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I was excited to read about the Ooma bluetooth adapter for the Telo allowing cel phone calls to be taken on the Ooma system. My excitement quickly fizzled when I read that an Ooma premier subscription was required to use it. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but the Ooma bluetooth adapter simply turns the Ooma Telo into a glorified bluetooth headset allowing calls made to ones cell phone to be answered on the Home Phone, or Telo Device. Other than being a ploy to suck that extra $10 a month out of regular Ooma users I don't see how this should have anything to do with premier. This is not a service and should have no "monetary value". It's simply a function of the Telo Device itself, an appliance that should start and stop at the purchase price of $30 (Current Retail value).

This is not a service and should have no "monetary value". It's simply a function of the Telo Device itself, an appliance that should start and stop at the purchase price of $30 (Current Retail value).

Actually, it is how the business world seems to work. As an example - I was on a special plan for the first 15 months of having Qwest DSL. It required me to have the Home Choice package that included voicemail and 2 other features. I dropped it as soon as I was able to according to my contract. One feature I missed with basic service was CID. Now every modern central office switch has CID available. They don't need to add any equipment, it does not use extra power, and since the feature is part of the package the Telco gets when they buy the switch, it is free to the Telco. So why do they feel they can charge me $9 a month for it? Probably for the same reason that ooma feels they can require Premier for a whole package of nice features - things like a second number, the ability to screen calls that go to voicemail, CID with name, a free port (if you are on an annual Premier contract), and now Bluetooth (after purchasing the appropriate adapter). If you consider it carefully, I think most people would agree that you get a whole lot of value for the low cost of Premier.

I don't see how bluetooth is or should be expected to be included with basic when it was never marketed that way . Many companies charge for services or put them in higher tier packages that our equipment can already handle and wouldn't cost them any money to include with basic features, it's more common than not.

If one really wants bluetooth ability with the telo and doesn't want to pay for Premier get a bluetooth enabled cordless phone, problem solved. It'll cost a little more up front but isn't that a premise for most who go with Oooma? Once the break even point is met your in the clear. Life's a compromise you may miss some things the Telo Handset provides and be happier with others who knows but you'll have the bluetooth capability you want while not paying a monthly fee.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8175&start=10#p57719

One feature I missed with basic service was CID. Now every modern central office switch has CID available. They don't need to add any equipment, it does not use extra power, and since the feature is part of the package the Telco gets when they buy the switch, it is free to the Telco

That's not an accurate comparison. I'm well aware that companies are charging for services that have no actual value. The issue here is that first and foremost, the bluetooth capability is not a function of Ooma's equipment. It's a function of an add on device which is bought and paid for by the consumer. The equipment is not leased, it is not housed in any corporate facility, it is purchased by the consumer and housed on the consumers premesis. Furthermore, the functionality of this bluetooth capability does not require any maintenance, upkeep, or communiction with Ooma in order to function. Unlike CID which is a function of equipment belonging and housed by your telco.

With regard to the other users argument of premier being a good value and such. If I sold you a car and told you that it would cost $5 a month if you wanted to use the electric seat adjustment, power mirrors, backup camera, and antilock brakes, that would be a good value also. but it certainly doesn't make it right. Our economy is rapidly becoming one in which more and more business models are revolving around surcharges and fees. First airlines started charging for checking bags, when they got away with that, they started charging for carry on bags. Whats next, charging passengers by weight? At what point will you say "enough!"

If we sit idly by and support this business practice, I can assure you the outcome will not be good. Ooma premier is a good value, and I do support this company. However, unlike all other premier services, this bluetooth capability is a function of operator owned equipment, not a function of anything owned, operated, or serviced by Ooma.

I implore you to consider the consequences of this path we are on. Could you afford to pay $5 a month in order to use the features built into your car, which you paid for when you purchased it, I might add. Sure. What if you couldn't buy a computer monitor without paying a monthly fee for using it; or a blender without paying a monthly fee? Perhaps even a refrigerator, or a toaster? These items all function completely without the intervention, service, or support of thier suppliers, just like the Ooma bluetooth feature.

My car has a built-in feature called Microsoft Sync. One of the features of Sync is a cloud application called TDI (Travel Directions Information). It gives turn by turn directions from my current location (GPS receiver hidden somewhere in the car) to a requested location. It uses my bluetooth capable cell phone to call the cloud. It's free (cost was hidden in the price of the car I assume) for three years. After that it costs $60 per year or it stops working. Based on the quality of the directions so far, I won't be spending the $60. The built-in GPS unit will no longer be of any value to me because it's only interface is to the cloud application.

