Frequently Asked Questions
Many frequently asked questions are answered in the sections below.
If you don’t find the answer you are looking for you can call us 24/7 at 800-820-8210 or contact customer support through our Support Center.
Most Popular FAQ's
• What is the GotVMail service and how can it help my business?
GotVMail's Virtual Phone System helps your small business sound more professional and stay connected. With a toll free or local number, multiple extensions, live call forwarding, music-on-hold, dial-by-name directory, and much more, your small business can function and appear like a Fortune 500 company. When callers dial your GotVMail toll free or local number, they hear a custom main greeting giving them options from which to choose, i.e. "Thank you for calling ABC company, dial 1 for sales, 2 for support..."
Since each extension can forward to up to six phone numbers you can be reached on your home, office, mobile or VoIP phone. Assign extensions to each department or employee and let the find-me-follow-me functionality of call forwarding connect callers to the right employees. Give callers access to information such as product info, store hours or driving directions using Informational Extensions. You can also receive voicemails and faxes online or via email as audio or picture attachments. With these powerful features available from GotVMail your small business can stay connected and sound more professional.
• Does GotVMail require a contract?
No, GotVMail is a month-to-month service that does not require any long term contract. In addition, our 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee ensures you can try our service risk free.
• How long does it take before I can use the service after signing up?
Generic toll free and local number accounts will be active within minutes of signing up in most cases. You can start setting up your account right away using the Quick Setup guide. Please note that toll free transfers usually take 10 to 14 business days and custom vanity toll free numbers take 5 to 7 business days to activate. You should always verify that your GotVMail number is activated before marketing or advertising it.
• Do I need to change my local and long distance carrier?
GotVMail's Virtual Phone System does not require that you change any of your existing carriers. Only calls that are handled by GotVMail are billed to your GotVMail account. Your local and long distance carriers will continue to bill you for any service that they provide to you.
• Can GotVMail be used as a standalone voicemail system whenever we don't answer the phone?
Yes, you can have your local phone company forward to your GotVMail number after a certain number of rings or when busy. So, a call to your existing local phone number would get transferred to your GotVMail toll free or local number and the caller would be able to leave messages for various extensions.
• How many extensions can I have?
You can have hundreds of extensions with any GotVMail plan. Each plan comes with a certain number of extensions and you can add more for $5 per set of 5 extensions.
• How many calls can GotVMail handle?
GotVMail is designed to handle all your incoming calls so that no one gets a busy signal.
• What if I need more minutes?
Each plan has an amount of minutes included each month. If you exceed the number of minutes in your plan you can easily upgrade to the next plan or pay the overage rate that applies to your specific plan. For example, the Gold plan comes with 250 minutes and an overage rate of 6.8 cents per minute.
Calls are forwarded to your existing home, cell or office lines. When you pick up the line, GotVMail announces that you have a call and provides a number of options such as accepting or rejecting the call or listening to the caller ID.
You will see the GotVMail number that was originally dialed on your forwarding phone. You can also change the setting of any extension to show the Caller ID of the caller. Your phone will ring the same as other calls but by using the Call Announce feature, you will hear our system asking you to press 1 to take the call, 2 to send the caller to voicemail, and 3 to listen to the phone number of the caller. This will allow you to distinguish between a business and a personal call.
• Does GotVMail work for Canadian customers?
Yes, GotVMail works in all of North America - both Canada and the U.S. Best of all, the minute rate for all calls, incoming or forwarded, is the same in Canada as calls that are made in the U.S. (48 contiguous states).
General Questions
• What is the GotVMail service and how can it help my business?
GotVMail's Virtual Phone System helps your small business sound more professional and stay connected. With a toll free or local number, multiple extensions, live call forwarding, music-on-hold, dial-by-name directory, and much more, your small business can function and appear like a Fortune 500 company. When callers dial your GotVMail toll free or local number, they hear a custom main greeting giving them options from which to choose, i.e. "Thank you for calling ABC company, dial 1 for sales, 2 for support..."
