Costco has the Ooma for $179 in the store and $199 online. With the online version you get the Bluetooth dongle ($30) included and $50 of international long distance credit. You can put Ooma before your router or plugged into your router. You do not get charged an "unexplained fee", it is the government taxes. I have had Vonage, T-Mobile@home, Broadvoice, and Ooma works fine, just as well as the others.
Im thinking of dumping AT&T Uverse VOIP phone and saving those $30, or maybe putting those towards the premium channels (HBO, Starz, Showtime). My mother didnt like the way the Ooma sounded.... she said it sounded a bit distand and dull. Not as sharp with little high. How does the call quality compare between Telo and regular Ooma from a few years ago? Thanks.
Also if you buy the older Hub+Scout combination you don't have to pay the regulatory fees and get more voicemail options w/o buying premiere service. They should tell the full story.
@BetoTheButcher oh. well i wouldn't know the call quality between telo and hub, but compared to uverse quality, it sounds exactly the same if not better. So if your uverse sounds better than the hub, get the telo.
@RhunDraco I haven't decided between Vonage and Ooma yet, myself, but CostCo does have the Ooma Telo currently for less than $200 USD (179, I believe).
@BetoTheButcher I came from Uverse voip. I had ooma since january/2010. I bought mine from costco for only $250 and it came with $100 in ooma credit which you can use to purchase ooma features like premier or intl calling. . IF you want to keep your old number ooma charges $40 to port your number as a one time fee. So basically i paid $290 for this and since att charges $360/yr for their service. So basically this thing pays for itself within the first year. THe call quality i thought was better
So you're saying I can plug Ooma into my phone jack and then plug the actual phone into any other phone jack in the house? Or does it have to be connected only to the device? Also, when you call someone, does the person you call hear the musical tone or are you saying that I hear the tone when they pick up? I would prefer I heard the tone not them so that I don't have to explain it each time I call someone.
I bought Ooma for $99 over Black Friday weekend... (on Ooma's direct website). It was regularly $149.99. After purchasing, I saw that Costco had advertised over email that same $99.99 deal INCLUDING the the wifi extender and free shipping over Black Friday (but it was a "while supplies last" deal...). Anyway, it's more affordable than it was in the past... (it was $300 when this video was published)
only you hear the tone. but you can always change the oma dial tone to the regular dial tone. & yes you can connect any cord or cordless phone to the Ooma device.
Opting out of Premier Service ($9.99/mo) is EASY. It's a simple box to check. Actually, the monthly fees have nothing to do with Ooma - they are state & federal taxes which everyone has to pay regardless.
It's now 2015, and Ooma is still around. I have just cut my digital cable phone service and moved to Ooma. Even with the taxes and fee's this is still 60x cheaper than Rogers Home Phone.
I have had Nettalk for 7 months now and it has given trouble since day one and nettalk cannot fix the problems. Very unreliable! At least in area code 828 zip 28645. I am going to try Ooma before I give up on VOIP.
@simpsonstewie Right. I have Ooma for my bedroom. I was wondering about the call quality between Ooma Hub vs. Ooma Telo. I have the older model (white one with pink lights), but the new Ooma Telo has the black finish. Ooma vs. Ooma Telo (fight!) The main house has AT&T Uverse Voip. My bedroom has Ooma. Im thinking of getting Ooma telo for the house and keeping my Ooma (old model) in my bedroom with its own dedicated line. The original Ooma sounded dull and my mother didnt like it.
This is a well done review of this ooma voip service now i can make an educated decision. Most of the other so-called reviews are just annoying sales pitches pushing you to buy this ooma product without any solid pros and cons observations. Keep up the good work guys. Great review!!!
Thanks for this review. Price has dropped quite a bit, which makes it more attractive. Thanks for mentioning the pitfalls and business model. As with all things tech, there is a risk of owning a useless gadget with the passage of time.
the regulatory fees are nothing. This thing is the best value for an IP phone. Yes a magic jacl is cheaper but it has to be connected to a PC thats on and sound quality is so so. Vonage, comcast etc all charge way more per month than you'll ever spend for the ooma. Really happy with the device. Even with the premiere service its cheaper than a landline or other IP services. Vonage might be better if you make a lot of international calls.
