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How to Disable AUTO-RENEW on MagicJack


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RDHeinz
magicJack Apprentice


Joined: 06 Jun 2008
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 3:49 pm    Post subject: oops Reply with quote

Embarassed Found it! It sure is inconspicuous.
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Mark
MagicJack Contributor


Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Posts: 72
Location: New Jersey

PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had the same thing occur with my Webroot Spy Sweeper software. I was notified that the subscription would renew automatically and was also given instructions on how to opt-out of automatic renewal--I opted out.

I don't like it! It's offensive to me that companies are taking it upon themselves to charge for something I didn't ask for unless I opt-out. Maybe I'm over reacting but I feel it's intrusive to presume that I'm going to want to renew a subscription. If I want to renew then I will take the appropriate steps to do so. Otherwise, if auto-renew is an option then simply provide instructions for opting in--Don't opt me in automatically.
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veganmarcos
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 11 Jan 2010
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 7:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just noticed it. Thanks for the tip. Yes, it is very inconspicuous. My question is though, would they renew me for another five years or start charging me year to year. I wouldn't mind it if they renewed me for another five years but there isn't any option under the auto-renewal for this that I could find. Hmm. Also, even if they raised the five year fee to $69.99 it's still very cheap. The annual cost is $19.99. That comes out to $60 every three years. You're still saving $30.00 every five years unless the five year option increases again. Then I would probably renew yearly rather than every five years.

Mark
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macrat
magicJack Apprentice


Joined: 30 Apr 2009
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 11:41 pm    Post subject: Yabbut will they nag me now? Reply with quote

I don't know if disabling the auto-renew feature will cause nags to pop up earlier than 3 months before the expiration date?

I use MJ, but I have it on an unattended Pentium 2 with XP SP3, 2 GB hard drive, and nothing else. I took out the CD rom drive after installing, and took out the monitor (I think I recycled it, but I have a KVM to check on it now.) I'm trying to find a power supply lower than 50 watts for it, any ideas where I can get one? It's running at 100 watts now.
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SpamBox
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me


Joined: 14 Dec 2007
Posts: 417
Location: Rocky Mountains Front Range

PostPosted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah I saw this option when I renewed last month.
Looked pretty easy for me to find but then again I'm always careful to read the fine print.

Thanks though to pointing it out to all
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eljefino
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 06 Feb 2010
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Macrat your cpu, motherboard, and hard drive use the power they use. Changing the power supply won't effect efficiency. (can probably get SLIGHTLY better with a "green" PS that puts more out with less in)

Though rated at 100 watt max, you'll find the headless computer probably only uses about 60 watts. A "Kill-a-watt" meter will tell you for sure. Local libraries have them on loan or they're only $20 new.

Put a 50 watt in (if you can find it) and you'll probably start having wierd system issues.
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BENNYG
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Joined: 12 Feb 2010
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 10:31 am    Post subject: magic jack Reply with quote

Does majic jack require intel processor on MAC computers?
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Nobody beats the Whiz!
Dan Should Pay Me


Joined: 26 Oct 2009
Posts: 559

PostPosted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:31 pm    Post subject: Re: magic jack Reply with quote

BENNYG wrote:
Does majic jack require intel processor on MAC computers?


Yes.
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F3DRIVR
magicJack Apprentice


Joined: 13 Apr 2008
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I recently paid for a year of service and noticed a note in my account that it was set to be automatically renewed in a year but I didn't realize that it was possible to disable it. I don't trust MagicJack with my credit card number so I paid them through paypal virtual debit card. You can generate a Mastercard number through an add-on in your paypal account that can be set to expire after one use. Very useful for online purchases.
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degarb
MagicJack Expert


Joined: 04 Aug 2008
Posts: 92

PostPosted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That sucks because if you disable recurring charges, like any intelligent cardholder will do, then, these people likely will not be able to renew at all.

