Magicjack: Unlimited Calls To U.s. And Canada For $20 A Year

[marc11864]

I've had mine now for 4 relatively pleasant months and I don't feel like I have been fleeced!

I've even purchased one for my partner in Thailand to cut our communication costs and overall, I've been pretty pleased with it. Agreed, the site itself is not the most user friendly and the customer service issues are there for some people. But let's be honest, who here hasn't seen the same issues with the major carriers out there? Look at the former MCI/WORLDCOM if you want to see deceptive practices. Where did it get them?

I say, give magicJack the benefit of the doubt for the time being.

One very significant issue you are likely to face in Thailand is connection probs if you are paying for the lowest broadband speed or using magicJack wirelessly. I had issues with it when I was over there from April through July at Blue Wana Apartments but after returning here to the US, I'm connecting wirelessly through my laptop on a friends 1.5 mbps connection AND using a wireless land-line phone and all but a couple of calls were excellent! Even then, I simply hung up and redialed and the call quality was fine.

Stop complaining and think about what you are getting for the same dollar through the major carriers.

[Jingthing]

Well, the thing is, I have BOTH a Vonage and a MJ line on the same Thai connection and the call qualify for Vonage is MUCH better. In fact, sometimes the MJ is completely unusable quality when tested and then I just call with the Vonage and it is perfect quality. Of course your experience may vary. But having both types gives me the chance to really test the difference and it isn't subtle at all.

Edited July 29, 2008 by Jingthing

[crev]

I have magicjack as my back up to my Onesuite account.

When I signed up almost a year ago its never like that, not sure when they change the process but for sure its something that will drive people away.

BTW, for those who wants a U.S. phone number and a voip service, Onesuite works great and can be use to call all countries as well unlike MJ that you can only call the U.S. but its a cheap back up nontheless for calling the U.S.

[BluAngelEyes23]

Hey Guys,

I lurk the forum pretty often when I get time and I had this particular thread bookmarked back from February. No one is probably going to look at this because it's so old, but I wanted to add my own opinion to those who might be thinking about the Magic Jack service for International calling, or for whatever other use you may have in mind..

It's been some months now since the release of the Magic Jack service that everyone has been waiting for (March/April). I have to say that now It appears the company might be growing in the wrong direction. Their customer service has been proven to avoid any questions relating how to return the device under their 30 Day Trail period. I would expect a company to uphold their own policies.

It's true that you get what you pay for. You are a cattle if you believe anything else. The Magic Jack service would be beneficial to anyone who does not rely on when their phone service works.

There are plenty of websites out there that go into these details. I would recommend that anyone who currently owns the Magic Jack, or plans on going for the "magical" 30 Day Trail do some research at the very minimum.

Here is an example that might point the people effected into the right direction:

Magic Jack Review Article

If your a person where it's not a big deal if your service is disrupted once and awhile, this might be a great investment for you. It all depends what you want Magic Jack to do for you, and what your expectations are. You always have to consider the worst case scenario when thinking about these kinds of things. Hopefully someone will read this and make the right decision for themselves.

Regards,

[jfchandler]

Interesting to read the post above, and the web site it refers to.... I'll respond to that...

I've had my Magic Jack here in Thailand for almost 1 year now, and am very happy and satisfied with it.

The comment in the web site mentioned above about MJ using lots of PC system resources and a user needing to run a separate PC is ridiculous and silly. With the MJ software launched and running in the background on my Vista machine, it uses 0% of my CPU resources and about 50 MB of system memory (because the MJ software runs in memory) compared to Firefox using about 115 MB of memory.

Regarding system security, a user should have no problems at all provided they do the normal things to secure their system: turn on Windows firewall, preferably run behind a router, and use a good anti-virus program. In a year of constant use, I've never had a security problem with MJ.

Regarding the quality of MJ phone service and calls, yes, I would agree that it is not as reliable as a wired phone line because, of course, it's VOIP relying on the Internet to carry international calls. So there have been times when, because of the strained connections between Thailand and the outside world, that the call quality is bad (particularly during peak use times here). But those times are more the exception than the rule. Most of the time MJ works fine. In that regard, it's pretty much the same as Skype or any of the other VOIP services.

