LOL
I just posted about this device a few second ago. I find it excellent. It is so simple there is no TS needed if you follow the instructions. I emailed them Sunday about how it would appear on my debit card and I got a response in minutes.
Great little device as far as I can tell.
John J.
This thing sounds great. Sounds too good to be true. I have been watching for reviews. The ones I have found say the thing is crap. No customer service at all.
I have had it for about 4 months now and it works just fine. I had an install question and a customer service rep took care of the concern quickly.
"Dave Bugg" wrote in news:txkZj.5833$Zy1.533@trndny05:
It's not available in my zip code yet, but two nearby cities have it. So I should sign up and choose one of the other cities? Then I can call anywhere? It's just that anyone locally calling the Magic Jack phone number will incur LD charges?
I want to use it in my boss's small office. She uses her Blackberry, but I have to use my cell to call clients and I don't want to use my cell for that, because then they see my # on the ID and clients call me!
That's how I understand it anyway. I'm interested in buying one and it looked too good to be true.
Your comments are a huge help. Marina
You mean area code, not zip code, right? That's what I did.
Yes.
Yes and no. If they have a magicjack, no.
"Dave Bugg" wrote in news:EtlZj.6775$bG1.6230@trndny04:
oK, that's great, thanks for info. Yeah I meant area code. Marina
metspitzer wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
I've been using USADATANET for years.
No monthly fees, contracts, surcharge fees, or minimums. If you don't use it you don't get a bill for anything.
There are 5 regions like northeast, southern, etc.
Call anyone at any number in your region and it's .10/min but it caps at .99 meaning the most expensive call for ANY length of time, yes even hours, is .99.
Call anyone at any number out of your region and it's .10/min but it caps at 1.99 meaning the most expensive call for ANY length of time, yes even hours, is 1.99.
When you register it's registered to your home phone. When you want to call long distance you dial a 7 digit local access number. Enter area code and number and it connects.
I notice no call quality difference.
If it suits your needs and interested:
Not sure I understand why "it's not available in my zip code yet".
The thing absolutely does not care where it is physically sitting, nor what the telephone number / area code "tied" to it is. You order it from whereever in the US/Canada/World you happen to be connected to the Internet from. You have it shipped to whereever in the US/Canada (probably won't ship to overseas) you want IT to be plugged into a computer that's connected to the internet. Someone at THAT computer configures it (it's totally self explanatory) and decides what (virtual) State, (real) Area Code for that state, and (real) phone number for that Area Code is going to be its number.
Outgoing calls are free for as many years you bought at $20/year. Incoming calls are free for *you*, charged at whatever rate the caller pays for calls to that area code. As more and more people are using either VOIP (Voice Over IP) or cellular with unlimited nites/weekends and/or extremely large numbers of minutes, there's
*probably* no additiona charges to them beyond their base fees.I have two of them; one lives in Japan and "thinks" it's in NYC. The other lives in multiple places and thinks it's in NC.
Customer service is via live chat on their website, great support.
PZ
Mar>"Dave Bugg" wrote in
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news-server.nc.rr.com:
Because when I looked up the available area codes, mine isn't there. I mistyped and meant area code. If I'm forced to take an outside area code then other people who don't have Magic Jack will have a LD charge when they call me.
I'm guessing the local Telco is fighting to keep Magic Jack out of the area, cuz the telco will lose customers. I pay about $40 per month. If I like MJ, I'm going to cancel the hard wired phone. If the MJ turns out to be less than what i except, I'll just use my cell.
I know that. It's when people call me, they have to call a LD area code. I ordered it on the trial basis yesterday. Marina
I use Vonage for around $18 per month. That is the price if you make 500 minutes of calls. The same nation wide coverage with voice mail, caller ID,Call waiting and email notification. MJ is limited to certain area codes. It is worth it if you convince your callers to get one. I don't think anyone is fighting to keep it out. There are blocks of numbers that are bought up by many phone companies. The area codes needed by some just might not be free right away. I like having an out of state number so the MIL can call for free and yak as long as she wants. I might get more for other out of state callers but most have cells that can make unlimited calls anyway. I remember paying several hundred for the teens years ago so I am very happy these days. To bad cable TV doesn't go the same route.
"John Jones" wrote in news:BridndnvSsSpFarVnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:
I was thinking of Vonage before I saw MJ. I don't like talking on the phone. Rarely use it at home, so thought MJ would be the way to go. I wanna see if it's at least good for outgoing calls, so I can convince my boss to get a MJ so I don't have to use my cell for work calls. She reimburses me, but then sometimes clients call me directly on my cell. My cell is low fee prepaid, so I don't want to use it much. I'm hoping MJ is the answer. Marina
I have been trying MJ as a second line with Vonage which I have had for a few years. Both seem to be the same quality. Vonage ask a fee to disconnect so I am in no hurry to switch them off. The bottom line in expense is you need to leave a computer on for MJ to work. This would add to your electric bill but I am not sure how much that would actually be. You could turn off your monitor and configure power settings to hibernate to conserve. I have been thinking of a computer that would be low consumption like a new Ultra-Mobile or handheld of some sort. I also use prepaid Tracfone for which I pay $100 per year for more minutes then I ever use. I am trying to abandon the phone completely in favor of email. I don't see why MJ would not meet all your needs at such an unbelievable price. If you have broadband access at work then you are all set.
I guess I don't know much about the "business model" used by the VOIP companies.
For example, Google provides its services for free in the hope that we will glance it the paid ads. It hopes that the Gmail users will use web mail a lot and thus view the ads rather than accessing it via a mail server (which I do.)
If a company offers very low cost VOIP calls it still has the cost of connecting to the conventional "wired" telephone network. Is this cost trivial?say the thing
** Posted from
Doesn't Vonage charge a monthly fee, where as MJ charges a yearly fee? I'm temped to try it at $20 a year versus $370 a year. That worth a tank of gas. Lou
Your area code IS there (I'll wager). You just can't GET some area codes because all the numbers within that area code are taken or already allocated. For example, 212 (Manhattan) is completely full. The same area is covered by area codes 646 and 917. Likewise for Los Angeles (213) is now also 310 and 818.
Think proliferation of cell phones (and computers and fax machines) for the reason.
Yes. Vonage gets about 18.00 per month while MJ gets 20.00 per year. I paid $40.00 for device and 1 year of service. I will eventually drop Vonage completely.
I have seen no extra cost other than around $7 for shipping.
Most of the low cost voip services use "DID", where they buy(rent) blocks of numbers in groups of 10, 100, or 1000 in different area codes. These cost about 50 cents a month for each number. They use a "soft switch" or "virtual (phone)office" that provides internet connections to your computer "softphone".
If you call a number from their line to another number that is also their line, they handle the call "end-to-end" for very very low cost. If the call is to a line at another company, they share the cost, if it's to a traditional (ilec) company they pay thru the nose to complete the call.
Caller id is delivered like cellphone calls, number only, few are willing to pay the "per dip" charge to get the matching name from the database, run by the ilecs.
They use the "number portability" system to allow you to use your previous number with your new number. It's all a big call forwarding scheme.
-- larry/dallas
I am not sure what all that means but my caller ID with Vonage VOIP shows number and name every time unless it is a cell phone call when it displays "MA Wireless" for calls from Massachusetts to where I live in New Hampshire. Some phones I have show different ID configuration indicating it has more to do with the individual phone itself rather than any particular service.
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