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DIY VOIP Experience

My DIY VOIP experience

As an electrical engineer with years of computer experience, how hard could it be to buy a couple of VOIP phones and set up a Hosted PBX?

I signed up with Engin and purchased 4 phones from The Telecom Shop. The phones were refurbished Polycom IP550 and at $60 each were awesome value for money.

Reality comes crashing down

The supplied documentation from Engin was minimal, and the documentation with the phones was non-existent.

To make it worse, the connection information that came from Engin assumed that they had pre-configured the phones. The information the Polycoms were asking for did not match the information provided by Engin.

So the rounds of support calls started. The support provided by both companies has been great, but with a bit more documentation it could have been so easily avoided.

For the phones, I needed to upgrade the firmware – but the only way to find the instructions was through a link provided by The Telecom Shop. Why didn’t they just supply a piece of paper or email with instructions instead of waiting for me to call?

And even then the connection information had to be provided verbally by Engin. Why didn’t they just include a sheet with a list of common phones and the connection information required? Or have it online?

DIY VOIP Tips

So here are my top 3 tips for DIY VOIP:
1. Don’t
2. Get them to do it
3. Spend the extra couple dollars buying the phone from the service provider, and save on time and effort

DIY VOIP tips for those who didn’t listen

1. Be prepared to spend many days on this
2. Make sure you have the latest firmware on the phone. Whatever brand you buy, make sure you can access the firmware before you commit.
3. Then make sure you can talk to the VOIP provider when connecting. They should be able to provide instructions for the phone that you buy. Get this before signing up.
4. Before signing up with the VOIP provider, make a list of all the features that you actually require, and make sure that they are provided in the standard package. Get them to reply to your email confirming the features.
5. Ideally get their support to set up as many features as possible, or make sure you allocate many days (see point 1).
6. Ensure that your router has also been correctly setup to maximise the bandwidth for VOIP.

What is covered with our shipping insurance?

Our normal terms and conditions (like most businesses) is that you take possession the moment an order ships. If the order is lost or damaged in transit then, in theory, it’s your problem. In reality we will have a conversation and try to work out a good way to resolve the issue where we are both happy (or not too upset).

Shipping insurance is there to remove the drama. If an order is lost or damaged in transit, we will simply send out a replacement, and we will then deal with the courier directly to resolve the original problem.

Our shipping insurance also means that if an order is delayed beyond what is normal and reasonable then we will send you another shipment (stock levels permitting). Then you should receive one of them sooner, and when the second one arrives you simply Return To Sender.

How much is shipping insurance?

Shipping insurance is 5% of the cost of the goods.

Is it worth it? Practically we have had far less than 5% of shipments have problems. It is, however, what Australia Post and other couriers charge. Ultimately insurance is about peace of mind and less hassle when something does go wrong.

Shipping insurance as an option

Shipping insurance is offered as an option on all our web sites. You can select it at the checkout.

For large orders our staff may also ask if you would like shipping insurance.

If you would like shipping insurance on an order you are placing with us, just ask.

Mandatory shipping insurance

Unfortunately we have had a couple of large orders not make it and then the customer refused to pay. A friend suggested that the easy way to avoid the dispute is to insure any shipments where we have a significant risk.

If you would like an immediate line of credit (30 days to pay) and have the goods ship immediately (no credit check delays) and are purchasing over $500 then we will add shipping insurance to your order.

The shipping insurance can be waived if the order is between $500 and $2,000 and you provide us with a formal confirmation that you accept responsibility of the goods once they ship.

Alternatively you can prepay by direct deposit or credit card.

What is not covered?

If there is a clear proof of delivery to the shipping address provided then we class that as delivered. Unfortunately there are cases where it is lost somewhere between the loading dock or receptionist and ending up in your hands. But we also know that a photo of the bag against a generic grey background is not proof of delivery, it is just proof of existence! It needs to be a reasonable proof of delivery.

It also doesn’t cover the expectation of overnight delivery. For example, if we were to ship to Melbourne (we are in Sydney) then we would expect it to be delivered within about 3 days. Most of the time it is overnight, but there are enough floods and other issues that regularly cause minor delays. Sending a second order the next day tends to not fix the problem. If it is super urgent, talk to us about how we can minimise the risk.

For damage claims we ask that you contact us immediately and we will probably ask for photos or some proof. The shipping insurance doesn’t cover claims weeks later. We do have warranty covering our items, but it excludes physical damage (e.g. being dropped). If the goods are damaged in transit then please let us know ASAP so we can cover it under the shipping insurance.