poor service

[lodo]

Does anyone else smell a rat?

The few times I have called with a question, I inevitably get transferred to the "special" tech support department that will only help if you pay the monthly fee. 

After wasting time searching all the on-line support resources, I finally call.  The automated menu is as frustrating as the on-line support because it doesn't allow for things that pertain to more than one category e.g. voice AND internet.  

If they had an actual manual (on-line or printed) I'm sure that I would find solutions for most of my questions. 

I was inspired to join this forum today after finding possible solutions here and nowhere else. 

The solution I found is quite disappointing and depressing.  Although I specifically purchased all wireless products, it appears that faxing only works when connected to a phone line!

Yes that is awful, but what is appalling is all the time I have wasted trying to locate this solution.  And the solution was not offered by ATT, but some nice helpful folks on the forum. 

I have had other service issues related to getting no help after 9-5 and weekends.  All of this has inspired me to  research other companies again. 

Thanks for letting me vent!

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

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lodo wrote:

The solution I found is quite disappointing and depressing.  Although I specifically purchased all wireless products, it appears that faxing only works when connected to a phone line!

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I have never heard of faxing working any other way.

[BeeBeeSA ACE - Wizard]

There are companies that offer Internet faxing but to me why pay the monthly fee for that service when you can just send an email!!  Same end result  when you think about it.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

True.  There are companies that you can send a PDF file to, and they will send the fax on your behalf.  Of course, they connect to a phone to send the fax on your behalf.

[JefferMC ACE - Wizard]

There is also something called Fax Over IP (FOIP) where two fax machines that have a clear IP network connection between them can transfer the fax over IP transmission.  What I have always been unclear on is what the directory service is for the remote fax?  Do you just have to know a DNS name or IP address and tell your fax to go there, or will two capable fax machines drop into FOIP after a negotation over the phone line?

[wokkawokka]

I'm with you.  I had POTS and switched to VOIP.  They were going to charge an exorbatant fee to wire the whole house. We needed service to all of the outlets to a)operate our security system and b)send faxes, like you.  And I don't want to pay a fee to send virtual faxes, and NO sending an email is not the same thing.  There are several places I have to send faxes to regularly that will NOT accept emails.  So a fax machine is very important to us.  So we tried to switch back to our POTS and it is beginning to feel like AT&T is holding our phone line for ransom.  The phone has not worked since we switched it back to POTS and everytime I call to get it fixed I am on the phone for at least an hour, usually an hour and a half.  And I get transferred at least 4 times and have to repeat myself and nothing gets resolved.  Then they tell me they will charge me for a service call to figure out what they messed up.  Awesome.  Nope.  I'm with you on the poor service.

Good luck.  I hope you get your issues resolved.