Another Google Voice Question

[InmateLover67]

Okay all of you Google Voice junkies clue me in please?

I got a new number from them and I used the area code for Salem, which is where my fiance is serving his sentence.....not the area code where I live, is this an issue?

And, do I still treat this just like I do when I send money to his phone account (VAC)? I saw on the Google voice page something about an account balance and something about going below 2.00. Do I pay attention to that? What is that all about?

I have turned off the feature that makes the caller say their name, so hopefully there will not be a problem.

Now, I listed all of my numbers and the main one is my landline. The other two are the cell phones. One is the main cell he has always called on...which is 503 for salem as well as, the prefix to Salem. The others are both 541 area codes....am I understanding this right that when he calls the Google voice number that has a salem area code (503) all the phones will ring?

This is confusing to me and I would like someone to clue me in on if I am doing this right.

Thank you and I am sorry if this does not make any sense...hope someone can help.

Peace~

[GingerM]

I don't use GVoice, so I can't answer with certainty. I do know that you will need not only the correct area code, but the correct prefix as well.

And make sure you turn ALL the other options off (including the one that tells you that the call you're receiving is coming from gvoice, as well as voice mail).

Beyond that, others will need to help you out who have much more experience with it than I do. I just have a cheap pay-as-you-go phone.

[TLAn4ever]

Originally Posted by InmateLover67

Okay all of you Google Voice junkies clue me in please?

I got a new number from them and I used the area code for Salem, which is where my fiance is serving his sentence.....not the area code where I live, is this an issue?

For it to count as a local number, it needs to have a local prefix to the prison not just the same area code. As far as Google Voice is concerned, they don't care if you have a different area code. Some people living on the East Coast use Google Voice for local calls here with no problem.

Originally Posted by InmateLover67

And, do I still treat this just like I do when I send money to his phone account (VAC)? I saw on the Google voice page something about an account balance and something about going below 2.00. Do I pay attention to that? What is that all about?

Google Voice is free unless you use it to call internationally. That is probably what you saw. You won't need to pay them anything. He just adds your Google Voice number just like he would any other one.

Originally Posted by InmateLover67

I have turned off the feature that makes the caller say their name, so hopefully there will not be a problem.

I know some people have had a problem with that, but I didn't know how to turn it off for the first year and never had a problem. I think that is because I would push "1" immediately upon answering since he would pop up on the caller ID and it never triggered anything. It is much easier to have that turned off so you only have to press one number. Google Voice still sends me a text if I miss one of his calls tho'.

Originally Posted by InmateLover67

Now, I listed all of my numbers and the main one is my landline. The other two are the cell phones. One is the main cell he has always called on...which is 503 for salem as well as, the prefix to Salem. The others are both 541 area codes....am I understanding this right that when he calls the Google voice number that has a salem area code (503) all the phones will ring?

Right! No more missed calls!

Originally Posted by InmateLover67

This is confusing to me and I would like someone to clue me in on if I am doing this right.

Sounds like you did it right to me, the only concern I had was if you got a local prefix as well as the area code. Google Voice does charge $10 to change their number. Of course, you could always just use a different email address which is what I ended up doing when my husband moved from TRCI to SRCI. The downside on that is with my family putting me in charge of everyone having a local number is keeping all the emails and numbers straight.

Originally Posted by InmateLover67

Thank you and I am sorry if this does not make any sense...hope someone can help.

If you think of any more questions just post them. I'm usually lurking around here somewhere LOL!

[InmateLover67]

Originally Posted by TLAn4ever

For it to count as a local number, it needs to have a local prefix to the prison not just the same area code. As far as Google Voice is concerned, they don't care if you have a different area code. Some people living on the East Coast use Google Voice for local calls here with no problem.



Google Voice is free unless you use it to call internationally. That is probably what you saw. You won't need to pay them anything. He just adds your Google Voice number just like he would any other one.



I know some people have had a problem with that, but I didn't know how to turn it off for the first year and never had a problem. I think that is because I would push "1" immediately upon answering since he would pop up on the caller ID and it never triggered anything. It is much easier to have that turned off so you only have to press one number. Google Voice still sends me a text if I miss one of his calls tho'.



Right! No more missed calls!



Sounds like you did it right to me, the only concern I had was if you got a local prefix as well as the area code. Google Voice does charge $10 to change their number. Of course, you could always just use a different email address which is what I ended up doing when my husband moved from TRCI to SRCI. The downside on that is with my family putting me in charge of everyone having a local number is keeping all the emails and numbers straight.


If you think of any more questions just post them. I'm usually lurking around here somewhere LOL!

Thanks for all your help!

When I chose "I want a new number" I put in 503 area code and then found Salem, in the list...Are you saying that all my numbers have to be the same area code and prefix? I am assuming that when I chose the Google number for salem that is would have had a local prefix as well.

