Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice

RyanLeisure · 08-29-2008, 04:39 PM

I've seen these infomercials for the Magic Jack on wonderful day-time tv. But I wasn't sure whether to believe it or not. I've been looking for something cheap to use as a business line, so I can quit using my personal cell phone for everything. A friend of mine bought one before I did, and he said it as pretty good, so I went ahead and ordered one too.

For those who don't know what it is, its just a usb hub for your computer that you can plug a regular land line phone into. The device is just $20 and the calling plan is just $20 PER YEAR. It's unlimited local and long distance, and has caller ID, voicemail, directory assistance, and all that stuff included. Seemed too good to be true, but it actually works great. Anyone else using it?

Dennis Wagoner · 08-29-2008, 04:41 PM

Hi Ryan,

You have to have your PC on to use the magic jack,
do you not?

I have never tried it, as I use broadvoice for my landline
phone, and am happy with it.

Dennis

RyanLeisure · 08-29-2008, 04:43 PM

Yeah the PC has to be on, which isn't a problem for me....since I usually leave all 3 going nearly around the clock (bad I know!)

Kat Bartone · 08-29-2008, 04:48 PM

I've used it and found the quality to be pretty bad, to be honest. Makes my Vonage VoIP look like landline quality. Specifically, there were lots of dropouts, some line static, and often the other party had a hard time hearing me.

Great idea, but not ready for prime time.

Also, while the computer does need to be on for it to work, I still turned the computer off at night. It has voicemail, so I won't miss anything, and anyone who REALLY needs to get a hold of me at night has my cell phone number.

- Kat

RyanLeisure · 08-29-2008, 04:51 PM

So far I think the sound quality is pretty decent. It's about the same as my cell phone I'd say. Not as good as a regular landline, but I'm very happy with it so far.

zerofill · 08-29-2008, 05:02 PM

The reason it is free is because they pass the traffic via voip to high toll areas like Iowa...and turn around and make on average $0.04 to $0.12 per min when you use the service...we call'em CAB fees in telecom...They do bulk buying of DID numbers...so the DID numbers only cost them about $2 per month...Law of averages says you will make them a lot more then $2 per month on your per minute usage....

We've passed off traffic to high toll areas for a kickback many times...

Jesus Perez · 08-29-2008, 05:06 PM

As more users jump on, quality will further deteriorate. When it first launched it was flawless, now it's nowhere near flawless from what I've read.

Be wary. It's great for voicemail though. You may save money in that arena.

Or use it for making sales pitches.

Tsnyder · 08-29-2008, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zerofill

The reason it is free is because they pass the traffic via voip to high toll areas like Iowa...and turn around and make on average $0.04 to $0.12 per min when you use the service...we call'em CAB fees in telecom...They do bulk buying of DID numbers...so the DID numbers only cost them about $2 per month...Law of averages says you will make them a lot more then $2 per month on your per minute usage....

We've passed off traffic to high toll areas for a kickback many times...

For calls to the US and Canada there is no per minute fee.
You pay a flat annual fee of $19.95.

I have one... I use it all the time. I've very happy with it. I had some voice
quality problems the first time I used it but I changed the phone I was using
and haven't had any problem since.

I love the Magic Jack.

Tsnyder

Tim Franklin · 08-29-2008, 05:18 PM

I have not tried it, I imagine that a lot would depend on the strength of the network, I have thought about ordering, however I rejected the sales pitch because I felt that they were not charging enough to sustain the business over a long period of time.

Just an opinion, but I look for network failure in 6 to 12 months.

then it will be over, with the cost of equipment and network access, the business model, price is severely underestimated.

If you get service for one year, at 39.95 plus s&h, then you probably will get your moneys worth, I look for longevity in a business model before making a purchase at least as far as a service is concerned.

I think in order to sustain the business you would need some sort of monthly revenue, at least that seems more likely for a service like this.

zerofill · 08-29-2008, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tsnyder

For calls to the US and Canada there is no per minute fee.
You pay a flat annual fee of $19.95.

I have one... I use it all the time. I've very happy with it. I had some voice
quality problems the first time I used it but I changed the phone I was using
and haven't had any problem since.

I love the Magic Jack.

Tsnyder

The per minute fee I am referring to isn't something the user pays...it is a fee that gets paid back to magic jack from "clecs" collecting money from carriers...It is how magic jack and other similar type products make their money. For instance we used to run conference rooms. We made $0.02 per minute from them...we paid nothing to run them...other then our own equipment we used.

Conrado Oliveira · 08-29-2008, 07:55 PM

I tried using it from Brazil to make calls to the USA and the sound quality sucked.

Justin Mandel · 08-29-2008, 08:10 PM

I saw the infomercial and watched the whole thing to see guess what...the marketing!

I then did the research on it - sounded too good to be true.

And, based on what I found out it WAS too good to be true.

Lousy customer service. Difficult to return the product if you're not satisfied.

But, I think it was CNET that gave the Magic Jack a 5 Star review

Turns out the customer reviews did not match up whatsover to the CNET review.

In the end I opted not to go for the Magic Jack.

deu12000 · 08-29-2008, 08:28 PM

I bought a Magic Jack earlier this year and it was a good buy. I only use it on vacation, lend it out, and use it sparingly in between. I've never had call quality issues, I'd say the sound quality is just as good as my home phone line which has been Vonage for the last couple of years. For the price it's a great offer. If you leave your computer on 24/7 it's definitely worth it. This is a great product if you live overseas and call the US a lot. Of course internet speed is a big factor with all VOIP type services and can be the difference between great sound quality and poor sound quality.