Since each extension can forward to up to six phone numbers you can be reached on your home, office, mobile or VoIP phone. Assign extensions to each department or employee and let the find-me-follow-me functionality of call forwarding connect callers to the right employees. Give callers access to information such as product info, store hours or driving directions using Informational Extensions. You can also receive voicemails and faxes online or via email as audio or picture attachments. With these powerful features available from GotVMail your small business can stay connected and sound more professional.
• Does GotVMail require a contract?
No, GotVMail is a month-to-month service that does not require any long term contract. In addition, our 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee ensures you can try our service risk free.
• How long does it take before I can use the service after signing up?
Generic toll free and local number accounts will be active within minutes of signing up in most cases. You can start setting up your account right away using the Quick Setup guide. Please note that toll free transfers usually take 10 to 14 business days and custom vanity toll free numbers take 5 to 7 business days to activate. You should always verify that your GotVMail number is activated before marketing or advertising it.
• Do I need to change my local and long distance carrier?
GotVMail's Virtual Phone System does not require that you change any of your existing carriers. Only calls that are handled by GotVMail are billed to your GotVMail account. Your local and long distance carriers will continue to bill you for any service that they provide to you.
• Can I have multiple toll free or local numbers on the same account?
You can add additional numbers to your account at any time. Each additional number is just $5 more per month. Additional one-time fees may also apply depending on the type of number you are adding. For example, if you add a vanity number there is a one-time $30 fee and adding an 800 prefix toll free number costs $15.
• Would GotVMail work with the existing extensions in my office?
GotVMail's PBX Connect Feature can be programmed to work with many PBX systems.
• How long has GotVMail Communications been in business?
GotVMail was established in 2003 and has grown tremendously since then. To learn more about GotVMail visit our About Us page.
• Can GotVMail be used as a standalone voicemail system whenever we don't answer the phone?
Yes, you can have your local phone company forward to your GotVMail number after a certain number of rings or when busy. So, a call to your existing local phone number would get transferred to your GotVMail toll free or local number and the caller would be able to leave messages for various extensions.
• Does GotVMail work in Canada?
Yes, GotVMail works in all of North America - both Canada and the U.S. Best of all, the minute rate for all calls, incoming or forwarded, is the same in Canada as calls that are made in the U.S. (48 contiguous states).
• What are the different plans that you offer?
GotVMail offers 4 plans to suit the needs of any entrepreneur or small business. Our Silver Plan is $9.95 per month and comes with 5 extensions, 50 included minutes and an overage rate of 7.4 cents per minute. The Gold Plan includes 10 extensions, 250 included minutes and an overage rate of 6.8 cents per minute. The Platinum Plan comes with 20 extensions, 1000 included minutes and an overage rate of 5.8 cents per minute. The Executive Plan is packed with 50 extensions, 2000 minutes and our lowest per minute rate at just 4.8 cents per minute. In addition, the activation fee is waived for Executive Plan customers. Visit our Features and Pricing page to learn more about our plans.
• Do you offer an affiliate program or customer referral bonuses?
Yes, as a GotVMail customer you receive a $10 credit on your account for every new customer you refer. To start referring just visit our Refer an Entrepreneur page to learn more. We also offer an Affiliate Program where individuals looking to partner with GotVMail will earn $25 for each customer they refer to us. Visit our Affiliate page to learn more about GotVMail's affiliate program.
Billing & Payment
• Is there a Money-Back Guarantee?
Yes, with our 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee if you decide to cancel within the first 30 days all initial sign up charges will be refunded.
Yes, GotVMail is a month-to-month service that you may cancel at any time. There are no commitments or contracts and we offer a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
• What is the Regulatory Recovery Fee Surcharge?
This is a surcharge that GotVMail charges to help defray costs incurred complying with obligations and charges imposed by State and Federal telecom regulations, and State and Federal Universal Service Charges. The Regulatory Recovery Surcharge is not a tax or a government-required charge.
All calls to your account, including administrator and user access calls, are counted as minute usage. You can always use myGotVMail to check messages and change many settings online.