@VideoGuyNC I pay about 60 dollars a year for skype and 40 dollars a month to 24 meg cable internet and never have a single problem unless we have a bad storm and my cable cuts out. And if that happens I have a tracfone in my pocket. you pay 720 a year if you don't make any long distance calls and don't get jacked with fees. I pay 540 a year, free long distance, and have a pretty damn fast connection. Surf, netflix, and talk all at once with no problem.
@RhunDraco I've had Vonage which is a monthly fee. It's okay but Ooma is cheaper and the call quality is much better. Do a search on: Ooma named the best home phone service by Consumer Reports. Posted: 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 22, 2011 by Clark Howard Website. I also have Magic Jack as a backup for traveling. It's easier to pack.
i have a ooma when i make out going call the persons on the outhe end says the line breaks up i'am in route to find why this is happening all in all i like it a one time buying cost and the taxes every month i'am happy
every phone service (AT&T, Comcast, Vonage, Verizon ect.) has to pay taxes and fees. BECAUSE they are listed as a phone service. That's the only reason these taxes are charged. If these services didn't charge these taxes they will get shut down eventually.
Do you pronounce 'telophone' like 'teelow-phone'? No... so why are you calling Omma Telo an Omma 'Tee-low'.... it's Ooma Telo.... Telo just like in telophone. Also... without paying the regulatory fees you wouldn't have the ability for 911 service. If you want absolutely free service, go with Obihai and Google Voice.... no 911 service, but no monthly bills, simply a one time payment for hardware and setup.
Magic Jack is crap compared to Ooma. I wouldn't recommend the new Ooma telo though. This new model takes away all the features that was free from the 1st gen system and charges an arm and a leg. Get the orignal model. I have the orignal model and it worked like a charm.
I have Vonage and watched this video. Vonage wins hands down. All the features you pay for with Ooma is included with Vonage, Vonage modem is free, cost per month is $25. This covers many months when you consider the up front cost of Ooma. Another great thins is that Vonage has a deal where you get the first three months at half price.
omma is way better then vonage! lol, you can pay that $25 month, if you think its so great and that silly 'first 3 months at half price' LOL! what a laugh, after a year you end up paying MORE with vonage then ooma! LOL! nice trollin on ooma, didnt work!
Magic Jack, not $300, it's $99 (Jack plus first year. Look on line for deals as low as $69), No computer needed and $20 every year there after. ROCK ON!
I tried Ooma and within 2 weeks I had a massive failure, a circuit board problem probably, and I returned the unit to Amazon. I Googled that problem and it is fairly common failure. I will try Ooma again , however, when the reliability issues have been resolved. Ooma worked great for the two weeks! I spent a lifetime in electronics. Google adobekid1 or 1adobekid. The ONLY way I would buy one again now would be with a lifetime warranty!
Ooma is a ripoff service. They are making a killing selling bricks. The box fails after only weeks to a few months, there is no guarantee, and the setup is nearly impossible.
I watched in Jan of 2021 and Ooma is still here. :)
Costco has the Ooma for $179 in the store and $199 online. With the online version you get the Bluetooth dongle ($30) included and $50 of international long distance credit. You can put Ooma before your router or plugged into your router. You do not get charged an "unexplained fee", it is the government taxes. I have had Vonage, T-Mobile@home, Broadvoice, and Ooma works fine, just as well as the others.
What about data mining ? What info do they collect and sell ?
Im thinking of dumping AT&T Uverse VOIP phone and saving those $30, or maybe putting those towards the premium channels (HBO, Starz, Showtime). My mother didnt like the way the Ooma sounded.... she said it sounded a bit distand and dull. Not as sharp with little high.
How does the call quality compare between Telo and regular Ooma from a few years ago? Thanks.
What if you have multiple phones in your house.
Also if you buy the older Hub+Scout combination you don't have to pay the regulatory fees and get more voicemail options w/o buying premiere service. They should tell the full story.
Very thorough review. I think I'll order the Ooma. Thanks!
Great review.
I bought 3 of these and they work out of the box fine.
@BetoTheButcher oh. well i wouldn't know the call quality between telo and hub, but compared to uverse quality, it sounds exactly the same if not better. So if your uverse sounds better than the hub, get the telo.
@erminthon It's for state & federal taxes which everyone has to pay regardless.
