RingCentral.com Great Price, TERRIBLE Service, Harmed My Business Redwood City California

I tried several online services - before latching onto RingCentral - that provide toll-free numbers so potential clients can contact me.

RingCentral seemed to be great; not only providing an actual 800 number, but also online faxing included with the price, which was less expensive than the others.

RingCentral worked fine for about a year, but I am now in the process of cancelling the service. Here's why:

1) Faxing capability went to hell a few months ago. I called their tech support (more on that later) and was told I needed to add an extra extension AND that there would be no charge. I was charged $2.99. Called tech support again and was issued a refund. Checked my account today only to learn I am still being charged $2.99. Called tech support again and was told I would be issued another refund.

2) RingCentral's fax servers seem to collapse - like clockwork - every Friday afternoon, which means more time-consuming calls to tech support. The fax server didn't break down yesterday (Friday, August 29, 2008), but they sure did today (Saturday, August 30, 2008), along with the rest of the service. Today, I had spent hours posting advertising on CraigsList in order to make my phone ring. People who called were met with a busy signal, thus my efforts and time were again wasted.

3) Contacting RingCentral's tech support isn't fun. I am forced listen to a looooooooong greeting that informs me about the wonders of their service, and then am asked to select 1, 2, or 3 from my touch-tone phone. The selection CANNOT be made early - not until I have listened to the entire monotonous litany, thus killing more of my time and increasing my frustration. Several Fridays ago the fax servers again went kaput. I called tech support four instances and was put on hold for fifteen minutes each and every time. I finally gave up trying to contact RingCentral. The tech support people are polite (when I can reach them), but speak extremely broken English.

RingCentral's combination 800/Internet service is a wonderful idea, but unfortunately it is only that: an idea.

Bruce
Phoenix, Arizona
U.S.A.