Magic Jack Review

Reviewed by YouUser Review

0

This is a review of the Magic Jack USB plug-in device for VOIP calling. I will
Include every technical detail I can think to write about. The interface is OK; your phone number is always displayed in front of you, as is a keypad for headset dialing. There is an ever-changing ad box to the left but it also tells you how to set up your voice mail; There is a contacts program/editor, and a call history box with name (if it matches a contact, more later), number, date and time stamp, and call duration on display; One outstanding feature is the 911 on the go service (which by law they have no obligation to provide). You enter in the addresses where you are calling from and it stores them…so you can call from a Hotel room in CA and enter that info and your room number in the e911 fields and the police will know where to go if you call them! When you go home and turn on the computer, just select your home address from the dropdown menu and emergency services will go there. They actually verify all entered addresses, which is indicated by a green light on the interface.

The MagicJack is easy to set-up and start using right away. Just plug it in to any USB port on your computer and plug a telephone into the other side, which is a standard RJ-11 phone jack. Windows recognizes the device, software is installed automatically and you are done, no prompts. Go to My Computer and double-click the MJ icon and you will be asked to register online. After that, you may choose your phone number, well sorta. There will be a drop down menu which in most (not all) cases will be every area code in your state of registration. For me personally, all mine were available. Pick one. You will then be given a selection of about five or six prefixes which may or may not be in your state (yeah I know, weird). Pick one. MJ then selects the remaining four digits in your ten-digit phone number and assigns them. After you get this phone number, you may elect to change it ANY time you like as often as you like. However, only the first change is free, after that it is a $10 fee for additional number changes.

The MJ initial cost is $39.95 for the first twelve months. Broken down, it is $20 purchase price for the unit and $19.95 for the first twelve months of service. Divide that out and it is $1.66 a month for unlimited local calling anywhere in the U.S., U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Canada. You may dial any MJ subscriber on the planet free; you may call back to the U.S. from any country in the world free. If you choose to pay five years in advance, the price drops to just 99 cents a month, $59.95 for sixty months. International calling is available and rates are on MJ website.

MJ offers all the features of home phones but there drawbacks that I observed. Caller ID provides only the number of the caller to your handset (and computer monitor). There is no data or caller name displayed unless it matches a contact in your MJ directory, and that data goes to your monitor, not your phone. Call Waiting sends no number or data to a cordless handset or any other phone, so if you are upstairs and not in front of your computer, you only get the call waiting audible tone. However, the incoming number appears on your computer monitor (and name as well, if it matches a contact). You cannot dial *67 to block your outgoing number. If you do that, your number will still be visible to the call recipient and the data portion will say private. Call Forwarding works well and is useful if you plan to shut your computer off while home (since MJ cannot send/receive calls without your computer on). MJ’s voicemail does function 24/7 without the need for a powered-up computer. If it was not obvious already, let me state that you cannot own and operate a MagicJack device without a computer, broadband connection, and either headset or telephone device. The voicemail system is on a par with the phone companies and VOIP providers elsewhere. It is perfectly adequate and functional and responds quickly to menu commands. MJ will send an email to any address you provide notifying of a voice mail. Three way calling is included and works very nicely.

Additional things worth noting are an add-in for MS Outlook, which works quite well. It is a toolbar within Outlook that will one-touch dial any number (home, business, wireless) for any contact instantly. I installed it and it is flawless and quite useful. There are a number of links on the interface: Yahoo, AOL, weather, MJ home page; Google; Free 411, all opening a window in Internet Explorer (or your default browser). They even give you access to My Favorites if MSIE is your browser. There is a keypad; send/end buttons, redial and voicemail buttons on the interface for headset users. I have not tried a headset so I cannot offer an opinion on how well that would work. Sometimes I get a dial tone, dial a number and nothing happens. I hang up, then get another dial tone, make the call and it works fine. I have noticed no other quirks with the system. Call/voice quality is excellent, equal to landline.

I understand that this product is designed for business travelers who want to cut down on wireless minutes and/or people wanting to avoid phone charges away from home. With a laptop and headset, you still have to pay for internet access in a hotel and they might even block that type of outgoing connection. I do not travel much so do not really care but one thing to consider is replacing your home phone with this device. Sure, you do not need any home phone nowadays with the price and quality of wireless but for $1.66, a month compared to Vonage, Comcast, and Verizon why not use this for a dedicated home phone provider?

CUSTOMERS RESPOND HERE: Post a comment for this review Write a review about Magic Jack! Create a support ticket for Magic Jack! More Magic Jack reviews, complaints, compliments and support tickets

BUSINESSES RESPOND HERE: Business owners and decision makers: Claim this company Companies: Respond to this review Click here to take the pledge

• DONT BUY THIS JUNK
• always unavailable.
• Magic Jack
• the worst phone service ever!
• Inadequate Customer Service
• English customer service please
• poor service,,,,,,,,,,
• jacked by "magic"
• No Magic
• Why did I pay for rush delivery
• Magic Jack Makes Me Want to Scream in Frustration
• For uses that can plug a USB device
• Outstanding!!
• hl comp
• Russ
• Good product!

More

• It does not work well
• DOES NOT WORK RELIABLY
• Complaint
• Cusomer service is terrible
• doesn't work
• Doesn't work like claims
• Magic Jack
• Magic Jack
• It actually works
• IT SUCKS!!!
• Dissatisfied Customer
• Magic Jack review
• Dissatisfaction with Magic Jack
• Refund