JP
Have you ever seen those things on TV that look too good to be true? You know the kind, they promise to give you the magical ability to clean any surface just my wiping it with a sponge. Here’s one that’s looks to be just about too good to be true.
The MagicJack is a dongle that plugs into an available USB port on your computer. You can then plug in any old phone and make unlimited local and long distance phone calls. That doesn’t sound too far-fetched, right? Well the cost for the service is only $20 a year, and the first year is free. But, if you call in within the next 30 minutes you’ll get a free magic nose hair trimmer. Yea, so I made up that last bit, but you get the drift.
The MagicJack itself will set you back $40, and the service even gives you a local phone number to use. I say this sounds too good to be true, but until someone gets their hands on one to review, we can’t be completely sure. I wouldn’t exactly hole my breath.
MagicJack: Apply Directly to the USB Port [via crunchgear]
NOTE: Many people seems to have problem with MagicJack especially when it comes to customer services. I also finds it fishy and unethical for MagicJack’s reseller come in and post absurd comments on this article.
79 Responses to “MagicJack – Too good to be true?”
Therese Anderson October 3, 2007
MagicJack lives up to its promises. This is true and it is good. I suggest that the author of this article go to the website and purchase a MagicJack to see for himself. You’ll be a fan for life; not to mention leaving your old phone bill in the dust.
-8Dan Borislow October 3, 2007
Scott
I do not want you to hold your breath any longer,I will send you a few magicjacks.I agree with you,the hardest part of selling the magicjack is having people believe it is true.I am the inventor,the guy who put the money up and I am telling you it is all true.My previous company was AOL Long Distance,we sold 4 million members of AOL Long Distance,saved them Billions and we recieved the JD Power award first year out.Sorry about all the bragging,but history repeats and this time,is much better than anything I have ever done before.Don Burns is the CEO,and his history is comparable to mine.His company was ulimately sold to Bell Canada for $1.2 Bil.This is the real deal.
Dan Borislow
+16Inventor of magicJack
ideaman2020 October 3, 2007
Maybe the product works fine, but if the packaging promises “Never Pay a Phone Bill Again” and “Free Local and Long Distance Calling”, but they nominally charge $20 per year that’s sleazy marketing at best.
Yes, $20/year is nice and cheap, but it’s not $0, is it? And don’t try and spin it with “you’re not technically paying a Phone Bill”… Smells of bait-and-switch.
I would definitely not buy it just because of that.
-25Truth in Advertising October 3, 2007
IDEAMAN202 et al.
+6Do your homework, buy the product, peruse the Internet and make an informed decision. No matter how the product is advertised, the truth is in the pricing and performance. (I guess you won’t buy a car because the estimated mileage claim is off or you dont buy soda by teh can beacuse it is actually 2 servings and you drink it as one) Anyway, with magicJack you do not pay any monthly phone bill or write a check whatsoever for the ongoing free local and long distance. You are buying a product and licensing the usage each successive year for about $20. You are a real ball buster with semantics IDEAMAN202 and its not real pretty. But, pls stand on principle and do not buy a product that will save you $700 a year because of the packaging; you will win that argument. huh?!
Hagrun October 4, 2007
Good point Truth in Advertising man. Those that expect to see evil will see evil every where they look. Of coarse it doesn’t help that most companies don’t really care about their customer, but only securing the cash from their pockets. It also doesn’t help that most of those “As seen on TV” devices usually don’t really help anyone at all.
Anyone that thinks a product might be good for them should decided whether or not to buy it based on what I call the “Clean slate method of research.” Simply don’t be put off because of other companies trying to put one over on you. You can easily find the real deal behind most products with a simple google search.
I think Dan B is doing the right thing. Send the product to gadget people and let the gadget people spread the word. If you truly have a great product, you have nothing to fear by sending your product to the folks who have big audiences to share your product with. It’s free advertising to boot! You should send the device out to some more gadget blogs, and CNET to make sure you reach everyone you can!
Good luck Dan!
+4Michael Magliotti October 11, 2007
Mr. Borislow,
I find it too good to be true! Nothing at a low price comes with quality. This product would have to really do magic for me to believe it.
I do not want you to hold your breath any longer,I will send you a few magicjacks.I agree with you,the hardest part of selling the magicjack is having people believe it is true.I am the inventor,the guy who put the money up and I am telling you it is all true.My previous company was AOL Long Distance,we sold 4 million members of AOL Long Distance,saved them Billions and we recieved the JD Power award first year out.Sorry about all the bragging,but history repeats and this time,is much better than anything I have ever done before.Don Burns is the CEO,and his history is comparable to mine.His company was ulimately sold to Bell Canada for $1.2 Bil.This is the real deal.
Dan Borislow
-4Inventor of magicJack[/quote]
Dick Zeisler December 26, 2007
It’s just too bad Mr. Borislow doesn’t provide an email address or phone number so that a potential customer can ask simple questions. (Couldn’t get through on the CHAT lines whenever I’ve tried during business hours.) FAQ’s?…….baloney. It is not useful to me when it indicates no area code within 300 miles of my home and business is available!
I live in Elephant Butte, NM and there, apparently, is NOT ONE 505 or 575 area code available in the entire state – including even major large cities like Albuquerque, NM (125 miles away) and El Paso, TX (125 miles away), and Phoenix or Denver just won’t do. Would be fun explaining to my friends, customers and associates that I really DIDN’T move out of state, though! My creditors should love it, too. Hee-hee!
I also hear on the forums that tech support is non-existent. Is this true? So far, with no email address or phone number to contact anyone in person – it seems to be true – beta or not.
Sorry, but these questions need to be addressed.
+5Todd T January 7, 2008
Magic does work but sometimes you have bad connection and I found a phone number you can contact magicjack at 1-561-586-3380 or fax them at 561-586-2328
+2CargoJack January 10, 2008
I bought a magicJack about 6 months ago. I got it initially because I like gadgets, and then let my girlfriend plug it in to her Vista laptop to make calls to her motehr and sister. She was going past her alotted minutes on her cell phone, so magicJack has saved her money already. I had some problems with the magicJack about a month ago, and emailed Dan Borilsow and one of his engineers, and although it took a week, they corrected the problem. I have never exchanged emails with the CEO of any technology company, so I was rather pleased and impressed with that. The device still has a few problems. I would not use it for a business, but, for personal calls, and for having another number, to use instead of using a cell phone, the device is perfect.
