It seems that clients are now being charged to add mobile users. That is to add additional extensions that can receive phone calls. This is after we were repeatedly told that there was no additional charges to add these. Feels like bait and switch, since true pricing is withheld until after the purchase. Why?? Simultaneously, new users are getting FREE phones offered to them. Why?? Really bad for customer relations, customer retention, and public relations
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110 Points
- Decieved
Posted 2 years ago
J.B. Ferguson, Champion
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37,416 Points
DISCLAIMER - I am NOT a RingCentral employee! I've been a RingCentral customer for a long while and have received and understood the information I am providing below.
Customers are not being charged to simply add extensions that can receive calls. There is more to it than that. In a nutshell, many were using the mobile app or desktop app with that "added extension" to bypass purchasing a user license. With it they could log on the mobile app using the account's main number + their extension number to make and receive calls. It certainly is not bait and switch. RingCentral's prices are plainly listed on their web site and/or if you are paying on a contract, it was spelled out in the terms there.
If you are a business with 100 employees and all the employees use a phone in their job to make and/or receive call, either via a desk phone, or computer app (mobile or desktop) you would need to purchase an account with a incoming/outgoing line for those 100 users...namely 100 digital, direct dial lines (DDL's) capable of making/receiving those calls. You cannot purchase a single user license and then create 99 free extensions and then use the main number with those extension numbers and a computer app (mobile or desktop) to bypass the system.
Just like your home phone, if you want two people in the household the ability to be able to make two separate phone calls at the same time, your POTS phone company will charge you monthly for two lines. Straight forward...no bait and switch. Why should RingCentral be any different as a phone service provider?
The way the technology works in the mobile and desktop apps seems to suggest there is no way to prohibit the activity I mentioned in the previous paragraphs (using a free extension to bypass purchasing a user line).
The FREE phones offered to new accounts is a sales perk. Not all users get them (there are always restrictions to something....like the length of the contract, the number of lines, the product edition purchased, etc.).
This has been widely discussed in the forums but much misinformation and supposition abound. Did you inquire about this with your account manager or RingCentral sales before posting?
Customers are not being charged to simply add extensions that can receive calls. There is more to it than that. In a nutshell, many were using the mobile app or desktop app with that "added extension" to bypass purchasing a user license. With it they could log on the mobile app using the account's main number + their extension number to make and receive calls. It certainly is not bait and switch. RingCentral's prices are plainly listed on their web site and/or if you are paying on a contract, it was spelled out in the terms there.
If you are a business with 100 employees and all the employees use a phone in their job to make and/or receive call, either via a desk phone, or computer app (mobile or desktop) you would need to purchase an account with a incoming/outgoing line for those 100 users...namely 100 digital, direct dial lines (DDL's) capable of making/receiving those calls. You cannot purchase a single user license and then create 99 free extensions and then use the main number with those extension numbers and a computer app (mobile or desktop) to bypass the system.
Just like your home phone, if you want two people in the household the ability to be able to make two separate phone calls at the same time, your POTS phone company will charge you monthly for two lines. Straight forward...no bait and switch. Why should RingCentral be any different as a phone service provider?
The way the technology works in the mobile and desktop apps seems to suggest there is no way to prohibit the activity I mentioned in the previous paragraphs (using a free extension to bypass purchasing a user line).
The FREE phones offered to new accounts is a sales perk. Not all users get them (there are always restrictions to something....like the length of the contract, the number of lines, the product edition purchased, etc.).
This has been widely discussed in the forums but much misinformation and supposition abound. Did you inquire about this with your account manager or RingCentral sales before posting?
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272 Points
We had ring central about 10 years ago for a period of about 4 years for a business we owned at the time and had it set up this way. A couple of years ago we got 2 accounts for 2 businesses we currently own and were assured by the "chat" on the home page that setting it up this way was fine. And on several occasions our account manager helped us set these up. Its hard to see it as anything other than a money grab by the company.
"Why should ring central be any different?" We got ring central because we thought it was different. If its not any different, why should we be using it?
Instead of being happy ringcentral customers who encourage other small business owners to use it, we are now going to be looking at options to see if we can find a more affordable solution.
"Why should ring central be any different?" We got ring central because we thought it was different. If its not any different, why should we be using it?
Instead of being happy ringcentral customers who encourage other small business owners to use it, we are now going to be looking at options to see if we can find a more affordable solution.
Saadet, Employee
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67,790 Points
Hi Heather,
I've escalated this to your Account Manager. You should be hearing from them soon!
I've escalated this to your Account Manager. You should be hearing from them soon!
Chris Duquette, Champion
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16,778 Points
I had tech support help me out with call flow issues with a call queue which did not have the flexibility my customer needed build me an extension that had all real users of the account (paid premium users) in it to handle call flow and set hours and overflow better. This was brought up and built by a ringcentral partner tech support agent. After being contacted by another customer and they have the same setup and now a billing issue which i had to have set straight by my account manager. This seems like RingCentral should be able to tell if calls are being directed away from or to unpaid freeloading extensions or to true paid user extensions.