@RhunDraco I haven't decided between Vonage and Ooma yet, myself, but CostCo does have the Ooma Telo currently for less than $200 USD (179, I believe).
@BetoTheButcher I came from Uverse voip. I had ooma since january/2010. I bought mine from costco for only $250 and it came with $100 in ooma credit which you can use to purchase ooma features like premier or intl calling. . IF you want to keep your old number ooma charges $40 to port your number as a one time fee. So basically i paid $290 for this and since att charges $360/yr for their service. So basically this thing pays for itself within the first year. THe call quality i thought was better
So you're saying I can plug Ooma into my phone jack and then plug the actual phone into any other phone jack in the house? Or does it have to be connected only to the device? Also, when you call someone, does the person you call hear the musical tone or are you saying that I hear the tone when they pick up? I would prefer I heard the tone not them so that I don't have to explain it each time I call someone.
give it a try. you'll love it.
I bought Ooma for $99 over Black Friday weekend... (on Ooma's direct website). It was regularly $149.99. After purchasing, I saw that Costco had advertised over email that same $99.99 deal INCLUDING the the wifi extender and free shipping over Black Friday (but it was a "while supplies last" deal...). Anyway, it's more affordable than it was in the past... (it was $300 when this video was published)
Thanks...I actually already got it a few months ago and it's working great.
Very thorough review. Excellent presentation and demonstration.
That was an excellent review!
hey nice review and happy new year!
only you hear the tone. but you can always change the oma dial tone to the regular dial tone. & yes you can connect any cord or cordless phone to the Ooma device.
Opting out of Premier Service ($9.99/mo) is EASY. It's a simple box to check.
Actually, the monthly fees have nothing to do with Ooma - they are state & federal taxes which everyone has to pay regardless.
It's now 2015, and Ooma is still around. I have just cut my digital cable phone service and moved to Ooma. Even with the taxes and fee's this is still 60x cheaper than Rogers Home Phone.
its 2022, ooma still going strong! :-)
@@karmendimas5274 and fast forward today I left Ooma too but it was by choice. Nothing they did.
can i fax with ooma basic phone line.
yes
I have had Nettalk for 7 months now and it has given trouble since day one and nettalk cannot fix the problems. Very unreliable! At least in area code 828 zip 28645. I am going to try Ooma before I give up on VOIP.
No you do have to pay 3.50 cents a month for taxes or 9.99 a month if you have premier
@simpsonstewie Right. I have Ooma for my bedroom. I was wondering about the call quality between Ooma Hub vs. Ooma Telo. I have the older model (white one with pink lights), but the new Ooma Telo has the black finish.
Ooma vs. Ooma Telo (fight!)
The main house has AT&T Uverse Voip. My bedroom has Ooma. Im thinking of getting Ooma telo for the house and keeping my Ooma (old model) in my bedroom with its own dedicated line. The original Ooma sounded dull and my mother didnt like it.
It's 2018 & Ooma is still around- this video was posted Jan 2010...thank goodness "infoNOTmercial" was wrong about that
@theboarman Ooma doesnt need a computer to be on though.
This is a well done review of this ooma voip service now i can make an educated decision. Most of the other so-called reviews are just annoying sales pitches pushing you to buy this ooma product without any solid pros and cons observations. Keep up the good work guys. Great review!!!
yes, you can. but with basic you'd need to do either or. the phone or fax machine. it cant be both at the same time unless you get the Ooma Linx.
@erminthon regulatory fees, state taxes, & so on.
Thanks for this review. Price has dropped quite a bit, which makes it more attractive. Thanks for mentioning the pitfalls and business model. As with all things tech, there is a risk of owning a useless gadget with the passage of time.
This was a very informative product review - thank you!
heres link to old ooma core system
the regulatory fees are nothing. This thing is the best value for an IP phone. Yes a magic jacl is cheaper but it has to be connected to a PC thats on and sound quality is so so. Vonage, comcast etc all charge way more per month than you'll ever spend for the ooma. Really happy with the device. Even with the premiere service its cheaper than a landline or other IP services. Vonage might be better if you make a lot of international calls.
