Wow - Gold Plan Claim Code

[AzRobert]

Hello,

Had my Jack for over year now so I decided to renew the licence. Did NOT recieve any email reminders as to the experation.
icJack
Signed into my MagicJack, offer was and has been from day one : Extend by 4 years - $59.95
Extend by 1 year - $19.95. Renewed for a period of one year, over past weekend. Today in email recv a email from jack - Gold Plan Claim Code Log in using the email address and password you used to activate your jack. Under the ACCOUNT INFORMATION section you will find a place to enter your Claim Code and apply it to the jack you selected at the top. If you have any questions, please click here and a Tech chat representative will be happy to assist you.

OK

Entered code , and guess what ? Got the excact same offer, NO discount NO special pricing. ?????

Went to chat and guess what ? Jonathan: It will extend your service upto 5 years Robert -
ne see there
robert: easy - that option was advailable from day one. Please see as there is NO special pricing with gold code. Should not there be special pricing or promo ?

Jonathan: What do you mean?

Answer code does nothing.

Any comments ? Any body run into the same ?

[captfbgnet]

Went thru the same 5 yr issue as you. It took me 4 days to have them send me an email with the 'code' which only gives you 4 yrs (or less depending when your license is set to expire) PLUS one year of service??? Suppport could not explain the 'service' as I was already a 1 year customer. Support told me it takes a few days to 'process the updated license information'. In another post, a MJ user says that his 1 yr license has been expired for three months, BUT his MJ continues to work. So...I would contiinue to 'chat' with them until you get them to send you the email with the code.

[bosco41026]

Bought 5 yr plan and checked acct to discover plan extended my service by 4 yrs. Contacted customer service and they explained 5 yr plan really meant 4 yrs. Well, then say so I said and asked for a refund. My acct info reflected revocation of the 4 yr extension, but as of today, 4 days later, my credit card has not been credited. No problem as AMEX is vigilant about these things, but I'll give MJ a few more days to "process the paperwork" After registering here and reading countless posts, I think it wise to extend one yr at a time.

[az2008]

Bought 5 yr plan and checked acct to discover plan extended my service by 4 yrs. Contacted customer service and they explained 5 yr plan really meant 4 yrs.

When did this happen? The Shake-Down Dan's 5=4 math became a big issue over the Thankgsgiving weekend (when the '5-year" plan was presented as a one-day special). After all the complaints, everyone who bought the special had their expiration dates adjusted by a year.

During the same period of time, someone else bought the "extend by 5 years" thing (in the account portal). She got 4. I don't think she even contacted dead chat. Her expiration date was adjusted too.

Someone else bought the "extend by 5 years" after news of these extensions. Maybe Thursday. He got 5 years.

I agree with you about buying one year at a time (until Dan demonstrates more ethical business practices.). $60 isn't a lot to lose. But, Dan's lack of regard for his own reputation doesn't give me a good feeling about his ability to remain in business 5 years. How he handled this recent problem is a good sign. But, I'd want to see more of a track record.

Mark

[bosco41026]

My experience was on 11/28/08. MJ has issued a full refund. I'm going to stick with one yr at a time...at least for now. Incidentally, dead chat is obviously an overseas operation or a domestic operation manned by people with marginal English speaking/writing skills based their poor grammar and syntax. I spent the better part of an hour dealing with lower and upper echelon, or as they said, higher authority personnel. I mean doesn't someone have a calculator? We're not doing differential equations here. 2009 plus five years puts you at 2014. I'm not going down that road again.

[az2008]

My experience was on 11/28/08.

Thanks. You were on the cusp. If you'd been one of the people who got the runaround, and told "that's just the way it is, no you can't have a refund" you would have gotten the extra year (the year you paid for) around 12/3.

I'm going to stick with one yr at a time...at least for now.

I understand. It's a great deal if a person can swallow their pride (principles) and patronize a crummy organization.

Incidentally, dead chat is obviously an overseas

The poor support doesn't bother me. MJ's service comes out to be something like $1.80 a month (much less if you buy 4 or 5 years at a discount). Even the price you paid for the misleading 4 years was a tremendous deal (if you could put your principles aside).

I don't expect a lot for that price. I just wish they could be honest and present a fair deal fairly. All the "shtick" doesn't reflect well on them. It makes it hard to recommend to others. Even though it's a great bargain even with the "shtick," it's just hard to recommend with all the disclaimers and warnings I have to add about Shake-Down Dan.

