magicJack and magicJack Plus Support, Reviews, FAQs and Hacks

black_icon · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:24 am Post subject:

The only I can say is "If you don't want to get burned, never stay near the fire".

If you feel uncomfortable with magicJack, go ahead and look for another VoIP.

shmeng · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 28 Nov 2012 Posts: 10

psearch · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 17 Dec 2012 Posts: 1

MagicJack is giving me the runaround and charging money for
porting in
porting out
annually for a number that was mine when I ported in

Here is the link to the FCC complaint
https://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm
or you can search for FCC consumer complaints

MagicJack do not make it easy to port out my number.
Here is the exchange with their rep.
CHAT BETWEEN DV & MAGIC JACK REPS
DEC 17 2012 ENDING 12:21PM; STARTING AROUND 10:50AM.

Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'Reuben'
Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK5540877256**X
Reuben: Hello, how may I help you?
DV: I need to transfer out the number that is currently associated with this account. What is the process to do this? I had ported this number in with MagicJack. Thank you.
Reuben: Please wait while I check that for you
DV: I also need to have the account number and password for this number *********.
DV: Account number ********* *********
Reuben: One moment please...
DV: is what I have that you have given me yesterday.
DV: I have no idea what the password is for this account.
Reuben: May I have the full name registered on that account please?
DV: DV
Reuben: Do you want me to send your email address and password?
DV: I have that info
DV: What is the process of porting my number out to another provider?
DV: ********* ********* is the info
Reuben: Your new carrier should request a customer service record for your account and we will send them your account information. You must provide your new carrier with your account password, which is the same password you use to access your magicJack.
Reuben: In order to transfer a number on your magicJack to a new provider, eligible requests should be initiated by your new service provider, who will coordinate the transfer.
DV: They have initiated that request but you are blocking it.
DV: What do I have to do to get you to release my number?
DV: You typed: "You must provide your new carrier with your account password, which is the same password you use to access your magicJack." Do you mean to access my magicjack account online or do you mean to access the device? I am not aware of any password to access the device
Reuben: Please wait while I check that for you
DV: What do I have to do to get you to release my number? Be mindful that this is my number that I have paid to port in to you. It is a number that you charge me $9.95/year to keep.
Reuben: I will be right with you.
Reuben: One moment please...
Reuben: I am transferring you to one of our top 10% agents as rated by our customers. Please hold while I transfer you.
Please wait while I transfer the chat to the best suited site operator.
You are now chatting with 'Hazel'
Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK5540877256**X
Hazel: Hello Diep
Hazel: i will be assisitng you today
DV: DV: What do I have to do to get you to release my number ********* ? Be mindful that this is my number that I have paid to port in to you. It is a number that you charge me $9.95/year to keep. The new carrier has initiated that request but you are blocking it.
DV: I also want to confirm my account number and password with you to make sure that I have given them the right information: Account number ********* *********
Hazel: Your new carrier should request a customer service record for your account and we will send them your account information. You must provide your new carrier with your account password, which is the same password you use to access your magicJack.
DV: Hazel, you have given me the same verbatim answer that Reuben has given me. This is not the question I asked.
DV: So here are my questions again:
DV: 1)
DV: 1) What do I have to do to get you to release my number ********* ? Be mindful that this is my number that I have paid to port in to you. It is a number that you charge me $9.95/year to keep. The new carrier has initiated that request but you are blocking it.
DV: 2) Please confirm my account number and password with you to make sure that I have given them the right information: Account number ********* *********
Hazel: One moment please...
Hazel: Thank you for holding
Hazel: may I know if you have submitted your request to the other carrier?
DV: Yes.
DV: I am calling you because they cannot get the order done. It seems that they are getting the message
DV: that the account number or password is incorrect.
Hazel: May I know what happened after they have submitted the request?
DV: I just spent lots of time with them 2 weeks ago and then yesterday.
DV: Please confirm the account number and password that I have given you.
Hazel: .
DV: Here is my info again: Phone *********
DV: Account number ********* Password: *********
Hazel: May I know what happened after they have submitted the request?
Hazel: May I know what happened after they have submitted the request?
DV: They have told me just now that they are getting the message that the account number or password is incorrect.
Hazel: May you confirm your account email please?
DV: *********
Hazel: Please check your email for the password
DV: I have given all of this information to Reuben before.
Hazel: Please check your email for the password
DV: I got it. Is it cap sensitive?