Saadet, Employee
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68,042 Points
Hey Chris, really sorry this happened :( Could you email me the details of the Accounts involved and who you spoke with? My email is: community.support@ringcentral.com
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104 Points
You are wrong my friend!! After more than 10 years of being ringcentral customer we were charged 250 bucks for "Mobile User" which is ridiculous as we dont know what is it, When we contracted (more than 10 years ago) that was offered as a "follow me", "find me" and a free app. It looks like all these service names have changed the name, the name RC called them and suddenly want to charge us 250 bucks for a "service" that we did not know it even exists!!! I will dispute it tomorrow or close the account. We have only one ringcentral softphone or software downloaded in only one pc to send faxes out, one RC phone device where we receive incoming calls, however, they charged us three mobile users without any advice!!...Steal somewhere else
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2,090 Points
Good luck, we were able to stay with Ring Central but had to revamp our whole set up because as a telephone answering service we get 13,000 calls a month
Chris Duquette, Champion
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16,778 Points
I had a customer remove my ( their vendor / the person who sold them RC) extension because they misunderstood the email and charges that would be applied and thought they'd be charged for me having an extension on the system even though my extension neither makes or takes calls for them.
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82 Points
I just reviewed our RC billing statement to find two new charges for July and August 2019 for mobile usage even though we changed nothing in our system. All of a sudden in the last 60 days we are being billed $44.99 (ref #9805770012). Why are we being billed these again. The same thing happened last year and tech support changed everything in my setup so we would not be charged those fees.
(Edited)
Saadet, Employee
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67,790 Points
Hey Noah, you will want to speak with your Account Manager to get more info about your bill. If you don't have their contact info, let me know!
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82 Points
I have called my account manager Nowell E. Sincioco
at (877) 370-8000 Ext.0617 a half dozen times and he never answers. I left a detailed voice mail (says he never got it, what a joke from a company that creates phone systems), sent him a half dozen emails (nowell.sincioco@ringcentral.com ) about these charges but nothing has been done in over a month.
He's emailed me back several times asking for a good time to reach me but never calls at any of the times I provide. He has not been helping me at all. He is the worst account manager I've ever endured. I would like a new account manager. I even provided my personal Direct Google Phone number to make sure I don't miss his call. It rings all of my phones, home, work, cell and he has never called me. I'm so upset at his lack of service I'm seriously considering switching all my services to phone.com and I'll deal with all of the hassles of changing providers.
He's emailed me back several times asking for a good time to reach me but never calls at any of the times I provide. He has not been helping me at all. He is the worst account manager I've ever endured. I would like a new account manager. I even provided my personal Direct Google Phone number to make sure I don't miss his call. It rings all of my phones, home, work, cell and he has never called me. I'm so upset at his lack of service I'm seriously considering switching all my services to phone.com and I'll deal with all of the hassles of changing providers.
Saadet, Employee
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67,790 Points
Hey Noah, I'm very sorry about this. I sent you an email with some more info. Hopefully our Executive Response Team will get things taken care of quickly!
Luke, Training Specialist
We have answered some Frequently Asked Questions about Mobile Users as well. If you have further questions, there is a number for sales on the FAQ page you can call so we can look at your account and users in more detail.
OnCallAnswer
Saadet, Employee
Evelyn Santiago
Saadet, Employee
Really sorry for this frustration. I've followed up with your Account Manager and asked that they contact you as soon as they are available.
Evelyn Santiago
Saadet, Employee
Eryn Phipps
You are listed as a "channel partner." Does this mean you are a channel partner with Ring Central? Either, you are: 1) A channel partner ("A company that partners with a manufacturer or producer to market and sell the manufacturer's products, services, or technologies") or 2) You're unfamiliar with the term "bait and switch." Let me provide you with an example from Merriam-Webster: "A sales tactic in which a customer is attracted by the advertisement of a low-priced item but is then encouraged to buy a higher-priced one." We are a small start-up and researched potential VOIPs extensively before choosing one. We chose Ring Central over 8x8 (at that time) because we were informed by our rep that there would only need to pay for 1 line, and that there would be "no charge" for staff using their mobile phones. We were then told, as was everyone else (AFTER we purchased and started using the system); that, in order to use the same basic call features, we would HAVE to pay $54.99 per month if staff were going to "use" their extensions to make or place calls. I have some staff who literally work 5 hours/week. I'd be "losing money" by paying $54.99/month per part-time staff member. We provide in-home services are not a high phone use company. Why in the world would I pay that, when I can literally buy cell phones for everyone for less? Ring Central said they raised the price because soft phone users can now access all of the features (i.e., new, "fancy" features) of a regular line. That's nice, but I didn't "ask" for the new features. We just need a BASIC phone system. I find it ironic that Ring Central is now charging me extra for features THEY decided to spend R&D $ on, that I didn't ask for, and don't need; however, I'm now being required to pay for those added features and not being given the option to "opt out" of the "added features" we don't need. So, we were told and sold one thing, and later told we'd have to pay 100% more per extension to use it. That IS the epitome of bait and switch. If anyone else has found a reasonably priced HIPAA-compliant VOIP to replace Ring Central, please share this information with us - because we're currently looking for one. Thank you!
Steven Suslick
Eryn Phipps
Steven Suslick