Mark

[Anne]

I bought the extended warranty in Janurary 2009; my account reads I'm good until January 2015. Everyone else is getting less?

Anne

[mberlant]

Anne, you might have bought your plan after Dan met the nice folks at the BBB. I think one of the things they reminded him of is that you cannot sell a 4 year plan labeled as a 5 year plan, especially when your advertising says that the 5 year plan is a $100 value.

[couch-potato]

Every post in this thread is discussing the 5-year vs. 4-year license extension.

I think the original poster was asking about the "Gold Plan"

Anyone know what this is?

I renewed my MJ for one additional year. Immediately, my new expiration date was changed correctly.

After that was all done, I received and email with the gold plan claim code.

What is the point of this? My expiration date has already been extended. Why should I use the activation code? Will I get any additional offers if I use that code? Will my MJ stop working if I don't use the activation code? Does the gold plan even exist? Maybe they call the "gold plan" a 1-year subscription and the "platinum plan" a 4-5-year subscription. If so, what is the point of entering an activation code after the expiration date has already been renewed?

[az2008]

Every post in this thread is discussing the 5-year vs. 4-year license extension.

I don't have an answer to your question of whether to enter the activation code (when your expiry date has already been extended).

But, what is the 5-year and 4-year license extensions? I'm only familiar with 5 year.

- When I purchased my MJ(s, I have two) I had the opportunity to replace the 1-year plan with a 5-year plan. This could be viewed as a 4-year extension. But, MJ words it as a 5-year plan (which replaces the 1-year plan you already agreed to purchase with the USB device).

- The various offers to existing MJ customers (softphone ad, account portal feature to extend the license) offer a 5-year extension.

I've not seen any references to 4 years.

Mark

[couch-potato]

I've not seen any references to 4 years.
Mark

Mark, are you high? Or is that sarcasm? No offense intended. Or was I not clear in my post?

There are many different threads on the 5-year plan that is really the 4-year extension. You have even posted on them. You have even posted in this thread about people that thought they were getting 5 years and only got 4.

[smalcom]

I activated my magicJack today and purchased the five-year plan when I orderd the unit. My service expires March 06, 2015 (I checked in my account.) That's six years. Strange.

[az2008]

There are many different threads on the 5-year plan that is really the 4-year extension.

The last things I read was that 1) people who bought the "extend by 5 years" (which turned out to be 4 years) had their expiry dates extended an extra year, and 2) that all new purchasers are receiving 5 year extensions, not 4.

Are you saying are buying the "5-year extension" and still receiving only 4 additional years?

I haven't seen anyone say they've experienced this since the big Thanksgiving-holiday blowout.

Mark

[az2008]

I activated my magicJack today and purchased the five-year plan when I orderd the unit. My service expires March 06, 2015 (I checked in my account.) That's six years. Strange.

When did you originally purchase your MJ?

I would expect an "extend by 5 years" offer to add 5 years to your existing expiration date. So, you'd expect an expiry date further out than 5 years unless you waited until the last day of your existing expiration.

But, I agree. Getting six years from today seems odd unless you bought your MJ today.

Mark

[smalcom]

I activated my magicJack today and purchased the five-year plan when I orderd the unit. My service expires March 06, 2015 (I checked in my account.) That's six years. Strange.

When did you originally purchase your MJ?

I would expect an "extend by 5 years" offer to add 5 years to your existing expiration date. So, you'd expect an expiry date further out than 5 years unless you waited until the last day of your existing expiration.

But, I agree. Getting six years from today seems odd unless you bought your MJ today.

Mark

Yes, it came in the mail today. It was bought at the beginning of the week, so it is a brand new jack ($39.95) plus a brand new 5-year extension ($59.95)

[az2008]

Yes, it came in the mail today. It was bought at the beginning of the week, so it is a brand new jack ($39.95) plus a brand new 5-year extension ($59.95)

Ok. That makes sense. It's a little different than what they did May 2008 when I bought mine with extended years.

Back then, you agreed to buy MJ. Then you were introduced to a few "come ons" for rush shipping, etc. One of the come ons was to purchase five years at a discount. It turned out you only got 4 additional years.

That was my first experience with the feeling I needed to carefully watch Dan (the Three-Card Monti expert). I thought I was buying 5 additional years. But, I could see the plausibility of *replacing* a 1-year plan with a 5-year plan. So, I chalked it up my own mistake (hearing what I wanted to hear).

