Canadian Experience with magicJack

Karen’s comments were important enough that I thought they deserved their own post front and center for Canadian buyers of magicJack devices. In summary:

• magicJack costs more in Canada.
• If you want a Canadian Number, you have to pay $10 US per year, (About $13 to $15 Canadian, depending on the current exchange rate)
• You can’t pick the last four digits of your Canadian number if you want to.
• You can’t pick a Canadian “Vanity” number.
• Chat support may be spottier for Canadians.

These are valid enough considerations for most people who live in Canada who think they’re buying a whole package, when in the light of day there are hidden fees not assessed at the time of purchase of the device in a local store.

I may actually have some guesses about why some things are the way they are.

• No vanity Canadian numbers – From the point of view of magicJack, since Canadian numbers probably cost more wholesale than US numbers, they’ve probably made it so that all Canadian numbers are considered vanity numbers. Further, if they don’t allow Canadians to choose from among a local list, I’m guessing they only purchase the Canadian number wholesale when you purchase a Canadian number from magicJack.
• No choice of Exchange – Again, they probably don’t keep a list of phone numbers handy. They may purchase the number wholesale when you purchase it from magicJack.
• The device costs more in stores. The current exchange for $60 US is $73 Canadian. On Walmart.ca and Bestbuy.ca as if living in Montreal, I see prices set at $70 Canadian. There may be times when it costs more in stores when the exchange rate favors the US dollar more.
• Spotty Chat Support. This is actually the case in the US some days. When I ask a question, and I have little confidence in my current chat support representative, I’ll close the chat politely and come back in a about five minutes to chat with a different rep. I might do this more than once. So the spottiness may not be specific to Canadian representatives. It may be that the folks in the Philippines who are chat support agents simply are understaffed or staffed mostly with newbies at the time you called.

If other Canadians have feedback about this, I and perhaps a few Canadians would be grateful for comments below!

Here are Karen’s words:

Mike,
Thank you for your video and tips in the thread; they have been very useful.
This is a headsup to any and all wanting a Canadian no. especially if you bought/buy your magicJack device in Canada. Even though the Co./MagicJack charges more for units purchased in Canada, and this is even more than the exchange on the Cdn to US $, MagicJack Co. then pressures you into/charges an additional $10.oo US just to get a Canadian no.
This is false and misleading advertising because nowhere on the box is it stated that there will be an additional $10.00 US charge for a Canadian no. And now with the exchange rate being so high we are looking at an additional $13.50 to $15.00 Cdn. just to get a Cdn. no. Even when you ask the magicJack chatroom reps. why the Co. wants your credit card no. when you have already purchased the device at a Canadian retail store, the reps. are so poorly trained that they never even think to ask if we are wanting a Cdn no. and did we know that there is an EXTRA US $$ CHARGE over and above the inflated purchase price when purchased from a Cdn retail store. (They think everyone, regardless of where they live, wants a USA phone no.) They never consider the challenges and frustrations that we Canadians are going through in an attempt to get our device registered and thus probably a local Cdn. telephone no. Also, magicJack does not give us the opportunity to choose the ‘exchange’ no’s nor the last 4 digits. They say they have six different ‘exchange’ no’s. available for my area/city, but when you go to pick one they don’t let you. They automatically assign whatever they want to.
So my point here is: to all future Canadian customers of magicJack, be prepared to not receive the Customer Service as promised in their advertising and be prepared to pay a lot more than our USA counterpart consumers. Also, don’t be surprised, if in the middle of your conversation with a ‘chatroom’ Support person, that they magically disconnect themselves if the going gets tough. During the ‘crunch times’ of asking questions they did not want to answer or also possibly were so poorly trained that they didn’t know how to help, they just up and disconnect themselves. And when you finally get back into the ‘chatroom’ with a support person, they supposedly have no record of your previous conversation even though you have just given them the previous ticket ID’s. I call this, the ‘escape-goat ‘ routine. Each Rep. is constantly apologizing for the previous one, but none of them ever seem to correct the problem.
I have spent over eight hours (yes, 8 hrs) attempting to get this device reg’d and thus an active phone no. and the feat is still not accomplished; mostly due to the fact that the magicJack personnel do not seem to know how to help resolve the problems.
Thank you Chris for posting this even though it may seem like I am ranting. My purpose for posting this is to help others wanting a Canadian no. and esp. those who may be considering buying a magicJack device in Canada and also registering a Canadian no. If magicJack takes this as a rant, if they even read it, so be it–they certainly need to improve their product and service.
Thank You Chris for all your help! And especiallly knowing that you do this for us while not even being paid by magicJack.  Karen