Also my Vonage phone as well as Magic Jack sound identical to normal phone quality most of the time but I do have cable internet.

08-29-2008, 04:39 PM	#1
RyanLeisure HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ohio, USA. Posts: 382 Thanks: 8 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking	Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice I've seen these infomercials for the Magic Jack on wonderful day-time tv. But I wasn't sure whether to believe it or not. I've been looking for something cheap to use as a business line, so I can quit using my personal cell phone for everything. A friend of mine bought one before I did, and he said it as pretty good, so I went ahead and ordered one too. For those who don't know what it is, its just a usb hub for your computer that you can plug a regular land line phone into. The device is just $20 and the calling plan is just $20 PER YEAR. It's unlimited local and long distance, and has caller ID, voicemail, directory assistance, and all that stuff included. Seemed too good to be true, but it actually works great. Anyone else using it?
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08-29-2008, 04:41 PM	#2
Dennis Wagoner Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: USA Posts: 568 Thanks: 30 Thanked 24 Times in 16 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice Hi Ryan, You have to have your PC on to use the magic jack, do you not? I have never tried it, as I use broadvoice for my landline phone, and am happy with it. Dennis

08-29-2008, 04:43 PM	#3
RyanLeisure HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ohio, USA. Posts: 382 Thanks: 8 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking	Re: Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice Yeah the PC has to be on, which isn't a problem for me....since I usually leave all 3 going nearly around the clock (bad I know!)
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08-29-2008, 04:48 PM	#4
Kat Bartone Proud Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Montague MA Posts: 1,029 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 117 Thanked 84 Times in 72 Posts	Re: Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice I've used it and found the quality to be pretty bad, to be honest. Makes my Vonage VoIP look like landline quality. Specifically, there were lots of dropouts, some line static, and often the other party had a hard time hearing me. Great idea, but not ready for prime time. Also, while the computer does need to be on for it to work, I still turned the computer off at night. It has voicemail, so I won't miss anything, and anyone who REALLY needs to get a hold of me at night has my cell phone number. - Kat
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08-29-2008, 04:51 PM	#5
RyanLeisure HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ohio, USA. Posts: 382 Thanks: 8 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking	Re: Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice So far I think the sound quality is pretty decent. It's about the same as my cell phone I'd say. Not as good as a regular landline, but I'm very happy with it so far.
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08-29-2008, 05:02 PM	#6
zerofill Donald VanFossen War Room Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Upstate NY , USA. Posts: 1,996 Thanks: 271 Thanked 354 Times in 173 Posts	Re: Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice The reason it is free is because they pass the traffic via voip to high toll areas like Iowa...and turn around and make on average $0.04 to $0.12 per min when you use the service...we call'em CAB fees in telecom...They do bulk buying of DID numbers...so the DID numbers only cost them about $2 per month...Law of averages says you will make them a lot more then $2 per month on your per minute usage.... We've passed off traffic to high toll areas for a kickback many times...

08-29-2008, 05:06 PM	#7
Jesus Perez Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,062 Blog Entries: 8 Thanks: 347 Thanked 982 Times in 490 Posts Social Networking	Re: Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice As more users jump on, quality will further deteriorate. When it first launched it was flawless, now it's nowhere near flawless from what I've read. Be wary. It's great for voicemail though. You may save money in that arena. Or use it for making sales pitches.
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08-29-2008, 05:18 PM	#9
Tim Franklin Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 2,014 Blog Entries: 53 Thanks: 138 Thanked 286 Times in 145 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice I have not tried it, I imagine that a lot would depend on the strength of the network, I have thought about ordering, however I rejected the sales pitch because I felt that they were not charging enough to sustain the business over a long period of time. Just an opinion, but I look for network failure in 6 to 12 months. then it will be over, with the cost of equipment and network access, the business model, price is severely underestimated. If you get service for one year, at 39.95 plus s&h, then you probably will get your moneys worth, I look for longevity in a business model before making a purchase at least as far as a service is concerned. I think in order to sustain the business you would need some sort of monthly revenue, at least that seems more likely for a service like this.
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08-29-2008, 07:55 PM	#11
Conrado Oliveira Active Warrior Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: , , . Posts: 70 Thanks: 0 Thanked 7 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice I tried using it from Brazil to make calls to the USA and the sound quality sucked.

08-29-2008, 08:10 PM	#12
Justin Mandel Trust Establisher War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Long Island, NY. Posts: 2,968 Thanks: 526 Thanked 170 Times in 127 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice I saw the infomercial and watched the whole thing to see guess what...the marketing! I then did the research on it - sounded too good to be true. And, based on what I found out it WAS too good to be true. Lousy customer service. Difficult to return the product if you're not satisfied. But, I think it was CNET that gave the Magic Jack a 5 Star review Turns out the customer reviews did not match up whatsover to the CNET review. In the end I opted not to go for the Magic Jack.
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08-29-2008, 08:28 PM	#13
deu12000 HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: New Jersey Posts: 226 Thanks: 10 Thanked 29 Times in 27 Posts	Re: Anyone using the Magic Jack? It's pretty nice I bought a Magic Jack earlier this year and it was a good buy. I only use it on vacation, lend it out, and use it sparingly in between. I've never had call quality issues, I'd say the sound quality is just as good as my home phone line which has been Vonage for the last couple of years. For the price it's a great offer. If you leave your computer on 24/7 it's definitely worth it. This is a great product if you live overseas and call the US a lot. Of course internet speed is a big factor with all VOIP type services and can be the difference between great sound quality and poor sound quality. Also my Vonage phone as well as Magic Jack sound identical to normal phone quality most of the time but I do have cable internet.