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8x8

8x8 Review: VoIP

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Rating:
Bottom Line:
 Great customer service and no area code needed for local calls, but plans are pricey
Full Review:
 8x8, aka Packet8, is a VoIP provider which seems to offer a compelling twist: instead of the boring, old VoIP adapter you get from most companies, you can opt for a Uniden cordless phone with VoIP adapter handset. Now, you can still get the VoIP adapter, but the idea of a new phone sounded like fun to us. This review will focus on our experience with that phone.

While it's not exactly a scientific law, there seems to be a relationship between the quality of a product and how easy it is to remove said product from the package. On the one hand, there's the Apple iPhone: easy to unbox and fun to use. On the other hand there's the Uniden cordless VoIP phone that comes from 8x8. It arrived in a giant plastic blisterpack that required a jackknife and several minutes to open. Not only is all that plastic bad news for the environment, it nearly cut open the hands of our reviewer.

Once it was out of the plastic, setup was remarkably easy. That's the good news. Sadly, the call quality on this cordless phone is substandard. It's hard to say if it's the service or the phone, though we're betting on the latter. It sounded staticky and canned.

Taking the phone out of the equation, there are a few things we can say specifically about the service. On the plus side, it's the only VoIP provider we found that allows for seven-digit calling. That means that for local calls, you won't need to type in the area code (an annoyance we've found with other VoIP providers). There was also a much shorter delay between dialing and ringing than we encountered with some other services. On the minus side, it lacks the enormous feature set that some providers offer. It's limited to the basics like call waiting, voicemail, and caller ID blocking.

All this comes in at a pretty high price point, with some pretty high cancelation fees. Unlimited calls in the US and Canada will cost you $24.99 per month with a $29.99 setup fee, which locks you into a 12-month contract. There's better pricing if you pay upfront, but at $239.99 with a $29.99 setup fee, it feels like too much. The global plan is really too expensive at $39.99 per month, with the same setup fee. Of course you get free equipment, and in the case of the phone, you get what you pay for.

There is a 30-day money back guarantee, which is good because the cancelation fees are pretty high, and there's no pro-rated refund on the annual plan. You'll pay at least $59.99 to cancel after 30 days, and the terms of service indicate you'll probably pay a rebate recovery fee on the equipment too (a $40.00 value).

We will close on a positive note. The US-based customer service was great, and they were very friendly. They did a lot to try and accommodate us, which we appreciate.

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Service Details:

Plans: Unlimited: $24.99
Unlimited Global: $39.99; $239.99 annual
Setup Fees: $29.99 plus approx. $15 S&H
$ Back Guarantee & Cancel Policy: Free to cancel within 30 days or $59.99 after 30 days†, no prorated refund for annual plan
Promotions: 1 year unlimited saves $60 on regular unlimited plan; Free phone system after rebate
Countries Included: USA, Canada; Also have international plan to 40 countries

†See review for additional charges that may apply to cancelations after guarantee period

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