About two years ago, I reviewed the netTALK DUO. Since then the people at netTALK have been keeping themselves busy by coming out with a new version, the netTALK DUO WiFi, which allows you to place the device anywhere there’s power and a WiFi signal. You’re no longer tethered to either the computer or a router. They’ve also added some other features.Before I go into the details of the netTALK DUO WiFi, I’d like to point out that switching to a VOIP solution for a phone service is not for everyone. This has become very clear to me based upon the numerous comments in a review I did for another VOIP device here on The Gadgeteer. Although you can save a bunch of money making the switch from the Telephone Company, there are trade offs. Personally, I went from paying over $30/ month 8 years ago for a local line without any features or long distance service, to less than $5/ month today with unlimited service to the USA and Canada, and I have a slew of features like caller ID, etc. Here’s a couple of tips to help you make your decision:
- You will need a broadband Internet connection. This does NOT include dialup. For the most part this means either cable or DSL, but not satellite. (Although some people have had success with satellite, it is not supported.) There are minimum required upload and download speeds. In the case of netTALK, they require at least 128 kbps in both directions. If you’re at the minimum, I’d suggest you upgrade your service to a higher speed. Speed isn’t the only factor affecting VOIP calls. You have jitter and delay. You can have your broadband supplier check out your line and make corrections if necessary. I had to do this at 2 different houses.
- Assuming you will use the netTALK either on WiFi or plugged into your LAN, you’ll need a router. I’ve learned the hard way that not all routers are created equal. Stick with the name brands, and if you haven’t upgraded in a couple of years, maybe you should buy a new one. At least make sure your router has the latest firmware installed.
- Understand that from time to time unexplained things happen and your phone won’t work. Most of the time this can be cleared up by power cycling your modem, router and DUO. If you don’t know how to do this, ask one of your kids
- Be advised that if you lose power or the Internet, you’ll lose your phone service. I’ve addressed the loss of power issue by having a battery backup on my modem, router and VOIP adapter.
- Ditch the 2.4Ghz cordless phones. They interfere with WiFi signals and cause all sorts of grief. Either use a wired phone or upgrade to DECT 6.0.
- Don’t port your telephone number to the VOIP service immediately. I’m surprised at the number of people who do this and then find out they didn’t have the minimum requirements for VOIP. Now they complain about losing a telephone number they’ve had since the dawn of time. Please wait and test out the new service and make sure it works for you. netTALK offers a 30 money back guarantee. Take advantage of it.
- Have patience. Again you have 30 days to check everything out. Make all your outgoing calls on the VOIP device and if you can, call forward your incoming calls from the telephone company line. I’ve found that sometimes it takes several days for a new activation to propagate through the net before I’m able to call certain numbers.
There’s probably other tips that are useful and readers are encouraged to chime in. Now back to the review!
Features:
- Call Blocking (block annoying calls)
- Call ID Blocking (protect your privacy)
- One year of service included
- 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
- WiFi enabled
- Choose a phone number or keep your own
- Free local and long distance calling to the U.S. and Canada
- Live technical support, 7 days a week
- Flat-rate, ultra low-cost international call plans
- Free DUO-to-DUO-calls anywhere in the world
- Plugs directly into your router or computer
- Landline goes anywhere there is internet
- 411 directory assistance
- Call waiting / caller ID / call forwarding
- 3-way calling / conference calling
- Visual voicemail
- Enhanced 911
- Fax-friendly
Here’s what you get, plus a small setup guide. The AC adapter is rated at 110/220 volts and 50/60 hz. The Ethernet cable is superfluous if you’re not plugging into the wired LAN.
I’m not sure if this is the back or front, but it houses the cable connectors and indicator lights.
Here’s the other side. Notice that there’s a reset button. I haven’t had the need to use it yet.
Installing the device is a multi-step process that should need only be done once. First, you’ll have to use your computer to activate the netTALK DUO WiFi using the username and password that came with the package. At this time you’ll also pick a phone number. I was impressed that netTALK had numbers available in my city. Other devices I reviewed forced me to use numbers that were toll calls for my neighbors.
Next I downloaded the software and drivers for the device. If you have old drivers in your system, the instructions show you how to remove them.
