MAGIC JACK'S OFF TO A NEW LEVEL

The service has improved but, only because of the new computer.

On the minus side, the sound fades. My Brother must have said 'hello' a dozen times as the sound faded in, and out.

Magic Jack is not equipped to deal with unhappy customers. That part is not part of their customer service scenario.

If this phone service was good to excellent, (which it is not) they would do well at 49.99/yr., and beat the competition. There is a reason this phone service is 19.99/yr. It is a service that will barely allow you to communicate without some impedances.

This product is not worth 19.99/yr. with the current level of frustration.

MORE MAGIC JACK

Tried the MAGIC JACK for the first time, long distance with my mom through this new computer.

Results were great! Not like the old computer.

This proves MAGIC JACK should be more careful with the system requirements for the MAGIC JACK. The older processor in my old computer with 384mb ram allowed for the MAGIC JACK to limp along, mildly functional with dropped calls, and listening to people speak with bubbles coming out of their mouths.

Okay, now I'm good with it. I am not good with their extreme lack of customer service. Why bother, if it is anything, and everything except customer service?

Admittedly, their customer service is located somewhere outside the USA though, the agents sport 'common' names their parents didn't give them. It is all done with chat. It is satisfied with the English we speak, and some other brand of English where they misunderstand the way we express ourselves.

You are allowed to ask an agent for a supervisor. Don't ask a supervisor to speak to their supervisor. It all ends with the first supervisor.

I asked for a courtesy 60 day extension of my subscription to cover the lack of use based on their initial assertion, the MAGIC JACK would perform fine on my old computer. Too bad, I had to bring it up in the first place. That is their role as customer service agents. In any case, the broken English chat continues, and ends with a firm denial.

Not even, a 'sorry, let me extend that for 30 days' as a courtesy. The simple, to the point reply was, 'We don't do that.' Translation: We're not customer service, we're pacifiers. We'll wear you down until you go to sleep.'

For 19.99/yr. this is a good deal with the right computer, and internet service but, do not expect customer service from the YMAX company which owns MAGIC JACK.

There is a live number for billing only but, it is only for billing. Don't expect any friendly communication from this company.

MORE TELCO TALK & MAGIC JACK CHANGES

When our generation was growing up, many of us had 'party line' service. It was less expensive than a 'private' phone line. Usually the party line was connected to your neighbor's phone. We still had our individual phone number.

The typical scenario goes like this; You'd pick up your phone to dial out but instead of a dial tone you got your neighbor, on the phone discussing anything from politics to the time of day. Etiquette of the time has you hanging up to try your call later.

Unless you didn't follow etiquette, and boldly interrupted, you waited for the 'party line' or, shared line to become free. There were some laws on the books governing party line service. This was typical, usual phone service for the time period. They at one time had, to the best of my recollection 2, and 4 party service.

Back then, we had analog dial phones. You literally put your finger in the hole on a round dial to turn it appropriately to the right number. No digital, push button service.

The party line service was a way to save on the monthly phone bill.

Long before digital technology was developed for the industry, there were no wireless phones, no push buttons, and certainly no VOIP.

A few years went by before digital technology. Push button phones were introduced replacing the 'dial' phones.

It would be a couple of decades but, we would be taking technological development for granted as it stepped in to the cell phone industry. Now, we were walking, talking, and possibly even chewing gum simultaneously outside on the phone without any wires!

We had come to the age when a computer was often a typical fixture in our homes, and we could use the phone via the computer, and the internet. VOIP. That is Voice Over Internet Protocol. There were different VOIP services coming from everywhere with different features, pricing, and variations, etc.

One variation of VOIP came from MAGIC JACK. The pricing was down by, comparison. At $19.99/yr. for service, it sounded very good. I thought for that price, a little investigation time would be worth it. I had my old computer, and thought maybe it just wasn't for an old computer.

