CallHippoReviews of callhippo.com

Really bad service, one buys a package and needs additional money to be able to use this package afterwards, no money back only empty promises, in my eyes fraudulent.

Not happy! Misleading pricing, expensive will not offer refund! cancelled my account after I had paid and wouldn't refund even when demanded!

I signed up for a local Toronto number for clients to call me without needing long distance (still in Canada). The number was immediate and worked. I was billed $9 per month. I sent clients my new local number. Two days later the CallHippo team sends me a warning that "Your account might be blocked". CallHippo already had a verified credit card and payment. Now it wanted government issued picture id, an explanation of what my domain "is all about" and more personal identifying data. I explained to CallHippo that providing this data allows someone to easily steal an identity and was entirely unacceptable. I got this explanation "to make sure that we don't have to pay heavy fines when various country's agencies contact us/our carriers for the Fraudulent activities being carried out using CallHippo numbers." I did not accept that and was told "We have a system in place which gives us heads up on any kind of suspicion." I guess I triggered that for $9 in a call that goes from Canada to Canada with a verified credit card. This was after the money was taken not at the time the account was being created. After I asked them for the basis on which agency required this information in Canada they cancelled my account. I was left with clients dialing a number that went to another user. Subsequently, CallHippo is now sending messages as if I'm a client saying my business is helping the orphanage which definitely sounds like a scam. This is today's gem "1% of CallHippo's annual profit is donated to the orphanage." Overall, I found the process quite irritating and unprofessional. It smacks of an overseas hack shop with ridiculous rules and nonsense requirements designed to pull sensitive data leading to possible identity theft. If I provide CallHippo with just a credit card then I'm ok with the risk of it being misused. I call VISA and they fix it. If I also give out government-issued picture id, personal data, my credit card, my address, my business and domain details then I'm stupidly risking years of trouble and fraudulent activity if that information gets into the wrong hands intentionally or by mistake. I think CallHippo is risky and I would advise extreme caution based on my single 1-week experience. Update April 28, 2021: I wrote a complaint to the Canadian Privacy Commisioner in Ottawa. Strangely, the office replied that asking for passport data is reasonable for a business and she also offered she would have no hesitation to do the same. I have the formal letter reply. Recently, February, 2021 I started receiving calls from CallHippo trying to address my concerns. After three calls I asked them if the policy still exists to send personal data overseas for a simple phone number paid by a VISA card. The answer was "yes" and I said that the issue remains unacceptable for any reasonable person. I continue to believe this is a badly operated shop that primarily sucks up personal data on the back of a legitimate phone number business. All calls are from Bangladesh or India (I asked) and none are from North America where my laws might protect me. On a scale of 0-10 for scam alert, I would give it a 10+. Edit April 30, 2021: I've had about 6 calls from these guys, very persistent. Obviously they want me to retract my review here on Trustpilot. I spoke to this fellow about a week ago for a long time. He was calling from India. After many minutes of gibberish about this review I asked him if they still required government issued ID to use their service plus a verified CC and all the address and business details. He said "Yes". I said "my review won't change". -------------------------------------- Email from callhippo re: this review. Hi Paul, Hope you are doing well! I am just circling back to check either you got a chance to look at my previous email? Kindly check and let me know any of your convenient timings so that we can have a small discussion. Looking forward to hearing back from you. Vijay | On-Boarding Manager CallHippo Easy to use Phone System with World-Class Support p: +1203-806-7660 w: callhippo.com

STAY AWAY FROM THIS SCAM! THEY ONLY TAKE YOUR MONEY, AND WHEN THEY HAVE IT, THEY WILL NOT SUPPORT YOU ANYMORE! MY LUCK WAS, THAT I DID ONLY BUY A MONTLY SUB.. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY FOR NOTHING! THE SERVICE DOES NOT WORK!