magicJack Reviews - Page 13 of 18

2.8/5

Average Rating

Poor

Number 55 : MAR 14th, 2014 : Jim

Recommended: No

We originally had T-Mobile's VoIP and kept it for many years until we changed our Mobile Plan. By doing that, we lost our VoIP (apparently T-Mobile wanted to get rid of it and we were grandfathered in). I was VERY HAPPY with T-Mobile's. So we moved to MagicJack. Big mistake. Not only was it a pain to set up, but every little thing cost us more and more money. The quality of sound was bad, no customer support, constantly being charged for something, and when we left and wanted to take our number with us, they charged us like $50!! It was a really horrible experience. We are now with Vonage and the only complaint I have is the cost. Still looking though...

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Nasty company, service may work though

Number 54 : FEB 11th, 2014 : Aza

Recommended: No

The "Free Trial" requires you to take one of MagicJack's free phone numbers. But once you have it you have to pay an additional extra fee to not use it. Weird. So if you try the system and like it there is an extra $10 fee in addition to $20 to import your phone number and $10 per year to keep your phone number and $30 if you ever want to recover your phone number. It just seems shifty. I have to admit the four calls i placed had fairly good audio quality. However it's a company with an "our way or the highway" attitude. It is hard to imagine anyone trusting MagicJack with their phone number and over the long haul.

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Horrible

Number 53 : JAN 8th, 2014 : David

Recommended: No

No Pros Cons: Incoming quality ok ,outgoing was poor. Customer service was less responsive than talking to a wall. I currently have a billing error that they can't or won't understand. I am in process of choosing a new provider.

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Great service, portable, reliable, easy install

Number 52 : JAN 6th, 2014 : Fred

Recommended: Yes

I have now bought/installed/used three MagicJack devices. First I used the original one that had to run through an always-on computer, but after a year or so I upgraded to the newer MagicJack Plus that operates stand-alone through the router. Then I purchased a second MagicJack Plus to install in our guest house to provide our guests with a separate phone number. I bought the original unit at Radio Shack, purchased the upgrade unit through a MagicJack online offer, and the additional MagicJack Plus at Radio Shack. Easy purchases both ways. I discarded the original MagicJack when I upgraded to the Plus unit, and they transferred my unexpired longterm service from the old unit to the new as well as adding in the year of service that came with the new one. They also transferred my phone number to the new unit. No setup problems with any of the three units. The service was excellent when I called to do the change-over - simple and courteous. We winter in Florida where we own a vacation home. In the spring I pack up the MagicJack and install it one the router in our summer home in Canada, which means our friends and maintenance people in Florida can call our local Florida number and it rings on my desk in Canada with no longdistance charges to anyone. This also allows me to call anyone in Canada or The USA from our Canadian home without longdistance charges. Calls to our family in England cost $1.32 per hour whether calling from Canada or the USA - just unbeatable. In three years of constant use (we have cancelled our landlines in Florida) I think we may have had 3 or 4 dropped calls - that is better than my experience with cell phones. I would love to be able to get a local MagicJack number in Canada to use on another unit so I could cancel our landline service there - but our area is too remote for magicJack to offer a local number, so when I am up there I have both phone services running, but the Florida-based MagicJack means I have no longdistance charges on my Canadian Bell landline. Our guests in Florida appreciate having a unique phone number at our guest house and the fact that they can call home to Canada for free. HIGHLY recommend.

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Buyer Beware

Number 51 : DEC 31st, 2013 : Warren

Recommended: No

Customer service is horrible. My telephone would not ring and there was no one who had a clue how to fix it. Cancelled service and had to pay $35 to export my phone number. Magic Jack nickles and dimes you to death. Original wouldn't work but I had to pay $15 for a replacement! Save yourself a major headache and choose another service. If it's too good to be true....it probably isn't.

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Software problem?