I plan on buying another one, since my gf is using the first one I got.
cargojack@skidbox.com
+6Pete January 31, 2008
“Hole” your breath?
How, exactly, would you do that, you illiterate goober?
-6bryan February 2, 2008
I have had magicjack for about two weeks. It has worked fine as long as my broadband line was working fine. There lies my problem. I have verizon broadband and it is not reliable. I think the website could be more informative and discuss use of things like caller id. I did not even realize it had caller id. No explanation for conference calls that I could find.
-3The sound quality was almost always better than my verizon line alone for both the caller and the receiver of the call made with the device.
Seems like a reasonable investment for most people who want to save some money.
Thumbs up.
privacygirl February 4, 2008
but what shows up on the caller id when i call someone? my name or just my number?
+4Michelle February 9, 2008
I too purchased magicJack, mostly to save money (as I’m a single parent and everyone I know, including businesses, are long distance. I have not had a good connection since I got it and my 30 day trial period deadline is coming up fast! I have tried absolutely EVERYTHING and worked with numerous techs at magicJack. My problem is that incoming and outgoing calls are choppy including the ringtone after it’s dialed (not before). It comes across clear enough- just words or parts of words are cut out. I have Alltel EVDO service and my computor is newer with Vista. I need help! I REALLY want this working! Any ideas?
+7Ted February 16, 2008
Read their “Terms of Agreement” fine print (which most of us fail to read, but which we must agree to) and then you’ll understood why the offer IS too good to be true. Turns out they use the personal data you’re required to supply them in order to activate the device and then collect data on your calling patterns to deliver targeted advertising to your computer desktop, a fact that their own advertising fails to disclose. Couple this with the fact that (1) their web site well conceals contact information, and (2) fails to disclose the data collection and advertising push, and it can only be described as questionable business practice. At the very least, it should warn of other potential privacy and business abuses.
+10annoyed February 16, 2008
i would like to try this, but i hate waiting for things that have to be purchased online. arent any stores carrying magicjack yet? i swear i saw it at wal-mart once, but i went back today and couldn’t find it. too bad magicjack doesnt have a damn phone number so i could just call and ask if they are in stores yet.
-1kazi February 18, 2008
i ordered it today through magic jack website, i will post my review later… i currently have lingo voip… and my high speed internet provider is comcast …detroit /MI
-2Brett February 21, 2008
[quote comment="29683"]Mr. Borislow,
I find it too good to be true! Nothing at a low price comes with quality. This product would have to really do magic for me to believe it.
I do not want you to hold your breath any longer,I will send you a few magicjacks.I agree with you,the hardest part of selling the magicjack is having people believe it is true.I am the inventor,the guy who put the money up and I am telling you it is all true.My previous company was AOL Long Distance,we sold 4 million members of AOL Long Distance,saved them Billions and we recieved the JD Power award first year out.Sorry about all the bragging,but history repeats and this time,is much better than anything I have ever done before.Don Burns is the CEO,and his history is comparable to mine.His company was ulimately sold to Bell Canada for $1.2 Bil.This is the real deal.
Dan Borislow
-5Inventor of magicJack[/quote][/quote]
I am in the process of purchasing your product , I am tired of my Vonage svc always cutting out, even while I am not downloading/Uploading etc. I would love to test the product w/o the use of credit card if possible. Please email me directly at wizard2694@hotmail.com about this…
Future Customer..
B.LaChance
fd February 27, 2008
Dan Borislow, the founder of YMAX Communications Corporation, founded a new company named Magic Jack, which manufactures and sells an apparatus to transmit voice over the internet. By eliminating the expense of local and long distance phone charges – and saving the average customer around $1000 a year – magicJack is positioned to be the fastest growing telecom company in the world; Borislow likes to call it “Telecom Revolution Part II.”
MagicJack is a convenient USB dongle with phone jack attached to it. By connecting your regular phone to the MagicJack phone port, you can now make free calls anywhere within the US for free. If traveling in Canada, Mexico, UK, China, Italy and Israel then you can call home (USA) for free.
MagicJack is a VoIP service which doesn’t have phone charges but rather an upfront cost for the USB dongle. No pricing yet, but it does provide not only free calling using your regular phone, but includes call forwarding, caller ID, call waiting and free phone number upon purchase. Dan Borislow is the founder of this company and it’ll be interesting to see his price point for the MagicJack USB dongle and how that meshes with customer value perception.
The MagicJack phone jack received Product of the Year in 2007. After the purchase of the MagicJack USB dongle (about $40) you pay a one time fee of $19.95 per year for unlimited calling. Not $19.95 per month BUT $19.95 per year. This will reduce your phone bill to just $20 a year!
Requires: Windows XP or above; high speed internet connection
We are working hard everyday to maintain and improve excellent customer support. I understand and appreciate the user experience. The last company I built was a recipient of the JD Power Award for Customer Satisfaction.
The first line of magicJack Customer Support is our proprietary and very cool tool called magicFix. One click on magicFix on either our Home Page or under our “Customer Support” tab will diagnose and repair ALMOST all installation and usage issues. We are finding that simple fixes, such as software conflicts, are resolved with magicFix.
Also, AFTER you have tried magicFix and still have an issue, we have provided you a Troubleshooting Guide — go to SEARCH and ask a question of the knowledgebase.
In summary, we want you to be have a perfect customer experience and start using your magicJack today.
INFORMATION FOUND at Better Business Bureau: Company Report Details
Magic Jack LP
PO box 6846
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Contact: Peter Russo CFO
Primary Phone: (561) 722-0433
Magic Jack LP
5700 Georgie Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
Other Phone Numbers: (561) 722-0433
Website: http://www.magicjack.com
Company ID: 92006280
BBB Created Record on: 1/9/2008
Bureau Membership: This company is not a member of the Better Business Bureau.
Company Rating: C- Acceptable rating. We know of no reason not to do business with this company. If the level of this rating relates to anything specific that we know might be of concern to consumers, it is stated in this report. Read our full report to determine if you have questions or concerns
Licensing and Bonding Information: This company is in an industry that may require licensing, bonding or registration in order to lawfully do business. The Bureau encourages you to check with the appropriate agency to be certain any requirements are currently being met.
BBB Comments and Analysis: We have no further comment about this company’s business practices or analysis of its offer that may assist you in your consideration of this company.