Regarding customer service, yes, I know MJ has had some problems with that, pretty much to be expected with a start-up company and, in addition, one that's charging a VERY low price for it's service. But now they have a pretty good FAQs and help section on their web site, and functions for live online chat with their staff.

Anyway you cut it, as long as they stay in business, I consider it a great deal. For my second year, I'll be paying the grand total of $20 for another year of unlimited calling back to the United States as well as getting to keep the U.S. local phone number of my choice, so my friends and family there can call me here by making a local (non-toll call).

That's a hard deal to beat.

[MMR]

What was the total cost (including import duties) to Bkk?

[jfchandler]

The MagicJack unit costs $39.95 plus S/H (which includes the first year of calling service).... So the total price to deliver to my U.S. address was around $45...

Then, I simply had it forwarded to Thailand with the rest of my regular postal mail in a monthly package that I already do regardless. I had to declare it for customs, since it was a non-document item. But the unit itself is very small and light, and fits in a small padded envelope. And the $ value is pretty low. So I may have paid another $5-$10 (10-20%) for customs.

In terms of ordering, Magic Jack will ship the units directly to addresses in the U.S., Canada, and U.S. territories. So you'd need someone or some service there to forward onward to Thailand.

[voracious]

I've had one since they first came out. I saw it on a gadget website and gave it a go. It's really excellent, in spite of the cheesy infomercial style marketing approach they've taken.

The background is that they are a telephone company and that's their advantage. They can connect from the internet to the telephone backbone unfettered, unthrottled, and unrestricted and that's where they shine. Call quality is clearly better than many of the alternatives & if I was willing to leave a computer on all the time I'd get a second one and replace the vonage router and account that I have.

You're looking at $20/year for service. That's less than one month of local telephone service here and even cheaper than a month of vonage.

One of the area codes that magicjack offers is local so that is a nice bonus.

Where it excels is overseas to the USA. I just sent my magicjack off with my daughter as she's in asia studying abroad. She calls home, her friends here, and some friends in Canada. Here's the nice part. Any of her friends with unlimited usa calls anywhere in the usa (common on some cell phone plans) can call her back dialing a USA area code.

For less than a month of regular phone bills it's been a good investment and has more than earned my renewal (just pre-paid 3 more years with a 1 year bonus). Downside if they should collapse? $60. Not bad for the benefit.

Right now I'd say the weakest link is their cheesy marketing and horrible website. I just went there and the price wasn't even listed, just the free trial...

[lomatopo]

When you make an outbound call, say to a number in the U.S.A. does the system pass your CPID (your local area code/number)? This is important for activating a new credit card, for example, and for other customer service applications. Maybe someone here had called a friend who has a mobile phone, am curious what number, if any, is displayed for the MagicJack caller?

[kamalabob2]

For someone with ties to the United States or Canada the Magic Jack device is a great value. The voice quality is better than 009 on a mobile phone in my opinion. Hard to tell if the company will stay in business, but to have a number from my old area code has made calling so convenient. It has made things smoother with customer service from Banks, credit cards and Insurance companies. Only one or two calls to the IRS or Social Security Office where you are placed on "terminal hold" and you see significant savings with Magic Jack. I still use

www.deedial.com on my mobile phone with the "call back" service, but if I am home the Magic Jack is my first choice to use for calling the U.S. or Canada. The "voice mail" feature is excellent with notification via e-mail and simple to retrieve messages. The Bangkok Post had a good review this past Wednesday in the Data Section. If someone in Thailand was operating a "tourist type" or "mail order" business in Thailand this could be an excellent phone service to have a phone number for questions from potential US or Canadian clients. I have used this service to activate a US credit card with no glitches. I think the person on the other end was in India.

[Orangutan]

I have two Majicjacks that I have been using on different telephone lines of course. They are a great value, as I have made calls many times more than what I paid for them. The local telephone in the states is wonderful and easy to use for family, and business.

-O

[CosmicSurfer]

NOTE:

Wanda Sloan has a review of Magic Jack in this week's DataBase section of the Bangkok Post...

DataBase Link Here

She gives it a rave review.

Wanda is "The Man"

CS

P.S. My friend in the USA told me about this a few months ago, and I have one on route... But there are no local Numbers yet in Montreal, Canada, which is a disappointment for me, as that's where my Family lives.

Edited September 12, 2008 by CosmicSurfer

[longball53098]

What's the bandwidth need?

