BasicTalk Review and Product Info

BasicTalk is an internet phone service advertised as a basic and inexpensive alternative to traditional phone plans. Today we offer our BasicTalk review along with additional product information.

About

BasicTalk is an internet phone service from Vonage sold through Walmart. The official website is basictalk.com. You can transfer your existing number after a 7 to 10 day wait. One of their taglines is “Get back to basics with BasicTalk.”

Contact

• 866-382-3770 M-F 9am-Midnight ET or Sa-Su 9am-8pm ET

Cost & Features

• Cost: $9.99 per month
• Unlimited calls to US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, subject to their “reasonable use” policy.
• Includes BasicTalk box, ethernet cable, power cord
• Features: Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting, 911
• Not to be used for business or commercial purposes

BasicTalk Requirements

• Any standard phone
• High speed (wired) internet
• Router
• Active email address
• US billing/shipping address
• Payment method (credit card) associated with a US billing address

Television Commercial

Below is a recent television commercial for BasicTalk:

Transcript of a recent Television Commercial:

If your “magic” phone company gives you empty promises, it’s time to get back to basics. No smoke, no mirrors, no hidden charges, no gimmicks, no double talk, no more hype! Introducing BasicTalk home phone service. Unlimited calling for only $9.99 a month with no annual contract. Basic Talk has everything you need with no upfront cost. Get back to basics with phone service you can count on, it’s not magic, it’s BasicTalk.  Call, click, or go to Walmart today.

Our BasicTalk Review

BasicTalk is a VOIP (internet) phone service powered by Vonage. Their advertising takes an obvious swipe at competitor “MagicJack” (see our review here) by stating that your “magic” phone company gives you “empty promises.” So how does BasicTalk measure up? We recently tested out the service and our observations are below.

• Call Quality: We found the quality to be as expected for an internet phone service, indistinguishable in our experience from a similar service offered by AT&T.  As with any VOIP setup, quality can be dependent on your internet connection.
• Setup: Setting up BasicTalk is straightforward. You simply plug the box into your router and plug your phone into the box, then activate your account online. We encountered no issues in the process.
• As with other VOIP phone services – and unlike traditional phone lines – you can’t use BasicTalk during a power outage.
• You cannot make international calls
• You can’t use BasicTalk to send or receive faxes
• Our total monthly bill, including fees, totaled $10.87

Bottom Line

BasicTalk is a viable competitor in the VOIP arena. It is advertised as a basic phone service, but it handles the basics quite well.

Your Turn

Have you tried BasicTalk? Let us hear from you in the comments below.