Complaint Closing Statistics: The following displays the number and responses to complaints over the last 36 months:
No. Type of Response
2 Making a full refund, as the consumer requested
0 Making a partial refund
3 Agreeing to perform according to their contract
0 Refusing to make an adjustment
0 Refuse to adjust, relying on terms of agreement
0 Unanswered
0 Unassigned
5 Total
Complaint Experience: Our complaint history for this company shows the company gave proper consideration to complaints presented by the Bureau.
Government Actions: We know of no government action taken against this company.
Advertising Review: No question about the truth of this company’s advertising has come to our attention.
Other Considerations: We know of no other matter or practice relating to this company that may assist you in your consideration of this company.
-1Storm February 28, 2008
I bought one for my wife just so that she would stop running my cell phone minutes into the ground. Its been Beautifull … I have reduced my cell phone minutes to 600 from a 1000 on tmobile and saved even more money that way.
The product works fine with a broadband connection – I dont think it works with Dial up if you are still in the dark ages.
I am a happy customer.
I bought it at http://www.Kingdirect.com here is the link and I put it in the header of this post too.
Neutralhttp://www.kingdirect.com/p702....._info.html
trick March 5, 2008
I bought one and it works pretty good (and I have DSL light). They did not have an area code for my number though. I want to ask them if it is possible to switch to my area code once it becomes available (it is pending) but I do not have an email address to contact them at.
NeutralLarry March 5, 2008
[quote comment="35924"]“Hole” your breath?
How, exactly, would you do that, you illiterate goober?[/quote]
-9Larry March 5, 2008
My reply got separated from the quote but here is the rest of my reply. The letter e is directly above the letter d on the keyboard indicating this is much more likely a simple typo than a sign of illiteracy. The critic who wrote this nasty little note is the same person who , in another internet review, coined the word “whodathunkit” or something to that effect. Will the real illiterate goober please step forward!!!
+1durel March 7, 2008
I purchased 3 magicjack and I received only two one is still missing in the post somewhere
It is working find perfect as second phone line as we in Canada we do not get 911from magicjack
D
-2durel March 7, 2008
I purchased 3 magicjack and I received only two one is still missing in the mail somewhere
It is working find perfect as second phone line as we in Canada we do not get 911from magicjack
D
-3New User March 8, 2008
What happened to the FAQ on magicjack.com?
NeutralMarie March 11, 2008
Will my Magic Jack work with comcast high speed computer hook up? Right now I have Verizon and it cuts out alot, and I was hoping I could get Comcast TV and HS computer and use the M/J in place of the Verizon Phone Co. Just asking???
-1Sandra March 14, 2008
The product works but the only thing that is bad is the customer service. They can’t type well and it takes sooo long for them to get one thing done. I ordered two majic jacks and returned one–my credit card was bill in full–now i’m having problems getting them to give me my money back. They keep telling me 24-48 hours but nothing yet. I returned the product and they received it on March 3, 2008 and it’s now March 14, 2008 and still nothing. They told me twice that the money will be returned and still nothing yet. I’m trying to get a hold of someone via phone—they don’t give out names or addresses for return issues–you must get in touch with them through the website. It really is troublesome and ridiculous–They act like they are 14year olds by the way they type and staying stuck at a computer trying to troubleshoot an issue of returns is crazy. I’ll give them a zero for customer service. It sucks big time.
+5LoriD March 16, 2008
I couldn’t wait to get it. When I got it I can’t wait ANY LONGER to get it running! Wasted too much of my time. There is no access to LiveChat. The phone number advertised on TV is completely automated. THERE IS NO LIVE SUPPORT.
The MagicJack.com website is getting hits so fast and furious that it will not work properly! No “submit” buttons, and constant looping back!
I’d love to have a working Magic Jack. I told my organization all about it and they’re waiting for my test results.
If it can’t be supported, fuggedaboutit!
+3Mike Servis March 25, 2008
There is live chat but it is not easy to find on their site, or through help. Here is a small link to magicjack tech chat. http://tinyurl.com/3xvgl8
I have had a few issue with my magicjack.
1. When I first install it worked great, then when I login to my system the next time it would never activate, and it was because my Nero software was causing issue with the magicjack, and one I removed it now is working fine.
2. the next issue I had was the blue light went out and even after using the recover tool it would not cone on so now I cannot make calls with a telephone attached. I did however get an RMA so I am going to return it for a new one. I was told it would take 5-12 days to get a new on with the 5 to 12 days for me to send it back so I guess I will be without outgoing number for awhile.
I will try and reasoned again on how long it took me to get a new one.
+3mike April 8, 2008
[quote comment="29490"]Scott
what you don’t mention either is if a person has a problem, they are just out of luck, no phone number to call, even you ymax numbers are false as well one is busy no matter waht time of day is, yeah i had it on an auto dialer and it dialed it for 5 days straight and it was only busy. and the other number is a front number as well and leads to 561-722-0433 and it is just an answering service. but i have your girls number as 407-740-3031 bet people would get a kick out of having that one, its a live person, i am sure you won’t give it up. what to watch for is if a person buys one, they are sent two and charged for two as well with no way unless they want to pay to get it back to your business which by the way is just a p.o. box. in florida. should i post the winter park address? yeah i would hold my breath for sure. shoddy support, sometimes the phone works, sometimes it doesn’t and some companies have blocked ymax from dialing into their customers as well. but like they say you pay for what you get, pay a little get a little. pay more and ya get more. you really should update your fillings in different states to reflect the true contact numbers, if you don’t i will. i wonder when the lawsuits will start??? mike
I do not want you to hold your breath any longer,I will send you a few magicjacks.I agree with you,the hardest part of selling the magicjack is having people believe it is true.I am the inventor,the guy who put the money up and I am telling you it is all true.My previous company was AOL Long Distance,we sold 4 million members of AOL Long Distance,saved them Billions and we recieved the JD Power award first year out.Sorry about all the bragging,but history repeats and this time,is much better than anything I have ever done before.Don Burns is the CEO,and his history is comparable to mine.His company was ulimately sold to Bell Canada for $1.2 Bil.This is the real deal.
