Member Avatar for ep2002

Hi all,

Well, I'm all ready to start purchasing from this company Access Line for their local phone number which includes one VM box & BAMMM, I'm told they don't want my money b/c I'm in Canada & their archaic payment system doesn't allow for Canadian addresses & they clearly won't even fix the problem.

Not only is that a terrible biz move b/c now they will lose money from not just me, but a lot of other people out there, but once again, it makes us Canadian businesses feel unwanted & unloved by some of these American companies that refuse to accept that we also have enterprising businesses & deserve the utmost respect.

So, can anyone recommend a company that actually wants my money & to do biz with me?

I just need a US phone number (I want an easy one that I already have picked out) & 1-2 VM boxes.

Thanks


Michelle :)

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Corey Bryant

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A short, practical primer for anyone in Canada who needs a U.S. local number plus 1–2 voicemail boxes (the situation described). Providers differ a lot on payment acceptance, ability to let you pick a specific (easy/vanity) number, voicemail access methods, and forwarding/pricing rules. Rather than chasing a single vendor name, use the checklist below to vet any service before you buy.

  • Payment: confirm whether the vendor accepts Canadian billing and which methods (international credit cards, PayPal, wire, prepaid/virtual cards). Ask whether sales can provision manually if the online checkout blocks non‑US addresses.
  • Number selection: verify you can preview and reserve specific numbers (some systems only assign from a pool). Ask about any extra fee for “vanity” or selectable DIDs.
  • Voicemail access: confirm retrieval options — dial‑in playback, web portal, voicemail‑to‑email (audio file and/or transcript), and retention limits. Make sure there are no surprise per‑minute playback or forwarding charges.
  • Call forwarding and rates: if calls are forwarded to a Canadian phone or SIP endpoint, get the exact per‑minute forwarding rate and whether a flat plan is available.
  • Porting and flexibility: check portability (can you port the number later?) and how easy it is to add/remove voicemail boxes.
  • Trial and support: insist on a trial/test number or demo and clear refund/cancellation terms. Prefer vendors with live sales/phone support that will test provisioning for non‑US customers.

Do a quick four‑step test before committing: (1) preview and pick a number, (2) provision the voicemail boxes, (3) place test calls and verify voicemail retrieval by phone and email, (4) forward a call to your Canadian line and confirm billed rates. Resellers or sales reps (as hinted) can sometimes help with unusual billing situations or number selection — ask them directly if the standard signup fails.

Recommended Answers

All 9 Replies

Member Avatar for rufryder

You can also try eFax.com.. they are pretty good. Its not local but its not bad.

Member Avatar for ep2002

Isn't efax just for faxes?

I already use their free service for incoming faxes.

When I say local, I mean a # within the US.

Thanks


Michelle

You can also try eFax.com.. they are pretty good. Its not local but its not bad.

Member Avatar for pulse

Have you tried kall8.com? I have heard good things about them.

Member Avatar for ep2002

Thanks, but not only can you not listen to the messages on the phone as they only come via sound file in an e-mail, they charge you per minute even though it's not a toll free # LOL

Thanks for trying though


Michelle

Have you tried kall8.com? I have heard good things about them.

Member Avatar for Corey Bryant

Freedom Voice is getting ready to offer local numbers also. We are actually doing a website now for a client in New York that offers a lot of services - local numbers being one of them. His email is rwardell (at) callclearvoice (dot) com - if you want to shoot him an email

Member Avatar for ep2002

Corey I just called up FV yesterday - & they told me they only offer toll free #s. I decided to give them a chance b/c I do have their package, but don't want to go the toll free route at this time.

I'll e-mail the other guy.

I've called several companies & $8.95 is the lowest, but they won't allow me to pick from several #s so I get a really easy one. That's an issue for me b/c I'd rather go with an easy # than a complicated one.

Thanks


Michelle

Freedom Voice is getting ready to offer local numbers also. We are actually doing a website now for a client in New York that offers a lot of services - local numbers being one of them. His email is rwardell (at) callclearvoice (dot) com - if you want to shoot him an email

Member Avatar for Corey Bryant

I am a reseller for FV so I do know they are going to offer it soon. They might be doing it before October. I cannot remember if they are doing that along with the Web Conferencing / Phone Conferencing by then or not. That was why I said they will be offering it but I am not certain what areas either.

I do know Ray does though, I just cannot remember his pricing off hand

Member Avatar for ep2002

Yeh I'm a reseller too, but haven't made anything from them yet, so I'll just be keeping them around so I can sell.

Unfortunately I can not wait until Oct. I need a # now.

You should tell them to tell their receptionist that they will be offering it since she didn't give me all the information.

Later :)


Mich

I am a reseller for FV so I do know they are going to offer it soon. They might be doing it before October. I cannot remember if they are doing that along with the Web Conferencing / Phone Conferencing by then or not. That was why I said they will be offering it but I am not certain what areas either.

I do know Ray does though, I just cannot remember his pricing off hand

Member Avatar for Corey Bryant

Well she probably did not want to say anything since they are not offering it. They test everything - pretty thoroughly before offering it to the public, which I do like.

You should join the Monday night conferences. I started so that I could keep up with all their new services

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