Some card lines, totally disallow this.
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hughmbein
magicJack Apprentice


Joined: 01 Mar 2010
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 10:58 am    Post subject: Auto Renew Question Reply with quote

First, Thank You to MagicJack & for this forum. If it weren't for MJ & Skype a lot of families, in the Caribbean & elsewhere with high rates, would loose touch.
Re: Auto Renew I have given MJ's (which were bought with a credit card) to a lot of people in the Islands. What's going to happen at renewal time ?
A. My credit card will be automatically charged ?
B, If they've bought "foreign" calls with their credit card ?
C. Their MJ stops working ?
Thanks for the good info
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ubern000b
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 01 Mar 2010
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 9:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

After some thought here's my concern,

You're on manual renewal.

MJ nags you to renew as the date approaches. You ignore the nags.

MJ suspends your service the day after your payment was due. Hell, maybe they even release your number to the pool and someone else snags it.

All of this was avoidable, none of it was the fault of MJ.

Yet, IMO, everyone will want to burn MJ to the ground.

FTR, I don't work for or have any interest in MJ.

All just IMO
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hughmbein
magicJack Apprentice


Joined: 01 Mar 2010
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 10:58 am    Post subject: Auto Renew Reply with quote

Oh Yes, something more to the questions above.

D. Why the worry RE Auto Renew if you bought your MJ in a store for cash and have not used your credit card to buy foreign long distance on MagicJack ? In this case, Why Worry ?
Does this sound like Alfred E Neuman logic ?
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couch-potato
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me


Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 103

PostPosted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

F3DRIVR wrote:
You can generate a Mastercard number through an add-on in your paypal account that can be set to expire after one use. Very useful for online purchases.


Would you please explain how to do that? I can't find anything on my paypal accout for that.
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tjnamtiw
magicJack Apprentice


Joined: 04 Feb 2009
Posts: 13
Location: United States

PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

lenw wrote:
I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and I urge others to do the same


I sure as hell am going to because I just got auto renewed after they told us that there would be no such thing. Filthy scum!
I replaced their POS with an ooma system a year ago and absolutely love it compared to the crappy performance of the not-so-magic jack. I'm also refusing the charge since they told us that we would have to manually renew and that is what I was counting on to end the service.
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couch-potato
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me


Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 103

PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:31 am    Post subject: Re: Auto Renew Question Reply with quote

hughmbein wrote:
Re: Auto Renew I have given MJ's (which were bought with a credit card) to a lot of people in the Islands. What's going to happen at renewal time ?
A. My credit card will be automatically charged ?
B, If they've bought "foreign" calls with their credit card ?
C. Their MJ stops working ?
D. Why the worry RE Auto Renew if you bought your MJ in a store for cash and have not used your credit card to buy foreign long distance on MagicJack ? In this case, Why Worry ?
Does this sound like Alfred E Neuman logic ?
Thanks for the good info


From what I understand, when you purchase the MJ, your card is not registered.

After the MJ is activated, if a credit card is added to the users account on the website (my.magicjack.com), then that credit card will be billed at renewal time.

Therefore...in answer to your questions...
A. Your credit card will not be charged if you only used it to purchase the MJ initally

B. If they have used a credit card to add credits to their account, then the credit card info is saved by MJ, and their credit card will be charged at renewal time.

C. Their MJ will stop working if there is not a credit card on the account.

D. Your are correct, if you do not have a credit card on the account, there is nothing to worry about. However, if the MJ was purchased in 2008. And if one additional year license was purchased in 2009 then it had to be paid for by a credit card because MJ does not accept any other form of payment. And MJ automatically saves the credit card information, without the customers knowledge. Therefore, in 2010, the credit card will be automatically charged, without the customers knowledge or consent. It is only the third year of service that Auto-Renew becomes an issue.
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awg-jr
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 9
Location: Fairfield, Iowa

PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:00 pm    Post subject: Renewing/extending MagicJack license with credit card Reply with quote

Very strange to hear the vitriol on this board ... complaints to BBB and so forth. What do people want for $20/year?