Dan Borislow
+3Inventor of magicJack[/quote]
Bug April 10, 2008
Let me throw my two cents on to the heap of MagicJack. Having read all the comments about MJ I think the one that best describes it “pay a little get a little. pay more and ya get more”
I too have become frustrated with using MJ. For starters, MJ states as long as you have 80K of bandwidth MJ works fine…that in itself is not a true statement On numerous occasions I have been talking with friends or family and then they can no longer hear me, yet I hear them fine. Second, the primary reason I purchase MJ was having the ability to call international for a reasonable fee. However, it seems it doesnt work half the time and when you contact the “foreign” (India I suspect) live person to chat with, they give you canned answers to the problems at hand. The last time the international calling was down, the “engineers were doing upgrades to the system for four days” once again, today the international calling is no longer working and guess what, “the engineers are doing more upgrades”, gimmee a break! How many upgrades need to be done within 3 days of each other?
Another problem you need to be aware of; recently (when the international service was down, again, as usual) I was attempting to add another $10 to my account. While doing so the website faulted out and “told me” the additional funds did not take (or something to that effect) so I tried again, for a total of thee times; finally I gave up with no$$$ added to my account. You can imagine my surprise when I checked my credit card statement and low and behold were three charges for $10 each. Talk about a pain though in getting my funds credited, but after a week of sending emails back and forth, the charges finally disappeared from my account. So, a word to the wise, if you attempt to buy “international credit” and it doesnt take, check your credit card.
Basically I see MJ as more of a novelty. Something you can “attempt” to use to save a few $$$$ however, dont bet get rid of your normal phone service as its just not reliable!
As far as the chat service????? I give up with asking any technical issue.
+5Gandalf April 13, 2008
From where I sit, Magic Jack is another one of those internet rip-offs. For 2 weeks now I have not been able to get it to work correctly. I have given up completely on incoming calls issues.
The tech support most likely is off shore and that doesn’t help anything. Their forums have been taken off line and have been off line for sometime. I expect that action is saying something. I have been watching the website, waiting for it to disappear one day soon.
So Monday the credit card company will get a request from me for a stop payment. That should get Magic Jacks attention.
At the time is seem to be a good ideal but you get what you pay for.
So for the most part I am sure Ma Bell and the various other phone companies have nothing to worry about. Their phone systems are in place and have been for a long time and most likely will be for a very long time into the future.
So listen, everyone have a good up and coming work week and be safe.
+6SouthernExposure April 18, 2008
Anyone considering purchasing MJ should visit the Better Business Bureau website where MJ gets an “F” rating.
+8George S. April 20, 2008
I like the idea of cheap/free calls. But, the report on the Better Business Bureau now rates the Majikjack an F: http://www.bbbsoutheastflorida.....D=92003333
I think I will pass on this opportunity
+4Jim4magic April 20, 2008
Hello,
I’m Jim and I work for magicJack. I’d like to make a few comments on behalf of the magicJack team. Let me start by stating that Dan Borislow invented the magicJack with the sole purpose to provide consumers with a cool device that would save users alot of $$$ on phone bills and which would provide a voice call quality which people expect from a phone company. Toward that end, he has invested the last 4years and alot of his own money in the creation of the magicJack and in building a nationwide IP-backbone telecom network, a certifled CLEC (phone company) in 50 US states.
The magicJack officially launched ~ 100 days ago — at the Consumer Electronics Show — in January ‘08. Since that time, the magicJack has been very well received by our expanding customerbase and from many Tier 1 media outlets, consumer advocates and technology experts.
With that said, we fully recognize we have room to grow and improve in all facets of our business — and, we will do our level best to accomplish our goals.
We also realize we’re bound to have early stage detractors. Please know that Dan and the entire magicJack team are working diligently to improve the overall magicJack user experience! Our online TechSupport platform is getting better and better — and we seek to conduct ongoing training of our TechSupport team to meet the growing demands of the magicJack user family. We have recently instituted a rating system which allows customers who interface with TechSupport to give us feedback on their experience. We will weed out Tech support personnel who are not making the grade. In addition, we will soon be releasing a ‘magicJack 100 Day Report Card’ which will be designed to provide an overview of product achievements we’ve made to date and will also provide insight into the areas where we strive to improve the magicJack customer experience.
The magicJack team, led by Dan Borislow, consists of telecom professionals who have built successful long-distance companies in the ’90’s. In his last company, Dan was a leader in the competitive long distance industry and he saved thousands of dollars for his 4+ million customers. His company was awarded the JD Power Award for Customer Satisfaction and secured a strategic relationship with AOL Long Distance. Dan has done it before and he is doing it again.
On behalf of magicJack, I thank you for supporting of our 100 day old product!
Jim D.
NeutralAnna April 21, 2008
Well, it works. BFD. There’s not a single local area code phone number for a city the size of Atlanta, Georgia. Since all incoming calls would have to be from an area code that renders the phone long distance to all inbound calls, it’s useless to me. Hard to believe MagicJack didn’t work this kink out before going to market.
-1Marc April 23, 2008
Just received it today – was installing it and read the Terms of Service which states that I can only return ONE not TWO (I initially ordered two figuring I’d need it for different areas of the house) This is complete fraud since when I was ordering the product on the net and it asked me whether or not I wanted 2 MJ’s it DID NOT STATE THAT I CAN ONLY GET MY MONEY BACK on one product. That simply won’t hold up in any court. I never agreed to the Terms of Service and will have to see if they take this back or not. But ANY truthful honest company would never have a problem taking back a product no matter how many you ordered, if it EXPLICITLY STATES that you can try it FREE for 30 days! My advice – STAY AWAY!
+1Jack Jones April 27, 2008
I was on the verge of ordering the MagicJack when I found the following concerns:
1. Concern #one:
“…The thing that the Magic Jack people don’t tell you is that your ISP (Internet Service Provider) MUST HAVE TCP PORT #80 TURNED ON…”
http://www.complaintsboard.com.....57434.html
My ISP, Cox Cable, has TCP Port #80 turned off.
http://support1.cox.com/sdccom.....d5579e132a
2. Concern #two:
…Well, it works. BFD. There’s not a single local area code phone number for a city the size of Atlanta, Georgia. Since all incoming calls would have to be from an area code that renders the phone long distance to all inbound calls, it’s useless to me. Hard to believe MagicJack didn’t work this kink out before going to market…”
http://www.slashgear.com/magic.....037751.php
Could someone here please address these concerns?
+1Bob Barber April 29, 2008
I read somewhere that a person wouldn’t use the magicJack for business. LOL!!!!
That person has got to be kidding! I wonder if that person works for Vonage. LOL.
