[Helene2008]

We just received our MajicJack yesterday and have made several calls. It is very clear, in addition it has caller ID, call waiting and three way calling. Hard to believe it's $20.00 a year. In addition to free domestic and long distance they have a very inexpensive rate for international calls.

[JohnN]

Just because it's so darned cheap, I'm going to have to give majikjack a try.
I'd prefer they had a 352 area codes (apparently not on the drawing board yet) but I'll deal with it. Landlines are just too pricey considering I mostly use my cell.

[renielarson]

OK OK OK...I can't keep my mouth shut and have to give my opinion about Magicjack.

Yes, it's cheap. Yes, it has clear reception. Yes, it's a savings to those who have it installed as their primary phone. My phone wouldn't work so an added expense was us having to buy a better phone (that we needed anyway) in order for MJ to work.

However, we returned ours. I can't, no matter what, have a phone service where anyone local who calls me is charged long distance! Since Magicjack does not have a local area code, any neighbor or local resident who wants to call is charged long distance charges.

If my next door neighbor needed to call me...s/he would have to pay long distance charges.

I couldn't do that to my friends!

[barb1191]

Originally Posted by brightspot01

OK OK OK...I can't keep my mouth shut and have to give my opinion about Magicjack.

Yes, it's cheap. Yes, it has clear reception. Yes, it's a savings to those who have it installed as their primary phone. My phone wouldn't work so an added expense was us having to buy a better phone (that we needed anyway) in order for MJ to work.

However, we returned ours. I can't, no matter what, have a phone service where anyone local who calls me is charged long distance! Since Magicjack does not have a local area code, any neighbor or local resident who wants to call is charged long distance charges.

If my next door neighbor needed to call me...s/he would have to pay long distance charges.

I couldn't do that to my friends!

Bright... I think we all feel the same as you, however, most people who use MJ also use a cell phone for backup and our cell has a local TV number. Also, many subscribers are now foregoing the land line and going to comcast, vonage, and the like where there is no charge for long-distance calling. The only peeps one would be imposing a LD charge would be those without the LD free service.

More and more are giving up the landline service because of the expense and cost for any and all extra services, as well as the ridiculous tax and service charges over and above the basic charge.

Even if you just used MJ for free outgoing calls, that would be a savings if you subscribe to a landline phone service that doesn't offer free LD calling.

This is merely my rationale re landline vs netline; it's all relative, yes? Each of us have our own special ideas on the subject. Whatever choices one makes is their prerogative, of course. .....b

[SteveZ]

Originally Posted by brightspot01

.....If my next door neighbor needed to call me...s/he would have to pay long distance charges.

I couldn't do that to my friends!

I guess it's simply a matter of cost-benefit. Paying Embarq $30-50 a month so that my friends don't (only if they also have Embarq) pay Embarq another couple bucks a month is a personal choice.

As we are seeing, the land-line phone as a stand-alone item is becoming a technology that is fading. There was a time when cellphones were rare and expensive - now every kid over 10 seems to have one. Television antennas were everywhere - now cable and satellite have replaced those antennas almost everywhere. Even the cable companies have bypassed the land-line phone network with their own systems.

Remember: party-lines, when phone numbers were a word followed by 5 numbers, you had to call the LD operator for an out-of-area call (and the cost was unbelievably high), when we didn't know there were such things as area codes, crank and rotary-dial phones?

In my house we also gave thought to the need for a 352 area code and decided it was not a necessity, as long as the phone service (as required by law) linked into the 911 network. I honestly don't know who among my "circle" may pay a per-minute rate for long-distance, but I know many who don't, as we are either using the same cell-provider or they too have an unlimited calling set-up.

As I head toward "fixed income," I'm very conscious of my recurring household costs and am looking at every way possible to limit those costs. I'm sure my "circle" is doing or has done the same. If the competitors to the Embarqs of the world can provide alternatives to the traditional "Ma Bell" sock-it-to-them phone company approach, they will get a shot for my business.

[islandgal]

I ditched Embarq as soon as I learned Comcast now has phone service here with unlimited free long distance calls.

[Donna]

wiw...

How much is Comcast, basic service...I HATE :edit: cell phones.. :

[islandgal]

Donna - I had Embarq phone and Dish Network (billed by Embarq) and Comcast internet.
When I switched to Comcast, I pay for one year $33 for each service - $99/month + taxes for all 3 services.
Comcast has deal for a long-term contract where you can sign up to keep the same introductory prices forever... however, because the phone system is new to the area, that service is not available yet - hopefully it will be after they become established here.


http://www.buycomcast.com/?cpao=111&...FQZinAodjBA5gg

[Donna]

wiw..Thanks for the link...I will call tomorrow.. :bigthumbsup:

[Jullie]

We have lived in TV for 2 years. We never got a landline phone, just use cell phones and it works out great. ;D

[dadspet]

MagicJack seems to work good. Better quality the our Verizon Cell phone and when you connect a wireless phone to it you can have several extension connected to it ( important to us) and a good speaker phone for those family conversations back home. Their promises of more area codes seems to be a joke and its a clear draw back as well as having to have your computer up to use it (but it does take messages when your computer isn't up). You just can't come close to beating the price!

For snow birds/flakes its a real good phone consideration and a way to save those minutes you need on cell phones.

[SteveFromNY]

Originally Posted by dadspet

For snow birds/flakes its a real good phone consideration and a way to save those minutes you need on cell phones.

Since this is an internet based phone, can a snowbird move it from one home to another?

Yes, magicJack is portable. You can use it anywhere and take it with you. We take it with us when we go north and use it at the motel (along with our laptop) at the motel by just plugging in the majicJack into our laptop's USB port and unplugging the motel's room phone from the wall jack and plugging in the motel's phone into the majicJack. Works great and best of all there are no charges from the motel because you are not using the motel's phone lines. :bigthumbsup: :bigthumbsup:

[carlent]

because of this forum, I found out about Magicjack I ordered it and just did get it and got it up and tunnign in 10 min...simple and clear and will save a lot of money. $20 a year is all is costs. We all might want to look at this.
There are no area codes for TV...closest is Orlando but that does not matter. if you have a lot of friends in TV that call....you can use your cell. But for out going long distance this will save big bucks. And for all other incoming that do not live in TV

Carlent

It is true there is no local area code for magicJack at TV. What we do when someone calls us is to return the call so all they have to pay for is 1 minute of long distance on their phone bill. With magicJack there are no long distance charges. We are going to buy our grand daughter a magicJack so she can take it with her when she goes to college. Don't know if she will call us more often but at least we know she won't run up minutes on her cell phone or land line at college.