I don't understand what the big fuzz is about!!!!

Ooma added a new feature to Premier. If your bluetooth setup (that you weren't supposed to get) stops working, just say okay and move on.

If you like all the features that comes with Premier (including the bluetooth), cough up the $10 a month, if not, just don't get it. Simple as that.

All these "I own the ooma device" talk is getting old. Ooma promised you that you'll get free home phone service (if you opt for the basic service); promise still being delivered!!!!! What's there to complain about? Ooma is trying to make Premier better by offering more features. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. What am I missing?

I don't understand what the big fuzz is about!!!!

Ooma added a new feature to Premier. If your bluetooth setup (that you weren't supposed to get) stops working, just say okay and move on.

If you like all the features that comes with Premier (including the bluetooth), cough up the $10 a month, if not, just don't get it. Simple as that.

This is exactly what concerns me so much about what Ooma has done here. The fact is, you're missing the entire point. Bluetooth is not a feature of premier. I don't know how many times I can say this but I'll say it one more time. The bluetooth functionality that is acquired by purchasing the $30 adapter is not a function of anything that Ooma provides. It has no connection to Oomas servers, "the cloud" or anything else you might come up with. It's a device which functions completely without any intervention by Ooma. Do you use a bluetooth headset with your cellphone? What they are esentially doing here is selling you a bluetooth headset and charging you monthly to use it.

I've read a lot of examples here which users have posted attempting to legitimize what Ooma has done here. None are relevant. In each case, regardless of how you feel about about the value, or fairness of your patricular issue, In each case, there is a service being provided by the provider, a connection to the provider required for it to work, if you will. Like the Microsoft GPS that is connected to "the cloud" or the CID which is a function of servers hosted by the Telco.

All these "I own the ooma device" talk is getting old. Ooma promised you that you'll get free home phone service (if you opt for the basic service); promise still being delivered!!!!! What's there to complain about? Ooma is trying to make Premier better by offering more features. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. What am I missing?

You think that's getting old, wait until your passivism leads to other service providers charging monthly fees in order to use products that you've already bought and paid for. Perhaps you would be alright with paying $5 a month to use a bluetooth headset with your cell phone, because that's what's next.

This is exactly what concerns me so much about what Ooma has done here. The fact is, you're missing the entire point. Bluetooth is not a feature of premier. I don't know how many times I can say this but I'll say it one more time. The bluetooth functionality that is acquired by purchasing the $30 adapter is not a function of anything that Ooma provides. It has no connection to Oomas servers, "the cloud" or anything else you might come up with. It's a device which functions completely without any intervention by Ooma. Do you use a bluetooth headset with your cellphone? What they are esentially doing here is selling you a bluetooth headset and charging you monthly to use it.
If you think that ooma has nothing to do with the Bluetooth dongle working, why not try plugging one into the original hub? It also has a USB port but the dongle will never connect to anything. I think you will agree that it helps to have the proper components and firmware to make the BT work. Also, if you had your Telo since last fall you might have been able to try the USB port with a dongle like many of us did. Guess what? NADA. Now it works great. Why do you think that is?

I've read a lot of examples here which users have posted attempting to legitimize what Ooma has done here. None are relevant. In each case, regardless of how you feel about about the value, or fairness of your patricular issue, In each case, there is a service being provided by the provider, a connection to the provider required for it to work, if you will. Like the Microsoft GPS that is connected to "the cloud" or the CID which is a function of servers hosted by the Telco.
Opinions are great! Everyone is allowed to have at least one. Some have lots on the same issue. What is relevant to some may not be to you. That doesn't mean they are not relevant to the poster who espouses them.

You think that's getting old, wait until your passivism leads to other service providers charging monthly fees in order to use products that you've already bought and paid for. Perhaps you would be alright with paying $5 a month to use a bluetooth headset with your cell phone, because that's what's next.
I don't think that ooma has that kind of market power yet. If they did, then all of the competition would start offering free phone service after the ooma business model. Of course, as a customer we have the right to vote with our wallet. That's what I do - if I feel something is not a good value I just walk away from it.

@ southsound I'm not even going to respond to that. It's clear to me that you have a vested interest in this company and nothing I, or anyone else could say will change the fact that your comments are clearly designed to distrat from the main point of my original post. I certainly hope that the average user will take the information presented here and make thier own judgement. You've taken a discussion and turned it into an argument which I'm not going to participate in. Based on your last post, I wouldn't be surprised if making bluetooth part of premier wasn't your idea. Nobody is that passionately defensive about something so obviously unjust that doesn't have an interest in hiding something.