Vonage has had its heyday. It has a fine product, and I would still be using it today, but magicJack is now here. Why would I use Vonage now?
I was paying $65+ a month to Vonage for a Business phone number and a free fax number. BUT, Vonage charged me $120.55 to cancel my service. LOL!
So far I have canceled Verizon land line and Vonage VoIP. I still have Time Warner Cable for VoIP digital phone, RoadRunner Broadband Internet Connection & Movies, the entire Triple Package. I use the digital phone for a home number.
Now, if I get rid of Time Warner, I would save an additional $240 a month.
I use my magicJack(TM) for business calls.
——————————————————-
Here are some questions for Dan Borislow:
1. How many switches in your network do you currently have, and how many would you need to feed the appetite of US users?
2. Approximately how many switches do AT&T & Verizon have?
3. If magicJack users would use an area code in cities where YMax switches are located, would the users have better connections and less problems with calls, no matter what their locations are?
4. Does the magicJack require a minimum PC OS with Windows XP Home Edition with SP2 ? One of my customers had SP1 on his PC and the magicJack wouldn’t load. I had him install SP2 on his PC and magicJack loaded. He is now a happy customer.
I am very pleased with magicJack performance. That’s why I’m a magicJack (through PEM) Reseller since March 10, 2008.
I believe that magicJack & YMax have a good chance of gaining at least 50% marketshare by December 21, 2012. Keep up the good work.
Keep improving your Tech support and you will win the JD Powers Award you are seeking.
———————————————————–
I hope Dan the Inventor doesn’t mind me saying this – If Executives from other companies are reading this, please think about having your company joining Dan & his companies. I’m sure Dan will welcome you with open arms. You don’t have to raise a white flag, but face the facts – magicJacks are selling like hot cakes.
Bob Barber
Neutralrmbarber@pevoosow.com
James Purty April 29, 2008
[quote comment="40586"]
I hope Dan the Inventor doesn’t mind me saying this – If Executives from other companies are reading this, please think about having your company joining Dan & his companies. I’m sure Dan will welcome you with open arms. You don’t have to raise a white flag, but face the facts – magicJacks are selling like hot cakes.
Bob Barber
rmbarber@pevoosow.com[/quote]
Are you high? MagicJack-a s s has been nothing but terrible with customers. It DID NOT WORK for me, what makes you think it is even better than vonage that obviously have more funds over magicjack. You are a reseller, of course you are saying good thing about it. Remember, consumer are NOT stupid, wake up and dont fool yourself!
-1Denis Parsons May 1, 2008
Magic Jack
+1I too thought it was too good to be trues and it worked fine for a few weeks then my troubles began. I worked with the on-line Tech Support and after changing Ports, Phones, Downloaded supposely fix file, and even change computers I could not get it to work. I tried to get an address to send it back and try another as I know that it must be the device itself and that is when the customer support goes away completely. I have tried various times and got the same results. I definitely what not recommend this product to anyone. Majicjack has the worst customer services of any company I have dealt with. SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY
Snakemyst May 2, 2008
I recently purchased two magic jacks for regular delivery (i.e. 5 – 10 days), it arrived in three (3) days. That’s a plus.
So far, using a telephone with the magic jack has been not so good. However, using a headset works really well. Sometimes I have to call a 2nd or 3rd time to get quality comparable to a land line. However, when I get a good connection, the quality is excellent, and it last for hours! Note: at first, I was getting a low-pitched humming/buzzing on the line and the voices sounded vibrato. I found that to be caused by the 15 y/o telephone that I was using. Currently, I do get occasional crackling and absent voice transmission. This may be caused by the 10 y/o headset that I am using. I noticed when I move the microphone arm, static is created.
Overall, I believe that the Magic Jack is a very good device. However, we should take into account the quality of the devices that we are using with it. If your internet connection quality is questionable, so will be your communication experience. Test the quality of your accessories, the age of your computer, the amount of tasks/programs you have running in the background, your available RAM. I have received crystal clear audio quality with Magic Jack between desktop, laptop, cell phones, and landlines.
The device is still in its infancy stage, and even now it’s attracting over 30,000 orders a day. I’m sure the quality will get much better over time, even to the point where they get bought out by one of the major telephone organizations, just like Palm bought out Handspring, who threatened their income potentials. But that’s another story of — if you can’t beat ‘em, perform an LBO (Leveraged Buyout) or hostile takeover, and phase out the product line!.
The allure of immense payoffs cause people to change their goals. You heard it ahere first.
+3FirstTimMJ May 2, 2008
I don’t have anything bad to say about Magic Jack but I am sure their products help fill a gap. Everyone in my househole has a cell phone so I don’t believe in signing up with any Telcos or Cable companies for a land line. I telecommute from home 3 days a week and before I heard of Magic Jack I used to use my cell phone to dial into company conference calls. Every now and then my cell signal will fade and my call gets dropped. Until 2 weeks ago my brother show me this gadget called MagicJack and he gave me a demo. I was blown away, so I immediately ordered one. The gadget arrived severals days ago. Its simple to setup, all it takes is to plug it into a USB slot. However, it is not as easy as advertised. It took me several hours to get into the registering setup. I have to chat with the agent and they were able to help me out. I was able to make phone calls, join bridgeline meetings, make long distance and etc .. the sound is very clear, but every now and then there might a minor static.
Today is my second day using the device so I am still getting used to it. Anyway, I shutdown my desktop last night, however after I boot up the machine I could activate MagicJack. I chatted with tech agent, this guy has no clue and he said MagicJack does not work with Verizon ISP. I figured he was useless, so decided to figure it myself by re-installing MagicJack and got it to work again.
Anyway, although setting might be annoying but for $20 dollars/year I can live with the minor problems. My cellphone over usage costs more than that per month. I think this gadget will get better as more people adopts to it.
+2andyvely May 2, 2008
PLS In FEW words, is this gadget functional or not, cause I`m thinking to sell it in my contry as another service from my package…, please somebody give a short yes or not….
NeutralSunoh May 3, 2008
I just baught 2. One for my sister in Australia and One for my wifes parents in Japan. This way they can call each other and Me for free. I hope it works. I don’t know if I messed up, but I got the 5 year deals for 50 bucks each. If the company is up and running I’ll be making my money back and its a helluva present to give someone. 5 YEARS of CALLING! I’ll try to get back here and tell you if it works out for me or not.