Shortly after that, Dan responded to customer requests to add that deal to the account portal. But, it was problematic to sell a *replacement* plan after people had used some amount of time from their original plan.

I don't think too many people complained about it, even though it may have seemed more "off" than the switcheroo deal at time of purchase.

But, it got really ugly the end of Nov. 2008 when Dan cast caution to the wind, referring to the 5-year-plan as "extending" your time by 5 years. Not just purchasing 5 years instead of 1 year (which he could wiggle around and call a "replacement").

So, it sounds like after that episode, he's stopped calling even the time-of-sale 5-year plan a "replacement". That probably avoids confusion between replacement plans and "extensions."

Mark

[couch-potato]

The last things I read was that 1) people who bought the "extend by 5 years" (which turned out to be 4 years) had their expiry dates extended an extra year, and 2) that all new purchasers are receiving 5 year extensions, not 4.

Are you saying are buying the "5-year extension" and still receiving only 4 additional years?

I haven't seen anyone say they've experienced this since the big Thanksgiving-holiday blowout.

Mark

That's correct, most of the posts in this thread were in December, after the big Thanksgiving-holiday blowout, regarding the 4-5 year plan. That's all old news.

I, like the original poster, purchased the one year extension to an already active MJ, then received an activation code by email, and want to know what the activation code is for.

[mberlant]

I thought I was buying 5 additional years. But, I could see the plausibility of *replacing* a 1-year plan with a 5-year plan. So, I chalked it up my own mistake (hearing what I wanted to hear).

No, your brain was not deceiving you and you were not deceiving yourself. You had corroboratory evidence to cement your belief that you were getting five more years. That was in the balloons that said that the 5 year plan was a $100 value. If the 5 year plan only added 4 years, where was the last $20 going?

[az2008]

No, your brain was not deceiving you and you were not deceiving yourself. You had corroboratory evidence to cement your belief that you were getting five more years. That was in the balloons that said that the 5 year plan was a $100 value. If the 5 year plan only added 4 years, where was the last $20 going?

Maybe. I don't recall what was on the screen in May, and whether it said it was a $100 value.

I agree that the "$100 value" thing was a heavy strike against how MJ sold a 5-year "replacement" plan last November. There was no way it could be worth five $20 year plans if the buyer merely replaced their 1-year plan (possibly halfway used).

But, I don't recall if that was the wording back in May 2008. Nowadays I would take a screenshot of anything involving Dan.

Mark

[Frank7]

Forget about the Gold Plan Claim Code. After my plan expired, I chatted with customer service to see if they could give me one year free since I hardly ever used the MagicJack during my first year. The agent was vague in her responses. I gave up and just paid the roughly 20 bucks. A day later I received the Gold Plan Claim Code in my in-box. I then entered it, expecting to get an additional year tacked on (or a refund of what I paid by credit card) but got nothing except a window where I could pay to add another year. I contacted customer service for an explanation and ended up speaking with two agents who seemed pretty dense, asking me repeatedly for information they already had, telling me my account was fine and that I had in fact renewed my service for another year. I told them I already knew that and that I paid for it. They said I entered the claim code, which activated my service, so there's no problem. I said yes there is a problem because I paid for the service, received a claim code which I understood was for a free year of service and no additional year of service was credited. Also, the claim code did not activate my service, providing my AMEX number for payment activated it. I finally gave up. I've since written two letters marked personal and confidential and sent them to the CEO and head of customer service along with a print out of my chats with customer service, which were just ridiculous.

[az2008]

I contacted customer service for an explanation and ended up speaking with two agents who seemed pretty dense, asking me repeatedly for information they already had, telling me my account was fine and that I had in fact renewed my service for another year. I told them I already knew that and that I paid for it.

In the past when performing the initial purchase of MJ, you'd receive a "redemption code" which you had to enter into your account portal (my.magicjack.com). This caused some users confusion. They didn't realize the significance of the email. It was dumb because MJ had no reason to predicate their backend processes on the customer performing a purely clerical task.

It sounds like they've partially fixed this. It sounds like customers no longer need to redeem the code, but they still receive the email indicating they do?

Mark

[Darkman90808]

It sounds like they've partially fixed this. It sounds like customers no longer need to redeem the code, but they still receive the email indicating they do?

Yes... I just renewed my original MJ a little over a week ago and I received the redemption code via email, although the renewal went through. Weird.

