Phone Power Reviews
Phone Power Review by WhichVoIP
Phone Power was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Winnetka, California. The core focus of Phone Power is providing low cost VoIP phone service to homes and small businesses across the USA and Canada.
The Good
The Phone Power flagship service plan includes unlimited calling to USA and Canada plus 60 minutes free international calling per month to over 75 countries. There is also a plan for unlimited International calling which competes very favorably with Vonage. Pricing is highly competitive and there are not many other providers that offer such aggressive pricing.
Included in the unlimited calling plan are 45+ calling features, a free second (cloned) line, free equipment lease (phone adaptor), and free activation when you sign up online. The best features, in our opinion, are Voicemail to email, fax catcher which offers free incoming fax, and simultaneous ring which ensures you never miss an important call.
Phone Power has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, allowing hassle free upgrades, downgrades or cancellation. Customer service, sales and support are 100% USA based and support is available 7 days per week via phone, live chat and email.
The call quality has always been good when we have tested this at WhichVoIP.com. However this is true for most providers these days, and often poorer quality calls are a result of setup issues or poor Internet service.
The Bad
If you are not willing to pre-pay for service over 1 year or 2 year terms, the price per month jumps up significantly, over 200% in fact.
Another negative is the cancellation policy if you are outside 30 days and have not completed your contract should you sign up for a 1 year or 2 year plan. The cancellation fee is $99 or the cost of the remaining months left on your contract, whichever is less.
Phone Power does not offer outgoing Internet based fax service (i.e. efax). This is a slight negative in that some other providers do include this service free of charge. However it does support the T.38 protocol meaning you can send and receive faxes using a traditional fax machine.
Most providers have what is called a maximum usage when it comes to unlimited phone plans. Phonepower is no exception, but the maximum usage is 5,000 minutes which is very high. After 5,000 minutes, the price is 2c/min for USA/CAN calls.
Finally, if you choose the 2 year term note that even though the second year of service is free, you are still required to pay the service taxes and regulatory fees for the second year which tend to be in the $3 to $5 range per month. This is fairly standard these days but worth highlighting as sometimes our visitors have been shocked at this when the second year comes along.
The Bottom Line
- Cost: $5.99/month for the first 2 years of service (pre-paid) for unlimited calling USA/CAN plus 60 minutes per month free International calls. Note this is assuming you use the WhichVoIP special rate. If you go direct, it costs $8.33 per month. If you want month-to-month pricing rather than a contract the price jumps up to $19.95/month.
- International: Unlimited USA/CAN plans include 60 minutes of free International calls to over 75 countries. If you need more than this you can pay the additional rate for the country you are calling or jump to the World Plus plan. This plan offers unlimited calling to over 75 countries.
- The ATA adapter that you connect your phone to is free of charge. However, shipping costs $14.95 for the ATA.
Overall Thoughts
Phone Power is a very decent service and if you are willing to pay for the 2 year contract, the pricing is very aggressive. If you must do month-to-month plans there are likely better options for you. The feature set is excellent, and covers all of the main features you would ever want and more.
Take advantage of the WhichVoIP special rate for the 2 year pre-pay plan as it will save you over $50 for a 2 year term.
All User Reviews (Page 1 of 27)
Phone Power reviews are listed in chronological order.
Long time user, time to move on...
(2.4)
Number 261 : FEB 7th, 2024 : Jeff
Recommended: No
AVERAGE:
QUALITY:
RELIABILITY:
SUPPORT:
FEATURES:
VALUE:
I've been a PhonePower customer since 2009. In the beginning, support was fantastic and the service was high quality for
a reasonable price. The cloned line feature allows you to have up to 2 lines/calls active at one time which is nice (your
phone adapter must support it). However, it is now 2024.
Over the years the website slowed down and sections of it (like the invoice and payments page) began to fail. It is an
old website but still gives you the ability to manage the service. I usually use the website to delete old voicemails.
Okay, the site being old technology is a nit.
But let's move on to the BYOD. I selected a replacement device from the list of supported equipment (Grandstream
replacing an old Linksys). During the provisioning process, the PhonePower setup process would only activate one of the 2
lines - the clone line would not get setup correctly. I contacted support and got a live person - awesome! And they
knew what they were doing - double awesome! However, it became apparent that the only way we were going to get both of
my lines active was to do a manual configuration. And since every adapter is slightly different, the best they could do
is provide me with a few basic settings. It was enough to get both lines working. But here's the catch: since it was
manually configured, PhonePower won't provide support. That means that if you have problems with your adapter or your
adapter stops working after PhonePower does periodic maintenance, you get zero help. I've tweaked the settings on the
Grandstream several times, each time requesting help from PhonePower and sending in log information to help troubleshoot
why my adapter stops taking and making calls after a PhonePower maintenance event - no reply; no help. I have to restart
my adapter to reconnect. So, support has gone downhill. I used to be able to get assistance, even with a manual configuration, but no more.