I will go back in and make sure all the extra shit is not enabled.

Thanks again.

I hope this is worth the headache it has given me.

Peace~

PS- the Google number it gave me has a 503 area code with 877 as the prefix....damn I hope this is right. It was the one listed for salem, so I am not sure.

[TLAn4ever]

I checked and 503-877-xxxx comes up as a local number for Marion, OR, but since that is very close to Salem, it should be ok. My SRCI local number is actually in Payette, ID, not even the same area code, but still local. Whatever works, right?

[InmateLover67]

Originally Posted by TLAn4ever

I checked and 503-877-xxxx comes up as a local number for Marion, OR, but since that is very close to Salem, it should be ok. My SRCI local number is actually in Payette, ID, not even the same area code, but still local. Whatever works, right?

Marion County is Salem. I am not sure if I did it right, like I said I chose a local number to where he is for the Google voice number, and added the other lines on....why did he ask me to look into this? LOL, it was much easier to just do it the way we always have....

Thanks for all your help! I will give him the number and see what happens. So, when he dials the google number, all of my phones will ring? I am clueless about this shit...lol

Peace~

[GingerM]

Yes, all of your phones should ring.

Bear in mind that if you're caught, they will pull the number and make it no longer allowable. I wasn't willing to take that chance both for my mom's sake and my own and his.

[InmateLover67]

Originally Posted by GingerM

Yes, all of your phones should ring.

Bear in mind that if you're caught, they will pull the number and make it no longer allowable. I wasn't willing to take that chance both for my mom's sake and my own and his.

Thanks! I have disabled all the features that could cause issues....so we will see.

It is not like he is dialing an 800 number, it is a direct number that rings all phones, instead of one.

Peace~

[InmateLover67]

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I have gotten two phone calls on this damn Google Voice number and neither of them were who they were supposed to be....of course, it is too soon for that.

WTH am I to do about this? Can I call GV and ask for a different one that has been recycled more than a year? This is pathetic....

[TLAn4ever]

Originally Posted by GingerM

Yes, all of your phones should ring.

Bear in mind that if you're caught, they will pull the number and make it no longer allowable. I wasn't willing to take that chance both for my mom's sake and my own and his.

It doesn't appear to be a big issue, if it was I doubt as many people would be using it as there are. I am wondering if they are unofficially not considering it a forwarded number as opposed to another phone line on the same phone. Various family members have been using GV for two years with no problems on any of them, and that includes not knowing how to take the call screening message off for the first year.

Guessing it will be fine until someone comes along and does something to ruin it for everyone. Hopefully that doesn't happen.

[GingerM]

I am wondering if they are unofficially not considering it a forwarded number

technology-wise, google voice is simply another voice-over-IP phone system. So far as the VAC technology can 'see', it's the same as if the inmate called someone who had, say, Comcast providing their phone service along with their internet and TV cable.

As long as nothing interrupts the call (like a message or call waiting etc), then VAC's system literally can't tell the difference between gVoice and Comcast's phone service. They have no way of blocking just gVoice without blocking everyone else who has VOIP - which, near as I can tell, is about half of the people with land lines anymore.

One of the reasons we went with what we've dubbed the bat phones is because we could set them up to NOT have call waiting on them - otherwise we'd have to disable call waiting when we were expecting a call, then re-enable it after. What a PITA.

[TLAn4ever]

I don't think you necessarily have to disable call-waiting, just don't answer it while on the phone with your inmate. I know I've had call-waiting beep and it hasn't disconnected us, I just ignore it. Also foind out I can send and receive text messages while on the phone call, which is handy when the other person trying to call keeps trying after I ignore it---usually one of my kids.

What you said about it being more like a VOIP phone than call-waiting makes sense, because the call isn't being forwarded from one phone to another, the only phone either number rings is mine.

[InmateLover67]

This is irritating to get a number and have everybody and their brother and sister calling it, all day long.

How long are the numbers recycled before they issue them out again? Of course, there is no way to call them and ask for a number that is not so recent with ceditors calling for someone. UGH

Help!

[Alexgirl]

Im thankful that nobody has called mine, maybe because its from Payette Idaho. somewhere as big as salem I can see people calling it more :\

[GingerM]

I don't think you necessarily have to disable call-waiting, just don't answer it while on the phone with your inmate.

My mom's had calls cut off when call-waiting has come in. And other times, it doesn't cut off the call from my dad. *shrug* I don't think VAC's system is well maintained...

How long are the numbers recycled before they issue them out again?

I believe it varies from company to company. My dad's cell phone number was recycled within 3 months of canceling the account. Woe be unto those who get a number that belonged to someone delinquent with their bill paying - bill collectors calling at all hours of the day/night! Ugh.