Magic Jack false advertising - what they didn't tell me Internet

Don't give up your land line just yet....

I received my magicJack and it worked good the first day on my base unit for cordless phones (4) in the house. In-coming calls to the house number rang the MJ. I reconnected my land line for a while that evening - as the MJ interface comes up on the monitor during calls and I noted my state of the art PC was slowing down during calls - and I was expecting an important call.

I also noted that several calls for which I inputted the 1 + Area Code returned message that "to make this call you must first dial 1 + the area code." A re-dial usually completed the outgoing call.

Some MJ calls were scratchy, noisy, distortion and such on my end - the other person said they could hear me fine.

The next day I reconnected the MJ line to the base unit. Incoming calls did not ring.

I went through the FAQ's. For this situation it said, "Please try a different phone. If that does not work: Click on the menu of your soft phone and ensure that Do Not Disturb is not checked. Note: Make sure your phone cord is not longer than six feet."

This did not solve the issue. I was test calling my house number using my cell phone. A hard-wired phone in the kitchen would ring, but not the MJ one. I got through to Live Chat and the girl throughout the chat basically insisted that I try another phone, and furthermore insisted I use a corded phone!

I closed by suggesting MJ company improve their device and system as most people today do not want to return to corded phones.

Later I found the FAQ that clearly states the opposite, "Yes, you can plug a cordless base station into the magicJack and use several cordless handsets throughout your house. You can also use a splitter with the magicJack and plug multiple corded phones into the magicJack...."

There was no attempt this first time with Support to connect me to Tier 2 support.

The next day, day 3, I researched complaints. I decided I better get the required Return Order Form, and what they call the RMA. These links I found in the FAQ for a search on "returns". It pulls up a page and asks for your email, order number, tracking number and credit card number. It says it only needs two of the four to find you. The email and credit card fields are yellow. I had all four items - and no matter what, the search could not find my order!

I figured I better not lets this s****.> I was polite and knew if the previous girl was truthfull, this session person would be able to see my first session's conversation.

I got through to Live Chat, some guy "Dave" probably in India, and after nearly the same difficulties with the first session girl, a long 45 minutes of failed attempts to switch USB ports, etc., got elevated to Tier 2 Support. Using the cell phone to test call the house nothing worked - trying different USB ports, on and on. It could call out, but would not ring on call in.

Then Tier 2 asked what my MJ number was - it is on the interface they call "Softphone" and it is at the "Ready to call" area. It was a different number than my house number, but same area code. Calling that number did in fact ring the MJ base unit for the cordless phone.

So in the end I have to tell EVERYONE that I have a new home phone number to use the MJ system.

What they didn't tell you in the advertising: from the FAQ's; can I use my existing home phone number with MJ? Their answer is - "Yes, but not yet. You will be able to transfer or port your existing local phone number to magicJack, for a nominal fee, in the coming months."

So until then - you tell EVERYONE to call you on this new MJ 'temporary' phone number - and months from now tell EVERYONE to switch back - after paying the nominal fee, to your original phone number.


Todd
Fredericksburg, Virginia
U.S.A.