Then in 2024, got another surprise. My service just renewed. I mentioned earlier that the payment and invoice section of
their site doesn't work (at least not consistently). So, my annual service that is about $100 for the service suddenly
was over $230. To be fair, my prior years with fees was around $180. When I asked the billing department why my service
went up over 33% in 2 years, they replied that it was due to Federal fees. Really? Federal fees went up 33%? Nope. I
managed to get a copy of my invoice. The largest fees were not the Federal fees, rather it was a combination of things - a huge recovery fee, a PhonePower added fee for administrative cost recovery, and an error in sales tax calculation. I compared it to my mobile phone bill - it had all but the administrative cost recovery fees, but at a fraction of what
PhonePower was passing through. The billing department's response was that VOIP versus Mobile isn't a good comparison since
the rules are slightly different. Sorry, but it is a perfect comparison. The fees are out of whack on how they are
allocated. Oh, and that administrative cost recovery fee from PhonePower - that was added to help PhonePower cover its
various filings, general account servicing, and record maintenance. Um, what? You are tacking on a service fee to cover the costs that are a typical cost of business and should be covered under the service plan!?!
So, to sum it up, support is a shadow of what it used to be, fees and taxes will more than double your quoted phone plan,
they tack on extra charges to cover their typical expenses as though they were a co-op or a non-profit instead of a for
profit business. I expect 2024 will be my last year with PhonePower.
Comment on this review >>
Why did i stay with these folks!
(1.2)
Number 260 : AUG 2nd, 2021 : Anil
Recommended: No
AVERAGE:
QUALITY:
RELIABILITY:
SUPPORT:
FEATURES:
VALUE:
They do NOT let you know when a contract is expired so they can switch you to monthly.
My account has gone from unlimited to 60 minutes a month on some of the international countries included.
Equipment is OLD, clarity of calls is TERRIBLE.
Comment on this review >>
Good price. Bad: caller ID, speed dial
(1)
Number 259 : MAY 30th, 2021 : DAVID
Recommended: Yes
AVERAGE:
QUALITY:
RELIABILITY:
SUPPORT:
FEATURES:
VALUE:
I have been a happy PhonePower customer for many years. Yet 2 years ago the caller ID stopped working. A very useful
feature. A dozen calls always got the same response: working on the problem, no forecast for resolution. NEVER FIXED.
2 months ago the speed dial add/delete function would in error delete all speed dials. STILL NO FIX.
And the website is SLOW, SLOW, SLOW.
SUMMATION: they aren't investing in support/upgrades. They don't care. Probably think VOIP phones are going away, due to
ubiquitous use of cell phones, and they want to maximize profits by not paying for support functions other than a call center person.
Comment on this review >>
CEO
(1)
Number 258 : JUL 5th, 2019 : Manager
Recommended: No
AVERAGE:
QUALITY:
RELIABILITY:
SUPPORT:
FEATURES:
VALUE:
Horrible customer service. Demanding payments upfront. Very unprofessional and untrained. They advertise one rate and will charge you
double. They will charge your credit card without sending you any statements or notifications. Be very careful! Very limited staff.
Comment on this review >>
Pay more and get less
(3)
Number 257 : AUG 21st, 2018 : John
Recommended: No
AVERAGE:
QUALITY:
RELIABILITY:
SUPPORT:
FEATURES:
VALUE:
I was having
reliability problems
with my previous
provider and decided
to try Phone Power
with my existing
Obi202. The price
was almost double
what I was paying
before, but they
promised me the
service and
reliability made it
worth it.
Started off by
setting up my SIP
credentials only to
find that the
reliability got much
worse compared to my
old provider. Phone
Power recommends
using their
auto-provisioning
feature instead of
SIP, so I tried it
out. Much better
except for one
thing: you can only
have one line
working on the
Obi202 (which
normally allows up
to two lines).
The next thing I
notice is that when
you get an email
regarding a voice
mail, there's no way
to delete that
message unless you
log into the site
(which is slow as
molasses). My
previous provider
offered a way to
listen and delete
messages directly
from a link in the
email.
