Liviu, Back then we had a residential service for $18.95/month. We stopped offering this service to new customers in 2008 (or 2007, can't remember) but we keep serving existing residential customers with our $18.95/month service.
Our VoIP a la carte is for PBX business customers. We do have residential customers using our VoIP a la carte, but as explained before, we require a minimum annual revenue of $50.00/year. We designed our network for business use and we keep maintaining it for businesses. Thanks, Stephan Monette Unlimitel Inc. Tel.: 1-877-464-6638 Fax: (613) 482-1077 On 2010-08-04, at 7:34 AM, Liviu Toma wrote: > Hello Stephan, > > Was there ever an announcement from Unlimitel about shifting to > Business-only customers ? > The service was clearly marketed for Resindential and Business back in > 2006 when I signed up, > See a copy of the web site from back then: > http://web.archive.org/web/20060101013903/www.unlimitel.ca/voip.html > > Thanks, > Liviu > > http://web.archive.org/web/20060101013903/www.unlimitel.ca/voip.html > > On Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 6:06 AM, Stephan Monette <monet...@unlimitel.ca> wrote: >> Reza, >> >> You were generating $3.00/month in VoIP minutes. We couldn't keep your >> account active with such low usage. >> >> For some reasons, we got a lot of customers with very low usage accounts >> (almost 25% of our customer base as of last year) and we needed to do >> something about it. The same customer base was still calling and requesting >> support and we were loosing a lot of money serving low usage customers. We >> couldn't refuse to support customers with low usage call volume. >> >> Keep in mind our service is not a residential service, it's a business >> service. The network was designed for business use, not residential use. >> This is why we use Bell as our PRI-T1 carrier, we get top quality and also a >> full redundant PRI-T1 network, but at a much higher cost than anyone else. >> >> We have now change our procedure last February and we ask our customers to >> spend a minimum of $50.00/year in VoIP minutes plus the DID cost in order to >> keep the account active. That change fixed our issues with very low usage >> accounts and residential customers. By doing so we are now generating more >> revenues per DIDs and we can now proceed with expanding our network and >> purchase more equipment to do so. >> >> At the end, it cost the customer a minimum of about $7.50/month for his >> DIDs, which is still a steal for a business phone line. >> >> The reason you were asked to move your DIDs out of our network was because >> you only spent $3.00/month for all your DID (I can't remember how many DIDs >> you had in total) in VoIP minutes. As a business, we need to make sure we >> generate enough revenue per DIDs to be able to serve you right. >> >> At $3.00/month we cannot keep your account active for sure. Would you? Like >> every businesses on TAUG, we have rent, datacenter, internet links and much >> more to pay and needs a decent revenue per DID to cover so. >> >> You ported out your DIDs to your own PRI to save some money to reduce your >> cost and this is fine. But Unlimitel couldn't afford to keep your other DIDs >> and loose money on your account. >> >> The issue here is the cost to provide DID services from other rate centre >> than Toronto is a lot higher than you think. VoIP providers have to pay >> extra $$$ for back hauling the DIDs on the PRI-T1 from other cities. But we >> sell the DIDs at a blended rate. But if a customer gets his own PRI-T1 in >> Toronto and buys DIDs from us for all other cities, we're loosing way too >> much money. That fact was also explained to you then. >> >> We were professional about asking you to port out your DIDs and we gave you >> enough time to do so without loosing service on your DIDs. >> >> The reason why Unlimitel is still in business today is because we do make >> sure that we get enough revenue from each customer. The cost to support our >> customers is our biggest cost in our company. It cost us more money in >> salaries every month for our support staff than our PRI-T1 cost!!! By making >> sure we get enough revenues for our DIDs, we keep the business going and the >> service up and running for our business customers. >> >> Stephan Monette >> Unlimitel Inc. >> >> Tel.: 1-877-464-6638 >> Fax: (613) 482-1077 >> >> >> >> >> >> On 2010-08-04, at 12:42 AM, Reza - Asterisk Consultant wrote: >> >>> *Dear Mark (and readers):** >>> >>> *As a TAUG promoter, TAUG evangelist, and someone who has contributed for >>> the benefit of TAUG