I've found that the magicJack device can be temperamental about USB cables, some cables that work fine with other devices do not work with the magicJack device or cause the the device to work poorly.

I had switched computers and used a different USB cables for my magicJack, the device began to work poorly and close unexpectedly on a regular basis, through trial and error I discover that it was the USB cable, so I switch it with one from another USB connected device, after that the magicJack worked properly again and ... << MORE >>

^{The following is a complete copy of  a YMAX/magicJack press release dated 16 Jul 2010 from their website www.ymaxcorp.com. In the past some ill informed people have claimed that magicJack is a "fly by night" company, that assumption has never been true and now with the merger between them an VocalTec (who invented VOIP) they are a telecommunications/VOIP ...} << MORE >>

Recently a person going by R. McCullouch (the email address they provided had a different first though, hmm) sent me a supposed transcript of a chat with a magicJack customer service rep, but since it was copied and pasted it can't be proven accurate and not doctored.

In that transcript, he made claims of the device being physically defective and easily broken at the USB plug, as a ploy to sell more magicJacks. He can make the claim but there no way for him to prove that he or someone else in home did not abuse the ...

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Someone sent me a message via the contact form asking how to buy international minuets, so again I will diverge into a question and answer forum even though this is a blog..

Also just to clarify I am NOT employed by magicJack or any of their affiliates, I am just a retired guy who loves his magicJack and has a hobby of owning domain names, I just combined the two to make this blog. (i.e. registered 'com-magicjack.com' for this blog)

Now back to the answer to the ... << MORE >>

Some time ago someone asked in a comment about how to renew, even thought this is a blog and not a forum I answer their question, I am reposing it as an entry to make it easier to find for others.

That’s the total actual cost billed to my credit card covering the next five years. (the only other expense you could possible incur are calls made by you to numbers outside the US and Canada, but that’s prepaid so no surprise bill if you don’t have any prepaid $ in your account then you can only call US and Canada (you can look up their international calling rates here http://www.magicjack.com/3/faq/ most are comparable to Vonage), so now I won’t be bill again until June 2013.

 

The “phone company” is more expensive than Vonage and cost can vary greatly depending on the services you choose I’m not going to break out multitudes of price options, but without long distance charges it’s likely to cost close to $2000.00 for the same time frame and services. Since I have Vonage for now, I’ll show you what they billed me as a comparison to magicJack.

The monthly bill when I first got Vonage

Residential Premium Unlimited Plan for 0-(000)-000-0000 (29/Sep-28/Oct)	$24.99
Regulatory Recovery Fee	$0.99
Emergency 911 Cost Recovery	$0.99
Federal Universal Service Fee	$1.76
State Telecommunications Sales Tax	$1.51
Local License Tax	$0.54
Local Telecommunications Sales Tax	$0.54
State 911 Fee	$0.20
County Telecommunications Sales Tax	$0.13
Total Amount	$31.65

Total for 5 years of monthly billing: $1899.00

 

My bill when I switched to Vonages annual plan (does not include certain taxes bill separately, for me $0.20 per month ($2.4 per year) not billed until it reaches a total of $5.00)

Annual Residential Premium Unlimited Plan (Oct 29,2007 - Oct 28,2008)	$239.99
New Rate Plan Activation Charge	$0.00
Regulatory Recovery Fee	$11.88
Emergency 911 Cost Recovery	$11.88
Federal Universal Service Fee	$17.49
State Telecommunications Sales Tax	$14.77
Local License Tax	$5.28
Local Telecommunications Sales Tax	$5.28
County Telecommunications Sales Tax	$1.32
Total Amount	$307.89 with the $2.40 310.29

Total for 5 years of Annual billing: $1551.45

Vonage also has many monthly billable services like virtual numbers and toll free numbers. Services like magicJack: They have a “Softphone” as an add on for existing customers (on your computer screen) additional $9.99 a month for 500 minutes or the V-Phone (a USB device similar in use to the magicJack but I don't think you can plug a phone into it) for $39.95 (shipping?) then the same monthly fee as other monthly Vonage lines.  Also here is Vonage’s international rates http://www.vonage.com/intrates.php?showAll=t#J

I know there are bundle phone services including other VOIPs, One I was told is 15.95 a month before taxes and fees. Over 5 years that would be $957.00,  Now let’s add the taxes and fees Vonage’s were 70.30 per year, so I’m assuming it should be about the same, Now the total is $1308.50. If your monthly bill is different just multiply the total monthly cost by 60 to get the five year cost, and then compare it to $100.80 to see if it’s worth the cost over magicJack.

 

More about Skype; I'm not going to do a full out price comparison as it’s not a real phone line, I have the free Skype and I think  its a good supplement to magicJack and if you want can buy service to make it more phone like for a monthly cost plus other charges, the costs are close to but still more than magicJack (Here’s a link to their prices http://skype.com/prices/). The question is do I need more from them than the free Skype? The answer: NO, magicJack is a real phone line that has 911, can be a primary or sole phone line, it's a device small enough to fit in my pocket, a real phone can be plugged into it and it can be used on any computer with broadband access just by plugging it into the USB port. Where as Skype must be down loaded to every computer you wish to use it on and is more of an advance voice and video chat than phone, the best thing about Skype's phone service is the WiFi phone (not cheap thought), it has no 911 and Skype doesn’t expected it to be used as a sole phone service anyway. Here’s a quote from there website:

            "No emergency calls with Skype. Skype is not a replacement for your ordinary telephone and can't be used for emergency calling."

I think that says all I need to know. Skype free is good, anything more is a waste of money when you can get unlimited magicJack for less.

So for real (not Skype) phone service which do you think is the better bargain for five years of service $1300.00+, 1500.00+, $2000.00+ or $100.80.  Let's put that in a different  perspective for less that the cheapest Vonage unlimited service for five years I could get 15 magicJacks phone numbers with five years of service.  Which leads me to ask do you think magicJack has 93.4% less service than Vonage, because that about how much more Vonage's best would cost.  I just doesn't make sense to pay that much more for so little a difference in service.

 

Arizona Rick