[couch-potato]

In the past when performing the initial purchase of MJ, you'd receive a "redemption code" which you had to enter into your account portal (my.magicjack.com). This caused some users confusion. They didn't realize the significance of the email. It was dumb because MJ had no reason to predicate their backend processes on the customer performing a purely clerical task.

It sounds like they've partially fixed this. It sounds like customers no longer need to redeem the code, but they still receive the email indicating they do?

Mark

I think you are exactly right Mark. I read another post about someone complaining about the necessity of having the customer performing the clerical entry when the account should be activated at the time of purchase. But I couldn't find the post when I searched.

Good that they have changed it so that it is no longer necessary to enter the activation code.

Bad that they still send the email, only serving to confuse customers, mislead them into thinking they have received a special offer or an additional free year, and then anger the customer when they learn they have received nothing.

[shaniko]

Im currently going thru this with mj staff.

Original order 4-08
Renewed one year 4-15-09
Received 'Gold Plan Code' email and tried to use it to no avail

Contacted customer service and here is a copy/paste of the pertinent part of that conversation:
Irish: May I know your sales order number?
Bob: TS0098XXXX
Bob: what does the gold plan do ?
Irish: It adds two additional years of service.

Ive now spent bout an hour on with online customer service and Ive made 4 calls to their 'billing' phone. So far all Ive gotten is HUNG UP on by cs once I explain the issue.


Magicjack is a super idea and mine has worked great most of the time.

Magicjacks so called customer service is just flat bullshit and it will come back to haunt them.

[synchron]

OK, so what's the official verdict here?

I got my 'email' today after renewing yesterday and verifying that CC was charged $20 and that my.magicjack.com says I'm renewed to 5/2010.

So do I just trash the email knowing it's bogus and just a selling tactic to spend more $$ ??

Synchron

[tony]

OK, so what's the official verdict here? Synchron

Hi
I renewed for the first time and got the Gold Plan Claim Number. I chatted with support, here's the conversation. The conclusion is if your account shows your new expiry date is correct then you don't have to do anything at your end. As others have suggested, the gold plan claim code is some hold-over of a previous MJ renewal process.

-------------------------------the chat

Chat InformationYou are now chatting with 'Jade'

Jade: Hello, how may I help you?

Tony: 'Morning Jade. I renewed my MJ for another year and i see my new expiry date is May 20, 2010, so that is correct.

Jade: May I have your MJ phone number please?

Tony: This morning I received an email with a Gold Plan Claim code. Can you explain what the claim code is for?

Tony: 646-555-1212

Jade: That claim code is the one you need to apply on your phone number to extend your license. But as I have checked here on our end, your license will expired on 05/20/2010 now. You do not have to worry now.

Jade: Is there anything else I may help you with today?

Tony: That was it, thanks very much.

Jade: You are most welcome
-------------------------------------------- end chat

Addendum: That said above, it probably wouldn't hurt to hang onto that claim code for the year (or 4 yrs) in case there's any issue.

[Llamaman]

This is all good information. It could save me from using the dreaded live chat with support if I decide to renew my MJ service.

[vdot]

One of my MJs is near renewal (after initial 1 year). The AD that
just started coming up (on the MJ) now says something along the lines:
"Best Deal Ever. 4 Years for $59.95"

FOUR years, not FIVE (which, of course, has been showing since day 1)
I went out to the "My MagicJack" site to see what it had to say, and it still says
Five years... Geez, Pleeez!!! Dan-B, can't you get *something* correct?

It doesn't matter, since I had decided on 1 year anyway, but who knows...
If I was confident that paying $59.95 would get me 5 years of extension, I
might have "impulse shopped" and bought 5 years. As it is, it looks like a
*definite* ONE year. Sorry, Dan-B. You gotta get it together...unless...

Could it be...it's your master, genius plan?:

"Make MJ look poorly-run so that some "Mr. Sandeep Pockets" comes along
dreaming that they can easily milk a lot more out of the business by
improving on it's operations."

[noetic1]

For those weary of renewing their MJ for 5 years thinking they will only get 4 years, it looks like MJ fixed this on their end. I just renewed my account for 5 years by going to the my.magicjack.com site and clicking on the "Extend your license" link. After I entered my credit card info and completed the purchase, I refreshed the page and it displayed my new expiration date on 2014.

I just hope MajicJack sticks around so I can get my money back. But I figure $1 month for a phone number is worth it.