NeutralAdwarePhobic May 3, 2008
Amazing how many users are willing to accept adware programs, especially when they have to PAY for those programs. Read their terms of service policy, section 11, Advertisements. Their magicPage software that must run on your host is adware. Oh joy, you get to pay for spam.
+1Andy F May 3, 2008
Dear MagicJack team,
I have a problem that I chatted with 5 of your live agents but still not fixed!
The call forwarding is not working!!! Remember, I chatted with 5 of your agents so don’t tell me to log into my account and setup call forwarding,……. I’ve done it dozens times but it doesn’t work!
I can make calls and receive calls with the MJ but it just doesn’t forward the calls to my cell when my PC is off.
I try to switch my home phone to MJ but without forwarding it’s not worthy.
+3Can someone help me? Thanks a lot!
Jack Meeoff May 5, 2008
magicJack is great! I was using it in a Starbucks in a hot chick thought I was really hip when she saw me using the magicJack! Needless to say, I scored because of magicJack! Thanks Dan, you are the man!
+2dontx May 5, 2008
[quote comment="40909"]magicJack is great! I was using it in a Starbucks in a hot chick thought I was really hip when she saw me using the magicJack! Needless to say, I scored because of magicJack! Thanks Dan, you are the man![/quote]
You are such a bulls hit
-5I can say for sure you work for magickjack
Jack Meeoff May 6, 2008
Relax Dontx, try it and you will get chicks! Chicks dig tech heads!!!!!!
+1VONAGE May 6, 2008
Jack Meeoff BREAK TIME IS OVER GET GACK TO WORK.
VONAGE
NeutralA+ May 6, 2008
RE: andyvely
PLS In FEW words, is this gadget functional or not, cause I`m thinking to sell it in my contry as another service from my package…, please somebody give a short yes or not….
I’ve had it for two weeks.
YES it works as advertised
+1incontext May 9, 2008
I bought a MagicJack and used it on my very powerful iMac, with a great broadband connection, for a few days. About 25%+ of the calls were very poor quality…choppy sound where I couldn’t understand the caller or vice versa …..which was something I could not chance happening on a day to day basis. I also got echoes of my voice on other calls. Yes, I could usually fix it by unplugging the USB MagicJack and plugging it back in, or more often, by restarting my computer, but that routine got tired very quickly. Having to interrupt a conversation with someone and call them back because I can’t hear them is maybe worth it if you’re on a VERY tight budget, but not for me.
If it worked better I would have been fine with it. Technically, it did most of what the ads claimed, except for the main feature you’d expect from a phone (ungarbled sound!) and others here have obviously had better luck with sound quality than I did. Fortunately, it was very easy to return the product as they provided a link on the MagicJack.com website for just that purpose, and after sending the unit back and waiting a few days for them to receive it, I found the amount I paid (less shipping) credited into my bank account. So, they are an ethical company. FYI, You must return it within the 30 day trial period though (that is, they must receive it within that time) or you lose your money. Also, you have to leave your computer on 24/7 if you want to receive calls on the MagicJack line, which is something that Vonage does not require. I’ll stick with Vonage for the time being until I hear of something better. I love the idea of MagicJack and only wish it had delivered passable sound quality. I’d have kept it.
Otherwise, my experience with MagicJack, though short-lived, was not an all together unpleasant experience. Live and learn. You get what you pay for, and once in a while you get better than what you pay for.
+3Bryan Bean May 10, 2008
I purchased a magic jack last month and use it everyday. I havent found any poor quality calls yet. It is well worth the 20 a year. I recommend it to all of my customers as it is a grat product. Half of these people on here complaining work for at&t or somthing. Try the product , you wont be let down. All the people out there complaining , bickering is NOT a review.
+1mike May 10, 2008
After reading all the bad stuff about magicjack I still ordered one and hooked it up to an old computer that I had sitting in the closet doing nothing anyway. I disabled the firewall and all the security software and got rid of all but the windows system. I don’t care if it gets hacked as I would have thrown it away anyway. It just seemed to me that most if not all the problems people were having with magicjack was not the magicjack but conflicts with their systems. The magicjack works 100% as advertised for me this way.
+1I love the thing.
Joe May 11, 2008
Majic Jack is a SCAM! Customer support says the same thing everytime you contact them, I did four times. They run you through a bunch of ridiculous things to test and then say they will get back to you or at the end they hang up when you insist on a refund. They have no telephone numbers, no address. It is a phony and your publication is being used. I suspect that there is no customer support just a computerized response system that makes it appear you are talking to a real person. Don’t fall for it!
+2Ewdison Then May 11, 2008
[quote comment="41247"]Majic Jack is a SCAM! Customer support says the same thing everytime you contact them, I did four times. They run you through a bunch of ridiculous things to test and then say they will get back to you or at the end they hang up when you insist on a refund. They have no telephone numbers, no address. It is a phony and your publication is being used.
I suspect that there is no customer support just a computerized response system that makes it appear you are talking to a real person. Don’t fall for it![/quote]
Read our article carefully, we do not say this is a good buy or recommend it. We are VERY skeptical of this product since day one and we still do!
+1Bob Barber May 12, 2008
Hey James Purdy –
Who do you work for?
You can’t be self-employed. You sound like you live off of a paycheck.
Get smart, and become a magicJack Reseller. Then you’ll create your own source of income.
At least magicJack isn’t a MLM, or pyramid scheme. It is an honest to goodness business that manufacturers telecommunications equipment. And it has it’s own phone company too!
Name me one company that you can get started with for $46.90 the first YEAR, and $19.95 the second YEAR, with no monthly phone bills. That’s equal to one dinner and one lunch.
I’m waiting for your answer.
Bob
-4James Purdy May 12, 2008
Bob, get a life. Just scroll back up and read the article and I agree with the author that reseller of MagicJacka ss are bunch of idiots. MagicJack DOES NOT own a phone company! Dont start to say things that you don’t have real facts on.
No matter what’s the price of getting reseller started, it is unethical to lie to customers! Not even for one dollar!
So customers should not have voice their opinion? DEAD wrong. I’m going to make it my agenda to make sure people knows about MagicJack and its dumb resellers!
CrunchGear and other blogs has updated their posts too about you guys saying DO NOT BUY! If you are living in stone age bob, Blog spread news faster than you dumb resellers can even spread butter on your bread!
