Support wasted my time and raise my frustration

Stephen Shek · Post by **Stephen Shek** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 12:30 am

Just spend 10+ hours of trouble shooting and arguing with magic jack chat that I had to place this review.

Purchased Magic Jack in 09/2011 and received the jack on 9/29/2012 Followed the instruction and get the jack working.

5/15/2012 see the ad to upgrade for multi-year service and after almost 6 month of usage and seems to be ok, extended for the 5 additional year.

On 5/29/2012. MJ failed. I cannot call a local North Texas Toll Authority (NTTA) phone number and it keep telling me that I need to pay for oversea service. I lived in Plano TEXAS and it is only 3 miles from the NTTA office. It really does not make any sense to have to buy over sea service.

Cannot call to MJ for any voice support service, only chat session. Spend 3 hours checking with them and no response. Their answer is only that for some services, we have to pay for it. They do not know what service it is until you try to call and got the voice mail that you need to buy that service. I did not buy and opted to use my cell phone to call.

On 6/4/2012, I had to call another phone number with NTTA. Same problem. After another 3 hours of trouble shooting with MJ tech. give up.

On 8/17/2012. MJ can receive calls on the phone connected to it but cannot call out. Chat with MJ tech on 8/17/2012. After 3 hours of working with their tech, doing upgrade download, activation, changing phones, changing cable wire, changing pc from window 7 to window XP. Escalate to their top 10% TECH. when I was place on hold for their top tech for 20 minutes I gave up. I had to go to work.

8/18/2012. Chat with mj tech again. Ask them to review the chat session so do not have to go through the same trouble shooting again. I had to stay with the tech and went through the same upgrade download, change phone, change phone cables, change PC. Insist that they move me up to their top tech and only managed to get to their top 10% tech. After another 3 hours of trouble shooting and have to wait for their top tech again. I cannot afford another round of time to trouble shoot. I had to get to work again. ended the chat session.

MJ tech do not work on Sunday 8/19 so cannot trouble shoot and get resolution. Have to wait till 8/20.

8/20, chat with mj again. I insist that they immediately escalate to their top tech with the chat log number I kept and pass on to them. After about 30 minutes, finally got pass onto Cherry. Went through another round of 2 hours of trouble shooting. finally convince them that the mj failed and should be replaced as they do not have any other idea of downloading SW to fix anything. Cherry is suppose to be the top tech.

They insisted that I need to pay $10.47 shipping fee. They explain that it is USPS that charge it. Turns out it really is a shipping and handling. So not just a shipping charge.

MJ is looking more like a beta service. not quite stable if the HW can fail in less than 1 year. I feel being ripped off even though it is $10.47 because their unit failed and they would not replace it unless I pay this inflated shipping and handling.

Be prepare to spend hours if there is any problem on chat session. Service have a lot more to improve. They seem to have a procedure that each time you call them, you have to go through the upgrade, etc so be prepared to spend upward of more than 3 hours each session in trouble shooting with them.

Be prepare to pay $10.47 shipping cost for their so call "free replacement". I would think the shipping cost actually would have covered their manufacturing cost of the unit and the USPS shipping charge. So I am really paying another $10 for the unit. If this will fail again in another 10 month. I could be looking at paying for another magic jack or my extended service cannot be used. So watch out on these so call multi-year service. You may have to buy another unit in every 10 months to keep using this service.

Magic Jack is cheap but compare to other service such as google phone, they are not the best deal. Especially when you are looking to be buying another unit every 10 month or so.

Good luck if you want to try them.

One thing that really bugs me-- Why do I have to convince MJ that their unit failed!. I offer for them to use access to my pc so they can see what is in my pc and be able to trouble shoot faster. They cannot. They keep asking if my unit is physically broken. I had to keep telling them it is physically in the same shape as I had received it.

Today is 8/29. I am still awaiting for the replacement jack. Pretty frustrating.