DV: Again: 1) What do I have to do to get you to release my number ********* ? Be mindful that this is my number that I have paid to port in to you. It is a number that you charge me $9.95/year to keep. The new carrier has initiated that request but you are blocking it. 2) Please confirm my account number and password with you to make sure that I have given them the right information: Account number ********* *********
Hazel: No Diep.
DV: I got the same password.
DV: Can you please confirm the account number?
Hazel: *********
DV: Also: Again: 1) What do I have to do to get you to release my number ********* ? Be mindful that this is my number that I have paid to port in to you. It is a number that you charge me $9.95/year to keep. The new carrier has initiated that request but you are blocking it because you say that the information is incorrect.
Hazel: One moment please...
DV: Thank you for finally confirming the acct number and password. So what do you think the issue is with my porting out request?
Hazel: I'm sorry for the delay. I'll be right with you.
Hazel: Thank you so much for holding
Hazel: Are you sure you have provided them correct information?
DV: Yes. I sent you the information which you have just confirmed.
DV: Again: 2) Please confirm my account number and password with you to make sure that I have given them the right information: Account number ********* *********
Hazel: Did you receive the password in upper case?
DV: The above information is the same as the one you give on this chat as well as in email
DV: I did receive the password in uppercase
DV: Should I give it to them in uppercase?
DV: I have it in lowercase in my record and always have used lowercase in accessing my account.
Hazel: Yes Diep.
DV: You just told me that it is not cap sensitive above.
DV: Are there fees that I need to pay to you? I know that I do not owe you money.
Hazel: Yes. You will be charged $30 for port out
DV: This is certainly not a fee that I was aware of when porting in.
DV: However, if I have to pay this fee, when am I supposed to pay it?
DV: Today is Dec 17 2012, 11:43am PST.
Hazel: You will be notified thru email when you are going to pay for it
DV: So other than this "ALL CAPS" issue with the password, are there any other issues that I need to take care of so that I can port this number out?
DV: What is the number that I will have once the number is ported out?
Hazel: please do not hesitate to come back to chat if we have the same problem... You may ask for me but if I am not available when you come back, you can use the ticket number that was given when this chat started, for chat reference...
DV: AGAIN: So other than this "ALL CAPS" issue with the password, are there any other issues that I need to take care of so that I can port this number out? What is the number that I will have once the number is ported out?
Hazel: Once your carrier successfully sent a request, the request will be processed right away and will just send you a notification for the payment
DV: I want you to know that I was not made aware of the following fees (1) Annual fee to keep my number and (2) the outrageous fee to port out a number that was mine. I already paid $19.95 to port in the number to MagicJack.
DV: Additionally, you have blocked my ability to give the magicjack device to someone else.
DV: I am writing all of this down because I am initiating a complaint with the FCC and will be sending this complaint to all relevant authorities.
Hazel: You can actually give the device to someone else but you need to provide them your account login information for future transaction
DV: They cannot register with their name nor update their information.
DV: This is illegal as far as I am concerned.
Hazel: It is not illegal Diep. You can read our Terms of Service if you want to.
DV: It is illegal to stop me from giving an item to someone else to have ownership of it. You are a greedy company and I am certain that a lawsuit is in order.
Hazel: Is there anything else I may help you with today?
DV: Thank you for your help today. You only confirmed the information about my account but it took me 1 hour+ to do this.
Hazel: Would that be all for today /
DV: I am trying to get back on the phone with the new carrier. If you can wait.
Hazel: No problem
DV: The only thing they have to change is the UPPERCASE for the password
Hazel: Yes
DV: Right now, they just told me that this did not work.
DV: This is very unfortunate.
DV: So what is the issue right now?
Hazel: What would be the issue then?
DV: Same thing.
DV: Message "Invalid Account number"
DV: ********* is what they have in their system.
Hazel: I really don't get it why they are having problem with just submitting a request'
DV: I don't know.
DV: They said it is on your end.
Hazel: We already provide you the correct information
DV: Wireline LSR in error status
DV: What else is involved in a porting process?
DV: what other information is involved?
Hazel: Nothing else .
DV: ********* ********* *********
Hazel: One moment please...
Hazel: I think there is something else that should be done beyond what is set.
DV: Ok? What?
Hazel: Please let me submit a report concerning this issue to the engineering department . We will get back to you thru email for the update. May I have the best email address you can be reached at>?
DV: *********
Hazel: Thank you .
Hazel: Please let me put this on high priority so the resolution can be speed up.
DV: Please release the number to t-mobile who has submitted this request to you several times. The current request is still open. All previous requests have been canceled.
Hazel: Is there anything else I may help you with today?
DV: Please make sure that engineering knows that a complaint has been submitted to FCC on this issue.
DV: thank you.
Hazel: You are most welcome
Hazel: Is there anything else I may help you with today?
DV: No that is all right now.
DV: Thank you.
Hazel: I hope I did an Excellent job at addressing your concern. Thank you
DV: I don't think you did address my concern at all.
DV: thank you