I had the opposite concern of most. I wanted to be certain that my MagicJack *did* renew. MagicJack is the only phone in my house. I don't have a cell phone, and rarely Skype, so MagicJack is my only communication link.

With one year anniversary approaching, I preempted the autorenew by selecting the "Renew license for one year" option". It took me through a couple of steps, verifying my name, address. I did have a credit card on file, apparently, from having purchased International minutes recently. After following the steps, I see this message on my account screen:

RENEWAL - Your license is scheduled for auto-renewal on MARCH 28, 2011

My card was charged $19.95. Painless.

the product is a bargain, and it works ... it had issues early on, but they've been ironed out. Customer service is iffy, but what phone company's isn't? (Want to hear my tale of woe with AT&T?) A year of uninterrupted service speaks for itself.
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bitstopjoe
Future magicJack CEO


Joined: 13 Sep 2008
Posts: 2844
Location: North East Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Renewing/extending MagicJack license with credit card Reply with quote

awg-jr wrote:
Very strange to hear the vitriol on this board ... complaints to BBB and so forth. What do people want for $20/year?

I had the opposite concern of most. I wanted to be certain that my MagicJack *did* renew. MagicJack is the only phone in my house. I don't have a cell phone, and rarely Skype, so MagicJack is my only communication link.

With one year anniversary approaching, I preempted the autorenew by selecting the "Renew license for one year" option". It took me through a couple of steps, verifying my name, address. I did have a credit card on file, apparently, from having purchased International minutes recently. After following the steps, I see this message on my account screen:

RENEWAL - Your license is scheduled for auto-renewal on MARCH 28, 2011

My card was charged $19.95. Painless.

the product is a bargain, and it works ... it had issues early on, but they've been ironed out. Customer service is iffy, but what phone company's isn't? (Want to hear my tale of woe with AT&T?) A year of uninterrupted service speaks for itself.


What bothers people is they did this without letting anyone know, they "snuck" in so to speak. So what about the people whose MJ's did not work and now their MJ resides in their desk drawers? They too will be renewed and some may not be, umm, savy enough to check their CC statement and now MJ has "free" money for a device no longer in use. One would imagine getting a refund is not worth the hassle since their tech support is not exactly swift.
It just comes across as sneaky tactic and not very business like.

Joe Sica
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robatino
MagicJack Expert


Joined: 29 Aug 2008
Posts: 97

PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And there's STILL no mention of auto-renew in MJ's FAQ's/Knowledgebase (try searching for "renew"). I don't think they intend to notify anyone until there's a class action suit.
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gunrunnerjohn
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 29 Mar 2010
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks to the folks that uncovered this, I have disabled it in my account. Smile
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City Builder
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Joined: 04 Oct 2008
Posts: 70

PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the information. Unless I missed an email from MJ telling me that they were converting my account to auto renewal I consider this very underhanded and sneaky business practice. One that borders on needing to inform our states attorney general to see what they have to say about the situation. It really irks me because I don't "auto renew" any accounts that I might have, be them gaming or otherwise, I prefer to pay monthly and know exactly what I am paying for WHEN i choose to renew an account, whatever that account might be.

I am hoping that it registered my disable of the auto renew, it pops up a new windows with the warning that I may lose my MJ number if I don't auto renew, and I chose to cancel the auto renew, however back on the main MJ page, the page is unchanged, it still shows an empty checkbox for cancelling the auto renew feature (if you can call it that).

I've had nothing but problems with MJ and am not pleased at this latest trickery. I've only kept them around since I found out that MJ actually works fine with old analog (think princess wall phone) style phones, but fails misreably with any digital style phone we have tried. I've surely wasted more money in buying phones trying to find one decent digital phone that works where I can hear the other party and they can hear me than I would have to have had regular pac bell or verizon home phone service now. Phooey on MJ for this latest crock of rotten apples.
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Gear-Monkey
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Joined: 23 Jul 2009
Posts: 20

PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I never gave magicjack my card number. I bought the unit from RadioShack. It expires July 21st 2010.