I have Skype but since I moved and now only have my Hutch CDMA at a max of 153kbps the Skype chokes and does not work.

Will the MJ work on Hutch ?

[jfchandler]

MJ says you need broadband, and that dial-up service will not work...

Just what is the workable low-end of broadband for MJ, though, I'm not sure...

They do have a free 30 day trial for new users... But that is complicated a bit by the time and expense of having the unit forwarded from the U.S., since MJ won't ship direct to Thailand.

[Rice_King]

I know Vonage from back in the States, but I didn't know you could use it here in LOS... What's the deal about that???

To answer your question from 7 months ago...

I have been using Vonage here in Thailand since February 2005 and I would give their service a rating of 9 (of 10) score. *Note: Actually, Vonage scores a solid 10 since it is my Thai ISP (True) that is to blame for any dropped calls.

What I like about Vonage:

• The PC does not have to be on to use it
  
• Uses a regular house phone
  
• Call clarity is very good (see * Note above)
  
• I have a US number (that number is displayed on caller ID devices)
  
• If I miss a call, a voicemail is sent to me as a small audio file attachment in an email. (Optionally, I can retrieve it with the handset.)
  

[voracious]

When you make an outbound call, say to a number in the U.S.A. does the system pass your CPID (your local area code/number)? This is important for activating a new credit card, for example, and for other customer service applications. Maybe someone here had called a friend who has a mobile phone, am curious what number, if any, is displayed for the MagicJack caller?

When my daughter calls me from Hong Kong, it displays the local (california) phone number.

[CosmicSurfer]

To answer your question from 7 months ago...

I have been using Vonage here in Thailand since February 2005 and I would give their service a rating of 9 (of 10) score. *Note: Actually, Vonage scores a solid 10 since it is my Thai ISP (True) that is to blame for any dropped calls.

What is the cost of Vonage from Thailand? How would it compare with MagicJack?

What would it entail to get a Vonage account???

I guess I've been in Thailand too long... I'm familiar with the Vonage name, but I have no idea of the service they provide.

Curious

CS

[Rice_King]

What is the cost of Vonage from Thailand? How would it compare with MagicJack?

What would it entail to get a Vonage account???

I guess I've been in Thailand too long... I'm familiar with the Vonage name, but I have no idea of the service they provide.

Q: What is the cost of Vonage from Thailand?

A: 3 Basic Residential Plans:

1. $14.99/mo. for 500 minutes
   
2. $24.99/mo. Unlimited long distance calling anywhere in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. FREE calls to 5 select European countries
   
3. $34.99/mo. Unlimited long distance calling anywhere in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. FREE calls to 5 select European countries. Plus new features such as Vonage Companion, 25 Vonage Visual Voicemails, 25 Directory Assistance calls, and Vonage Contact Center
   

Q: How would it compare with MagicJack?

A: I have no experience with MagicJack. The big difference I do know is that you can use Vonage without a PC. All you need is a broadband connection

Q: What would it entail to get a Vonage account???

A: You can sign up online from Thailand. You will need to provide Vonage with a U.S., Puerto Rico or Canada address with phone number (your own, a friend's or relative), then have them ship the device from that address to you here in Thailand.

Vonage.Com and Vonage FAQ

Edited September 13, 2008 by Rice_King

[jfchandler]

RE Vonage...I checked today out of curiosity.....

Their web site is showing a one-time $30 set up fee...which can be easily waived...along with ongoing monthly charges of no less than $15 U.S., and that's not for unlimited calling.

Thus, strictly from a cost point of view, it's not even in the same league as Magic Jack at $20 for an entire year of unlimited calling to any numbers in the U.S. and Canada.

[CosmicSurfer]

Q: What is the cost of Vonage from Thailand?

A: 3 Basic Residential Plans:

• $14.99/mo. for 500 minutes
  
• $24.99/mo. Unlimited long distance calling anywhere in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. FREE calls to 5 select European countries
  
• $34.99/mo. Unlimited long distance calling anywhere in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. FREE calls to 5 select European countries. Plus new features such as Vonage Companion, 25 Vonage Visual Voicemails, 25 Directory Assistance calls, and Vonage Contact Center
  

Hmmm... Price is Deal Killer.