Finally, I didn't
notice until I
signed up that
there's no SMS
texting feature or
even the option to
add it. You may not
think this is
important, but I can
almost guarantee you
that friends are
sending you text
messages from their
phones -- assuming
that they're
reaching your mobile
phone instead of
your landline.
So overall I give it
a thumbs up for
reliability, but you
miss out on a lot of
features just to
have your calls go
through. Personally,
the lack of an SMS
texting option and
the inability to use
a second line on my
Obi is a deal
breaker for me, so
I'll need to give it
a thumbs down.
Comment on this review >>
Worst Experience with Any Phone Company
(1.6)
Number 256 : MAR 31st, 2018 : Trevor
Recommended: No
AVERAGE:
QUALITY:
RELIABILITY:
SUPPORT:
FEATURES:
VALUE:
I chose Phone Power
based on reviews
from this site and
attempted to use the
service of this
company (Phone
Power). When I saw
how much my credit
card was charged, I
questioned them why
this significant
difference compared
to what was stated
on their website. I
was then given a
long explanation of
the charges but
nothing to align the
invoice charge with
that stated on the
website when I was
signing up. After
unsuccessfully
trying to rectify
this, I cancelled my
order before my
number was
transferred or an
account opened. I
informed the credit
card company who
recognized that the
charge was wrongful
and retrieved my
money. I later
started experiencing
harassment from a
debt collect agency
demanding more than $261 for
unsettled account
with Phone Power.
All communication
with Phone Power and
the agency showed
that I owed no
money with proof but
the debt collection
agency continued the
harassment then put
this scar against my
credit file.
Considering Phone
Power, was by far
the worst mistake I
ever made with any
phone company.
I had to spend a lot
of additional money
filing dispute of
this to the Credit
Record Agencies
(Equifax and
TransUnion Canada)
to have this scar
removed from my
credit file. When
the debt collection
company was then
forced to
investigate the
validity of this
charge, i.e. to
obtain proof of how
this charge arose,
Phone Power dropped
the charge with no
explanation.
It is possible that
the service from
this company might
be good (once a
person successfully
signs with them), but
I do not know this.
However, if I have
reasons to believe
that a company is
not operating
ethically, I avoid
doing business with
them.
Comment on this review >>
Would Not Recommend
(1)
Number 255 : FEB 20th, 2018 : Deborah
Recommended: No
AVERAGE:
QUALITY:
RELIABILITY:
SUPPORT:
FEATURES:
VALUE:
The first year I ordered PhonePower they were quite helpful regarding any text questions and the
sound of my softphone was excellent. Going into the second year of the contract, the service was by
e-mail only and the sound of the softphone was poor. Also the advertisement for a discounted 2
year plan, I was not informed that you will get another expense on your 2 year of service
because of taxes, and fees. I would NOT recommend this VOIP service.
Comment on this review >>
Denied International Calling
(3)
Number 254 : DEC 28th, 2016 : Antony
Recommended: No
AVERAGE:
QUALITY:
RELIABILITY:
SUPPORT:
FEATURES:
VALUE:
Odd experience. I was denied International calls because of disapproval by some outside assessor
they use. My credit is excellent and I am writing this in a very valuable house with no debts.
So, the agency they use must be abnormal, or it is a ruse to prevent having to give away some
International calls. I canceled the remaining service they offered. Be warned, you may be
wasting your time.
VISITOR/PROVIDER FEEDBACK:
George (February 2nd 2017) : I have the same problem. My international calls were often interrupted or I was blocked from the international service completely without a reason. I called many times and spoke to their technical support and usually, but not always, after the call I was unblocked until the next time. Like I need their permission to make an international call! Totally insane and stupid explanation from the technicians that they were trying to protect me from some extra charges for the service abuse (sick!). One or few calls a week for a few minutes to my parents in Poland when I'm paying for Unlimited World Plus plan sounds like abuse to you? Get real people from Phone Power!
The other.. stay away from them.
Comment on this review >>
Payment
(4.2)
Number 253 : SEP 14th, 2016 : Pat
Recommended: Yes
AVERAGE:
QUALITY:
RELIABILITY:
SUPPORT:
FEATURES:
VALUE:
The only thing I don't like is they don't notify you when their going to bill me and they don't tell me after I've been billed.
Comment on this review >>
Seven Years Good Luck
(5)
Number 252 : JUL 31st, 2016 : Bill
Recommended: Yes
AVERAGE:
QUALITY:
RELIABILITY:
SUPPORT:
FEATURES:
VALUE:
I've had Phone Power service for nearly seven years. The time flies by because I've had zero problems, and
the quality, features and service are consistently great.