I just bought Ooma Core yesterday and wow... I should never have bought MagicJack to begin with. It's 100x better, more dependable, and as clear as my old landline.

Bad part of Ooma is the new Telo now charge $11.75/yr, while (Core) mine is lifetime free.

That said, MJ was fun. It got me into VOIP.
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sabresfan
Dan Should Pay Me


Joined: 12 Feb 2009
Posts: 673
Location: Buffalo NY

PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gear-Monkey wrote:
I never gave magicjack my card number. I bought the unit from RadioShack. It expires July 21st 2010.

I just bought Ooma Core yesterday and wow... I should never have bought MagicJack to begin with. It's 100x better, more dependable, and as clear as my old landline.

Bad part of Ooma is the new Telo now charge $11.75/yr, while (Core) mine is lifetime free.

That said, MJ was fun. It got me into VOIP.
That's cool that Ooma is working for you my concerns with them is their financial situation. They have mainly survived on VC up until now and if telo sales and premiere subscriptions don't pickup they may very well be the next Sunrocket. If you can find an Ooma on sale for less than $200 than if it lasts a year or so then the initial cost is taken care of. One big downside with Ooma is if it takes a dump then you have to buy a new one.
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imma imac
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Joined: 13 Jun 2010
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

lenw wrote:
Auto renew borders on the unscrupulous. Thanks for this information - I have disabled the auto part.
It should be against the law to auto renew without explicit instructions from the customer.
They have been unscrupulous in other ways as well. Before I bought mine, I was promised one free phone number switch and that Canadian area codes were "on the way". Canadian area codes are now somewhat available but now I am told the only way for me to get one is to buy a NEW Magic Jack. I am told existing customers (like me) don't have the right to make the promised change.
Not a nice way to do business. Just as auto renew is a sleazy thing to do. I really don't trust them one little bit. The only thing good about them is the low price. Yes it is cheap.


As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for" and I for one got a good dose of that! Rolling Eyes
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imma imac
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gear-Monkey wrote:
I never gave magicjack my card number. I bought the unit from RadioShack. It expires July 21st 2010.

I just bought Ooma Core yesterday and wow... I should never have bought MagicJack to begin with. It's 100x better, more dependable, and as clear as my old landline.

Bad part of Ooma is the new Telo now charge $11.75/yr, while (Core) mine is lifetime free.

That said, MJ was fun. It got me into VOIP.


I'm sorry I never did that. I disabled the auto-renew (and I agree, it is an unscrupulous way of doing business) and I am hoping it is not just there for decoration, if you will.
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imma imac
magicJack Apprentice


Joined: 13 Jun 2010
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:02 am    Post subject: Re: Renewing/extending MagicJack license with credit card Reply with quote

bitstopjoe wrote:
awg-jr wrote:
Very strange to hear the vitriol on this board ... complaints to BBB and so forth. What do people want for $20/year?

I had the opposite concern of most. I wanted to be certain that my MagicJack *did* renew. MagicJack is the only phone in my house. I don't have a cell phone, and rarely Skype, so MagicJack is my only communication link.

With one year anniversary approaching, I preempted the autorenew by selecting the "Renew license for one year" option". It took me through a couple of steps, verifying my name, address. I did have a credit card on file, apparently, from having purchased International minutes recently. After following the steps, I see this message on my account screen:

RENEWAL - Your license is scheduled for auto-renewal on MARCH 28, 2011

My card was charged $19.95. Painless.

the product is a bargain, and it works ... it had issues early on, but they've been ironed out. Customer service is iffy, but what phone company's isn't? (Want to hear my tale of woe with AT&T?) A year of uninterrupted service speaks for itself.


What bothers people is they did this without letting anyone know, they "snuck" in so to speak. So what about the people whose MJ's did not work and now their MJ resides in their desk drawers? They too will be renewed and some may not be, umm, savy enough to check their CC statement and now MJ has "free" money for a device no longer in use. One would imagine getting a refund is not worth the hassle since their tech support is not exactly swift.
It just comes across as sneaky tactic and not very business like.