and bringing/inviting over 100+ of my clients and >>> students to TAUG from different avenues of expertise, including but not >>> limited to promoting TAUG in major career fairs and providing Asterisk >>> training (while representing TAUG) at international venues world wide over >>> the past several years -- *without prejudice,* I have to interject here and >>> say that this **is** also the place to bring forth concerns against carriers >>> or service providers (not just recommendations) - for the benefit of >>> everyone else, no matter how bitter it may sound. >>> >>> Yes, the thread is ugly and though it may sound like a pissing contest (as >>> per your words) - it needs to be heard by those who are considering VoIP >>> services or have voip services from Unlimitel. >>> >>> I'm not going to speak for Keith, Alex, Bruce or Chuck -- though they are my >>> friends, business associates and also competitors for the past several >>> years. I am going to speak for myself about my experience with Unlimitel >>> and readers may interpret this as they see fit. No doubt, Alex isn't >>> happy, Keith, Bruce and Chuck are being diplomatic, but I'm going to be very >>> blunt. >>> >>> *On October 1st, 2009, 10:51 AM - I wrote to Stephan; *" *I got my own >>> PRI's and have my own capacity now, and marketing to Toronto based SMB & >>> SOHO. I need to port out 2 of my numbers. One is my home number and the >>> other is my business number. *416-xxx-xxxx and 416-xxx-xxxx. *Nothing >>> personal - just that I need more control over these numbers. The 3rd number >>> I have, I want to keep with you. Please advise which company holds the PRI >>> for my number and the main BTN - in order to ensure my port out request goes >>> smoothly.* " >>> >>> *Same day at 11:11 AM, I got a reply from him,* " *You will need to port >>> out all your number as we will now close your account. In your port request >>> just specify Bell as the carrier and Unlimitel as the reseller. Use your >>> billing information you have with Unlimitel in your request. Bell will check >>> your account status with our database to accept or reject the LNP >>> request. This >>> is your 30 days notice that we will be closing your account on November 1st >>> 2009 and we will refund any balance from your prepaid account on that date. >>> I checked your usage for the last 2 months and you used less than $6 in >>> minutes. So we can't keep your account with us with such low revenues. *" >>> >>> I have referred customers to Unlimitel over the past several years and had >>> them purchase their own accounts with their own credit card for termination >>> and origination. For each of these referrals, I had been offering Asterisk >>> hosting solutions. Each of them are light users with an average of 200-300 >>> minutes per month. So I knew Unlimitel's excuse to terminate me as a >>> client was... well... (fill in the blanks). I would caution you twice >>> before you do business with Unlimitel. Was I upset and am I upset at >>> Unlimitel? Absolutely! Anyone would be. >>> >>> I assure you, and I promise you - I am **not** the only person Unlimitel has >>> fired as a client. This entire SNAFU could have easily been avoided by >>> Unlimitel if they exercised a little more customer friendly professional >>> approach with elegant courtesy, reasonable time line, and/or parting away >>> under good terms. >>> >>> As per your quote, " *besides if you have nothing good to say, why say it, >>> this is supposed to be a community helping each other* " -- You say it, so >>> your fellow community members are cautioned about the true nature of certain >>> business owners and you say it, because you believe that is the right thing >>> to do. >>> >>> I commend Alex and Keith for taking the stand in addressing their concerns >>> openly and boldly. >>> >>> *With no regrets, >>> Reza.* >>> >>> >>> >>> On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 4:36 PM, Mark Palser <mpal...@acpa.ca> wrote: >>> >>>> Take this off board, really isn't the proper venue, besides if you have >>>> nothing good to say, why say it, this is supposed to be a community helping >>>> each other, not a place to have a pissing match. >>>> >>>> >> >> >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: biz-unsubscr...@taug.ca >> For additional commands, e-mail: biz-h...@taug.ca >> >> > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: biz-unsubscr...@taug.ca > For additional commands, e-mail: biz-h...@taug.ca > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: biz-unsubscr...@taug.ca For additional commands, e-mail: biz-h...@taug.ca
