DrStrange
Technically feasible
Premium
join:2001-07-23
West Hartford, CT
 ·Stephouse Networks
 ·magicjack.com
·EarthLink
| reply to Gork
Re: Your Opinion about MJ
said by Gork  :I posted earlier in this thread that I was ordering a "newold" computer just to run MJ. It arrived and I have it up and running - I've moved the MJ device over to that computer. I rarely receive caller ID information on my phones anymore. I even bought a powered USB hub hoping that might solve the problem, but no go. Ah well.
Try a 100K resistor across the phone line.
»Caller ID Problem...Fixed
»www.magicjacksupport.com/inbound···108.html |
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r81984
Fair and Balanced
Premium
join:2001-11-14
St John'S, NL
·magicjack.com
 ·Cox HSI
·Insight Communicat..
·AT&T Midwest
1 edit | reply to margioa
MagicJack is my lifeline in Canada. I am here for work and it has allowed me to stay in touch with everyone in the US for virtually nothing.
MJ did not have a local area code for my family's area, but I use Google Voice to fix that.
MJ has been excellent for 3 months now in St. John's, Newfoundland. The calls are the same quality as my cell phone.
I do have it connected to a cordless phone and I had to use a resistor to get the caller ID to work. A 100K ohm resistor did not work, but a 680K ohm did work.
When I stay in hotels I just use a headset.
For those people who have call problems, I would say it is either their computer or their internet connection.
I stayed in a Sheraton in Toronto 2 weeks ago and it was very choppy and horrible, but I never had any problems in any other hotel.
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Democrats are not Socialists any more than Republicans are. |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to margioa
said by margioa :Guys, which is your general opinion about MJ. Bad, Good, Excellent. What codec does it uses? Is it worth it? I have a SIP account with iconnecthere.com. Very good IMO. Their underhanded coding of the softphone to open the dongle flash for read/write prematurely killing the flash ensuring repeat dongle purchases. I can't in good conscience recommend MJ to anyone anymore.
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee |
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Gork
Ou812ic
join:2001-10-06
Juneau, AK
·magicjack.com
| said by dvd536 :Their underhanded coding of the softphone to open the dongle flash for read/write prematurely killing the flash ensuring repeat dongle purchases. I can't in good conscience recommend MJ to anyone anymore. I'm not convinced this is purposeful yet because I've read several posts indicating they will replace the dongle for free if you have a current account. Stupid? Maybe, but not necessarily purposeful - unless you have different info of course. |
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dbarber
join:2000-07-25
West Chester, PA
| reply to dvd536
said by dvd536 :Their underhanded coding of the softphone to open the dongle flash for read/write prematurely killing the flash ensuring repeat dongle purchases. I can't in good conscience recommend MJ to anyone anymore. Last winter, my MJ died just after I had renewed for another year. When I explained that the blue LED wouldn't light up, they replaced the device with NO problems.
Did it die because of the constant read/write cycles? Damned if I know. If this one dies, I expect them to replace it too!
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These opinions are strictly my own. However, if you really want them, we can negotiate. |
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amigo_boy
join:2005-07-22
Tempe, AZ
·Cox HSI
·magicjack.com
| reply to Gork
said by Gork :said by dvd536 :Their underhanded coding of the softphone to open the dongle flash for read/write prematurely killing the flash ensuring repeat dongle purchases. I can't in good conscience recommend MJ to anyone anymore. I'm not convinced this is purposeful yet because I've read several posts indicating they will replace the dongle for free if you have a current account. Stupid? Maybe, but not necessarily purposeful - unless you have different info of course. I agree. It's not rational to believe MJ is slowly destroying the purchased USB device to induce the user to buy a new one.
For one thing, if they wanted to make money selling replacement USB devices it would use version numbers to signify improvements in hardware, and sell them standalone to existing customers.
