Sunday, September 13, 2009





Does The Magic Jack Really Work Like Magic?

Magic Jack is the newest voice-over-IP telephone solution that allows people to make free local and long distance phone calls within the US and Canada, as well as from abroad to any location in these countries. Perhaps you’ve seen one of the late night infomercials or heard about it from a friend. The device has become an over night success with estimates of 10,000 units a day being sold. What makes the MagicJack so successful is the insanely low price. For an upfront cost of $40 dollars with a year of free calling included it’s almost a no brainer. Setup is easy enough for my Grandmother to do which is saying a lot. International calls are available, but for a per minute rate which differs from country to country. You can find a list of the international rates at their website here. I should point out that if you take MagicJack to another country and call the US then you do not have to pay international rates.

Obviously price is what is driving the huge popularity of this product. As with many As Seen On Tv products some people seem to think there is a Magic Jack Scam. People just don’t understand how it is possible to make as many calls as you want for only twenty dollars per year. Another great part about the Magic Jack compared to other VoIP (Voice Over IP) is that is super easy to set up. Step 1. Plug in the Magic Jack into your computers USB port. The device automatically installs the software on your computer. Do you have a Mac? Don’t worry! It works on both Windows and Mac. Step 2. Plug your ordinary phone into the MJ and you are ready to make unlimited phone calls from your pc phone. If for some reason you find that the device does not meet your needs and you want to uninstall the software then you might run into problems. There is actually a website forum dedicated to helping people remove the software as it can be a little tricky.

Still Interested? Let’s Continue the Magic Jack Review

When you purchase an MJ from their website you get your very own phone number that you gave give out to people to call you. Many people have asked for the ability to be able to port over their existing phone numbers to the MJ. Dan Dan Borislow, the owner and creator of the device has said that the company has been working on this feature but seems like it might be an empty promise as it’s been quite some time and still the porting feature has let to be released. When I first heard of this I was sure there were hidden costs but the more I looked into it the more I found the claims to be true. You truly can make unlimited local and long distance calls from with in the US. Not only do you get all the talk time you want but you also get the high end features that the big telecom companies offer. This means you get caller ID, Voicemail, Call waiting, call forwarding, and three way calls. This is where I would guess that Magic Jack device would tack on fees. Nope! They are all FREE! I was a little curious how the voice mail would actually work. All incoming voice messages are stored and the user will be able to listen to them as soon as he gets connected again. Voicemail can also be accessed via email, as the user gets notified by email each time a new message arrives, the voice message being attached to the respective notification as a .wav file.When using Magic Jack with an ordinary phone, calls are made as usual, by dialing the number. If for some reason, the user chooses to have a headset instead of a regular phone, the Magic Jack will need to be operated from the software dashboard on the computer screen. Some users that reported to have issues found a simple fix by replacing their old standard phone with a new phone, which seemed to fix the proms they were having. Another possible drawback is for the Magic Jack to work you must have your computer turned on and the software running in order to be able to make or receive calls. Some people perceive this as a drawback, but if one would calculate how much money is saved on phone bills by using the Magic Jack, then this is a small price to pay. For this reason, it is not recommend that you use the MJ as your only communication device. Magic Jack needs a high-speed Internet connection to work properly. This means you must have a DSL, Cable or some other form of high speed Internet. For people living in areas with frequent power interruptions or with poor Internet connectivity, Magic Jack may not be the ideal choice as the main household phone. The 911 emergency services are available, but only with the computer turned on and connected to the internet and with the Magic Jack application running.

One of the biggest complaints out there for the Magic Jack Phone is that the customer service is very poor. I like that the company does give a support number on their website which is easy to find. Nothing I hate more then having to do an exhaustive search on the Internet just to find the support number. While customer service might have been a big issue at one time it seems like the company was worked hard to improve on this weakness. Dan Borislow, the owner admitted that the over night success of MJ left them understaffed in a big way but had made the necessary changes to handle the massive popularity of this product.

For customers willing to try the Magic Jack before buying it, there’s a 30 day free trial. It’s really risk free if you want to give this innovative device a try. One small drawback to this offer is that the 30 days begins on the day you order your MagicJack and not when you receive the device so you actually have less than thirty days to give it a try.

We also found a helpful magic Jack Review here.


6 comments:

  1. I just bought the gadget and all this is is a trap. First they tell you that you have the choice to take a Canadian number and then it takes you to US numbers and then if you want to change your number there is a $4.95 charge + a $10/year extra charge to keep the number.
    I say all this is a racket.
    I chat with someone who said it was because I registered on a MAC computer and I should go and try on a PC
    This is non sense, I tryied and it said I was already registered.
    So everyone......stay away from magicjack
    MAGICJACK is a ripoff.
    Please pass the word. Thanks

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  2. My kids received a Magic Jack for their birthday a few days ago, and I have spent over 2 days on their "live chat" service (as there is not a # listed as they mentioned before). No one can tell me why it won't work on either of my computers.They suggested I purchase and AC powered USB hub, so I did and it didn't make a difference. I have even exchanged the jack for a different one and am STILL having the same problem! One of their operators even suggested that I pack up my kids and my laptop and head to the store where it was purchased and make sure I have a working product before I head home!! I told him I highly doubt the store would appreciate his suggestion as these devices come in sealed packages...he "hung up" on me after that!! My kids are super disappointed and I am absolutely outraged at the amount of time wasted trying to get this to work and the lack of help from their online chat system! I have found this to be a horrible product/experience!! Buyer beware!

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  3. Magic Jack is an outstanding subsitute for your expensive land line phone if installed and used correctly. First you must have an fast reliable internet connection such as Comcast, Hughes.net or other DSL connection. This is absolutely a must. Second it must be installed with the USB connection directly to the rear connection of the computer, not in the front. (For desk tops) A USB-2 connection must be used. Your computer has to be fairly new or updated to work properly with MJ. Older computers will not work reliabily. Two draw backs are that the computer must always be on and connected to a fast live internet connection and you have to dial the local area code with each call. Once a week unplug the MJ devise and let the software be reinstalled. Low voume problems can be corrected by increasing the volume on the handset located in the Sound section in the Control panel and of course the volume setting on your phone. Unreliable internet connections and power unstabilty problems are such that MJ is not your best bet.
    For 911 concerns MJ is also not your best bet, but MJ 911 service works.
    A dedicated computer works well.
    The computer must be ALWAYS ON. MJ will work with your existing phone wiring in your house, that is all phones with work with MJ. Your phones must be digital. With Magic Jack you can save a lot of money on long distance calls. It might a good bet for this purpose alone. I use MJ and I am quite happy with it and consider it a good deal.

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  4. Magic Jack works! It has to be used properly. Also you need a good fast computer with an always on fast internet connection. It is a great product, just great. saves me over $600 a year. It is not for young kids!

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  5. Any news on when mj will let you use your old phone number?

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  6. MJ worked great for me but the customer service is a JOKE!! they will lose customers and revenue if they don't fix the service end of it.

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