Service FAQ's Billing

What are my startup costs?

Simply Voice startup costs include the SIP device (ATA or phone) you ordered, a $29.95 fee to set up and install your account, $9.95 shipping and handling for the SIP device (international shipping available at a higher price), and a prorated amount for your first partial month of service. This amount will depend on which Simply Voice Plan you ordered. The total will be billed to your credit card right after you confirm your order.
 

What will be on my first Simply Voice invoice?

Click here to see a sample of a Simply Voice invoice and instructions on how to read it. Your first Simply Voice invoice will show the startup costs listed above, the full amount for your current month of service (we bill Simply Voice monthly, in advance, just like you pay for your cable television or local phone service), plus appropriate taxes and fees. It will also show your initial credit card payment, so you’ll only owe for the current month of service.



How is the first, pro-rated month of my Simply Voice Plan computed?  

We add two weeks (14 days) to your order date because your Simply Voice service will be available to you on or before that date. We then determine the percentage of days of that month that you’ll be in service and multiply that by your Simply Voice Plan monthly fee. For example, if you ordered service on July 12, 2005, we use July 26 as your in-service date. That means you had service for 6 days out of 31 in July, for a prorate multiplier of 6 / 31 = .1935. If you have Simply Voice 500 Plan, you’ll pay .1935 x $14.95 = $2.89 for July.

What will be on my subsequent Simply Voice invoices?

Your subsequent Simply Voice invoices will have the monthly service fee for the coming month, charges for any long distance minutes not included in your plan, Directory Assistance calls (billed at $.99 per call), and appropriate taxes and fees.



When do you charge my credit card?

We create invoices on the 3rd or 4th of every month for the previous month, and charge credit cards 2 days after that. We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards.



What taxes do I pay on my Simply Voice device and Plan?

You pay 3% Federal Excise Tax and applicable sales taxes on your SIP device. At this point, the federal government considers Simply Voice an Internet service, and not a phone service, so you only pay 3% Excise Tax on all Simply Voice Plans.



What is the Regulatory Compliance fee on my invoice?

Simply Voice makes filings with State and Federal regulators about the nature and regulatory status of VoIP and sends payments to Federal and State Universal Service Funds. We spread our costs out among our subscribers. Our fee is about 35% less than that charged by most of our competitors.



Can unused minutes be carried to the next month?

Minutes in plans that are limited cannot be carried over from one month to the next.



What are your international rates?

We offer you very competitive international rates. Click here for our complete rate schedule.



How much do I pay for using more minutes than my plan allows?

It depends on where you are calling, and the specific rates are contained in the International Rate Tables (even if it’s to the US or Canada). The only calls we always charge extra for are Directory Assistance calls ($.99 per call). All calls appear on your invoice.



Can I get a paper bill?

We email you your invoice every month, or you will soon (as of March 2005) be able to download it yourself from your Simply Voice Control Panel. You can always print it out if you need something for filing purposes.



Do you take any other payment method besides credit card?

At this point, no, we don’t, but if there is enough demand we may decide to accept payment via Pay Pal or automatic bank debit. Please send us an email if either option would appeal to you.



What if there's a problem with my credit card?

If your automatic monthly credit card payment cannot be processed for any reason, we will notify you immediately by email. If payment is not received after 10 days, your outbound calling service will be suspended for 10 days. If your payment has still not been received after 20 days, your Simply Voice account will be reluctantly terminated. We want you as a customer, but naturally we need to be paid for providing you with service.



Can I change my Simply Voice Plan at any time?

You can change your Simply Voice Plan, and the change will take effect at the beginning of the next billing period.



Do you offer any type of money-back guarantee? What’s your cancellation policy?

If you cancel service and return any ATA or SIP phone (in re-sellable condition) you’ve purchased from us within 30 days of when you ordered service, we’ll refund your setup cost, your device purchase, and any Plan fees we’ve charged you. The only exception is if you’ve made more than 250 minutes of long distance calls we’ll expect you to pay for those calls at your Plan rates. After the first 30 days, you can cancel at any time, but you won’t get your setup fee, device fee or any Plan fees back.