By not selling USB devices, I guess it could be said that MJ makes more money by selling a year's time bundled with the USB device. But, they're incurring support costs dealing with broken USB devices. Plus, the bad word of mouth associated with broken service (and dealing with inept offshore support). After all that, MJ replaces the USB device for free.
I'm pretty critical of MJ's business practices. But, in the case of the softphone opening the flash drive for write every 3 seconds, I think it's just an example of poor programming. Like adding "Normal/Air Card" to the title bar, and then using an advertisement pointing to the options, saying "don't use this."
Mark |
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MOBOOG
@charter.com
|  reply to margioa
For the first couple weeks I was impressed with MJ although my wife said she had problems right away. Didn't see the problems myself until another couple weeks went by. Now I've had problems with the other party not be able to hear me (voice drop outs) for three days in a row. Simply couldn't complete the conversations. From my experience MJ is just not reliable enough so I would not recommend it. I plan to try a cheap VOIP provider like PhonePower or? |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to amigo_boy
said by amigo_boy :said by Gork :said by dvd536 :Their underhanded coding of the softphone to open the dongle flash for read/write prematurely killing the flash ensuring repeat dongle purchases. I can't in good conscience recommend MJ to anyone anymore. I'm not convinced this is purposeful yet because I've read several posts indicating they will replace the dongle for free if you have a current account. Stupid? Maybe, but not necessarily purposeful - unless you have different info of course. I agree. It's not rational to believe MJ is slowly destroying the purchased USB device to induce the user to buy a new one. For one thing, if they wanted to make money selling replacement USB devices it would use version numbers to signify improvements in hardware, and sell them standalone to existing customers. By not selling USB devices, I guess it could be said that MJ makes more money by selling a year's time bundled with the USB device. But, they're incurring support costs dealing with broken USB devices. Plus, the bad word of mouth associated with broken service (and dealing with inept offshore support). After all that, MJ replaces the USB device for free. Maybe if bought directly from them but what about those that bought from 3rd party resellers e.g. walmart, walgreens, CVS, best buy etc will NOT be replaced hence my repeat dongle sales arguement when flash is exhausted.
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee |
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amigo_boy
join:2005-07-22
Tempe, AZ
·Cox HSI
·magicjack.com
| said by dvd536 :what about those that bought from 3rd party resellers e.g. walmart, walgreens, CVS, best buy etc will NOT be replaced hence my repeat dongle sales arguement when flash is exhausted. I don't know how many that is, or how many of those retailers won't replace. Ex., Best Buy's website says MJ comes with a 1-year parts and labor warranty.
And, MJ has said they warrant the product regardless of where it's purchased. That policy doesn't seem to be fully understood by chat support. People have to work hard to get it.
But, I don't think that poor policy communication supports a view that the 3-second write thing is proof of a concerted effort to sell more MJ units. I think it's just part of MJ's demonstrated ineptness. Which was once represented by an F rating at the BBB (before Dan joined and paid the protection money).
The 3-second write thing as a surreptitious way to force more sales doesn't add up to me. MJ isn't consistently pursuing that goal. It's so inconsistent that it's hard to believe.
Mark |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| Correct me if i'm wrong but i do remember reading a post here about MJ not honoring warranties if the unit was purchased through a third party entity such as a big box store.
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee |
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amigo_boy
join:2005-07-22
Tempe, AZ
·Cox HSI
·magicjack.com
| said by dvd536 :Correct me if i'm wrong but i do remember reading a post here about MJ not honoring warranties if the unit was purchased through a third party entity such as a big box store. I've seen others (on magicjacksupport.com) saying that after escalating the issue they got it replaced.
That's a lot like the warranty itself. Originally the warranty came only when you bought the "gold" plan at time of purchase. It was a selling point for the "gold" plan. Later, after MJ began selling additional years through the account portal and softphone ad, there was confusion over who's devices were warranted. Chat support said nobody was. But, after a few people escalated to Dan (or Ricard the support manager), MJ's official line was that all devices were warranted. But, it still took awhile for that policy to reach chat support.
