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Review by rnikischer 
UPDATED: 53 days ago
member for 6.9 years, 281 visits, last login: 1 days ago
 Ottawa,La Salle,IL
 $2 per month (12 month contract)
 Ameritech
 "Cheap"
 "Poor voice quality"
 "Not a substitute for a real VOIP service."
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
|
UPDATE
October 6, 2009
I have tried to like the MagicJack service. I have used it for over 2 years now. There just isn't anything I can say that is positive about it. I finally unplugged the device from my computer and I am throwing in the towel. Poor call quality is the main reason. Now before you try telling me how it must be my ISP I have to say that I have been using VOIP service for years and have had little to no issues with call quality except for Magicjack. Calls are garbled and many times the person on the other end complains about not being able to hear me properly. I figure that if they don't have a good product by now, they never will. If you aren't looking for top notch reliable service and price is your only concern then I suppose Magicjack is the ticket. Otherwise, go with a reliable VOIP company, you will be better off in the long run. Now I have to sit down and read how to get this crappy software off my computer since there is no uninstall for it!
UPDATE
April 20, 2009
I've had the service for quite some time and from the very beginning I didn't feel comfortable with Magicjack being my primary phone service. Well nearly 2 years later and my thoughts haven't changed one bit. They sure know how to late-night market the hell out of this product and then they leave you hanging. Call quality and reliability is erratic. Service is non-existent. This is best suited as a second line when it does work. My guess is that after 2 years if they haven't got it right by now then chances are they never will. My best advice would be to take your money and buy the Jack Lalane power juicer or the sham wows instead. You probably will get much more use out of them.
UPDATE
11/6/2007
"Soon" seems to be the buzzword with this company. There have been some additional cities added to the list of available numbers but many more are still needed. They have been promising a webportal and other enhancements for months and someone claiming to be Dan Borislaw who posts here said that by the end of October these will take effect. Well it's the first week of November and I am lucky if I can keep my number working. Many times the servers are down and you have no service or no 911 or both.
Anytime anyone posts a negative someone shoots back that the product is in "beta." Well, when the hell does it come out of beta? It's been in beta for over 6 months already. They need to get their act together and start providing what they have promised to provide. Their customers are many times left hanging. They add new numbers and their current customers can't even switch over because the web portal isn't available. The Borislaw poster said that they will provide their beta customers an opportunity to get vanity numbers if they want to switch their number - wana bet that will never happen either?
It's high time for them to "put up or shut up!"
Original Post
I signed up for MagicJack a few weeks ago and received the device within a few days. Opened up the package and plugged into my USB port and within a few minutes I was up and running.
I wasn't too crazy about the phone number selections, absolutely nothing within my area (Metro Chicago) but they promised many new area codes by August 31st.
Now that the date has arrived for the new telephone numbers, nada - zero - zilch from the company. No news and no numbers but a lot of rumors circulating on their forums about extending the time frame.
I don't like the fact that any service or response from the company seems non-existent. They do not answer members in their forums and hardly ever reply to emails. They have no telephone numbers to call them either. They do claim to have a live chat support however for the several times that I visited it (during the hours it is supposed to be staffed) the only people I communicated with were other users looking for help.
Call quality has been good. But their software is a bit buggy. I don't like the fact that every time you start the computer up you have to physically select your 911 location - otherwise you have no 911 service. There are a few other bugs with the softphone but nothing that can't be corrected.
My opinion is that this company isn't ready to be a real VOIP company. I know that the MJ cheerleaders out there will tout the cost - which is pretty inexpensive but it carries with it the uncertanties of reliable service. I would say that for a second outgoing line it is reliable enough, but don't expect it to be a reliable primary service.
Followup comments:  
snailspace
join:2000-11-27
Montevallo, AL | magicJack All features not implemented yet. Still in Beta !!!! | |
| | 
Dan Borislow
@aol.com
| Re: magicJack I am somewhat confused by this post.
Our 911 is the easiest to use in the Business and you do not have to register each time.
The Area Code availibilty is posted clearly on the site and it says be end of September.
The features will start coming up quickly now
We will have major ,major upgrade most likely end of this week for software.This will include autorun for Vista which was a monster.MAC preview will be available within 30 days.
We expect to come out of BETA in October,and I believe we will be hitting all cylinders then.
Thank you for being a customer and I expect we will meet all your expectations by launch.The hard part was getting the best voice quality in the Biz,the rest of these requirements are much easier to accomplish.
Dan Borislow (founder) | |
| | | rnikischer
join:2002-12-28
Ottawa, IL
 ·magicjack.com
·Vonage
| Let me clear up some of the confucion Mr. Borislow First of all, thank you for responding to my review. I would have been more inclined to give your company a better rating if you paid as much attention to your own user forums.