Joe Sica


I agree with Joe... it's not so 'cheap' or "painless" if you are paying for something you're not getting. There are a lot of questionable issues with this device/program. What I don't like is the fact that you cannot SPEAK to a tech. Some clearly do not have a full command of the language as I have had to c/p several times before I got a response - the best being in chat with them for two hrs and they freeze up or you somehow disconnect them. I also don't like that they send you 'upgrades' or tell you to do things with your computer without explaining what their intentions are. Something isn't right. Too many red flags with this.
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bitstopjoe
Future magicJack CEO


Joined: 13 Sep 2008
Posts: 2844
Location: North East Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't get me wrong I lOVE my MJ.. 2 years and counting.
Also if they choose to use online chat for their support, so be it as it keeps the cost to $20 a year. This is one of the reasons this forum exists..

I was only commenting on the fact the auto renew was handled very sneaky, that's all. Other than that I am VERY VERY happy with my MJ.


Joe Sica
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Greek2U
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 03 Aug 2010
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

crackerjack wrote:
lenw wrote:
Auto renew borders on the unscrupulous. Thanks for this information - I have disabled the auto part.
It should be against the law to auto renew without explicit instructions from the customer.
They have been unscrupulous in other ways as well. Before I bought mine, I was promised one free phone number switch and that Canadian area codes were "on the way". Canadian area codes are now somewhat available but now I am told the only way for me to get one is to buy a NEW Magic Jack. I am told existing customers (like me) don't have the right to make the promised change.
Not a nice way to do business. Just as auto renew is a sleazy thing to do. I really don't trust them one little bit. The only thing good about them is the low price. Yes it is cheap.

Sleazy doesn't come close to describing the abominations that MJ has perpetrated over the years. Let me count the ways.....


------------------------
Ok, so I expect most of you on this thread will not be surprised when I tell you what happened when I followed your directions for disabling auto-renew after signing up for a brand new MJ device today.
This borders on the extremely suspicious.

After selecting Disable Auto-Renew, it took me back to the my MJ page settings and LO AND BEHOLD my new setting was NEVER saved. I could tell something wasn't right because the option to Disable Auto-Renew was still the same as before. I actually had to go back a 2nd time to Disable Auto-Renew, after which I could confirm a successful attempt since I could now see an option to Activate Auto-Renew.

So..if I had just closed the page the first time and assumed that all had worked as I had hoped, my account would have been renewed without my permission, all because of some intentionally bad programming. Talk about unscrupulous!!

The moral of this story: DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE YOUR SETTINGS ARE SAVED CORRECTLY OR YOU'LL FALL VICTIM TO MONEY-HUNGRY SCAMMERS!
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fujifilm99
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Joined: 27 Jul 2010
Posts: 52
Location: Missouri, USA

PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:52 am    Post subject: Report your credit card lost Reply with quote

A friend of mine switched from Dish Network to DirecTV due to a price he was quoted (I would guess by a telemarketer).

When he got his first credit card statement, the amount charged to his credit card was considerably more than the price he was told (like double).

He called them and after quite a discussion, the finally removed some installation fees and promised him he would be charged the right amount next month. In the next bill, he got the credit adjustment for the first months charges, but the new charge for the second month - although lower - was still not correct.

He called again and was told there was no package or combination that would be near the prince that was "the" price to him.

He told him that he wasn't paying anything other than they price he'd be promised. He told them he didn't want it and they could come pick their "sh_t" up. They said he'd still be charged because there was a certain commitment period for the dear that was more than he'd been quoted.

He called the credit card issuer and reported the card "lost". He got a replacement with a new number in a few days, and said let's see them charge him now.

He's back with Dish Network now. I don't know if DirecTV picked their er - "sh_t:" up or not, but he didn't get charged anymore...