kevin8629 · MagicJack Expert Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 78

my port kept getting rejected. It said invalid account number. After endless chats the Magicjack person finally told me it was the zip code. I did not include the extra 4 digit extension. I updated my zip with the new provider and it went through imediately. The next time you chat. Type you account number and ask if that is correct. Password and ask if that is correct and then the zip and ask if that is correct. You need to pin them down. They will not cooperate freely

jpdigby · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 01 Feb 2013 Posts: 2

if i had agreed to pay the $30 fee(i did it because i was afraid that MJ would not allow the port out), am i pretty much SOL in trying to get the money back? i was thinking that maybe i can just turn to my credit card company and say i did it under duress...

boatboy63 · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 12 Oct 2013 Posts: 2

I am much in the same boat as psearch. I signed up for MJ+ in 12/2011. At that time, I paid around $60 for my MJ+ at radioshack (on sale)and $20 to MJ to port my number from my cable company who had been providing phone service for me. At that time, I chose to pay year by year, as I didn't know if I would be happy with their service. The port was completed and everything seemed to be good. I did have some connection issues, but later found it was my router, which I replaced.

Fast forward to my annual renewal in 12/12. I had the charge for $29.95 for annual service and also a charge of $9.95 to keep the same phone number. I was never told of this additional charge when I initially ported over, but figured a total of $41.82 for a year of phone service was ok.

In the past year, my service appeared to be ok. I would occasionally have someone say they tried to call but we never answered. I never saw anything showing where they had. My daughter and her family moved in with us about 3 months ago and gave our MJ number to the school for a contact number.

About 2 months ago, the school called my cell phone which was listed as an emergency contact. Said they had tried to call home phone (MJ) but it would never dial thru. Said they tried with and without area code but same results. Within a couple days, same issue from a couple different doctors offices and the local health department. I ended up chatting with MJ online about the problem. I think it was "Peggy" from the Bank America commercial. They wanted the phone numbers of the people who had tried to contact us and were unable to get thru. Considering they never got thru, my only choice was to look their main numbers up in the phone book and I supplied it to them. She said the issue would be sent to their "Technical Department" and they would resolve the issue. To me, it appears that any caller who had a multi-line switchboard could not get thru. No problem from cells or basic home phones.

Fast forward to now. Went to my bank at the first of the week and the teller said we have been trying to call you but it never would ring thru. She even put her phone on speakerphone and dialed my number with and without area code while I was standing there and both times, a fast busy signal. The school called my cell Thursday and said they were still unable to call. I started looking for an alternate VOIP affordable phone service. Found Basic Talk at Walmart and was reading the reviews on it. Found several former MJ owners who bought BT and loved it. They were complaining with their former MJ service. There was 1 reviewer who complained about MJ wanting to charge $30 to port their number from MJ to BT. I thought something isn't right.

I logged into my MJ account and began chat with "Peggy" again who would spend as much as 4 minutes typing 12 words. I told her it was brought to my attention that my incoming call issues have not been resolved from our "chat" 2 months ago. I told her I was interested in porting my number to another provider as I cannot continue being unable to receive important calls. After a couple minutes of waiting for her to come back from 1 of her other 5 concurrent customer chats, she told me there would be a $30 charge. I told her I wanted the charge waived since I had paid them $20 to bring MY number in, another $9.95 at renewal last year to keep MY number that I was not told about having to pay when I signed up, and that they had not provided the service they had promised since they had not repaired my line so I could receive all incoming calls. Around this point in time, she transferred me to one of their "Top 10% Service Representatives as voted by customers". Call it what you want, but the transfer to the other rep didn't go any better. She refused to waive the charge and wanted me to provide phone numbers to her of people who could not call in and it would be turned over to their Technical Department. I told her the numbers were given to them 2 months ago and had not been resolved. Why would doing it again make any difference other than prolong my not receiving calls. I told her it wasn't fair that I paid to bring MY number in, paid again (without knowing of a charge when signing up) to keep my number at my annual renewal, and now they want me to pay them $30 to take MY number from a company who cannot resolve their own problems. She basically told me there is nothing she can do and asked if there was anything else she could do for me today. I told her yes...get a sheet of paper and a marker, write "GO ____ YOURSELF", sign it "another unhappy customer", and slide it under the MJ's President's door. I then promptly ended chat.