I got to their web site, and they had customer service via live chat. I specifically laid out the specs of my computer, and was assured all would be just fine. It wasn't. Even with high speed internet, it wasn't.

All kinds of noise on the line. People sounding like they were talking with bubbles in their mouths, and back ends of sentences dropping from any audible understanding.

The Customer Service chat was trying to walk me through different possibilities to correct the problems. While I was at it, I was really angry because, every several minutes their logo would pop up with an update. The logo would prevent any work from being done. This was frequent as I'd try to work on my computer. Extremely annoying!

I would have to say, under my previous circumstances MAGIC JACK was this close to being thrown away!

I have since changed computers, and have a new computer. Much has changed!

It might serve MAGIC JACK well to take a small dose of truth serum. They need to assure people, the MAGIC JACK is a poor component for an older computer. The performance under those circumstances may be functional but, poor. I believe 384mb of ram does not work with it very well. I don't think much of anything works well with 384mb of ram. Now, I have 4gb of ram.

While the MAGIC JACK is not functionally perfect, it is functionally much better than before. I am getting through phone calls without drops in audibility, and people are not blowing bubbles as they speak.

There was that software issue. I didn't mind the updates however, every several minutes I would have to stop what I was doing for the MAGIC JACK updates, accompanied by, a screen logo that stays center screen taking precedence over all else on the computer.

The same circumstances still apply. The logo has no variations, and remains where it is designed to stay. In my way. The difference here is, the logo only appears as you turn on the computer, and when using the MAGIC JACK.

I'm not positive but, I believe it is my computer that improves the MAGIC JACK. It now works very well but, needs work for an excellent grade.

THE AGED HIPPIES & FLOWER CHILDREN

I am right in the middle of that crowd, and this year I will be 60!

Back in 1967, I never thought I was going to get here yet, here I am. A senior citizen.

My son has purchased the Wii Fit. He is insisting his chubby parents use it. I got on it for the first time on Sunday.

After going through the assessment which included jogging in place, the machine determined my status as, 'fit!......Fit for a man of 73! At least fit.

This is really no joke so, I've decided to use this on a daily basis as I'm sure my lack of fitness impedes any good health, and my life expectancy.

TELCO TALK

Nothing major here but, it all began at 441am this morning.

I began putting my usual daily dissertation to paper; paper? Who am I kidding? I meant to my
A SECOND CUP blog. I have a place there called, TODAY for my daily wake-up thoughts.

Anyway, it's a quick read about the service we had in the 50's, and 60's. We shared a lot......check it out via the link above, then scroll to 'TODAY' because, there's no tomorrow! TODAY changes daily.

In reminiscing, there was never a thought given to VOIP let alone, personal computers in the home at that time. Only corporations, and government had floor to ceiling monster computers as the computer age was being ushered in to our lives. Drifting away from the main thought, my first Radio Shack 8mb computer comes to mind.

MAGIC JACK GETS FAILING GRADE

It looks good, and sounds good as it is explained on TV.

As of today, I regard it as a toy that has hearing, and speech impediments. It is also like a dissatisfied child needing constant attention.

Just try completing a task on your computer with the MAGIC JACK in place. It will be center screen demanding your attention every few minutes. Unlike the child who is capable of ultimately coming to some reasonable conclusion through negotiation, the MAGIC JACK will not come to any negotiated compromise.

I have tried to correct problems with customer service but, my efforts have been unsuccessful. They are not techs. I would not be surprised to find they are merely a highly scripted call center.

As for the hearing. The volume is sporadic at best, and sometimes drops off on both ends completely.  Clarity of the party on the other end happens on occasion but, just as often if not more often, it sounds as though they are speaking, and blowing bubbles simultaneously.

MAGIC JACK is a toy that needs a lot of serious work to even be considered a good toy let alone a serious electronic telephone component.

BASEBALL, HOT DOGS, ETC.