Jon
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Davidchsw
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Joined: 18 Jul 2010
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I looked up my account and sure enough it was set to auto renew. I prefer to be asked first for my money rather than just take it. Other than the voice mail magic jack works well for me and at a good price. As has already been said, I am sure people are being billed for service when they are not using it and are unaware about the charges. This is pretty deceptive.

David
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Diggs
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me


Joined: 14 May 2010
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Davidchsw wrote:
I am sure people are being billed for service when they are not using it and are unaware about the charges. This is pretty deceptive.

David


Isn't this what every phone company does? They bill you indefinitely for their service. I have never seen a phone company ask you if you want to renew your service for the next month. They automatically renew and bill you. Why would people expect differently of MJ? I don't see how this is deceptive when it is and has been the norm for phone companies for decades.
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robatino
MagicJack Expert


Joined: 29 Aug 2008
Posts: 97

PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Diggs wrote:
Davidchsw wrote:
I am sure people are being billed for service when they are not using it and are unaware about the charges. This is pretty deceptive.

David


Isn't this what every phone company does? They bill you indefinitely for their service. I have never seen a phone company ask you if you want to renew your service for the next month. They automatically renew and bill you. Why would people expect differently of MJ? I don't see how this is deceptive when it is and has been the norm for phone companies for decades.


It's deceptive because previously MJ did NOT do this - you had to pay manually each year. They introduced auto-renew and put everyone on it, without telling anyone. The MJ Knowledgebase on their web site still has no mention of auto-renew - in fact, it appears not to have been updated since before auto-renew started. My guess is that they'll delay updating it as long as possible.
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Diggs
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

robatino wrote:

It's deceptive because previously MJ did NOT do this - you had to pay manually each year. They introduced auto-renew and put everyone on it, without telling anyone. The MJ Knowledgebase on their web site still has no mention of auto-renew - in fact, it appears not to have been updated since before auto-renew started. My guess is that they'll delay updating it as long as possible.


Where would you like them to tell everyone? It is plainly written in their TOCs which by far exceeds the knowledge base with can dos and can't dos. (It is a legal document unlike the knowledge base.) Why would you think they would delay updating as long as possible? Do you really think this is a deal breaker and someone won't purchase a MJ because the default is auto-renew? I don't understand the issue here. All phone companies auto-renew. I would be upset if my phone expired and got shut off because it didn't renew. Besides, they give you the option to turn off auto-renew. Guess change just won't work for some people.
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robatino
MagicJack Expert


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Diggs wrote:
robatino wrote:

It's deceptive because previously MJ did NOT do this - you had to pay manually each year. They introduced auto-renew and put everyone on it, without telling anyone. The MJ Knowledgebase on their web site still has no mention of auto-renew - in fact, it appears not to have been updated since before auto-renew started. My guess is that they'll delay updating it as long as possible.


Where would you like them to tell everyone? It is plainly written in their TOCs which by far exceeds the knowledge base with can dos and can't dos. (It is a legal document unlike the knowledge base.) Why would you think they would delay updating as long as possible? Do you really think this is a deal breaker and someone won't purchase a MJ because the default is auto-renew? I don't understand the issue here. All phone companies auto-renew. I would be upset if my phone expired and got shut off because it didn't renew. Besides, they give you the option to turn off auto-renew. Guess change just won't work for some people.


The problem is not with new customers, but existing ones. AFAIK MJ only provides a copy of the TOS once, at signup, but not later, even if it changes. (I never got a copy of the revised TOS when auto-renew started. The only place I could find a copy is on a third party site, by googling.) YOU would be upset if your MJ didn't renew, but many people bought a MJ before auto-renew existed, stopped using it, and were never notified of auto-renew, a new TOS mentioning it, or that they were enrolled by default. They expected never to be charged again, since that was implied by the original TOS (the only one MJ ever sent them). It's not asking too much for MJ to contact customers when the TOS changes. All reputable companies do this. MJ has customer's email addresses so they could just use that at no cost to themselves.