For as often I call anyone in North America... or anyone calls me,

I'll stick with Skype and give Magic Jack a try.

Thanks

CS

[Rice_King]

RE Vonage...I checked today out of curiosity.....

Their web site is showing a one-time $30 set up fee...which can be easily waived...along with ongoing monthly charges of no less than $15 U.S., and that's not for unlimited calling.

Thus, strictly from a cost point of view, it's not even in the same league as Magic Jack at $20 for an entire year of unlimited calling to any numbers in the U.S. and Canada.

Hmmm... Price is Deal Killer.

For as often I call anyone in North America... or anyone calls me,

I'll stick with Skype and give Magic Jack a try.

I totally agree with you guys. For your application, MagicJack offers the most cost effective solution.

I think Vonage's target market are for businesses and families looking for an alternative to high priced telco services in the US, Canada, and UK. Using Vonage, a person can disconnect from the local telco completely and connect the whole house to VoIP. That way, all of the house phones are on Vonage or similar service.

[chrissimone]

Hi all,

I just installed my magic jack on my laptop in usa. Can I now take it to thailand and use it on my gf's computer? or do I need to buy another one and install it in thailand on her computer?

Thanks, chris.

[jfchandler]

A single Magic Jack unit can be installed on any USB capable computer, whether laptop or desktop, whether in Thailand or the USA.

However, you need the physical unit to use the device on a particular PC. The device will work with whatever PC you plug it into while it's plugged in. But once you unplug it from a particular PC, then that PC no longer will provide that service.

The same single unit can be carried and used anywhere in the world, provided you plug it into a single USB capable PC that meets its various operating requirements and also has a broadband Internet connection.

[chrissimone]

JFC, thanks for the info, I should be ok, dont need one in the usa, just in thailand.

currently paying 30 cents a min. adds up quick.

Thanks again, Chris.

[lomatopo]

Can I purchase a MagicJack outright, if so I cannot find where to do that on their website. Or does everyone utilize the 30-day trial to purchase a unit? Thanks.

To answer my own question, I went throught he 30 day free trial order process and at one point you can waive the trial period and purchase the unit outright.

I assume you chose your local number when you initially install the software and configure the unti?

How is the vociemail experience, for those calling you? Can you have a personalized greeting?

Edited September 14, 2008 by lomatopo

[jfchandler]

Lom...I believe the 30 day trial accessed via their web site is in essence a purchase. Although I did mine a year ago, I believe you order up front and they send the unit to you.

But I can't remember if they bill you up front on your credit card, and then you have the right to return if dissatisfied, or they wait to bill you. I believe they bill you upfront.

Only catch is...remember they will not ship directly to Thailand. So you need to have a mailing address in the U.S. they can send the unit to... And then, make whatever arrangement to have it forwarded onward here. It ends up being a small padded envelope (not heavy or large), just a bit bigger than a regular business envelope. So for me, it fit easily in my regular monthly mail forwarding package from back there. Had to declare for customs and pay a couple bucks duty. I just called it a telephone accessory.

[CDNinKS]

Just purchased one 10 minutes ago, based on the comments from this site.

Click on the link for the free trial and fill in the forms. As Jf says, it must be a US or Canadian address. I have a Canadian address so the 30 day trial is not available.....no problem as I wanted to pay for it anyway. When you go thru the form process, it will ask you at one point if you want to wave the 30 day trial and pay up front (for US address's) and also will ask if you want to upgrade to 5 years or 2 years, express shipping etc.

Will pick it up when I go back to Canada in a months time.

Thanks for all the info

[lomatopo]

Only catch is...remember they will not ship directly to Thailand. So you need to have a mailing address in the U.S.

I ordered a unit, shipped to my U.S. address, and am back State-side next week so will install it there and mess around with it, then bring it back here.

[tracer5050]

I have been useing magic here for a year.I brought it back a year ago from thr US, Usally the service is good , jsut a few time I had bad calls but usally when to computer ISP is very busy.

For $20.00 dollars a year you cant beat it. You will need a high speed connection. If your computer is on you can also receive calls from the US to your computer in LOS. I paid advance for 3 years at 19.99 a year.

[sabaijai]

It's available in Thailand here: http://www.2jimport.com/

Nice review from PC World: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2250246,00.asp

I've merged the three different MagicJack threads so that all the comments now appear in one thread.