VoicePulse, a VoIP Service Provider, announced today the addition of a new “regulatory” fee for it’s customers. In an email sent to account holders, VoicePulse advised that effective on the next billing cycle (in one example this was effective in less than 48 hours), users will be charged an additional fee to offset compliance and regulation costs assessed to the provider. This is the second new fee announced by the carrier this week.
As of this posting (3/10/2010), the provider has not posted these announcements on their website’s press releases, press, or newsletters page. And, although the email indicates the terms of service had been updated, the public version did not include the “regulatory fee” as of this posting.
The announcement follows:
As most of our customers are aware, Voice over IP technology has been the subject of scrutiny by federal, state and municipal bodies for the past several years. During this time, VoicePulse has remained fully compliant on all levels of regulation while providing our customers with high quality, low cost phone service.
Unfortunately, costs incurred by compliance on these inquiries and corresponding legal obligations continue to grow. Each instance of regulation requires more resources on the part of our telecommunications company resulting in increased legal and compliance related expenses.
CHANGES TO YOUR ACCOUNT
Beginning on your next monthly bill cycle (3/12/2010 12:00:00 AM), we will be including a Regulatory Compliance Fee of $2.95 on your VoicePulse for Business and Wholesale account. Our Terms of Service has been updated to reflect above mentioned changes and we advise all customers to review the updated Terms of Service available within your account center. The fee will appear on your invoice as follows:
ITEM/ACCOUNT/REGULATORYCOMPLIANCEFEE
Qty: 1 at $2.95/ea = $2.95We appreciate your continued support and we look forward to serving you in the years to come. As always, our representatives are available by phone at +1-732-339-5100 M-F 9am-5pm ET and email at contact@voicepulse.com.
I just got this same mail.
Funny thing I responded to the $10 mail and at first thought this was a reply only to realize this was instead an additional Fee.
So is the $2.95 included in the $10 or is it actually $12.95?
Byebye Voicepulse! ;( So sad to see good things die.
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I don’t recall seeing a notice like that, though I suppose the spam eater could have got it. But I did just get a nasty letter demanding payment of $22.95 within 14 days, or they’d hand me over to a collection agency. I was a bit surprised, since I hadn’t heard anything from them for several years. I’d once signed up for a $10 phone number, but I’d never actually found anyone that would use it rather than my cell number. So I looked around voicepulse.com for a way to terminate the account – and I couldn’t find any mention of it anywhere.
I did sign in to my account, to see if there was a “terminate” option anywhere, but found that the account is suspended, and they won’t show me anything.
So I’ll call them, and let them know that I’m not paying them anything, since I don’t want to be getting bills like this for the rest of my life. I’ll also do a bit of googling for possible forum discussions of this issue, and post a few messages. I suppose we should be getting the news out.
For what it’s worth, VoicePulse has unfair billing practices. VoicePulse connect their PAYG plan has a $20 penalty if you account reaches a zero balance, on top of that they will ‘refill’ your account with a $50 debit to your credit card. As a loyal customer I requested they waive the fee, they refused to I took my business elsewhere, I suggest you all do the same!