@VideoGuyNC I pay about 60 dollars a year for skype and 40 dollars a month to 24 meg cable internet and never have a single problem unless we have a bad storm and my cable cuts out. And if that happens I have a tracfone in my pocket. you pay 720 a year if you don't make any long distance calls and don't get jacked with fees. I pay 540 a year, free long distance, and have a pretty damn fast connection. Surf, netflix, and talk all at once with no problem.
Magicjack is complete garbage. I like my Ooma, the only thing I am not happy with is the second line requires the handset
@RhunDraco I've had Vonage which is a monthly fee. It's okay but Ooma is cheaper and the call quality is much better. Do a search on: Ooma named the best home phone service by Consumer Reports. Posted: 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 22, 2011 by Clark Howard Website.
I also have Magic Jack as a backup for traveling. It's easier to pack.
AGREED!! ooma does have the best quality, i had them all, vonage, MJ, you name it! stuck with ooma for 14 years!
excellent review but i vote for Magic jack. Ooma may be gone in a few years.
its 2022, and ooma still going strong, id be afraid MJ will be gone soon
The Ooma Telo is not $300 anymore. It's $80. On Amazon.
i have a ooma when i make out going call the persons on the outhe end says the line breaks up i'am in route to find why this is happening all in all i like it a one time buying cost and the taxes every month i'am happy
every phone service (AT&T, Comcast, Vonage, Verizon ect.) has to pay taxes and fees. BECAUSE they are listed as a phone service. That's the only reason these taxes are charged. If these services didn't charge these taxes they will get shut down eventually.
@theboarman Magic Jacks get their internet via usb- so they don't work when the computer isn't on. How annoying.
Do you pronounce 'telophone' like 'teelow-phone'? No... so why are you calling Omma Telo an Omma 'Tee-low'.... it's Ooma Telo.... Telo just like in telophone.
Also... without paying the regulatory fees you wouldn't have the ability for 911 service. If you want absolutely free service, go with Obihai and Google Voice.... no 911 service, but no monthly bills, simply a one time payment for hardware and setup.
Magic Jack is crap compared to Ooma. I wouldn't recommend the new Ooma telo though. This new model takes away all the features that was free from the 1st gen system and charges an arm and a leg. Get the orignal model. I have the orignal model and it worked like a charm.
There's a good comparison of Ooma vs Vonage vs MagicJack vs Skype on Michael Bluejey's site, do a google search for 'michael bluejay ooma'
I have Vonage and watched this video.
Vonage wins hands down. All the features you pay for with Ooma is included with Vonage, Vonage modem is free, cost per month is $25. This covers many months when you consider the up front cost of Ooma.
Another great thins is that Vonage has a deal where you get the first three months at half price.
omma is way better then vonage! lol, you can pay that $25 month, if you think its so great and that silly 'first 3 months at half price' LOL! what a laugh, after a year you end up paying MORE with vonage then ooma! LOL! nice trollin on ooma, didnt work!
Great Review!
Thank You!
Magic Jack, not $300, it's $99 (Jack plus first year. Look on line for deals as low as $69), No computer needed and $20 every year there after. ROCK ON!
@thedarkyobo wow people are still responding to this lol, i sent this almost a year ago
well, they click on 'reply' and hit the reply button, lol
No interest
how do you change the ooma dial tone to a regular tone, i dont believe you. Betty BS
go into devices and selece the device and then do the drop down to regular tone, i did it ,, i hate that ooma musical tone..
Magicjack is complete garbage. Who wants to keep their computer on 24/7 to make calls and install crappy software on you computer.
I tried Ooma and within 2 weeks I had a massive failure, a circuit board problem probably, and I returned the unit to Amazon. I Googled that problem and it is fairly common failure. I will try Ooma again , however, when the reliability issues have been resolved. Ooma worked great for the two weeks! I spent a lifetime in electronics. Google adobekid1 or 1adobekid. The ONLY way I would buy one again now would be with a lifetime warranty!
this is a rip off, get magicjack
MJ is a Rip off! THEY ARE DEAD!
Ooma is a ripoff service. They are making a killing selling bricks. The box fails after only weeks to a few months, there is no guarantee, and the setup is nearly impossible.
they have a warranty, just face it, probably alot of what you touch turns to crap anyway, your a misfit!
Ooma is worse phone company.
And worse customer service
your just the WORST OOMA USER !
A CON.
who, YOU a con? sorry to hear that