After plugging the DUO into a USB port on the computer and firing up the DUO WiFi management tool, the above screen popped up. Allegedly, the software is supposed to find the DUO automatically, but it never worked for me after several tries. This wasn’t a problem as I did as instructed and dialled *41# and retrieved the IP address of the device and entered it into the above form.
I was then presented with the networks available window and selected my home network. After entering my password and clicking save, I was advised that I was setup for WiFi use and could remove the device from the computer and position it anywhere I had my WiFi network access. At his point the DUO WiFi management tool is no longer needed unless you want to use another network.
I did bring the DUO WiFi with me when I visited my brother in New York. Using my laptop and the DUO WiFi management tool, I was able to connect to his network and use the DUO at his house. This wasn’t a problem because he gave me his password. The DUO will work on open WiFi networks, but not at places that require your input before providing a connection, such as McDonald’s.
When I returned, I expected that I could just plug the DUO into a power outlet and it would find my network and work. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. I had to use the DUO management application to reconnect. This is not the way it’s supposed to work according to netTALK’s FAQs. The DUO WiFi is supposed to remember up to 12 networks. I don’t consider this a big issue and it may have been something I missed.
The purpose of this photo is illustrative of the flexibility of the device. I was able to bring it out to our potting shed and using a 5v battery supply, I could use the phone at the extreme end of my WiFi coverage. Of course in actuality I can use a cordless handset to the same effect.
Here’s a more realistic setup. The DUO device could easily be put behind the photo and only the phone would be visible. By the way, I used a corded phone for the tests to eliminate any possibility that a cordless phone might cause interference. It will work fine with a DECT 6.0 cordless phone.
The WiFi capability of the netTALK DUO makes this a very flexible device. It can be situated anywhere there’s a power outlet within the range of your WiFi. The call quality is on a par with other VOIP offerings I’ve reviewed or use. Being able block (blacklist) unwanted callers individually or by group (“unknown” or “anonymous”) is definitely a plus. I’ve used the device in all 3 modes; connected to the computer, plugged into the router, and over WiFi and have experienced no issues. The web portal is minimalist, but gets the job done. There you can listen to voice mail, block callers, change your number, port your number, forward your number, check your call history and more.
Lastly, as a test, I called their technical support line, and after navigating a one step tree, I was informed that I was caller number 15 and the hold time would be about 55 minutes. This was done at 3 pm EDT on a Friday. Actually, the hold time doesn’t bother me because I doubt that most tech savvy people will need to call technical support. As an alternative, you can send an email with your question. Compared to many VOIP services that don’t even offer live customer support, I find having it a plus.
Product Information
| Price: | 64.95 includes 1 year service |
| Manufacturer: | netTALK |
| Retailer: | Many - check website |
| Requirements: |
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| Pros: |
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| Cons: |
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Beware of NetTalk. If the device works it is okay. Their tech support is beyond atrocious. While they may tell you that you’re number ## with a ## minute wait…it’s incorrect. We threw out two NetTalk Duos with 10 months of subscription remaining because one failed after their firmware bricked the device and repeated calls and waits in excess of 7 hours (speaker phone) on the phone and tech support tickets went unanswered. So, yes the device is okay (voice quality is so so even on very fast connections with proper QoS settings)….but if something goes wrong you’re better served to throw it out. If you check their forums you’ll find many similar stories.
After using MagicJack and NetTalk in several installations in multiple locations we’ve moved everything over to Ooma which costs a bit more (still far cheaper than POTS, Comcast or Vonage) but has proven to be much, much more reliable, better quality and affords its customers real tech support.
I’ll second on Ooma. We’ve been customers for almost three years now. There is nothing better. Pay for the hardware, and, unless you want extra annual features, it doesn’t cost anything afterwards. High-quality hardware, and it doesn’t go down. Rarely do we need to restart the VOIP router. Very reliable, exceptional support.
I have had Ooma for close to 6 years and I am grandfathered into not paying any taxes or 911 fees. (unfortunately, now they charge a few bucks a month for taxes and 911). It is the VERY best VOIP service I have used, and I continue to use it daily. It is as good (or better) than my dial-up.
I have also had Magic Jack and Obi-Hai. At this time Obi-Hai is the ONLY alternative to truly free (no $fees, no $taxes, no $nuthin’)
Net talk is BS…..Can’t use it on other computers….Customer service is not in operation.. We will try Magic Jack plus or OOma.