SteveHC · Post by **SteveHC** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 7:53 am

I hate to tell you this, but in all probability (99.99%) there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with your MJ device and that the problem was in fact your calls being INCORRECTLY routed and/or "flagged" upon termination (final connection) attempt as being a call to a number for which automatic "free" connection is not possible. This is a COMMON problem with MagicJack's servers and switches, and it often takes MJ a month OR LONGER to correct it.

In the future, to get such a problem corrected you MUST keep INSISTING to them that a) the number you're trying to connect to is NOT a "conference" or "platform" number, that b) the number you're trying to connect to is assigned to a telco with which MJ *DOES* have a call termination agreement, and that c) there is NOTHING wrong with your router and its settings, your modem, your cables, your pc, nor your MJ device - just keep telling them that your device and its LEDs are working properly, that your router is opening ports correctly, and that their network engineers and technicians "simply need' to be informed of the incorrect routing and call termination issue associated with your MJ PHONE NUMBER AND THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS YOU'RE TRYING TO CONNECT TO.

If they ask you for permission to remotely control your router, just keep saying "No - it will not fix the problem" and then REPEAT to them what I stated above. They'll NEVER - and I mean *NEVER* - admit that it's a MJ network problem, but *EVENTUALLY* they'll give up and agree to notify "the engineers" of the problem... *eventually* those "engineers" will get around to fixing it...

Good luck.

Stephen Shek · Post by **Stephen Shek** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 10:06 am

SteveHC. Thanks for the pointer. As for the routing problem. I did tell them that there is nothing wrong with the number and that it is a telco service number to NTTA. Their so call tech have no better answer than just keep repeating the same answer. It is a type of number I need to buy service call minutes.

By the way, did you see my other comment about their support when MJ cannot make calls out. This is the part that puzzles me, everything was working fine and then one day, I cannot make call out using the phone. Their so call "upgrade" cannot fix the problem so probably not a software issue. However, I can still make calls using the dial pad. What do you think could be the problem.

Thanks
Steve

SteveHC · Post by **SteveHC** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 7:48 pm

I assume you've been using an original/"standard" MJ device (NOT the MJ+). If you can MAKE calls OK using the softphone dialpad, then yes that's an indication that at least *part* of the problem might be that you have defective MJ hardware. Or it might be a defective USB port. Or a USB port that's no longer supplying enough power to the MJ. The problem may even be within your phone or its cord or contacts. Who knows; we'd need to be told *exactly* what your setup is, and EXACTLY what the current problems are, in order to provide further suggestions. But I suggest you first try THIS (again, ASSUMING you're NOT using a MJ+ - AND assuming you installed the MJ and its software while you were logged into your pc AS AN ADMINISTRATOR WITH FULL "PRIVILEGES"):

1. Hook up your phone to the MJ and the MJ to your pc while the pc is OFF.

2. Turn your pc ON and log in as an administrator with full privileges.

3. Turn sleep and hibernation modes OFF.

4. Turn your Windows firewall - and any other additional firewall software that you might have installed - OFF (temporarily, just for this test).

5. Turn your anti-virus program(s) OFF (again, temporarily just for this test).

6. Do whatever you have to to connect your PC DIRECTLY TO YOUR BROADBAND *MODEM* (and the Internet) - *NOT* your router - VIA ETHERNET.

7. Try placing and receiving calls VIA the phone that's connected to your MJ device; CALL the numbers that you haven't been able to dial out to previously, but NOT to the numbers that when you dialed them produced the message that you need to pre-pay funds (like to a "call center" or other "platform").

8. IF the above FAILS to work, then try dialing out via the softphone dialpad as you have before.

9. Report the EXACT results of all of the above here.

SteveHC · Post by **SteveHC** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 8:00 pm

- Sorry, I forgot to mention that you should FIRST POWER DOWN YOUR BROADBAND *MODEM*, *then* disconnect you router from the modem, then wait a few minutes, then power the modem back up, and THEN proceed as I described above. ALSO, be sure to wait about 3 minutes after connecting your pc to your modem (and the Internet) before trying to place and/or receive your first call.