Number 50 : DEC 31st, 2013 : Gordon

Recommended: Yes

I have been using MJ on a trial basis for over a year. I have been distressed by low speaker volume through a phone. I looked on the net and found many references to the low volume problem but no real fixes. I decided to give the chat process one more try. It seems it is now fixed by a reload of the MJ software. I discovered that while I downloaded the software I had not installed it (install screen was buried under the browser screen). It now seems as though the volume settings (menu/volume) stay set to high between computer reboots. Now I need to try it while connected to a router. The MJ also seems to automatically disconnect you if you if you talk to long. More research required on this issue.

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HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE

Number 49 : NOV 20th, 2013 : Judy

Recommended: No

Though I have had no problems using the device itself and it is great value - any customer service issues are nightmares to deal with and there is no satisfactory resolution. It is also impossible to actually speak with a live person and live chats seem be dealt with in a "black and white", follow the script manner.

November 2013 - the following is a transcript of a Customer Service chat with Magic Jack. I have been a customer of MagicJack for many years and had renewed my service until 2016. When I upgraded to the Plus device in July 2013, I thought it would be easy? Today, I was going to renew my number (in Canada we have to renew our number every year as well as pay for yearly service) and noticed that instead of transferring my pre-paid service to the new device, they were both still listed (customer and agent's names masked for privacy reasons). This represents MagicJack's customer service:

Please wait for a site operator to respond. You are now chatting with Agent1 Your Issue ID for this chat is XXXXXX
J***: Hi,
Agent1: Hello, how may I help you?
Agent1: Hello J***.
J***: I need to renew my Canadian phone number. In July 2013, I upgraded my previous magicjack to a magicjack plus. I was told that my years of service would be transferred over and the "old" account would be deleted. I notice that both magicjack's continue to show in my account and both are noted to be renewed. I don't know which is the active account that needs renewal.
Agent1: Glad to assist you with that.
J***: yes, I don't want to make payment on the wrong one and have my service discontinued.
Agent1: Is this you magicJack phone number XXX-XXX-XXXX?
J***: yes, but that number is listed for two devices in my account.
Agent1: Thank you for that information.
Agent1: Please wait while I check that for you
J***: there should be only one device listed - with magicjack service good until 2016 and Canadian number renewal due in December 2013.
Agent1: Thank you for waiting.
Agent1: I see here that you have the Standard magicJack device and the Plus device.
J***: I replaced the standard one with the Plus device in July 2013.
Agent1: You wanted to transfer the service to the plus device which you weren't able to do upon registration. However both of your devices are still active now and we can no longer transfer the service since we cannot transfer services from different devices.
J***: When I called to register the Plus device I was assured at that time that my PREPAID Service would be transferred. As you can see - it would not be possible to use two devices With THE SAME NUMBER on the same computer. This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE - a mistake by your representatives should not result in a loss to me!! I want to speak with someone who has the authority to realize this and do something about it - This is why magicjack has such a bad reputation for customer service!
Agent1: One moment please...
Agent1: I am transferring you to one of our top 10% agents as rated by our customers. Please hold while I transfer you. Please wait while I transfer the chat to the best suited site operator.
You are now chatting with 'Agent2'
Your Issue ID for this chat is XXXXXX
Agent2: Welcome to the higher level of support! This is Agent2 and I will be assisting you today.
Agent2: Let me read your chat with your previous operator so that I can assist you right away. Thank you.
J***: I was assured, more than once, when I registered my new device in July 2013, that my prepaid years would be transferred to the new device. The call logs on the old device stop in July 2013, confirming that the device was not in use after the registration of the new device. The call logs for the new device are not available in my account screen - they come up blank, yet I have been using the Plus device since 26 July 2013.
Agent2: Hi there.
Agent2: As I have checked the previous chat yes, you can transfer the service of the old magicjack to your new magicjack plus. However, during the registration you did not select to replace the old magicjack instead you registered the new magicjack device under a new service with the same phone number. I have all the records of your chat here from my agent and she just instructed you correctly.
J***: No, that is not correct - I did SPECIFICALLY ask that it be REPLACED and my prepaid service be allocated to the new device. There would be absolutely no reason for me to do otherwise. Again, I direct you to the call logs which confirm my intention to replace the device as the "old" one has not been used since the registration of the Plus device occurred.
Agent2: During the registration you did not select to replace the old magicjack with the new magicjack plus. That is why the service of the old magicjack was not transferred
J***: I have been a customer for a long time - this is akin to robbery. Explain why you can't see that the registration was not a replacement - why would I register a new service for the same number and not want to use my pre-paid service?
Agent2: You have all the prompts to follow during the registration but you selected to register the MJ plus as a new device.
Agent2: You are the one who did the registration
J***: Agent2, please help me with this - I spoke with an agent who confirmed this would be transferred.
Agent2: Yes, but you are the one who register the magicjack plus and you did not select to transfer the service instead you registered it as a new device
J***: I did the registration with prompting from a live agent - I followed instructions.
J***: so - you are unwilling to help, even though the history on the account is clearly visible and reflects no usage of the "old" device - this is how you treat loyal customers??
Agent2: That is not true. At the time you chatted previously, you said that you are not yet ready for to do it, and you just asked for instructions
Agent2: We cannot redo the registration once done.
Agent2: I believe that I have already provided you all the information needed. I would like to ask permission to end this conversation with you. Thank you. Since we haven't heard from you, we must release this chat. Please click here should you need further assistance: magicJack.com/techchat

