New user, multiple non FAQ 'what if' questions

[stillsearching]

I've been browsing the boards and am not seeing answers to my questions... they might be buried but i'm not sure under what topic or heading. :-/

I have a magic jack original for a few months, I have not activated it yet partly due to questions I have here. I've used the magic jack that a friend has just to make simple outgoing calls, but there are multiple things I dont understand...


First, what exactly are you 'buying' for a year, the hardware or the service, or some bizarre "least of both options"?? It sounds like if the magic jack breaks you are S out of luck. It sounds like you cant even port your number from one MJ to another, you just lose everything (except possibly softphone functionality, but it's then non-updateable), is that correct?

If i'm buying the service, can you use someone else's magic jack hardware to log into your own account? Say I visit a friend, he has his own MJ which he doesnt use much. Can I change the login of his hardware to my number to temporarily receive calls there? (i'm aware his would go to voicemail, if he rarely uses it that wont matter) Or do I have to drag my physical MJ around with me AND sign in as well?


For that matter can I just set up a softphone only version of Magic Jack and receive calls wherever I am without the dongle? Say I install it on every computer of people I visit (who dont have/need MJ, its just for my use), can I turn it on wherever I am and receive my normal incoming calls there? For that matter could I buy one dongle (or none/borrow a friends), set up a softphone on each PC, and register NEW numbers on each for the $20/yr service if I dont even want to use hardware phones on them?


If two softphones or hardphones are registered to the same number, can you call out from both at the same time? Apparently for at least two hardware (dont know about softphones) they all ring coming in. What happens if you are calling out on one MJ, and a phone call comes in, does it ring the 'free' one on the same number or just go to voice mail because the 'service' for one call in is being used? (even if you paid for two magic jack hardware units)


Is the hardware tied to the number you first register somehow? Can you change the number (permanently) of incoming calls after you've registered if say you end up on a telemarketer list or want to avoid relatives? :P


Does an unactivated magic jack expire? Is the one year from the date of purchase or first activation? Someone else posted of having a multi year old MJ that would never even work despite being new/unopened.


What happens to an old magic jack that lapses, is the # registered to it permanently lost? Can you reactivate it with the original number? If I find a magic jack in a thrift store (did once) can I simply activate a new number for like the $20/year of service rate, since i'm not needing hardware for it?


Finally what the heck counts as excessive usage, is there any hard and fast rule, or is it literally anything they decide to randomly dump you when you become annoying to them? I rarely use the phone, a few outgoing calls a month for months in a row is common. Then sometimes I will talk 12 hours straight in one day, or call 100 numbers that day while researching some project in my head. What I hear of people being arbitrarily disconnected makes me think I almost cant use it at all or will have to ration use or something like that. Almost like MJ wants its users fearful that they could be disconnected at any time if they actually try to use the 'unlimited' phone they paid for and were advertised about.

[95CivicSi]

First, what exactly are you 'buying' for a year, the hardware or the service, or some bizarre "least of both options"?? It sounds like if the magic jack breaks you are S out of luck. It sounds like you cant even port your number from one MJ to another, you just lose everything (except possibly softphone functionality, but it's then non-updateable), is that correct?

- When you "Buy" the MagicJack, you are purchasing the MagicJack hardware and the first year of service.

If i'm buying the service, can you use someone else's magic jack hardware to log into your own account?

- No, you cannot use someone else's hardware by just logging in.

For that matter can I just set up a softphone only version of Magic Jack and receive calls wherever I am without the dongle? Say I install it on every computer of people I visit (who dont have/need MJ, its just for my use), can I turn it on wherever I am and receive my normal incoming calls there? For that matter could I buy one dongle (or none/borrow a friends), set up a softphone on each PC, and register NEW numbers on each for the $20/yr service if I dont even want to use hardware phones on them?

- No, MagicJack no longer offers soft phone only service and you have to move your magicJack to each computer to use your number. You will need a new MagicJack for each working number.

If two softphones or hardphones are registered to the same number, can you call out from both at the same time? Apparently for at least two hardware (dont know about softphones) they all ring coming in. What happens if you are calling out on one MJ, and a phone call comes in, does it ring the 'free' one on the same number or just go to voice mail because the 'service' for one call in is being used? (even if you paid for two magic jack hardware units)

- You cannot register the same number to multiple MagicJacks but it is possible to connect your MagicJack to your existing phone wiring so that your home phones will work like a normal phone service.

Is the hardware tied to the number you first register somehow? Can you change the number (permanently) of incoming calls after you've registered if say you end up on a telemarketer list or want to avoid relatives?

- Yes the hardware is tied to your number and yes you can change numbers if needed

Does an unactivated magic jack expire? Is the one year from the date of purchase or first activation? Someone else posted of having a multi year old MJ that would never even work despite being new/unopened.

- The MagicJack itself doesn't expire but the warranty will after 1 year. The 1 year of service starts when you activate the MagicJack.

What happens to an old magic jack that lapses, is the # registered to it permanently lost? Can you reactivate it with the original number? If I find a magic jack in a thrift store (did once) can I simply activate a new number for like the $20/year of service rate, since i'm not needing hardware for it?

- After a lapse in service, your number stays registered to the MagicJack but you may lose any numbers saved on the Softphone. It is possible to reactivate it with your previous number. As far as registering a used MagicJack to a new number, the best answer I can find is no.

Finally what the heck counts as excessive usage, is there any hard and fast rule, or is it literally anything they decide to randomly dump you when you become annoying to them? I rarely use the phone, a few outgoing calls a month for months in a row is common. Then sometimes I will talk 12 hours straight in one day, or call 100 numbers that day while researching some project in my head. What I hear of people being arbitrarily disconnected makes me think I almost cant use it at all or will have to ration use or something like that. Almost like MJ wants its users fearful that they could be disconnected at any time if they actually try to use the 'unlimited' phone they paid for and were advertised about.

- From the Terms of Service

If magicJack, LP and/or magicJack VocalTec Ltd., and/or YMax Communications Corporation sees excessive use, including but not limited to, a customer whose usage is twenty (20) times more than the average magicJack and/or magicJack Plus device or magicJack APP customer usage, or a customer who calls more than 50 different telephone numbers per day, or systematic or intentional misuse, it reserves the right, in our sole discretion, to terminate your use of the magicJack and/or magicJack Plus device and/or Software and/or magicJack APP immediately, and you will not be entitled to get a refund of any licensing fee or any other fee you may have paid to us.

[nailgunner]

You cannot register the same number to multiple MagicJacks

Yes you can. Their official policy for a few months, and I just confirmed on chat that it hasn't changed, is that you can have multiple devices with the same phone number active on your account at any one time. I was told that it can be any combination of regular or Plus MJ's.

You can't leave chat with them without getting some confusing answers. She told me they would NOT ring at the same time if they were both hooked up. I think someone has posted in here that they confirmed that they will both ring at the same time. She also said there was no limit to the number of devices that could have the same number, can be 2 or more. Not sure what benefit there would be to it, but I suppose you could have one at home, office, car, grannys?