Comment on this review >>
- Page 1 of 27
Disclaimer: The opinions, views and ratings expressed in these VoIP Reviews are those solely of the reviewer who submitted the review. Whichvoip.com does not necessarily agree with any of the expressed opinions, view or ratings.
WhichVoIP Visitor Comments
#6 : Posted by Trevor Dunlop
It would be
reasonable for
yourselves to dig a
bit deeper into some
of these VoIP
companies as people
like myself often
make decisions to
choose them based on
reviews.
I did this and
attempted to use the
service of Phone
Power. When I saw
how much my credit
card was charged, I
questioned them why
this significant
difference compared
to what was stated
on their website. I
was then given a
long explanation of
the charges but
nothing to align the
invoice charge with
that stated on the
website when I was
signing up. After
unsuccessfully
trying to rectify
this, I cancelled by
order before my
number was
transferred or an
account opened. I
informed the credit
card company who
recognised that the
charge was wrongful
and retrieved my
money. I later
started experiencing
harassment from a
debt collect agency
demanding >$261 for
unsettled account
with Phone Power.
All communication
with phone power and
the agency showed
that I owed no
money with proof but
the debt collection
agency continued the
harassment then to
put this scar
against my credit
file. Considering
Phone Power was by
far, the worst
mistake I ever made
with any phone
company. I now
raised the dispute
with the Credit
Agency.
-> Response: Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Sorry you had such a bad experience with them.
#5 : Posted by Lynette Pearson
I saw a comment that the adaptor costs $65 if it needs to be
replaced. Is the adaptor specific to each VoIP provider?
-> Response: No they are usually standard ATAs from Linksys, Grandstream, Cisco etc but they do have to be configured correctly but the provider can usually do that remotely. However, likely there will be a few small technical things you will have to do such as changing some fields in the device to point to the provider's server. So really it depends whether you would rather save $30 and buy your own but do some technical things or pay extra to get it done for you.
#4 : Posted by Clifford Patterson
I am currently browsing for a VoIP service and
PhonePower is high on my selection list. However, I have
a Pacemaker Monitor, a Merlin Home model EX1150. Are
there any reported problems using this monitor with
PhonePower?
-> Response: I'd be worried about you going down this path as there could be problems getting the pacemaker data through the phonepower ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter).
Here are a few things to consider:
1. Is there an Internet version of the Pacemaker monitor? i.e. not using phoneline.
2. Presumably you are interested in this to save money. If there are other reasons (e.g. features, international calling etc), can you keep your regular landline phone service AND get VoIP. Connect the VoIP ATA to some cordless phones and then you have the best of both worlds.
3. If you have a smartphone you could use the phonepower app to have home phone service on your cell phone. No need for a home phone, just use your cell for everything but keep your existing home number.
#3 : Posted by Larry Tu
I've been a customer of PhonePower for more than five years. For the
first five years everything worked and I often recommended
PhonePower to other people, but since mid-June 2014, all of my calls,
incoming or outgoing, dropped after a couple of minutes. It seems to
be a problem with my Verizon internet service, because calls also get
dropped when I use Skype or Facetime. I'm hoping that a new Verizon
modem/router would solve this problem. However, since yesterday, I
couldn't even get any audio using Phone Power, like what many other
people have reported on this website. I am in the Boston area, so it
seems that this problem is nationwide.
-> Response: Sorry to hear about your troubles Larry. Here are a few things to look into, hopefully it helps:
1. Has Verizon changed default firewall settings inside their modem/router?
This could potentially block certain ports by default and block sip specifically.
2. I do recall about a year ago having a problem where Phonepower updated firmware overnight to ATAs. One way around it was to reset the ATA device to factory defaults and update settings accordingly for Phonepower configuration. Which ATA do you have (model)? The support section on its website (hardware section) has some good info on configuration.
3. Can you make Skype calls now that you have a new modem?
4. Have you tried the Phonepower soft phone - does it work?
#2 : Posted by Korryn
Can you keep your current phone number if you switch to this
service?
-> Response: Yes you can port your current number over to Phonepower. There are some corner cases where you cannot but that is rare these days. We always recommend you kick the tires with the service first (i.e. just order a new number with your required area code to begin with) and once happy, then port your current number over. Do not cancel service with your existing provider until the number has been successfully ported over!
#1 : Posted by Kat
I have been using them for about 9 months. All good so far. Low
cost and good quality and free incoming fax!