• Can I pay by check or money order?
At this time GotVMail only accepts payment through credit or debit cards issued by Visa, MasterCard or American Express. A working card must remain on file for monthly billing purposes.
• How will I receive my monthly statement?
Log in to myGotVMail.com to view all statements for your account. You can print or save these statements for reference. If you would like to receive monthly statements via email, please visit our Support Center and submit a ticket or contact Customer Support at 800-820-8210 and ask to receive monthly notices. GotVMail does not send paper statements or invoices.
• Is there a record of extension usage and incoming calls?
Detailed billing statements showing minute usage (inbound and transferred) and individual extension usage, including records of incoming call phone numbers are available online at myGotVMail.
• Can I change my credit card information after I sign up?
Yes, you may update your billing information online via myGotVMail.com under the My Account section. You may also update your information with one of our 24-hour customer support representatives, by calling GotVMail at 800-820-8210
• What are the toll free rates?
Minutes are billed at a rate determined by your plan. For example, the Executive Plan includes 2000 minutes you can use with your GotVMail toll free or local number. If you exceed your included minutes, the overage rate on the Executive Plan is 4.8 cents per minute. Since each plan has a different overage rate visit our Features and Pricing page to view minute rates by plan.
To cancel your account you must open a Billing ticket through our Support Center. In order to protect our customers and to create a record of your request we do not process requests to cancel accounts via phone.
Minute Usage
• Can I switch to another plan after I sign up for GotVMail?
Yes, you can upgrade your plan or switch between plans at any time by contacting Customer Support.
• Do unused minutes roll over into the next month?
No, unused minutes do not carry over to the next month.
• What if I go over my toll free minute plan? How will I be charged?
You will be charged the per-minute overage rate that applies for your plan. To view the minute rates for each plan please visit the Features and Pricing page. Each time you exceed your included plan minutes by an additional 1000 minutes we will charge your card to cover this amount of minutes.
• Can I change my plan in the middle of my billing cycle?
You can change your plan at any time. If you change your plan in the middle of your billing cycle your bill will be prorated to reflect the change.
GotVMail Features
• How many phone numbers can I have GotVMail ring to try to reach me?
Every extension can ring up to six different phone numbers in the order of your preference. Callers will hear Music-on-Hold or your own customized on-hold commercial while your Virtual Phone System tries to locate you. You can even program the days and hours that each number is tried.
• What is the Dial-by-Name directory?
The Dial-by-Name Directory allows callers to search for a person's extension using their first or last name. To access the Dial-by-Name Directory callers must press 8 from your main greeting.
• What is the Voicemail and Fax Delivery feature?
Voicemail and Fax Delivery provides you access to your voicemails and faxes via email. Voicemails are sent as an MP3 or WAV files to as many as three email addresses per extension. Faxes are sent as picture attachments and can be saved to your computer as PDFs.
• Can I have custom Music-on-Hold?
Yes you can use any music you like. You can also have different music on different extensions. You can even create a custom on-hold commercial mixing music with marketing messages for callers to hear while they wait. Uploading greetings, Music-on-Hold and on-hold commercials is easy at mygotvmail.com. If you choose to send us files to upload into your Virtual Phone System there is a one-time $25 fee. Please send all MP3 files by submitting a Voice Talent ticket and allow 2 business days for your files to be uploaded.
• What is the Virtual Calling Card feature?
Each extension of your GotVMail account can also function as a calling card. Using your toll free or local number and PIN, you are able to make outgoing calls from any phone, anywhere in the country. This feature is also great when you want your GotVMail toll free or local number to appear on the caller ID of the person you have dialed. To begin using this powerful feature please submit a completed credit card authorization form.
With VirtualFax you can receive faxes on your toll free or local number and forward them to a fax machine or up to three email addresses per extension. VirtualFax makes it easy to save, view and store your received faxes on your computer.
With Fax-on-Demand you can store important documents such as manuals and price sheets so that they may be requested by callers instantly and automatically. Callers can press 6 from the main menu to access the Fax-on-Demand menu.
