Google Voice and Sprint minutes

[lhgraphics]

Ok so I have seen many people asking about using minutes on other carriers and it looks like the consensus is that it does in fact use minutes. I am guessing this is true for Sprint as well?

Here is my main question. I am currently on the Simply Everything Family ($189.98) a month plus fees. I am looking to bump down to the Everything Data Family - with Any Mobile, Anytime ($129.99 or $169.99 depending on how minutes you want) since the additional $10 a month is being added to my plan for having the Evo. One of the sprint people explained that the minutes are only used up when call's are placed to land lines. So my questions is..... If your making call's from GV, those call's being placed through GV are they considered land line call's? or cell phone call's? Is there any way to make the Google voice call's be on the data only?

Has anyone had any experience with this?

 

[trooper54]

wow, i thought Google voice was strictly over data....

 

[milk242]

I believe it is landlines, I read of one person (don't remember where) getting Sprint retention department to add the Call any 3 people on any carrier thing for 5 dollars extra on his plan. He then added his google voice number to that so it wouldn't use minutes.

 

[trooper54]

[EDIT]

When dial with google voice via android does it use cellular phone minutes? - Google Mobile Help


Seems like the work around is favorite number calling like on t-mobile...

 

[superm1]

You have to actually add the access number that gets used as your my favs for it work as I understand.

For example in Austin when I make a GV call on my Evo, it connects through 512-850-8466. So I added that to my pick 3 and it will connect through that (on my call history for Sprint that's the number they see).

it's less of a big deal though on the Evo since it's free mobile to mobile on any network and most of the people I talk to are on mobiles...

 

[MarqBland]

It uses your minutes. But I did get one of the call 3 deals and I put my google voice number on there so I don't have to worry about my minutes burning up

 

[gabbott]

wow, i thought Google voice was strictly over data....

Google voice uses voip on the backend but you have to dial in through an access number or by dialing your google voice number.

 

[lhgraphics]

I didn't know that Sprint offered a call 3 numbers deal, I just thought it was t-mobile that offered that. So if I got that setup on my account with Sprint, I would have to add the number that GV calls out on, which in my case is a 916 phone number? That would solve the problem of being able to bump down to a lower plan with sprint and not burning up the minutes.

As a side note I am noticing that calls being made through GV on my EVO has a delay from when the person on the other line hears what I am saying. I know that has to do with the VOIP as I had the same issues with Vonage a few years back.

Thank you for everyone's response on this.

 

[superm1]

I didn't know that Sprint offered a call 3 numbers deal, I just thought it was t-mobile that offered that. So if I got that setup on my account with Sprint, I would have to add the number that GV calls out on, which in my case is a 916 phone number? That would solve the problem of being able to bump down to a lower plan with sprint and not burning up the minutes.

Yes. You'll need to go through retentions to get it. Google around for some strategies on what to say to the retentions person.

For me, I went down the route of 'My friend on XYZ network has this awesome thing where they can call 5 numbers unlimited, it's really making me think about jumping ship, is there anything you guys can offer to compete with that?'

As a side note I am noticing that calls being made through GV on my EVO has a delay from when the person on the other line hears what I am saying. I know that has to do with the VOIP as I had the same issues with Vonage a few years back.

Thank you for everyone's response on this.

I sometimes notice this too, but I don't know what circumstances are causing it. Other times, there is absolutely no delay and the call works great.

 

[2CupsWithString]

Yes. You'll need to go through retentions to get it. Google around for some strategies on what to say to the retentions person.

For me, I went down the route of 'My friend on XYZ network has this awesome thing where they can call 5 numbers unlimited, it's really making me think about jumping ship, is there anything you guys can offer to compete with that?'


I sometimes notice this too, but I don't know what circumstances are causing it. Other times, there is absolutely no delay and the call works great.

It may be VoIP on their end (after you place your cellular call). A lot of companies (like Google, probably) use VoIP for their own call routing to save on toll charges.

 

[kjparfekt]

I'm surprised there isn't an actual authorized solution around available now that Sprint has a flagship google phone. I knew about this problem months ago when I first got my google voice number and that's the reason why I don't use it for everything.

This seems like this will be a bigger issue since google voice is no longer in beta and is now open to everyone.

Maybe if we all complain loud enough to Google and Sprint they'll fix this and mobile to mobile anytime free will actually work with google voice.

 

[2CupsWithString]

To me it's worth it. I have plenty of plan minutes and just the ease of having one number to deal with.

If you use chrome check out the google voice widget, you can text/place calls from your browser.

 

[Darth Mo]

Maybe if we all complain loud enough to Google and Sprint they'll fix this and mobile to mobile anytime free will actually work with google voice.

As it stands now, though you are making a call when you use Google Voice, you are simply dialing a number using Sprint's (or roaming) network to a land line that providing a service. It's not much different than calling directory assistance and having them connect you to a number. You still placed the original call traditionally, so it's not a mobile to mobile call. They can't give free reign to use your GV number as that basically gives free unlimited calling as Sprint has no way of knowing where the GV call ends up. Or, GV and Sprint would have to cooperate and that would end up costing us more in the end so that's no good.

I know people are kind of stuck if you chose to use your GV number as your main number, but that's not Sprint's or Google's fault. Sprint already dumped to forwarding of missed calls in favor of using GV for visual voicemail, so they already threw a bone. Asking them to let you circumvent their calling plans by using GV is a bit much.

Sit tight for a while and see what happens when all the big carriers get their 4G networks up. I believe these calling plans will basically go away as the capacity of the network opens up to the point where people can use it as much as they want without compromising others. Sprint has a foot and a half through the door already with their plans.

 

[marko358]

Luckily I don't actually talk on the phone much but if I start getting close to my minutes for the month I will start raising hell with Sprint.

 

[bdizzel1982]

What if your just using google voice for your voice mail not to actually make calls is that data or is it still eating up minutes?

 

[2CupsWithString]

What if your just using google voice for your voice mail not to actually make calls is that data or is it still eating up minutes?

Minutes, it's all minutes w/GV.

 

[toiz]

I have Google Voice setup to make VoIP calls. It does not use minutes. It works over Wi-Fi, 4g, and 3g. See this article. There is a link with instructions on how to set it up.

 

[Darth Mo]

What if your just using google voice for your voice mail not to actually make calls is that data or is it still eating up minutes?

As long as you use the app or the website to check messages, it won't use any minutes. That's just using data to interact over the web.

 

[2CupsWithString]

As long as you use the app or the website to check messages, it won't use any minutes. That's just using data to interact over the web.

It depends, if he/she hits "1" and dials their GV #, then it's minutes, using the app or the site is data.

 

[bdizzel1982]

yea im just simply using the app to listen to my voice mail i only use it because i think its better then the sprint vm app but if it's gonna eat up my minutes i don't wanna use it cause that defeats the point