CallWave leaves beta, screws then unscrews users [updated]
September 15th, 2008 ydant[This has been updated. See bottom of post.]
In a move that will likely cause a ripple effect of ill-will towards them, replacement voicemail service CallWave, has decided to leave open (free) beta by giving all customers one day’s notice that their accounts would be canceled if not switched to a paid plan.
Here’s the email I received today, at 1700, on 15-Sept-2008. All emphasis is mine. Notice the date the service expires 16-Sept-2008 and the fact I received this email on 15-Sept-2008.
Thanks for trying our beta version of Voicemail-to-Text. To improve the quality of our Voicemail-To-Text service, CallWave is discontinuing the beta version you are currently using on September 16 and we are making available a new higher-quality service.
We need your help in this transition.
(1) To upgrade to the high-quality Voicemail-To-Text service, please do the following:
a) Log in to Callwave.com
b) Visit the Account page
c) Select “Change Service” d) Choose a package(2) If you do not wish to upgrade your service, please follow the instructions below to stop having your voicemails “forward” to CallWave.
a) Please find your deactivation code(s) in the table below.
b) Dial the code(s) as you would a phone number
c) Press “Send” on your phone to dial that number.
d) Repeat steps b) and c) if there are multiple codes for your carrier<Decactivation code table omitted>
NOTE: if are not upgrading, it is very important that you do step-2 above as soon as possible because after Tuesday, September 16th you will not receive any voicemails from CallWave.
Thanks again for participating in our CallWave Voicemail-to-Text Beta.
Sincerely,
The CallWave Team
Callwave never really gave me any indication (that I can remember) that the free service would be going away. Yes, they provided for-pay service for better translation but I had the impression that the free service wasn’t going away. Fine if they choose to stop service, but to only give one day’s notice is just a dick move.
This should be a real heads up for everyone who relies on a free beta service to take care of any essential services. This includes Gmail, which has lost mails in the past. Imagine if I actually relied on my voicemail and didn’t have a chance to switch things over (due to, say, travel or vacation).
The cheapest plan CallWave offers is now $4.95/month (with 0 free messages included), and with a move like this one I have no interest in giving them anything. Luckily other voicemail competitors are out there.
This seems to be a trend lately with Jott pulling a similar move (but a bit more reasonable) recently. Is this just another .com bubble of sorts? Are companies realizing that the cheap services over the web doesn’t scale so well when they go beyond purely virtual?
Update!
It seems CallWave realized how badly they screwed up. Here’s the updated email as of today around 1700 again:
Upgrade now…
And never miss a call again.Yesterday we notified you that your Voicemail-to-Text service would be discontinued today. We apologize that this may have caused you some concern, and realize that this is not a sufficient amount of time for you to make a change to your account.
Therefore, we have extended the upgrade period to Monday,
September 22nd.We also want to explain that if you choose not to upgrade, only the transcribed message feature in your service will change. You will still be able to access all of your voicemail through your existing account. Visual voicemail and your Message Center will continue to be accessible. However, you will no longer receive transcribed voicemail messages.
We appreciate your continued support, and look forward to providing you with high quality communication solutions.
Sincerely,
The CallWave Team
This seems to contradict their previous email, but at least they are only dropping the transcription if you don’t pay.
Too bad for them, as I’ve already switched to YouMail.