Satellite VoIP Discussion Board

[Mr Matt]

I am adding this new thread because I received two pieces of misleading information from Magic Jack's Technical Support Personnel.

First, when I called Magic Jacks technical support department and asked if they had a telephone exchange that would be a local call from 352-589 my local exchange, their Technician told that there was, but would not give me the number of that local exchange.

Second, Magic Jack literature claims that they never charge a caller to call a Magic Jack. That is correct, what Magic Jack literature fails to mention is that a caller, calling a Magic Jack number that is not within their local calling area, will be charged for a toll call by their local telephone company, unless they are paying for flat rate unlimited long distance service.

If it were not for the help of RockyBB and N9MD I would have purchased a Magic Jack and been disappointed.

I want to reiterate. I want a Magic Jack telephone number that is local to my telephone exchange so that I do not have to pay for a toll call when I forward my local telephone number to the Magic Jack Telephone number. Magic Jack management should give potential customers access to the list of available telephone exchanges with all area codes.

[sabresfan]

Do you have a Google Voice number? I was able to select a local exchange from them. My MJ number is in the same area code but is about 30 miles away. I had a friend in the next county over try this for me a few days ago. He has no long distance on his Embarq landline. He can call my GV number just fine and it rings my MJ line no problem. If he tries to call my MJ number it's long distance for him and the call will not go through. Just a thought on a possible fix or work around.

[mozerd]

Second, Magic Jack literature claims that they never charge a caller to call a Magic Jack. That is correct, what Magic Jack literature fails to mention is that a caller, calling a Magic Jack number that is not within their local calling area, will be charged for a toll call by their local telephone company, unless they are paying for flat rate unlimited long distance service.

All my Magic Jack long distance calls within Canada and the continental USA are free of charges.

Anyone using a Magic Jack directing their call to my Magic Jack phone number from anywhere are not charged for that call.

Anyone not using a Magic Jack calling me from anywhere in Canada and the USA will pay for that Long Distance call based on their LD plan. And that has always been very clear.

Why you do not comprehend that aspect is subject to your level of comprehension of the English Language.

[amigo_boy]

Why you do not comprehend that aspect is subject to your level of comprehension of the English Language.

I can see how MJ's wording could lead someone (not familiar with standard telephone practices, believing VoIP is different) that it's toll-free inbound too.

MJ has a tendency to word things in a way to generate the most sales -- regardless of confusion and disappointment. IMO, it seems worse with MJ than most businesses.

An example is what I wrote about last night concerning MJ's initial offer for 5 years (which is really an additional 4 years). When MJ started, this offer was plausible at the time of purchase, but left a sense that I'd had a "fast one" pulled on me.

A few months later MJ took it to a new level by offering the unstated plan replacement through the account portal. That was problematic because people had their new 5-year plan reset back to their original purchase date. Now it was arbitrary. Some customers lost 11 months of their original 1-year plan. Others lost only 1-week.

A few months later, MJ lost all sense of propriety when it marketed the "5 years" through the softphone ad as an additional 5 years.

Based upon everything else with MJ, I'd say their wording concerning incoming calls being free to the caller was worded like that deliberately.

[mozerd]

I can see how MJ's wording could lead someone (not familiar with standard telephone practices, believing VoIP is different) that it's toll-free inbound too.

In that MagicJack FAQ MJ makes the following statement:

Your Question
If my friends and family call me, are they charged for a long distance call?
Answer
Any charges applied to a person calling you is dependent on their individual calling plan and their current carrier. Typically, many people have an unlimited calling plan for both local and long distance calls.
magicJack does not charge anyone for inbound telephone calls.

There is absolutely nothing deceptive in the quote above. Its True that MJ does not hold your hand and treat you like a mindless juvenile.

A mindless juvenile could easily miss-interpret magicJack does not charge anyone for inbound telephone calls -- and that simply points to a very poor education -- the English language is not that hard to learn assuming that one does make the effort.

[Mr Matt]

Sabresfan, do you have your Google Voice number forwarded to you Magic Jack number? If that works I will check with GV to see if the have a number in my local calling area. If your GV number is not forwarded to your MJ number, how do you route calls from your GV number to your MJ number?
Thanks

[Mr Matt]

Sorry mozerd I reviewed the article in question on the MJ website late last night and my failure to have seen and correctly commented on their warning must have been because of a nocturnal omission!
Regards.

[amigo_boy]

There is absolutely nothing deceptive in the quote above. Its True that MJ does not hold your hand and treat you like a mindless juvenile.

You're failing to mention that that's the wording today. Not as it existed at least back in February (the last time I looked at it). At that time it didn't say "any charges applied to a person calling you is dependent on their calling plan."

I don't know when they clarified it. I'm glad they did. But, there have been people confused by the less-explanatory wording.

[sabresfan]

Yes, I have a Google voice number forwarded to my MJ number. It's a good work around for this problem. I have also forwarded my cell phone at times to my MJ line if I needed a fax and the business was local. I missed a fax one time when the girl tried it and I forgot to tell her it was not a local number.

[N9MD]

... I will check with GV to see if the have a number in my local calling area. If your GV number is not forwarded to your MJ number, how do you route calls from your GV number to your MJ number?

GoogleVoice has number availability in the following towns that are within the Eustis FL free local calling area: Chiefland, Groveland, Lady Lake, Mount Dora, Tavares, Weirsdale.