I only have a barebones line with Caller ID. I chose this after my Vonage service that I'd had for a year proved to be unreliable...the modem kept pooping out and no one at Vonage would do anything about it. Since I live down by the water where there are few towers, I get spotty cell reception.
So I chose to get a standard landline with Qwest. You have to be VERY firm and upfront about only wanting a basic line though (no LD, no packages) - the packages are RIDICULOUSLY overpriced for what you get. I have been a USWest/Qwest customer on and off for many years (before cell phones - whoa!). While the landline reliability is unbeatable, the profiteering that they do is just plain old BAD. It's absurd how much they charge.
I pay about $20 per month. The ONLY pro is the reliability. The many cons include: outrageous cost for return; you are in their directory service so anyone can call you, including wrong numbers; not all telemarketers are covered by the DoNotCall list, so they CAN call you 10 times a day; they recycle their numbers in under 3 months, so even a year later, I'm STILL getting calls for the person who used to have my number; and you have to pay to get unpublished. I like my cell for the anonymity & privacy of it and loved the Vonage service for that too. Only people who I had given my number to called me.
I use a dial-around long distance service (when I need to and my cell has poor reception) called OneSuite.com. I've only used $21 in LD *total* since January (it's 2.5 cents per minute, no hidden or extra charges). Qwest is a dinosaur, no matter how nice those commercials are. That's what they're spending the money on! I'm eyeing Vonage again, now that they have better modems and are a little "older." Vonage is looking sweeter now that I've written this review!
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