1) You load fax documents for storage in your system by faxing the document from your fax machine.
2) Callers call from any telephone and provide their fax number and the appropriate document number.
3) A stored fax will be sent out to their fax machine within seconds, as part of the same call.
This type of extension can be used to ask callers a series of questions and then record and compile each answer into one voicemail. For example, you can record a set of 10 questions that the caller must answer. After each question is answered, the caller presses # and hears the next question. The answers are then consolidated into one voicemail. Q&A extensions are great for order taking and information gathering.
• What options do I have when calls are forwarded to me?
When a call is forwarded you have three options after picking up the line. Each option will be announced to you before you begin speaking with the caller. The first option is to press 1 to accept the call. Option 2 will send the caller to voicemail and option 3 will read the caller ID so you can determine whether you want to take the call. If you have Call Screening selected for your extension you will have the callers recorded named played to you after you pick up the phone. If you have Direct Connect selected as the call forwarding option for your extension you will be connected to the caller as soon as you pick up.
• How do Informational Extensions work?
Informational Extensions (formerly VMEs) are used to give callers more information about your company, your products and services using a menu tree of info-only extensions. There are three main Informational Extensions that can be activated on your account. Each of these three extensions has 5 sub-extensions, and each of those has 5 additional sub-extensions. Normally, pressing 1 from the Main Greeting will take the caller to extension 701; 2 to extension 702; and 3 to extension 703. However, if extension 1 is activated as an Informational Extension and extensions 2 and 3 are not, then pressing 1 will take callers to that Informational Extension and pressing 2 or 3 will take callers to extensions 702 and 703, respectively.
Yes, we can customize your system to handle rotational extensions. To activate this feature contact Customer Support
Toll Free & Local Numbers
• Can I request a specific (vanity) phone number?
Yes, you can search for and reserve a vanity toll free number instantly online during signup. Activation takes 5 business days and a $30 one-time fee. If you have questions about vanity numbers you can submit a ticket or call Customer Support 24/7 at 1-800-820-8210.
• Can I reserve a vanity number if it is available on another site?
Since GotVMail is accessing the National Toll Free Database the only sure way to reserve a number is by searching via GotVMail.
• Can I ask for a list of available numbers?
Unfortunately, a list of all available numbers would be too large to distribute and, since the list changes constantly, outdated within moments of being distributed. GotVMail cannot distribute lists of available numbers because customers have no way of reserving them ahead of time to confirm availability.
You may, however, ask for a search based on broad criteria; for example, a search can be performed for a specific word combination and a small list of variations can be compiled.
• How long does it take to get my vanity number up and running?
It normally takes 5 to 7 business days for a vanity number to be activated. Please make sure the number is working before publishing your vanity number.
• Can I request a vanity number with a local prefix?
Unfortunately there are no vanity numbers with local prefixes available.
• Can I transfer my existing toll free number to your service?
Yes you can. We can transfer your existing toll free number to GotVMail once you have completed and faxed the Toll Free Transfer form. Please allow 10 to 14 business days to complete this process. In the meantime, we will provide you with a temporary number so that you may begin setting up your system and recording greetings.
• What is the fee for transferring a toll free number?
Up to 3 numbers can be transferred from the same carrier for $30. Each additional set of up to three from the same carrier is another $30.
Example: 6 numbers from the same carrier would be $60 (two sets x $30=$60)
For those transferring multiple numbers from different carriers, the charge will be $30 per set of three from each respective carrier.
Example: If you're transferring from Carrier A and Carrier B, pricing will follow the same structure outlined above ($30 per batch of three from each carrier)
• Can my GotVMail number forward to other countries?
Yes, International Call Forwarding is available. You must complete and fax in a credit card authorization form for this feature to be activated. Click here to view rates.
• I have callers from overseas who can't always dial toll free. Can I also get a local number?
Yes, each plan includes either one local number or one toll free number. You can add a local number to any account for an additional $5 monthly fee.
• Can I use my existing local number with GotVMail?