I think what's happening is that chat support has a procedure for replacing the device. It probably includes proof of ownership. That procedure was implemented before MJ began selling through retail stores.
I'm not sure what happens today if someone buys at Radio Shack and has a problem a year later with the device. And, if chat support is a problem, what escalating the problem will lead to.
But, it's hard to believe the ambiguity of 3rd-party retailers is part of MJ's "deliberate ploy" to exhaust the USB's flash drive to force customers to buy a new device. If that were true we'd expect MJ to not warrant the devices they sell directly. And, then they incur all the negative word of mouth from dead devices and the 12 hours people spend with chat support following a brain-dead script.
It seems self-destructive. And, it's inconsistent (3rd party retailers only).
To me, the 3-second write looks like the kind of crummy programming you get from offshore developers. And, the inability to fix it (along with inconsistencies in how the warranty is handled) is the kind of poor management we've seen from MJ since Day 1.
Mark |
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Gork
Ou812ic
join:2001-10-06
Juneau, AK | reply to margioa
Heck, as long as the silly things last a year I ALMOST wouldn't mind just getting a new one for $40 every year instead of just renewing my existing account for $20... |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| said by Gork :Heck, as long as the silly things last a year I ALMOST wouldn't mind just getting a new one for $40 every year instead of just renewing my existing account for $20... And have a new phone number every year!
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee |
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Gork
Ou812ic
join:2001-10-06
Juneau, AK
·magicjack.com
| said by dvd536 :And have a new phone number every year! 'Cept I use Google Voice...  |
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amigo_boy
join:2005-07-22
Tempe, AZ
·Cox HSI
·magicjack.com
| reply to dvd536
said by dvd536 :said by Gork :Heck, as long as the silly things last a year I ALMOST wouldn't mind just getting a new one for $40 every year instead of just renewing my existing account for $20... And have a new phone number every year! From what I've read, you can buy a new MJ and contact chatty support before plugging it into the computer, and they can assign your existing account/number to that device.
I know I've read this about replacement devices they mail to you. I don't know why it would be different for purchased devices.
Even in the case when they mail a replacement, I've read that it takes multiple contacts to chatty support to find someone who knows how to do it.
Mark |
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dbarber
join:2000-07-25
West Chester, PA
| said by amigo_boy :Even in the case when they mail a replacement, I've read that it takes multiple contacts to chatty support to find someone who knows how to do it. Mark When I got my replacement MJ last Winter, I just plugged it in and it was already set up with my existing number. I don't know how much work this took on their part, and I don't really care. It just worked.
Donn
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These opinions are strictly my own. However, if you really want them, we can negotiate. |
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amigo_boy
join:2005-07-22
Tempe, AZ
·Cox HSI
·magicjack.com
| said by dbarber :When I got my replacement MJ last Winter, I just plugged it in and it was already set up with my existing number. Did you get yours from chatty support? Or, did you escalate your problem to higher (US-based) management?
I don't recall any occasions where chatty support pre-configured the replacement. All the stories I've read include chatty support stressing that the recipient must contact them again before plugging it in. (And then, frequently, the recipient had trouble finding anyone in chatty support who could configure their existing account for the newly received dongle.).
If you escalated a problem to Dan or the manager of support (Ricard?) I could understand that they would pre-configure your account for the new dongle.
Mark |
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dbarber
join:2000-07-25
West Chester, PA
| said by amigo_boy :Did you get yours from chatty support? Or, did you escalate your problem to higher (US-based) management? Mark I got mine from someone named Henok, whose last name I am not entitled to give out. When my MJ died, the blue LED wouldn't light. MJ chat support didn't seem to understand the problem, but I got an email from Henok asking for a clarification. Once I explained the lack of blue LED, he sent me a preconfigured MJ. I just plugged it in and it worked.
I don't know if Henok even works there anymore, but he was good to me.
Donn
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These opinions are strictly my own. However, if you really want them, we can negotiate. |
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