Unable to call certain numbers, what about with MJ+?

Magnam357 · Post by **Magnam357** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 5:46 pm

Anyone sill having issues with calling certain numbers? I have been unable to call certain numbers for over 5 months! Tech support is a JOKE!!! Can not count the times I've tried tech support, nor the number of tech's I've talked to! I have MJ, and wanted to try MJ+. Not with the the issues I've been having! Has anyone with MJ+ had any issues with calling certain numbers? My next option is Nettalk if this doesn't get resolved pretty soon. Finding more and more numbers that I can't call to, but can get called from. This is not as advertised....it worked perfect 6 months ago...best thing since sliced bread...now just a s*** sandwich, without 2 slices! Danny boy...you did have talent...it's now too much for you to handle! Get what you pay for...cheap is cheap. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Sure seems to be that way now. Unbelievable. How can something work so well, then go to something so bad? I forgot, this is America. Greed is the American way. God Bless America.

black_icon · Post by **black_icon** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 11:35 am

I have my MJ plus device with phone number xxx-xxx-xxx and it's working perfectly. With regards to the problem calling certain numbers, that depends upon the receiver's carrier lines because there are some carrier lines that block the magicJack calls from their system. You can try contacting them and ask them to unblock the MJ from their end.

. By the way, what makes you say, America is Greed?

sabresfan · Post by **sabresfan** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:56 pm

black_icon wrote: With regards to the problem calling certain numbers, that depends upon the receiver's carrier lines because there are some carrier lines that block the magicJack calls from their system.

Sorry its the other way around. MJ blocks calls to certain areas with higher termination fees. Here's a list of areas that MJ has blocked at one time or another https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id ... W2XFIfgJvU

Magnam357 · Post by **Magnam357** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:21 pm

If this isn't greed, I don't know what is!!! The dude got us to buy his product, it worked perfectly for a few months, then I start losing the ability to make calls, and his customer service folks could care less! It's the American way...get what you can....and bug out! Where is the loyalty for using your product? Nothing but pure greed, his nose stuck in the air, not giving a s*** about what it does to someone else. What is really bad, is not owing up to what the real problems are, telling his customers lies....coward!

nailgunner · Post by **nailgunner** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 10:25 pm

Magnam357 wrote:If this isn't greed, I don't know what is!!! The dude got us to buy his product, it worked perfectly for a few months, then I start losing the ability to make calls, and his customer service folks could care less! It's the American way...get what you can....and bug out! Where is the loyalty for using your product? Nothing but pure greed, his nose stuck in the air, not giving a s*** about what it does to someone else. What is really bad, is not owing up to what the real problems are, telling his customers lies....coward!

I'm not going to defend MJ blocking exchanges, okay maybe a little.

MJ has some blame to take on blocking exchanges, and they could certainly vastly improve their communications about it to their customers.

That said, some of the blame also falls on some of the rural phone companies. There is a wiki on the whole issue:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_pumping

The rural companies make agreements with conference call companies or sex chat companies to route their 800 numbers through them so they can collect and share extremely high termination fees with the conference and sex chat companies. These rural companies, in my opinion, bear the full guilt of being blocked by MJ.

MJ also blocks exchanges with other phone companies where their termination fee agreement has simply expired. These are the ones that may be blocked for a short or long time depending on how long it takes to reach a new agreement. In my opinion, MJ shares the blame in blocking these companies. There is no way to tell which of the parties, or if both, are being greedy without being a party to the negotiations. They both have a cost structure to maintain in order to stay in business.

Users like me are probably the greedy ones. I have had no exchanges blocked in the almost 2 years I have used it. I'm up for renewal in a few weeks and will do so. Would I stick with MJ if I had to pay more if they quit blocking all exchanges? Probably, since I like the product and the quality of calls. But I'm tickled pink that I don't have to, and am getting another year for $20. Sorry for my greed, okay not really. But I'm sure there are plenty of non-greedy VOIP companies with non-greedy customers that will set you up with want you want.

mikeexplorer · Post by **mikeexplorer** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:25 pm

I have noticed I cannot call numbers that are on a small phone company. It was explained to me in the tech chat that they did not have an agreement with that particular phone company. Funny enough, those numbers I cannot call CAN call me. I chalked it up as a minor inconvenience. When I have to call these people, I just use my cell and enjoy the fact I am not giving my local phone company $50 a month for service anymore.

Mike

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:31 pm

mikeexplorer wrote:I have noticed I cannot call numbers that are on a small phone company. It was explained to me in the tech chat that they did not have an agreement with that particular phone company. Funny enough, those numbers I cannot call CAN call me. I chalked it up as a minor inconvenience. When I have to call these people, I just use my cell and enjoy the fact I am not giving my local phone company $50 a month for service anymore.

Mike

When THEY call you they have to pay MJ, when you call them MJ has to pay them. MJ has decided small rural Telcos charge to much ( termination fee) so they decided to not allow you to call them.

Skateroo · Post by **Skateroo** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 11:09 pm

This is in Nunavut, Canada! A northern area. I spoke with their technical people who have given me a ticket # ... have you all spoken with them too?
We installed a MJ at a Women's Walk-In Center .. we have alot of clients from this area who want to call area code 867 but now find that we're not able to do so.
Where do we do now?
Winn

Pablo123 · Post by **Pablo123** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:48 am

Buy a netTALK DUO, you wont have those type of issues.

dishe · Post by **dishe** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 3:33 pm

Is this stuff still happening?

I was ready to buy an MJ plus for a cleaner setup (have an original MJ running off a laptop for years, laptop is dying) until I started eyeing the alternatives... the Plus device isn't cheap considering I already own an MJ, and with SIP adapters that support Google Voice lines these days, I have to consider if its worth investing into a longer relationship with MJ or not.