The Nettalk was working after 11 months after that stoped without reason, I opened a ticket but I never got the answer, pity, used to be a good service
I have used the product for a year and would NOT recommend it. It’s not reliable for home or business. The line constantly drops, no dial tones, cannot dial 1-800 numbers. This is normal scenario, dial a number, line drops, wait, reset Duo, wait and no dial tone. Wait another 15 min, do dial tone. 4 hours no dial tone!
I have called Tech Support, the lousiest tech support, based in U.S. Get ready to wait 45 minutes to 1 hour for response. By Email, takes 4 days response and emails stop.
Overall I would not recommend this product, it ‘s going down my garbage chute as I would not sell it to some poor sucker!
Too bad I can’t file class action lawsuit for selling a defective product! Any pro bono lawyers out there! Product like this should never reach the market.
Wasted $80!
I see by the comments the same problems still exist with the latest Nettalk device as with the older model. My original Nettalk device died before the 30 days were up, I sent it back and got a full refund. Good luck to anyone that has gone over the 30 day mark, you will be stuck with a non-working device that you cannot return when it fails.
i had my net talk wifi duo. the idea of it is amazing but i had to return it because the volume is soooooo low. im going back with magic jack i never had a aproblem with my old one. this time im going for magic jack plus.
What an awful product and company,
Before buying this product, try calling their customer service line, see how long it takes to get through. The product is cheap, and broke after 2 months (will no longer power on) and after submitting an online ticket have heard nothing back in 3 weeks.
Also when it was working the phones were constantly plagued with reverberations and other robotic sounding effects.
Not worth with, DO NOT BUY IT
I first bought Magic Jack. It actually was working pretty well. Don’t like that it doesn’t give you
the name of the person calling, only the number. So I bought the Nettalk Duo Wifi, $65 unit. Hooked it up.
Have poorer line quality and cannot figure out how to set up voicemail. Can’t find it on their site under
FAQs. Called them a few times. I was caller 50 plus. I hung up. I sent them an email/trouble ticket. It’s been two days and they haven’t responded. I’m returning the Nettalk.
I am surprised by all of the negative comments here!! Over two years ago I purchased a Nettalk DUO (not the WiFi model) and I have had a very good experience. So then I got one for my parents who live 3000 miles away (using a different internet ISP, different modem & router) and they also had good luck with theirs. When I used to call customer service there was never more than a couple minutes hold time, often none at all. I have heard that has changed in recent months though. (I just called to see, I was told I was caller #36.)
I found voice quality was good, volume was good, almost all calls go through the first time, incoming calls are fine, all features work, etc. I connected it to my home telephone wiring so now all of my corded and cordless phones work all around the home. Voicemail on the DUO can be turned on or off which is a plus, many others don’t give the turnoff option. The caller’s caller-ID information comes up with both number AND name, also a big plus over Magicjack and some others.
I’ve used the Obihai and that has also been very good. (Actually it’s been great, especially with Google Voice, but it is a bit more technically involved and therefore not for everyone.) I don’t like Magicjack Plus for a number of reasons (yes, I’ve tried it) although I’ll admit it does work okay for the basics. Ooma just seems too expensive (although it probably works just fine for most) and then they charge you for the optional ‘extras’ that are standards with Nettalk and some others. Vonage is also pricey (although you may be able to get a $10 per month plan through some negotiation or special offer). Still, for only $50 (currently) for a DUO (which includes the device plus the first year of service) and then for only $30 per year after that the DUO is a great bargain as long as it works for you. I always tell friends to try it, and to return it if it doesn’t satisfy them. It is available online and also in-store at some retailers, the latter being places where you can avoid shipping charges.
Being this is generally a positive review for the DUO I feel the need to state that I don’t have any involvement with the company. Nonetheless I’d hate to see them disappear because they supply a great product and service in my opinion. I’d love to hear the experiences of others that have used it. Consider trying one on a trial basis for a couple weeks, then report back here with your favorable or disfavorable comments.
I have had Magic Jack for several years and have become very dissatisfied. The product is unreliable and MJ’s customer service is the worst. I am ready to move to Ooma.
For Gary December 28, 2012 at 2:40 pm
How did you connect the Nettalk Duo to your home telephone wiring?