Gene45 · Post by **Gene45** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 12:49 pm

SteveHC wrote:
If they ask you for permission to remotely control your router, just keep saying "No - it will not fix the problem" and then REPEAT to them what I stated above. They'll NEVER - and I mean *NEVER* - admit that it's a MJ network problem, but *EVENTUALLY* they'll give up and agree to notify "the engineers" of the problem... *eventually* those "engineers" will get around to fixing it...

Good luck.

They asked me for access to my computer and I agreed. The changes involved dedicating some ports and IP addresses to the MJ . It did not make any difference, and on the next failure the next tech had me undo all the changes.

Both of these were after being elevated to the top 10% of the techs.
I'm becoming convinced that no one at MJ actually understands these things.

I am convinced there is an internal problem with mine, and I am waiting for the replacement, for which I had to pay 13.47. But then I am in Canada where everything from the US costs extra. Free trade, you know.

Stephen Shek · Post by **Stephen Shek** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:35 pm

Steve HC.

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I am on the original MJ. Not the MJ+.

I did spend hours on the chat with MJ tech to replace wire, reload USB driver, change USB port, reload their UG, turn off firewall, turn off virus protection, etc and reload UG. Non of them make any difference to the problem. After the first 3 hours of troubleshooting, I had told them the MJ should be replaced. They would not listen and keep me on to make changes basically repeating what we did already. That is why I was frustrated.

Eventually on the third chat with them, they asked me to change and directly connect to internet. However, I am using Verizon FIOS so the fibre comes in and it is connected to the router. There is no other way to directly connect to internet. It is then I told them we had repeated the same process multiple times and I am not going through the same test knowing it is going to fail. Then they agree to the replacement.

Any idea I can test?

Thanks
Steve

Gene45 · Post by **Gene45** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:23 pm

I wish I had an idea. Each time I went thru chat the system got repaired but the process was different. The last time was the simplest. I simply unplugged the MJ from the router, and power supply , waited two minutes and plugged it all back in and it worked, without any upgrade.

I then spent about an hour with chat to go through the upgrade and to undo the router settings form the previous time.

I don't have the lights on the machine that are supposed to be there, except the flashing yellow/amber when plugged int the router.

I have been asked about the green and blue lights by several techs, as if they are meaningful, but then they are unconcerned when I don't have them. I wonder about the training these people have.

[email protected] · Post by **[email protected]** » Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:27 am

[b][size=18][size=12[size=18]]I too am having problems and have spoken to the chat line 4 or 5 times since May or June up until October regarding a message that comes on before it lets my call go through, I find this so annoying and they keep telling me that their tech staff is looking into it and will send me an email as soon as they figure out what the problem is.

I forgot to renew and realized a couple of weeks later that I hadn't so right away I went into MJ and did the renewal of my number and yearly fee. But it isn't being applied as yet, I even went in and edited my credit card to make sure the info was right and it was accept for the expiry date which I corrected, but still nothing at all. Not an email or any form of reply. I am so frustrated with their chat lines especially when they are useless and you get absolutely nowhere with them.
There should be someone getting back to us to solve the problem. Nothing from MAGIC JACK in reply since May or June of 2012 and here it is now almost November 2012. Come Magic Jack this is a bit much don't you think.

[b]THANKS MAGIC JACK FOR ALL THE FRUSTRATIONS, I THOUGH YOUR PHONE TO BE GREAT UP UNTIL NOW.
[/b]
John Gillis[/size][/size][/size][/b]

kedwards · Post by **kedwards** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 9:48 pm

Sounds like you are having the same problem as I had a few months ago with my original magicJack. Works dialing out with the dialpad, but not using a real telephone. I concluded that the RJ11/RJ12 portion got fried, because the problem started right after a very close lightning strike.

Confirmed the RJ11/RJ12 similarly did nothing when I used the GVJack app. Worked when using the dialpad (and headphone/microphone). Try that. You get a 7-day free trial.

Keith, who didn't worry about it too much, since the MJ subscription was expiring in a month...