If this stuff is still going on, and Google Voice isn't doing garbage like that, maybe it's time to let the MJ go? I see this thread is kind of old, I wonder how relevant the data is now.

Note that I've never had a problem like this pop up for me personally, but I'd hate for it to randomly not allow numbers I call regularly.

greenman · Post by **greenman** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:34 pm

dishe wrote:Is this stuff still happening?

I was ready to buy an MJ plus ...

Note that I've never had a problem like this pop up for me personally, but I'd hate for it to randomly not allow numbers I call regularly.

It's not random. It happens to a lot of people, but mostly those who live in or are calling to rural exchanges owned by small local telcos. Calls are blocked in response to a practice called "traffic pumping" sometimes done by small telcos to increase revenue. If you live in a city or densely-populated area and most of your contacts live in similarly sized populatoins, you'll probably be fine.

My mom has phone service through a rural telco. I have to call her via Google voice. I dial my Google Voice number, punch in a couple extra numbers and dial my mom. It's a few more numbers, but with modern auto-dial phones, it's pretty much just dialed for me. My mom calls the Google Voice number, so every call comes through, forwarded to the magicJack.

Idaho Bear · Post by **Idaho Bear** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:21 pm

This started happening to me. I was told I was calling a non-ILEC number, but they really couldn't explain what that was or how much it would cost to call it. They just kept repeating that I needed to make a deposit to a prepaid phone account to complete my call. Technical service just keeps repeating the same thing...deposit money to call a non-ILEC number, but other than that they quote the new Terms of Service saying they can co it, but not really why or what it is other than another charge. Magic Jack is no longer such a good deal when you can't make local calls.

greenman · Post by **greenman** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 5:50 pm

Skateroo wrote:This is in Nunavut, Canada! A northern area. I spoke with their technical people who have given me a ticket # ... have you all spoken with them too?
We installed a MJ at a Women's Walk-In Center .. we have alot of clients from this area who want to call area code 867 but now find that we're not able to do so.
Where do we do now?
Winn

Complain here:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/RapidsCCM/Register.asp?lang=E

Idaho Bear wrote:This started happening to me. I was told I was calling a non-ILEC number, but they really couldn't explain what that was or how much it would cost to call it. They just kept repeating that I needed to make a deposit to a prepaid phone account to complete my call. Technical service just keeps repeating the same thing...deposit money to call a non-ILEC number, but other than that they quote the new Terms of Service saying they can co it, but not really why or what it is other than another charge. Magic Jack is no longer such a good deal when you can't make local calls.

Complain here:
http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

cell14 · Post by **cell14** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:26 pm

This issue has been discussed zillion times over the years. MJ will not connect for free to "expensive" phone numbers. Period. No sense to complain.
Yes, MJ is NOT a good deal.
In Canada, look into Google voice, VOIP.MS, Anveo.

mm tylor · Post by **mm tylor** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:43 am

Yes I have also same problem. I am unable to call some certain numbers. When I call certain numbers the call make drop. Please give me some suggestion to solve my problems.

MJPlusPlus · Post by **MJPlusPlus** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 9:32 am

I ran into similar problems starting a few months ago and switched my magicJack over to Google Voice by installing the GVJACKAPP. MagicJack had not only blocked calls to my mom's house and wanted me to start paying separately for them but they also cut off the free call forwarding feature I was using.

I decided to skip the "landline" concept altogether and ported my mobile phone number into Google Voice. I now just have one phone number for everything and that number shows up when I call from my GVJACK phone or my mobile phone. When a call comes in my GVJACK phone and mobile phone ring at the same time. When I am at home I pick up and call out using my GVJACK phone saving my mobile minutes.

The truth is that I have had my Windows XP laptop running 24/7 for the last 8 years since I bought it new in 2005 (with only 1 hard drive replacement since). Even though I have my laptop on all the time anyway, my GVJACKAPP set up more than negates the electricity it uses through other savings and features like 7 digit local dialing, call blocking and caller name display that magicJack has never offered. Actually I am saving $15 a month on my prepaid mobile phone minutes alone. I also got free call forwarding back again and calls to my mom's house are free again too.

Anyway I am a lot happier with the new setup and just wanted to share it in case it helps.

Billy B1bbit · Post by **Billy B1bbit** » Sat Aug 17, 2013 4:24 pm

black_icon wrote:I have my MJ plus device with phone number xxx-xxx-xxx and it's working perfectly. With regards to the problem calling certain numbers, that depends upon the receiver's carrier lines because there are some carrier lines that block the magicJack calls from their system. You can try contacting them and ask them to unblock the MJ from their end. . By the way, what makes you say, America is Greed?

Sabresfan, nailgunner, and bitstopjoe all got it right. After half a lifetime working for Southwestern Bell, SBC, and AT&T I can say that is the way it works. Shameful system and I don't blame MJ at all for blocking certain exchanges. Those that recommend nettalk or some other solution I get it, but these companies will also cave if they are forced to pay. After some wrangling the big companies have largely decided to just pay for the few that abuse the system. Last I heard AT&T was not paying YMAX to take incoming calls but I don't think MJ really cares. Still a great value if it works for the numbers that you want to call. I have been using it for a few years and have never yet called a number that is blocked. MJ may lack the luster that it once had, but it works great for me.

magicJack and magicJack Plus Support, Reviews, FAQs and Tricks

Unable to call certain numbers, what about with MJ+?

Unable to call certain numbers, what about with MJ+?

By the way, what makes you say, America is Greed?

Re: By the way, what makes you say, America is Greed?

Unable to call Area Code 867

Blocked Local Numbers On Magic Jack

Re: Blocked Local Numbers On Magic Jack

Termination fees