The $ amount of all this isn't really important. It is the principle. I paid to bring MY number, paid them to keep MY number at renewal, and now they want me to pay them again to take MY number with me. I used to brag about how cheap their service was. Now I wonder how many other important calls I have missed and don't even know about. I wish these crooks could be stopped dead in their deceitful business ethics. I still have 2 months on my current MJ service and will forward all my calls from my old MJ number to my new number. I refuse to pay them another penny and have removed the credit card they had on file.

MagicIdiot · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 05 Mar 2014 Posts: 8

I did little research in the product. I am long tenured IT guy, so I was confident I could make the MJ plus work for my family's needs. I even configured my router to allow my fax machine to work. I have commercial grade internet and I figured I would take advantage of some of that bandwidth.

Of course, they billed my card immediately, claiming it was my credit union that did so, even though it was a credit card I used and was guaranteed they wouldn't. incurred all the special little fees that MJ and Dirty Dan get from you just to pad his income a little more, but is justified because it is still really cheap right? Paid for my number to be ported into MJ, then found out there is an annual fee to keep the number that I paid to have ported in and have used for 15 years? 911? Fine.. Oh, I even paid an added 29.95 for the actual service and have documentation to prove it. Still, it is saving me right? That's what the slapshot support people provide with their hot key pasted responses. They have so many complaints about these things that they could setup automated BS responses.

I started having technical trouble from a quality perspective. Caller couldn't hear me, I couldn't hear caller, those kinds of things. We pretty much live on our cell phones, but as a matter of convienence I provided the wife with another land line while saving some money. Unfortunately the wife was not so accepting of the poor service at a reduced price and I went back to my previous provider (comcast) for phone service.

I went to MJ support chat to get the actual account number, Comcast knew the deal. They wanted specific details to be perfect so that MJ could not play the shell game with porting while they tried to charge me to port my number. The Comcast tech knew exactly the kind of garbage MJ pulls and insisted that I be patient and NOT pay MJ any fees to port. In the meantime, after getting my account number from the MJ support robot, I informed them that I would not be renewing my service, but I still was active until August of 2014 (after all, I paid for a year even though I was supposed to get 6 months for free right) Well couldn't you have guessed it? That evening at 11:30PM, MJ sent an email stating that I had one hour to modify my order or they would charge my account as it stood.

In addition, earlier in this whole process, I swear on my mother's grave that I switched off the "auto-renew" feature in my account. Somehow, that magically was switched back on and it was used as another justification to charge my account even though earlier I clearly stated I wanted to NOT renew my service.

I would post all the chats, but you guys know how all those went down. They claimed that if I was not on auto-renew, that my service would be disabled and that even though there is an interface to shut it down, that it doesn't really matter. They had no problem switching my account to go straight to voice mail after Comcast submitted the port request. So whenever anyone called my number they were immediately greeted by a flipping Magic Jack advertisement. Great stuff. So I went in and forwarded the calls to the Temp number that Comcast gave me. Pretty funny stuff.

So now my number is ported back out and all is well. I called the bank and I explained to them what happened. Just an FYI, apparently there is a such a consistent trend of unauthorized charges that I didn't even have to provide any documentation or proof the charge was rotten. The bank is reversing the charge to my CC without any added information other than the company that did it was MagicJack.

Words of advice - you get what you pay for. Never give MJ your number, only use it as a secondary line and to be honest, I would go with a thousand other places before I would ever let MJ see another penny of my money. It is the principle more than anything. What a dirty outfit that has absolutely no respect for the customer. Borislow circle jerks himself, boasting of great customer support when they are the most difficult, hard line "So whatcha gonna do about it" kind of people. If you want your number ported back out, get the correct info and be patient. Also, just file a FCC complaint while you are it. One way or another the port will go through. Stay kind to the new provider and they will be glad to get your number away from MJ.

magicJack and magicJack Plus Support, Reviews, FAQs and Hacks

MagicJack Allows You To Port Out Number To A New Provider