While we cannot currently port your existing local number, you can have your local phone company forward your existing local number to your GotVMail toll free or local number. Since there may be different types of call forwarding offered by your carrier, please be sure to specify that they "forward and release" your calls.
• Do I own the toll free number or does GotVMail?
Once a toll free number has been assigned to you, you will have ownership of it. If you decide to change service providers, you must have the toll free number transferred before canceling your service.
• Are 888, 877 and 866 prefixes the same as 800?
Yes, they are all toll free prefixes and work exactly the same way.
• Can a toll free number have "123" as the middle three digits?
Unfortunately, the middle three numbers in a toll free number cannot begin with the number "1." For example, any searches for 8xx-123-xxxx will not be able to be performed (or any variation on that such as 8xx-133, 8xx-130, etc.)
• Can I buy a number from another company and use it with GotVMail?
With the number of people using custom vanity numbers higher than ever, securing a good vanity number is becoming more difficult than ever.
There are companies on the Internet that may try to sell you a very desirable toll free number, but this practice is not sanctioned by the FCC. You may buy these numbers, but do so at your own risk.
As always, you can transfer any toll free number to GotVMail, but **please allow 10-14 business days for transferring**. The number will not be transferred before all of the necessary paperwork is submitted and verified complete.
• Who will bill me after my number is transferred to you?
GotVMail will bill you following the complete transfer of your toll free number from another carrier.
Remember, do not cancel your account with the carrier from which you are transferring your number until your number is completely transferred to your GotVMail account.
• Can I transfer my number to another carrier?
You are able to transfer your toll free number at any time if your account is in good standing. Please do not cancel your account with us until you have confirmation from the new carrier that the transfer is complete. Please refer to sections 10 and 11 in our terms and conditions for more detailed information.
Voicemails & Extensions
• How long can incoming/outgoing messages be?
Outgoing messages can be as long as you want them to be. There is no maximum time restriction.
Incoming messages (not live callers) are limited to 2 minutes. This is done to prevent an accidental (or intended) misuse of your GotVMail account. This length can be customized to your needs. A live phone conversation has no time limit.
• How will I be notified when I have a message?
GotVMail can page you or notify you with a phone call when you have messages. The Voicemail and Fax Delivery feature allows for notifications via email or text message as well.
• How many messages can be stored and for how long?
While we can store an unlimited number of messages, they are saved for only 30 days. You can save your voicemails to your computer if you would like to save messages beyond 30 days.
• Can the administrator override voicemail passwords?
Yes, as the administrator you can update passwords and access all extensions.
• Can I use GotVMail only as a voicemail on an existing line?
Yes, you can have your existing phone company forward your local number to your toll free number after a certain amount of rings or when busy. So, a caller calling your local phone number will get transferred to your GotVMail Virtual Phone System automatically and be able to leave messages for various extensions.
• Would I still be able to use an existing voicemail with GotVMail?
If you would like the caller to leave the message on your existing voicemail system, you would have to set the number as a Direct Connect call forward.
Greetings
Customers can record their own greetings via telephone or use the GotVMail Voice Studio to create professional messages. You can also upload your own greetings through mygotvmail.com
• Can I upload my own greetings?
Yes, you can upload greetings, music-on-hold and on-hold commercials at mygotvmail.com for free. If you send us your audio file(s) to upload into your system there is a one-time $25 charge to upload files. This fee applies to both music and greetings. Please send all MP3 files by submitting a Voice Talent ticket and allow 2 business days for your files to be uploaded.
• Can I have my own commercial for Music-on-Hold?
Yes, our Voice Studio can create a full production audio recording combining your script and music together. You submit this request this by visiting http://gotvmail.com/voice. If you want to use a specific song with your commercial please reply to the confirmation email you will receive after submitting the script with your music file in MP3 format. You can also send the file(s) with your account number and instructions by submitting a Voice Talent ticket.
You can record a greeting of any length, keeping in mind that every time a caller dials in and listens to the message, it counts toward your total monthly minute usage.