NeutralBob Barber May 12, 2008
OK James Purdy…… please allow me to rephrase that…… Dan Borislow & Don Burns own magicJack, LP & the majority of the stock in YMax Communications Corp. & YMax Corp.
So tell me different.
YMax Communication Corp. owns a CLEC, has Tariffs & switches.
Now, Mr. Purdy, prove me wrong.
Bob
P.S. Does Vonage and Skype own switches?
-2Alex May 13, 2008
This company is crap!!! I fell into the trap and bought this device which worked for 1 week before it went mute. I tried working with their primitive and rude people running their chat service. Every time I would ask to speak with customer service manager they would make up some story and promise that someone would call me back. So far no such thing has happened.
Based on what I can tell by customer service and response is that this is a fly by night company and the owner of this company is only there to make a fast buck based on volume sales. There is absolutely no support that is designed to help customers but only to irritate and lie to them. I highly suggest that you stay away from this company and stick with skype, at least with them what you see is what you get.
+2Robert Marchand May 13, 2008
I bought a MagicJack and experienced problem after problem with it since. First, it arrived 30 day later and never worked properly. Moreover, I have lost about 20 hours total chatting with them without any results. Secondly, they refused to replace it, even though they admit it is defective. Thirdly, they refuse to give me back my money.
If I can recommend 1 thing to everybody that reads this, it is to stay away from that company and its products.
+4Cissy May 17, 2008
I have had the magicjack now for 3 weeks, I have yet to have any problems. If you pay attention to the site there is a number to call. Why fight on a site you look like a bunch of kids, and you talk about their support people. I have had no problems at all.
+2Mailing was fast, and the srvice is great. My calls are clear, and i never brake up like voip does. Im very satisfied with my purchase, and i will be buying more.
Thanks magicjack:-)
Cissy From Pennsylvania!
sajjad May 19, 2008
i bought a magicjack in early may. worked great in the u.s. i had no problems. dialed, received, installed and set up was too easy. i sent it to pakistan so that way my wife can call me from there with out any charges. now it wont install properly on her computer. might be that tcp port 80 is closed. but i opened it manually through the firewall settings. could not get tcp 443 to open though, i think you need that too. her internet speed there is low, its near the 300’s. any suggestions from any one? i have heard that there are plenty of softwares that conflict with magicjack…..
-1Schteve May 20, 2008
I have my Majic Jack for a few months now, there was one “Trick” to the setup. You need to add the proxy you are using to your Hosts file. If you are having issue go to the following site.
http://unofficialmagicjack.forum2u.org/
Lots of information there.
-1ANDREW May 21, 2008
Wow. Out of almost 400,000 magicJacks sold, there may be 150 or so unhappy customers. or 3/100ths if my math is correct. That is darn great! I love my magicJack and travel with it throughout the US. As oon as I can port my number, I will use it full time at home. All these naysayers shoudl learn to use the Web site and troubleshoot the simple issues. It’s not brain surgery. Guaranteed that FREE is the future of home telecom. Go MAGICJACK!
NeutralJeremy Newbury May 25, 2008
MagicJack? Whatever. It’s a fad and only a fool would believe that their prices are going to stay this low forever, whether they are a CLEC or not. It’s the old bait and switch technique. It is also amazing that so many people would jump on their service when their EULA is telling you that they will be listening in on your conversations to shove advertising down your throat and they install all kinds of Spyware on your machines in order for it to work. Absolutely incredible. And don’t try to sue either when something nuts happens because you waived the right to do so. They can start charging you $30 per month tomorrow and there’s not a thing you can do about it.
As far as resellers go, you can’t make any real money selling this product. If you want to make some real money selling premium quality VoIP phone service, then check out TrinitiComm’s mind-blowing income opportunity (http://www.triniticomm.com/opportunity.asp) and witness the future of VoIP. You can start your own VoIP business with this company with no up-front expense and start working toward getting paid electronically every single day of the year. They will kill Vonage and MJ in due time and they won’t even see them coming. Besides once you get your business going, your TrinitiComm phone service will be a write off and basically be free anyway.
Oh, and if you have a MJ, don’t call me. My privacy is priceless.
-5Ed Raastad May 27, 2008
I got one and it seems to work as advertised.
+3What is not stated is that there is no option regarding the location to store the files to. I partition my hard disk to keep “C” lean. MJ loaded onto it.
I see no option to uninstall.
I have numerous peripherals I plug into USB ports and since installing MJ, I get confusion with the prt locations activiating and deactivating randomly.
I tried to find a contact number and discovered their link to talk to a live person doesn’t go there, it just wnts to load “fixes” to guess where: Drice C:
I had to do a Google search to find this page and gotr a number, where I was directed to a pager, and haven’t gotten a response as yet.
It works, but it seems to be a “sell and forget” product.
Rick Anderson May 28, 2008
I don’t wish to sound negative but only wish to express my experience so far. Day one, today, set up device and incoming calls were very garbled. I went through the corrective programming and eventually incoming and outgoing seemed acceptable.
Then I tried call forwarding. Once programmed it did not work and seemed to disconnect and the actual phone company recording told me to hang up and dial again. Tried quite a few more times with the same outcome.
I then contacted live support which at first I though I was communicating with some sort of computer program. I think they are assisting several customers at once so the response time seems slow.
After being forwarded to the next level of support, I was no more successful and was told that I would receive an email within 12 to 24 hours in regards to what corrective action may have taken place or not.
I am not dissatisfied as of yet and will follow up with my future experiences of this product. I will say that for what you end up paying for this, the average person can save money if this product ends up allowing you to cancel your existing home phone service and use this instead. I have been paying around 40 dollars a month for complete choice (Bell South) and if this product causes some inconvienence but is acceptable enough to use in place of such, then I win. I think we all need to start looking for ways to save even if it causes some inconvenience. For most of us that have cell phones already, this seems to be a good idea as paying for multiple phones just seems wrong and wasteful. My wife is a talkaholic and needs a land line as the cellphone minute use would break the bank. She can put up with some inconvenience if necessary.
I truly hope this product works to an acceptable level over the long run. I am a gadget lover and this seems to have potential.
Rick Anderson
+1Ft. Lauderdale Florida
JoAnna Thies May 30, 2008
Customer service stinks! They cannot type.. or speak English very well!
