've only used phone a half a dozen times in 6 months or so but it works. And no, I don't work for them, I saw a flyer from them at my grocery store.

livenlearn said:As a longstanding AMEX customer who charges almost everything on my card for years, I'm saddened when a company, like AMEX, who justifies their annual rates and elitist practices by their "superior customer service" cannot live up to their own claims. Of all the freebies the multi-national corporation gives away to attract business, I'm sure $200 for their existing customers is not too much to ask. AND, it is surely not 'Fair' business practice to satisfy some customers who are "valued" and not all the rest.As another longstanding AMEX customer, I feel that I shouldn't have to pay for SR customers who bet on the company (by signing a prepaid contract) and lost. You saved money by prepaying in exchange for added risk, you can't have it both ways.

When a company files for bankruptcy protection, and you are a creditor, there are rules for recovering what you are owed. Kudos to AMEX for following those rules.

jayK said:livenlearn said:As a longstanding AMEX customer who charges almost everything on my card for years, I'm saddened when a company, like AMEX, who justifies their annual rates and elitist practices by their "superior customer service" cannot live up to their own claims. Of all the freebies the multi-national corporation gives away to attract business, I'm sure $200 for their existing customers is not too much to ask. AND, it is surely not 'Fair' business practice to satisfy some customers who are "valued" and not all the rest.As another longstanding AMEX customer, I feel that I shouldn't have to pay for SR customers who bet on the company (by signing a prepaid contract) and lost. You saved money by prepaying in exchange for added risk, you can't have it both ways.

When a company files for bankruptcy protection, and you are a creditor, there are rules for recovering what you are owed. Kudos to AMEX for following those rules.

I'm not suggesting that AMEX should increase its charges so that customers pay for this. I'm saying that AMEX should use their proits, our money, to help decrease our losses instead of using it on freebies to attract new customers. I'm saying take care of existing customers first with the superior service they claim to have and then get new customers and expand like they love to do with our money. And again, it comes down to fair practices, why take disputes from some but not others? Other less "superior" brands such as Chase have accepted the loss too so why can't AMEX?

jayK said:livenlearn said:
The credit card dispute system was not meant to get you out of a contract you prepaid for, simple as that. Luckily, AMEX realizes that, and they are looking out for the majority of their customers by denying SR disputes.

Vote this post negatively if it makes you feel better, but it won't change AMEX's mind.

Stop defending AMEX's selfish policies - we, the customers, will continue to bear the brunt of being taken advantage of and poorly served by these companies if you do! Also, in response to your post, this is according to another FW poster:

".. you shouldn't feel bad about contesting a charge in the slightest - part of the protections credit cards offer is protection against fraud; someone taking your money and not providing you with the service that you were promised. This is EXACTLY what happened here. Whether 30, 60, 90, or a year... I was told when signing up for my own merchant account that Visa/MC customers could contest up to 90 days after fulfillment of a service was COMPLETE, not when it was started."

Also, please help to contact the FCC regarding this mess. According to bocastephen:

"Before any lawsuits are filed, you can still contact the FCC and demand they take action against Sunrocket and its principles for the way in which they terminated service (including 911 access) without notice and failed to make arrangements to transition customers to alternate carriers, provide notice to customers so they could make alternate arrangements, and failed to provide access to 911 emergency services or informed customers that access to emergency services would be unavailable as of a certain date. You may contact the FCC commissioners directly at the following email addresses:
Chairman Kevin J. Martin: KJMWEB@fcc.gov
Commissioner Michael J. Copps: Michael.Copps@fcc.gov
Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein: Jonathan.Adelstein@fcc.gov
Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate: dtaylortateweb@fcc.gov
Commissioner Robert McDowell: Robert.McDowell@fcc.gov

Here is the text of an email I am about to send them:

I am writing the Commission to request that swift and decisive action be taken against the corporate principals of the former VOIP provider, Sunrocket. Although the FCC does not regulate the VOIP market or its service providers, the behavior of this corporation and its principals has gone beyond a simple loss of phone service and is akin to reckless endangerment - many of the 200,000 affected customers have lost their only access to Emergency 911 service and now have no way of knowing when or why their service was disrupted and may not be able to summon emergency response if needed.

It is incumbent upon this Commission to protect the interests of these affected customers and ensure a precedent is set so other providers of VOIP services understand that they cannot demonstrate a complete lack of regard for the safety and wellbeing of customers who rely on these services to connect them to emergency response. In addition, in clear violation of federal law, Sunrocket continues to advertise the availability of products and services on its website and permits prospective customers to sign-up for new service (although the process does not fully complete) - the company continues to demonstrate a wanton disregard for its customers by not providing any messaging to inform customers of its shutdown, provide information on alternate services or advise customers their access to 911 services is no longer working. I can only hope that none of Sunrocket's 200,000 customers required emergency services and were unable to summon help due to this sudden and unannounced permanent outage.

Please take swift and decisive action in concert with other appropriate agencies to secure the assets and persons of the principals of this company and prepare to draft a policy for the remainder of the market participants to prevent something like this happening again.

Thank you"

Hope this will result in some governmental action so that even if I can't recover my money through AMEX, at least this experience will not have been all in vain!

I agree with contacting the FCC, it's not right that SR was able to terminate 911 service without any notice whatsoever, so hopefully something good will come out of that.
Stop defending AMEX's selfish policies - we, the customers, will continue to bear the brunt of being taken advantage of and poorly served by these companies if you do! Sorry, but you're the one being selfish, by attempting to shift the added risk you took by signing a prepaid contract onto all AMEX cardholders. You gambled by prepaying, and you lost. By all means, feel free to attempt to dispute the charges, but don't be surprised when the dispute is denied.

jayK said:livenlearn said:I'm not suggesting that AMEX should increase its charges so that customers pay for this.Yet that's exactly what will happen. AMEX won't be able to get any money back from SR, so if they uphold the disputes, they will eat the cost, and pass it on to all AMEX customers.

I'm saying that AMEX should use their proits, our money, to help decrease our losses instead of using it on freebies to attract new customers. I'm saying take care of existing customers first with the superior service they claim to have and then get new customers and expand like they love to do with our money. And again, it comes down to fair practices, why take disputes from some but not others?The credit card dispute system was not meant to get you out of a contract you prepaid for, simple as that. Luckily, AMEX realizes that, and they are looking out for the majority of their customers by denying SR disputes.

Vote this post negatively if it makes you feel better, but it won't change AMEX's mind.

Oh please!

I guess you wouldnt file a claim with auto insurance because you dont want to raise rates for the rest of the folks.

Grow up and stop presumming you are on higher ground especially at the expense of people who are out $250 bucks and got 1.5 months of phone service.