911 Service
I didn't mean to suggest that you have to register every time, but you DO have to select your 911 location every time you restart the software. This really isn't something that is a new complaint, your customers have been suggesting that you fix it for weeks now.
Area Code Availability
It was clearly posted back in July and August on your website that area codes would be available by September 1. That was your promise to your customers, not my wishful thinking. That promise has already been broken. Please do not try to suggest that I wasn't paying attention. I sincerely hope that you keep your promise this time around.
While I understand that this is a recent start up company who charges its' customers very little I do believe that if you intend to build good relationships you should keep your promises to your customers, or at the very least keep your customers informed. Pay attention to your user forums at your website and you will see what I mean. You should respond to customer requests for support and be available when you say you are on your live chat.
I'm not expecting miracles, I am willing to wait for added features and I don't mind a few hiccups along the way. That's the trade-off for getting such a reasonably priced service. I was one of the first Vonage customers and I still have their service. I take the good with the bad.
I wish you all the success with MagicJack and look forward to a long lasting relationship together! | |
| | | |
Dan Borislow
@aol.com
| Thanks for you insight I remain confused by the 911 part.This should not happen.Please email me at dborislow@aol.com
As far as the customer service issues,please remember we are in Beta.You will see CS format has been changed dramatically this week.This weekend their is a major software upgrade coming out too.
The idea is to do enough things right,that we will not need Customer service.Our resources have been assigned to that goal.In my Last company,where we sold 4 million members on AOL Long Distance,the very first year we started the company in retail,we recieved the JDPowers awards.
The area code availability will be something that happens fast and furious,but will not happen until we build all our redundancy into our systems.It will be soon though.
I demand miracles from my people and you will see them.
Please contact me and I will help in anyway I can.I think you will see dramatic improvement in CS in the coming weeks before launch.
Thanks for being Patient.
Dan | |
|
luisfer
@tbdsl.com | magicjack not conesting I install magingjack and when i dial is giving me a not answer for oo:oo dont know whay ,magigfix says is workig ,but is not conecting ,,please help | |
|
parmley86
@charter.com
|  Very Frustrating!
| |
| | 
Piggie
I Actually use Windstream
Premium
join:2005-11-23
Orange Springs, FL
 ·HughesNet Satellit..
 ·Windstream
| Re: Very Frustrating! said by parmley86 :
I have Vista on my computer. I bought this magicjack because it was advertised to work with vista. Now that I got it, I see the link for the vista upgrade does not work. Great. I also just noticed I can not even get a number with my area code. I can't even get an area code in Wisconsin!!
Personally though not a MJ user, I would blame Microsoft.
--
| Speedstream 4200 Modem - 3m/384 plan | W98-W2KSP4-XPSP2 - All AMD | Buffalo WHR G54S with Tomato 1.13 | 3 downstream switches feeding 6 total clients (no wireless) | Including the Data port on the side of my neck | | |
| PX Eliezer
Premium
join:2008-08-09
New Jersey
·Callcentric
·Optimum Voice
·callwithus
·voip.ms
| MagicJack settles with Fla. AG over customer complaints April 15, 2009
MagicJack settles with Fla. AG over customer complaints
[South Florida Business Journal]
Florida’s attorney general said Wednesday he has reached a settlement with MagicJack LP over charges the Palm Beach County company charged customers for a long distance phone service during what was supposed to be a free 30-day trial.
Bill McCollum’s office began investigating the company’s business practices last July after receiving numerous complaints from consumers about the product, which connects a household phone to a computer, allowing customers to make unlimited long-distance calls over the Internet.
The investigation also found that the product had limitations that were not properly disclosed, and that the company did not have enough customer service agents to deal with consumer complaints, according to a news release from McCollum’s office.
As part of the settlement, the company has agreed to implement various new practices to assist its customers, including a guarantee that all inquires will be responded to within 24 business hours and a disclaimer on the first page of its Web site, clarifying the eligibility requirements to participate in a free trial offer.
The company, which has resolved the 500 customer complaints, also will reimburse the state for the costs associated with the investigation. | |
| redpepper
join:2009-09-05
| magicJack Users Can Now Skype PCPhoneSoft announced the release of its new Skype dual mode calling software plugin "SkyjackPlugin" for magicJack users.
To place Skype calls just dial * before the number you want to call. Speed dial numbers are available for dialing other Skype users. Regular magicJack calls are placed as normal. For incoming calls, just answer the phone when it rings.
Users of the magicJack can now enjoy the added benefits of Skype including video calling, conference calling and free Skype to Skype user calls worldwide.
Users of the magicJack can check it out and try it free at »www.pcphonesoft.com | |
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