When I was merely eight or, nine my father took me out to the ball game. My first major league contest featuring our home town, Dodgers. My dad told me though we couldn't go all the time, if I liked it, all of the games were on KFI radio.

Listening to the games on the radio was a treat in L.A. because, we had the greatest baseball audio artist of all time giving us the play by, play. Vin(ce) Scully was the master. So much so, people brought their pocket radios to the ball park to listen as they watched the game, live!

My first visit was to the first home for the Dodgers, the Los Angeles Coliseum. Possibly 1958? Anyway, there was no Dodger Stadium at that time.

As I recall, there were only a total of sixteen major league teams. They were evenly divided between the American League, and the National League. There were no play-offs because, whatever team won their league standings went to the World Series.

Nobody was taking 'performance enhancing drugs,' to be the best. Back then, Mays, Mantle, Maris, Banks, and Aaron were the best, all on their own merits! Records would be broken but, by players who obviously took performance enhancing drugs.

I am hopeful, as these new numbers are put in to the record books, an asterisk is placed next to each player's name who is suspected of taking or, has taken the enhancement drugs. You can begin with Bonds, and Clements, as well as Alex Rodriguez.

Everybody's favorite in Los Angeles was, Sandy Koufax. What a pitcher! Only two pitches, with varying velocity in his repertoire. Koufax was the pitching artist, and had to retire early due to arm ailments.

The L.A. line-up, I remember best from those days began with Wills at Short, Gilliam at 3rd, Moon LF, Larker 1B, Howard RF, Snider CF, Roseboro C, Neal 2B, and the pitcher. This
line-up must be from a later time when the Dodgers were already in Dodger Stadium. I'm just picking up memory chips as I go along.

Today, for some unknown reason, I am a Cubs fan. I don't really know why, except maybe the Dodgers had become an uneventful team to watch, and the Cubs, without a World Series title for over 100 years need my encouragement. Of course, their announcer, Harry Caray was a lot of fun.

I plan to be in Wrigley, this year to watch them in the series!

MUSICAL CHANGES

There is a vast library of music from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. There is no way to get to all of it, and even the few I have chosen as some of my favorites are beginning to stretch this blog in to a scroll to oblivion.

What to do......

I believe I'm going to pare choices down in quantity but, present different play lists on a revolving basis.

I haven't really gotten everywhere, yet. What about Detroit? Motown?

Much more coming......

MAGIC JACK JUDGE, JURY, VERDICT

Since the last time we spoke, I had been in a chat with a rep. at MAGIC JACK.  I felt then, as I do now but, only to a point.

Taking everything in to consideration, I feel the reps. on the chat make an honest try at good customer service.  They get a C+ for effort.  Customer service is not bad, it just could be much better.  Their biggest impedance to good customer service is a language barrier.

I am sure they tried everything to correct the problems I have with the product.

The sound still drops off on the other end, sometimes but, at least nobody sounded like they were speaking to me with bubbles in their mouths.

There were many impedances to writing this entry, tonight.  Each of those interruptions may be attributed to a MAGIC JACK update every few minutes.  The update logo is center screen, cannot be dragged or, dropped.  It also cannot be minimized to the tray nor allow windows precedence over the logo.

I finally decided I would get to this entry, tonight so, I unplugged the MAGIC JACK from its' USB port.  The logo got mad.  The text in the logo turned to red, demanding to be plugged back in.  Good luck on that one.  No way!

Maybe later but, not now.

Final verdict.  MAGIC JACK is questionable.  There is no tech support.  Just rep. support with foreign agents probably reading written instructions.

The sound problems can eventually probably be worked out, and MAGIC JACK will be something to play around with, until my initial subscription runs out. Depending on how well it works at that time, I will make a decision on re-subscribing.

Not only will I have to have a better working product at the time but, no more updates that so seriously impede use of the computer. Customer Service cannot be intent to serve. It must be action to resolution.

As of now, MAGIC JACK could not conceivably replace my phone company.