NOTE: the chat was ended immediately without giving me time to grant permission for it to be ended. Thanks Magic Jack - now I have three years of prepaid service on a device I no longer own.

VISITOR/PROVIDER FEEDBACK:

Mikey (Dec 3rd 2013) - I have had the MagicJack since 2011. Started with the original MJ and then upgraded to the MJ-Plus in late 2011. In Dec-2012, I paid for 5-years until Dec-2017, and I continue to enjoy unlimited calling in the US and Canada for $20/year with no problems.

Marlene (Dec 5th 2013): I just went through the same thing and then when you start to get frustrated or irritated they give you to the 10% top reps, who turns out to be a total douchebag. I told him CANCEL MY ENTIRE ACCOUNT. If worse comes to worse I will buy a new one and set up an entirely new account. I was trying to get the same GOLD account that you were. They even somehow got my sons credit card and charged him. I also mentioned that they changed their entire format without informing customers and there's an option of automatic payment that was in the new format that defaults to ON - therefore they are just taking the money without notice of permission. Plus I wanted the better VOICE QUALITY because it cuts in and out and the voice quality sucks, if they have better voice quality then we should have gotten it with the first device. GOES IN MY TOP WORSE CUSTOMER SERVICE ALONG WITH SPRINT.

fdeister (Dec 21st 2013) : This absolutely mirrors my experience to a T. If I didn't already have an account, I would have cancelled immediately. The only thing is that it is very reasonably priced and I don't have many problems other then when I try to deal with the infamous "CUSTOMER SERVICE MINIONS". I don't know where they get them from!

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Horrible

Number 48 : OCT 16th, 2013 : Bob

Recommended: No

Very poor tech support. Extremely unreliable. Very poor website. Weak sound levels. Frequent drop-outs. Need a computer to set up & use.

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Cheap product, cheaper support

Number 47 : SEP 24th, 2013 : Gh

Recommended: No

Magic Jacks works just fine when newly ordered. But, if you need customer service, you will realize what a rat hole you are in. Repetitive instructions without resolving the issue. I used MagicJack for 4 or 5 years, but when I needed help, the support line was truly useless. Cheap product, yields cheaper support.

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Great for the money

Number 46 : SEP 18th, 2013 : Walter

Recommended: Yes

Have had service for two years and no problems. Would not recommend as a land line replacement. But, with limited cell phone minutes it is great for multiple hour calls to family and friend. Great for the money. for $30 per year, what do you want?

VISITOR/PROVIDER FEEDBACK:

Comment by Luther on 9/22/2013: The worst possible experience with MagicJack. Cannot talk to a living breathing human about problems. I had problems with operation of phone - stopped working, impossible to contact to resolve problems and their refusal to release my phone number after repeated attempts to return back to original provider. I would never recommend them to anyone.

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