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VoIPo Review by WhichVoIP

The company VoIPo is one of the most recognized names in the hosted VoIP industry and for good reasons. Coming from the people who created the popular web hosting platform Host Gator, their services are based on a powerful internet platform designed to support everyone from home users to big business, and further caters to those constantly on the go. The company was started in 2006 and offers both residential and business VoIP services in the United States. The service is currently not available to Canadian residents. Each of the service plans include unlimited calling to US / Canada numbers and there are also 60 minutes of international calling included each month to select destinations.

The Good

One of the best parts about VOIPo as a company is the fact that they have very few plans which simplifies the selection process. For starters, both the residential and small business plans are compiled into a single category for an introductory upfront fee of $149, which equates to $6.21 a month over two years. For this price, you receive two years of service and an ATA (analog telephone adapter) which is used to directly connect your regular phone to the internet. Even with the basic residential or small business service, VOIPo comes with several additional features. The ATA the company provides for connecting your telephone is leased to you for free, which is not the case for many companies that provide similar services. Other features such as 3 way calling, call blocking, voicemail, SIP-based softphone capabilities for computer platforms and mobile devices, 60 minutes of included international calling to select countries per month, as well as several other features like online fax capabilities. You have the ability to transfer your number to their service for free in most instances. This can be used in conjunction with the Cloud VoIP service that starts at $3 a month. This is very useful in instances where you would like to keep an established phone number but do not require a full-fledged phone service for the number. A 30 day unconditional guarantee is also offered so if you are not pleased, you can send back their ATA device within this time frame for a full refund. Additional business services are available such as a hosted business PBX solution. For a flat $20 monthly fee, they will host an online PBX with SIP capabilities. This service has much broader feature capabilities than the standard residential or small business solution such as an IVR (interactive voice response) system and correlating auto attendant features. Other common business features are packaged with the service such as call conferencing, modifiable call queues and many others that can be controlled via a web based administration VoIPo login (vpanel) portal. An extensive knowledgebase, as well as live chat, forums and a customer support phone line are available through their website.

The Bad

Though very pro-consumer, there are additional expenses that may come along with the service. Because the company is a qualified telecommunications company, you will be required to pay taxes based on your location. Though these fees are relatively small, two years worth of taxes can add up. Some of the features and pricing require more details and explanation. For example, the number porting feature is not always free – a form must be submitted (it can anywhere from a week to 45 days to process) and, though not a common occurrence, a fee could be assessed in certain situations, or the transfer could be denied. The ATA is provided on a free lease basis and as such remains the property of VoIPo. While there is a $49.95 fee if you damage it in any way, this type of replacement charge is common. If you are not comfortable with using a leased device you can always buy your own device and use it with the service. Check first to ensure the device you are planning to purchase can be supported. A VoIPo softphone is also available for mobile, tablets or computer devices,although the company does not have its own application. This means that a user will need to use a third party application for either a computer or smart phone which will require additional configuration. The company recommends X-Lite but other applications such as ZoiPer can be utilized.

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Pros

• With the Nextiva Office Pro plan, the company offers unlimited domestic calling.
• With the Nextiva Office Pro plan, the company offers unlimited domestic calling.

Cons

• With the Nextiva Office Pro plan, the company offers unlimited domestic calling.
• With the Nextiva Office Pro plan, the company offers unlimited domestic calling.

WhichVoIP Visitor Comments

#7 : Posted by Mike

Be aware that VoIPo does not consider Alaska as part of the US. In the fine print it states Alaska, Hawaii (since included) and Puerto Rico are not included in US calling.

#6 : Posted by Uvetta Crawford

Moving from city to county and requesting to keep my now 32 year phone number. I have to pay extra and it is forwarded to a new county number. With Voipo would I be allowed to use my former number or would I have to use both numbers to operate?

-> Response: If you still own that number (sounds like you do) there should be no issue so long as VoIPo can port it over, which they usually can.

#5 : Posted by Barbara Lorig

If I was to choose VOIPO it says that includes two lines. Can line one be in one house, and line two in another house? Can I preference a number? e.g. one phone line in MN, the other in WI.

-> Response: You could ask them but I doubt they would allow that. Normally it means they send you an adapter with connectors for 2 phones (i.e. 2 lines) so that would not allow it to be used from 2 separate homes. Worth asking though 🙂

#4 : Posted by Jim50

I am a customer of VoIPo since 2013. I am signed up thru 2019 (but this is now under review). I needed a replacement adaptor early this year due to the unit sparking when resetting it. VOIPO sent a replacement. The new adaptor went out 2 weeks ago, just would not connect but it came back up with support assistance. We had one small electrical outage, [ONE outage, not outages] with the adaptor plugged into a surge protector. The router, printer and phone were all plugged into this surge protector and everything except the adaptor is working. VOIPO blamed the outage on ruining the adaptor because most of the adaptors last 4 or 5 years. The idea on blaming the customer because most adaptors last 4 or 5 years is ridiculous. I had to pay $50. If this new one fails, they will charge me again. So no matter what the service cost is, you might end up with additional replacement costs.

#3 : Posted by Great Service Since 2007.

I have been with this company since 2007. The calls are crystal clear. Voipo has very good features that other companies charge a hefty premium for their use. I have a fax machine, and the way to fax is not complicated. For a minimal yearly fee you can send and receive faxes. One is given a separate fax number. You scan your fax and then using their site’s program you send the fax. Your fax are received via Email and if you need to print it you can print the complete fax or just the main information of the fax. This saves paper, and ink. I encountered one problem after all these years with them this week and it was solved very quickly. They needed to upgrade the firmware of the Voipo box. This took ten minutes, they stayed on the phone with me all that time. They did not rush me at all. All in all once the firmware was upgraded my problem was that I needed a new phone cord and the problem was solved.

#2 : Posted by Houstin Hutton

My VOIP line has been down for 4 days. The VoIPo support will send an e-mail question to me. I will answer that and it takes about 12 hours for someone else in their tech support to e-mail me back with another question. This has been going on for 4 days with another question after another and I still have a dead line. I prepaid them with 2 years to get the cost down. I think it is about time to switch since VOIPo does not care obviously.

-> Response: It may be worth trying their live chat as at least you will get real-time feedback, rather than email (which can be frustrating). Have you tried using a push button phone (DTMF touch tone)? Sometimes the old rotary dial phones can be problematic with certain VoIP ATA boxes especially if it coincided with a firmware update recently. Also it may be worth running our speed test and looking at our troubleshooting section. Feel free to pass on the results of your testing and we will try to help.

#1 : Posted by Jack L

Awesome value, needed to use their support just once and they seems to be on the ball.