I had 2 of them hang up on me! My Problem is.. no matter what phone I use.. people cannot hear me very well.. I have to scream! I am not using a hand help.. I went to a phone with an actual cord! Still hearing me from my end is an issue. I can hear them just fine! Any suggestions? I have tried all I can think of. Thanks.. Amazing that there is not phone number to email addy to be able to get to a person that might be able to resolve this issue.. or to be able to give feedback on this unit. Thanks is my main complaint. No real customer service!!!
+2Bob Barber June 5, 2008
hey jeremy newbury,
what planet are you on?
there is more than one company in the united states. if your company fails, then it’s on you. if magicJack wins, well, what can i say.
+2Janet Moore June 7, 2008
I bought a magicjack and was happy for the first day. Then my motherboard fried and I purchased a new computer. The only audio controller for this device is Tigerjet, which doesn’t work with your product. I have tried to go to magicfix and my internet shuts down, and I’ve tried several browsers. So, I can’t even ask a question. Additionaly, I can’t download a return form either as the site routes you through magicfix. I’m soooooooo frustrated I could scream!!!!! Can ANYONE help me? I’d like for the product to work… but now I can’t return it and my credit card is about to be billed. Not holding my breath on this one. Excuse my while I sweep up the hair I’ve torn from my head off the floor……
Janet
-1Nick M June 7, 2008
[quote comment="29492"]Maybe the product works fine, but if the packaging promises “Never Pay a Phone Bill Again” and “Free Local and Long Distance Calling”, but they nominally charge $20 per year that’s sleazy marketing at best.[/quote]
OMG, are you serious?
+1H.L. Kelley June 8, 2008
Today I recieved not one magicjack but two. I had a awful time making it work. But for some reason i check my Bank of America Acct: online. The took $130.70 out of my acct:
I pack it back up and put down on the envelope return to sender. Notice they have no phone number on there website!
Tomorrow is Sunday and my bank will take phone calls at 8 AM. I’ll be on the phone getting a new debit card and voiding out the othe one.
That’s a nice 30 day trail, had it one day a $130.70.
H.L. Kelley
-1kelleymead@embarqmail.com
1-702-451-6890
why June 8, 2008
Even if I could now get the MagicJack to work, it is like buying
“blood diamonds”….
At 1st it worked right away. Then problems started happing….LITTLE
to NO SUPPORT available…error codes (4 and 300) not on their
FAQ’s…promise return shipping taken care of by them. Had to pay for
everything (while they charge $6.95, I used the same mailing process-
tracking as they did and it was $2.45. Guess the float and price
different of mailing is were they are making their profits as well as
ads on the forced softphone. After I tried to fix it to work again I
had to researched MagicJack issues on the web and found what a less
than honest company they are – only if you spend a long time reading
web complains will you see this pattern. Should have known this
company’s policies are from AOL (all the poor parts). It is a numbers
game, those that have no issues are happy, as I would have been for
the $20 a year, take with you when you travel, price. If AOL policies – security – practices works for you than MagicJack will also as that is were they come from.
+1Janet Moore June 10, 2008
Shteve…. THANK YOU!!!!!!
That website is awsome. Truly a gift. Everything works great now. LOVE IT!!!!! That guy on there that says Dan should pay me is right! I swear the man can fix anything and yet he proclaims not to be vista savvy. I tell you, 98% of problems reported are vista issues. And HE IS THE MAN!!! I swear I’m turning off my auto update because the service pack updates have been messing with more than just my MagicJack. You people with problems go there. The customer service does suck. But, it’s a small, new company with a very cheap product. For me, I don’t expect much. The guru’s come out eventually and you will find one excellent one on the board posted by Shteve. Muahhhh!!! Thank you again!
+3Livin it up June 15, 2008
For everyone complaining about the M/J, I’m not seeing an issue. I purchased one due to the fact I call long distance all the time for my travel agent business online, now that I have this, no more long distance phone bills, and I can call anytime. I have southeast alabama cable tv and internet, and my M/J works fine. I had to adjust the volumes on it, but after that, perfect. So maybe its your internet, not the Jack.
And for those who have no bought it and are already complaining about it, seriously, how are you going to cry about something when you have not even owned it. Tomato, tamotto, one says its bad, one says its good. How about you don’t buy beer for a weekend and buy the M/J and try it yourself. Then with the money you save from the phone bills, you can but all kind of beer and tell your buddies about it.
GOOD JOB DAN, TWO THUMBS UP………………………(need a partner?) lol
+3Jeff June 15, 2008
Hi – Thanks for the good article. We purchased magicJack a few months ago and it’s been working fine, setup was a breeze and the cost is a bargain compared to AT&T. I think this company is experiencing growing pains – and probably didn’t ramp-up enough for the strong popularity of the product.
Phone quality is decent (for the price); however, I did get annoyed by the popup window that dominates the desktop when someone picks up the phone or calls.
So, I made a small utility to block the popup window. It lets magicJack work normally and you can easily enable the softphone (popup window) when needed. If your interested in giving it a shot, it’s freeware and available at download.com (search for “MagicBlock“).
:)
All the Best,
+2Jeff
anonymous June 16, 2008
WITH MAGICCRAP, YOU AGREE TO:
(1) SIGN AWAY YOUR PRIVATE INFO TO OVERSEAS ENTITIES UNRESTRICTED BY U.S LAWS;
(2) DISCLOSE TO UNKNOWN PARTIES YOUR CALLED NUMBERS AND CALLING PATTERNS;
(3) ACCEPT, LIKE A PASSIVE SUCKER, TARGETED ADVERTISEMENTS AND OTHER ANNOYANCES…VIA YOUR COMPUTER, TELEPHONE, MAILBOX, ETC.;
(4) SUFFER OVERSEAS, ENGLISH-LACKING, ONLINE IDIOTS FIELDING YOUR QUESTIONS;
(5) SUBMIT TO PRIVATE-COMPANY/PUBLIC-OBSCURED INVENTOR DAN BORISLOW AND THE REST OF HIS MONEYGRUBBING A-HOLES HIDING BEHIND THEIR INCOGNITO WEB SITE…NO CONTACT STREET ADDRESS, DIRECT PHONE NUMBERS, ETC.
SMELL THE RATS?
THE GRAND TOTAL SPENT BY EVERY FOOL WHO SAYS, “IT’S ONLY A FEW DOLLARS TO TRY IT!” MAKES THESE RATS MULTIMILLIONAIRES!
-3