Pamela Bruner
Nettalk is crap…Crap…Crap. Went back to Vonage on their $10.00 a month plan and get excellent service as well as voice quality. All I did with Nettalk is spend my time re-booting it. Voice quality terrible, worse than terrible…Horrific! Services are non-existent…Save money, time and frustration. Don’t buy it!
Just for the record I don’t usually write reviews, but this company is so bad they need to go bye bye!
I bought a NetTalk Duo a week ago and was impressed by it and the clarity of service. Bought another one 4 days ago to replace my second line. My setup is Netgear router on cable internet. Both Duos plugged into the router. Holding two conversions simultaneously and browsing the internet presented no problems so far. Using both corded and cordless Panasonic and Uniden phones. There seems to be a problem sometimes at the called end with some cordless phones not connecting properly.
I forwarded my current land line to one of the DUOs and forward my cell phone to the other Duo when I am home. All works flawless so far.
I now initiated the number porting process to get rid of the current land line
I will second all the negative opinions. I have used voip service from voipvoip.com and since I was paying $7 a month for phone number with unlimited incoming only calls, thought will give Duo Wifi a trial as I liked the Wifi option.
But it just fails to register on the Wifi and only works using Ethernet cable or USB port connected to a computer. Emailed tech support, a week back, no reply. Hold times are atrocious. Called them at 9:30AM EST (they open at 9am) and I am already called number #31. I choose them over Magicjack as there is a phone number to call for customer service, but if they have like few people to take those calls and the device looks crappy, you can expect why there is these long wait times.
Hopeless and for $65 with first year service, they are just collecting money from one time users and hopefully will shut off soon.
It is best to pay something reasonable to get good service. voipvoip.com is top notch. There website is so well laid out and if you ever need to contact tech support, you can just send emails from your account and they respond within few hours. They also know a lot technically, which I cannot vouch for nettalk as I have not been able to reach one. I doubt they can do much at all.
BIG MISTAKE! Purchased Nettalk Duo Wifi last June. It never worked as a satisfactory phone service. At first I had to reboot the thing every day to keep it online. After weeks of torment and hours waiting to talk to customer service to try and get the thing to work, a service rep got that fixed and it stayed connected. Even then the voices sound wavery and when talking to someone and would drop calls. It became a joke with our friends – “make your point quickly cause this phone will drop us soon”. I decided in August to port back to a reliable service with Comcast. Then the nightmare began as it is now Jan 9 and last night we finally have reliable phones. Comcast claims Nettalk would not respond to requests to release the number. I called Nettalk (long wait) to insist they release the number. I was given a bogus email address to send my request to a 3rd prover service who would release the number. It was kicked back. I bugged Comcast for weeks and they were also at wits end. Nettalk held our phone # hostage all these months. Paid $79 too much and today will return it to Target who will likely not want it but I am giving it back with a formal complaint about the product. Nettalk is a scam!
I at first had trouble with reliability and by chance changed cable modems from ubee to rca (both via TimeWarner). Since installing the rca modem, have not had a single problem.
I am on the side of unhappy customers. I was able to connect w/o a problem, but the device doesn’t stay connected. I nor the support were able to determine what causes it to drop off the network.
Jan, connection dropping could be due to the default lease times in your router. Check the lease times and increase them to the maximum or even better, assign a permanent local IP address to the MAC address of the Duo.
One positive vote for Nettalk Duo WiFi. I picked it over the other services because the net cost is over time appears to be lower.
I installed it and ported my home phone about two months ago. Not one problem since then. I did have to carefully walk through the installation process because the unit was not automatically recognized. Obtaining and entering the IP address worked. Voice quality and background noise are fine.
My guess is that many of the problems people have is with the router or WiFi connections. Of course i have to wait to determine reliability but if you have a stable setup and reliable power simple electronics like this should not fail. I agree there are network reliability issues with VOIP but I have my cell phone for backup if necessary.
If I were to do this again I would consider saving $20 and buy the basic Nettalk unit and then spending the $20 on a four port switch to interface my PC and Nettalk with the Internet router. It would not be as portable as with the Duo WiFi but it may make for a more stable connection. Obviously you do not want to plug in to a computer LAN port permanently because if it goes to sleep or you power down you will lose the phone function.
