Monthly Archives: July 2008

Vonage

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Ever tried to cancel a service that you no longer need?  Vonage was great for five years.  Last time I wanted to cancel they gave me a 6 month credit and a really cheap rate.  I think it was about $7.50 a month.  Finally it was time to part with Vonage.  As nice as it is to have a home phone it just sits there and collects dust.  My phone of choice… the iPhone!  Will I ever go back to having a home phone, perhaps.  Anyways, I call them up and get someone fairly fast and tell them I want to cancel.  First there were questions as to why I would want to cancel after five years, then about how it is good to have a home phone, then wondering what I use instead of Vonage…  At this point I want to strangle the person on the other end because they are trying to retain me when all I want is to cancel and go on my merry way.  I even told him that it would be better for both of us if we get this over with.  So, I tell him that he isn’t listening to me and to just cancel my account… and he keeps trying to sell me on the value of Vonage.  Finally he pushed me to the limit of being nice (though I didn’t yell).  Politely, I told him I was becoming very frustrated and that I wanted my account canceled to no fault of Vonage.  He says okay and then keeps trying to sell me at which point he asks if he can put me on hold.  Hold for what?  I hang up, and received my cancellation email.  

How many scripts do these guys have?  I understand customer service, but all he had to say was okay well we see you’ve been a valued customer for five years to why not have another 6 month credit.  Mind you I never use the account.  Well maybe I’ve sent a couple faxes from it, but not enough to justify keeping it.  

Vonage – Your customer service for retention needs to take a different tact.

Double Standards

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I’m pissed to say the least…  First Bear Stearns and now the Macs.  Why do I as a taxpayer get the privilege of helping these overextended companies stay in business?  It is bad enough that the Fed keeps “printing” money, which keeps the interest rate low and provides liquidity to an illiquid financial industry.  Each time they inject money into the system they are effectively stealing from each and everyone of us who holds US dollars.  

My original intent in this entry is to write about the gold standard… well, actually the lack of it.  Ever since we have been off the gold standard interest rates have swung wildly, and the boom / bust of the economy much more severe.  

When the “tech bubble” popped in 2000 interest rates were lowered (money supply increased) and it did nothing to prop of the tech market, but went to the housing market, which is now in drastic decline.  

The fed is what we need to be talking about in the news.  Instead people in the media are talking about speculators and manipulation of markets.  Today the SEC is preventing naked shorts on financial stocks.  Well, why do people short a equity in the first place?  Answer: They think it is going to drop in value.  Is there a reason financials are dropping in value?  YES  So, instead of looking at how we got to this point we are going to find a scapegoat (speculators) and continue what has been done over and over again.  What new regulations will be in place after all this is over?  Will the US gov’t now be in the housing and banking industries?  So, if automakers start to fail is the fed going to open the discount window to them as well?  As a taxpayer I’m excited to be loaning money to failing companies.