[asterisk-biz] Experimental/new VoIP rate search engine.

[Nitzan Kon]

I totally agree, and have the same fear of bait & switch tactics.

One thought I had to prevent this is to let providers know that
a condition for being placed/displayed on the site will be 
"static" rates where once submitted rates will have to be valid
for at least a month. And any provider caught bait & switching
will be permanently banned with a public mention of the reason
for the ban.

We'll have some sort of complaint mailbox where users can vent
if the rates displayed don't match the actual rate. And since
I don't like the idea of babysitting rate lists, this will be
another bannable offense - i.e. if you accidentally submitted
a rate list that doesn't match actual rates we'll take it down
until you submit a corrected one. If it looks like you did it
on purpose to deceive potential customers, ban.

Another thing I think would be good is a requirement to have
a history in business. Doesn't have to be years, but a few
months at least and some publically available reviews to make 
sure it's not a fly-by-night operation.

Will think of more later on. :)

--- On Sun, 1/4/09, Alex Balashov <abalashov at evaristesys.com> wrote:

> From: Alex Balashov <abalashov at evaristesys.com>
> Subject: Re: [asterisk-biz] Experimental/new VoIP rate search engine.
> To: "nk3569 at yahoo.com" <nk3569 at yahoo.com>, "Commercial and Business-Oriented Asterisk Discussion" <asterisk-biz at lists.digium.com>
> Cc: "Commercial and Business-Oriented Asterisk Discussion" <asterisk-biz at lists.digium.com>
> Date: Sunday, January 4, 2009, 3:24 PM
> I think if this gets traction you will see a lot of
> providers doing  
> ultra-low bait-and-switch rates. Most cannot afford to be
> in a price  
> race to the bottom.
> 
> On Jan 4, 2009, at 3:16 PM, Nitzan Kon
> <nk3569 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> > Well, how to put it.. exposure is exposure. As a
> provider you'd
> > want to get your name out there even if your rates are
> not as
> > competitive as others.
> >
> > Not to mention that if a provider does have such
> agreements
> > in place that allow them to achieve low rates to a
> certain
> > destination - having those rates searchable and
> displayed
> > as #1 lowest is sure to bring them customers
> interested in
> > those routes/rates.
> >
> > But at the end of the day it's up to each provider
> to decide
> > if they'd like to be on there or not. You
> don't have to like
> > the idea to get customers from it, nor would we force
> anyone
> > to be on there if they'd like their rates removed.
> The idea
> > is to find the lowest rates, so providers that do not
> compete
> > on price aren't really critical to have in there.
> >
> > There will also be other comparisons in the future
> too.
> > Calling plan rates, quality (will have to figure out
> > how to measure "quality"), length in
> business, etc.
> >
> >  -- Nitzan
> >
> > --- On Sun, 1/4/09, Alex Balashov
> <abalashov at evaristesys.com> wrote:
> >
> >> From: Alex Balashov
> <abalashov at evaristesys.com>
> >> Subject: Re: [asterisk-biz] Experimental/new VoIP
> rate search engine.
> >> To: "nk3569 at yahoo.com"
> <nk3569 at yahoo.com>, "Commercial and Business- 
> >> Oriented Asterisk Discussion"
> <asterisk-biz at lists.digium.com>
> >> Cc: "Commercial and Business-Oriented
> Asterisk Discussion" <asterisk-biz at lists.digium.com 
> >> >
> >> Date: Sunday, January 4, 2009, 2:43 PM
> >> Nitzan,
> >>
> >> Interesting idea. I wonder, though, what incentive
> exists
> >> for providers to list their rates in a context
> where they
> >> are explicitly bidding against others.
> >>
> >> Seems like the best rates come from negotiating
> discounts
> >> off the public termination rate deck (something
> far from all
> >> providers think is good to have) through volume
> commitments
> >> privately.
> >>
> >> In other words, I think folks doing arbitrage are
> trying to
> >> avoid commodification of trunking as much as
> possible, even
> >> though that seems inevitable and kind of obvious.
> >>
> >> On Jan 4, 2009, at 2:22 PM, Nitzan Kon
> >> <nk3569 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hello providers! (those of you that are)
> >>>
> >>> Due to the lack of one being available (that I
> know
> >> of),
> >>> I decided to start a VoIP rate search engine.
> The idea
> >> is
> >>> to throw in as many providers into the
> database as we
> >> can,
> >>> and let the search functionality find the
> cheapest
> >> routes
> >>> for any given destination.
> >>>
> >>> To check it out, please visit:
> >>> http://www.comparevoipproviderrates.com/
> >>>
> >>> If you are a provider and would like your
> rates
> >> displayed,
> >>> please email your rates in CSV format to rates
> >> NOSPAMat comparevoipproviderrates.com - format is:
> >>> dialprefix,destinate name,rate in US dollars
> >>> example: 1214,USA,0.01
> >>>
> >>> destination name,dialprefix,rate is also
> acceptable.
> >>>
> >>> Please feel free to discuss and let me know if
> you
> >> have
> >>> any comments or suggestions - or if you find
> any bugs.
> >>> This is brand new and will be a
> work-in-progress for a
> >>> while.
> >>>
> >>> -- Nitzan
> >>>
> >>>
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