The worst customer care representatives on earth! They pay crooks to give excellent flawless review of the product to fool the minds of innocent people like me. I’ve learned my bitter lesson, and call me whatever name you want and try your luck with stupid duo. If I could see face to face those crazy people I communicated with, I’ll just give them Mohammed Ali punch to their mouth. They made me stay on the phone for 135 minutes only to tell me trash. I did not use their stupid service for a day and they’re telling me to renew. Renew what!?
This has got to be the worst piece of crap ever made, lousy support ,lousy service , either cuts off or doesn’t work , can’t dial out half the time, don’t get calls incoming ,can’t call toll free numbers. Do not buy this crap
I have never, in my 5 decades on this planet, found customer service as horrible as this. They would not assign a phone number to me for the first 6 months that I owned this unit, because they had no number available in West Virginia. After 6 months, they finally assigned a number to me… from Minnesota… 5 states away!! They continued to charge me for the 6 months that they would not give me a phone number. They refused to credit me for the 6 months. When I complained they vindictively shut my phone off completely! So now I have wasted the $72 purchase price and I only got 2 months of phone service from this stupid box. It is a horrible, unreliable system to begin with, which required rebooting every 2-3 days, but now it is a worthless piece of hardware cluttering up my desk. To say that I am frustrated and angry is an understatement. Customer service is non-existent. When they do answer an email or a phone call, it is patronizing and inappropriate. Expect to wait weeks for a reply to your email complaint and expect 2-4 hours of waiting on hold for a live customer service rep…then they will be ineffective and offer either a misguided or patronizing response. Do not buy this product. Try ANY of the other VOIP services. There are many. Just Google VOIP and you will get a list of services that will do better for you than NetTalk. Two cans and a tight string between them will do a better job than NetTalk.
I bought the NetTalk Duo Wireless. It does NOT work. I ported over my phone number and have been without phone service for over 1 week. Don’t believe all the “Expert” reviews. I really wanted to get rid of my phone company due to outrages fees. I read both good and bad reveiws of the Duo. The Duo doesn’t recognize or remember the IP address that you put in. It doesn’t recognize the wirelss connection. It does not recognize the broadband carrier (big company). I called Tech Support 3 times. The first time was a weekday. There were 80 calls ahead of me, and I didn’t want to wait. The second time, I called on a Sat. about 1 hour before Tech Support closed. There were 80 calls ahead of me, but I needed to get my phone working, so I stayed on hold for over 1 hour. I and was number 60, when I got disconnected from tech support. The third time, I decided to call at 9am just when tech support opened, and I was number 2. I had to use my cell because my Net Talk Duo connection was not working. I was on Tech Support for over 1 hour on my cell phone (lots of overtime minutes used) and they fixed the problem for about 30 min, then my Duo did not work. I decided that if tech support couldn’t fix it I am going to return it. If you insist on getting the Duo anyway, at least get it from and store and not direct from Nettalk. At least with a store, you can return because it won’t work for you either. The best choice would be to use port your landline number to your cell phone. I can’t do it because my mom is 82, and likes to use a regular phone. This company won’t be in business very long, once people give up their landlines and just use their cell.
REALLY REALLY REALLY BAD.
I’ve had it many months, never got the wifi working, send requests for email support that are answered weeks later with a reply that I never replied. I sometimes need to reboot it between calls. It takes minutes before connecting after I’ve dialed, if indeed it manages to connect.
My experience with aNettalk Duo and their customer service was very good. I purchased the non-wifi Duo which came with the first year service. Plugged it directly into my router connected to my ATT 6Mb DSL. Had it about 6 months and never had a problem with it. I am actually very impressed with the quality of the service. I just switched to U-Verse with voice line and plan on porting the phone number to my Nettalk. I plugged my cordless phone into the phone jack and had my phone working in the house. I would definitely try it and make sure you like it before you port your number to it.
with nettalk noone can call in unless they are in saskatchewan. In my opinion it is a complete waste of money..better to put the price into extra cell phone long distance minutes!
Craig
Good luck with porting back to U-verse. It took 5 months for Nettalk to release my number back to Comcast. The most frustrating experience one could have……… I felt like a hostage.
