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I had been just using my cell phone. I have had a landline several times and realize afterwards that I am gone more than I am home. I heard a catchy commercial for Vonage that had mentioned free equipment and free month service. I thought I'd give it a try.

It was pretty neat. I got the equipment in a few days and it was easy to install. After a month or so, I realized that I didn't use it enough for it to be worth my time. I cancelled it. There were also complaints from others that my voice was echoing.

A few months later, I was reading about some new technology called the "v-phone". I just had to try it. It sounded fun to get a small device that I can plug into any computer and call out. I also liked that it would plug into my computer.

I received the v-phone and it didn't work. It kept slipping out. I returned the device and ordered another. A few months later, I realized it was nothing special, and cancelled my service.

Vonage claims they never received my broken "v-phone" even when I provided them with the tracking numbers stating it was delivered. I talked for hours and hours to their "outsourced" workers. Each outsourced worker had an even stronger accent. No one ended up helping me. I was out 50 bucks for the first v-phone. It wasn't worth it for me to spend more of my cell minutes trying to fight it. I wrote the company a letter on PlanetFeedback.com and they never responded, of course.

I would not recommend anyone to use the "v-phone". If you want to try Vonage, wait until they have a free equipment offer. Otherwise, stay far away from them. The customer service is about the worst out there.

I use Skype now. It's free to call to another Skype user. It's pretty cheap for unlimited outgoing phone calls. It's sixty dollars if you want to get incoming calls. The sixty dollars is for the year. I don't use it often, but it's okay. Sometimes the calls echo with Skype too. It's annoying.

I would say if you want to get a VoIP you have to first decided how much you will you use it. You have to decide if you want to deal with outsourced people who barely speak English. You have to decide if you can be patient with static, dropped calls, and echoing on the line.

If you can get away with just having a cell phone, I would recommend doing that. I would not recommend getting a landline or VoIP. They both seem like a waste of money. If you need another line for a fax, just compare the two plans to see what would be the cheapest.

Learn more about this author, Suzanne Fort.
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