I have been using Nettalk for about 8 months. Or I should say trying to use it for months but it never worked. It drops the connection to my router constantly when other devices have no problem at all, like my smartphones, blu-ray player, apple TV etc. etc. Then I have to restart the router and the Duo wifi and wait for them to connect. My wife or I have to do it at least once a day to stay connected. I can’t even give my home phone to anyone coz it’s not reliable at all. In the beginning I gave this number to few of my friends and contacts but they all complaint that the calls never go through. So, now I use it only for the outgoing calls if I get the dial tone. Some times I get the dial tone but phone does not dial any number. Their customer service is a joke.
Recently Nettalk has cheated to all its existing customers specifically who are calling to India. This company has suddenly added a minute cap of 600 minute/month for India calling. This is setup for existing customers also. I have already paid money for 6 months, still 4 months are left. 600 minutes for $10 is very very costly.
More over unable to talk to their customer service center I have tried two times for about an hour but could not talk after spending 2 hours. I have even opened an issue ticket and nobody is responding from last two days. this is ridiculous.
Looks like nettalk is champion in cheating customers after reading it here. be careful with nettalk.
nettalk is fraud, dont buy. I lost $170 in 2 monthts
When I bought this service last year, it was very good and it was working as advertised. On March 2013(a month back), I renewed my service for whole year by paying 35.47 for US/Canada and 133.78 for International add on. It worked for a month and then suddenly I cannot call India, after waiting for 45 mins in call he asked me to send email to c2 at nettalk. com. I sent they said they reduced the minutes to 600 per month, so its 2 cents per minute but most of other online websites like rebtel lets me call for 1.5 cents. So I asked them to cancel my account and give me a refund, but without notice they cancelled my account and saying that they cannot refund the money.
I sent an email again, saying give me the money or re-enable my account and no reply from them. called today to customer service after waiting for 1 hour and again he asked me to send email to customer support. What a rip off these people, because of me, 3 of my friends bought this plan this year and they also have same problem. We will not continue this service again, I am lookin for justice in some way so i am writing here. Also I am going to write whereever I can.
Please dont buy this, I promise one day you’ll have a problem then you will not be answered by nettalk. I am going to get vonage.
Just got an email this morning :
Dear Valued netTALK Customer,
This notice is to inform you that we were conducting system upgrades to provide clearer call quality, reliability and the ability to add more features to your service in the future. Please note that during the upgrade installations a technical issue has arisen. This has affected in-coming calls in Canada for a small limited group of users which require us to change our phone number provider partner serving Canada. Your ability to receive in-coming calls has been restored.
The fastest and permanent way of restoring your full service is by assigning you with a new phone number, which will allow you to make and receive calls as normal. To see what your new phone number is, please log into your netTALK account manager or see your account information with your new phone number listed below.
netTALK Account #: *****
Username: *****
Phone Number: 1438*******
Note: Because of the change, you will not be able to retain or use your old netTALK phone number. Your newly assigned phone number can be changed free of charge to a more suitable geographical area if needed, or you can transfer your existing landline number. You can make that number change by logging into your account manager. (Your old number may still show up in your account but it will no longer work, you must use your new number.)
Also note: Each affected customer will be credited with 6 months of free service and it will be automatically added to your account within the next few business days!
We apologize for the inconvenience and confusion, thanks for your patience and for being a netTALK Customer.
Sincerely,
netTALK Call Quality Center
****************************************
When logging in to the account manager i dont see the new phone #. Only the old one and i simply cannot change it.
Also both new and old # doesnt receive incoming calls. And of course CS in unreachable.
This is not acceptable.
Wow Medy, that sucks. I haven’t received that email yet. Luckily for us, we just got our Canadian number only in mid-march and haven’t distributed it. So if they did this, I do hope to get a Toronto area and not some other area code as that was the whole point of getting this service.
i’m in Montreal… and there is no phone number available for the area !!! this is crazy !!! Plus, i have to change my contact number for almost everything … i doesn’t worth the 6 free months of service.
I was a happy custommer for almost 2 years … but i definitely consider switching.
My neighbour who got his Nettalk Duo Last june didn’t experience any issues with his Duo… Calls are OK for both incoming and outgoing … and he gets to keep his phone number !!!
Nettalk, how come this affects me when i’ve been a customer for almost 2 years with the same phone number !!!!
This is really not professional, my account expires in november 2013, and i’m already looking for a replacement solution.