Edit: In the TOS itself, there is a link to the current TOS, which still works:

http://www.magicjack.com/tos/

However, it's very hard to find a link to it from the MJ home page. I had to go to the Knowledgebase (good thing at least part of it had accurate information), search for "terms of service", then one of the matches is "Customer Contract", which gives the link.

Of course, you still don't get notified when it changes, so you'd have to save copies periodically and do diffs to find them. The average person wouldn't know how, so they'd have to carefully read the entire thing each time. (The current TOS does say "Although we may choose to notify you when changes are made to these Terms of Service", but in reality they never do that.)

The source of the TOS page contains the following code:
Code:

<META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX, NOFOLLOW">

which explains why a Google search doesn't find it - MJ wants it to be difficult, which isn't exactly a surprise.
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davrow
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me


Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Posts: 179

PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 1:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Diggs wrote:
I don't see how this is deceptive
The problem, Diggs, is that you are oversimplifying. You are looking at a single instance and basing your entire argument only on that one instance.

What the rest of us are saying is that Dan is unethical, MJ is unethical, and this is merely one more piece of substantiating evidence.
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ubgood
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 12 Oct 2009
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 6:35 pm    Post subject: They are not transferring my Credits nor my paid 5 years Reply with quote

Actually Once only I did talk to them years ago.
Anyway, I wanted a telephone number for a business and made a mistake to pick up a MagicJack.
All is good until the support or billing or customer service is needed.
Because they do not have any intelligent support behind that company and that they do not care at all about the

client (you).
First of all, they do not have a number that you can call.
Only a "Chat" room with you know whom...
One hour later they are starting to understand the problem after transferring me to a Top 10% (I guess it is a chat

supervisor ) but will not be able to fix my problem even 2 hours later.
If your MagicJack does brake (as they do, as they overheat) they may send you another one for it. That is if you

really, really, insist heavily.
The bad news is that the new MagicJack will be another number! The other bad news is that if you did pay for 5

years already you then will loose all the years you did not used, as the MagicJack License is not transferable from

One Number to another. Same for the money you had prepay on this account.
Anyway, I had 3 of them, and the tech support will still not recognize that I still should had the right to get my

PAID contract back for me to use on any of my telephone #.
So bottom line: You get what you pay for! Look at Verizon package phone service, or Vonage, or Skype, but MagicJack

is not recommended for quality communication (people cannot hear you well or your voice will be cut off and only

few words will be understood) even if you run the new downloaded version. MagicJack is not recommended for Business

as you cannot have more then 1 line.
I now use a professional Polycom voice overIP on the same internet line with no problem.
Sad experiences after almost 2 years using MagicJack...
I gonna use my MagicJack for Clay Pigeon shooting practice!
I do not have the heart to sale them online for you to buy and have a bad experience like me.
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bitstopjoe
Future magicJack CEO


Joined: 13 Sep 2008
Posts: 2844
Location: North East Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 6:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And had you taken the time to read here and other MJ forums first you would have read NOT to plug in your new MJ until you chatted FIRST with support. Then you would have had your orig number and time left transfered to the new MJ unit...Amazing huh??

I assume you mean BREAK not BRAKE...........Says a lot when you do not know the difference, but I won't say anything more on that.

2 1/2 years now with my MJ and not a burp, fart or any problem. MOST times it is a poor internet connection, router firmware, or your PC having crapware ( including an operator who only knows how to turn said PC on and nothing more)

Bye bye.....and make sure your MJ doesn't shoot back...
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nailgunner
MagicJack Sensei


Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 1548

PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It really is amazing to me Joe. MJ isn't perfect in a bunch of ways. But it beats any cell phone I have ever used. And except for an occasional glitch, is as good as any land-line I've ever used.

I would amend his statement to you don't get what you pay for and that's a monthly phone bill.

And you are 100% correct, a high % of issues are on the users end, not MJ. Even a good number of the "blocked number" posts turn out to be oops...it was something else.

Edit: And the fact that he posted this on an "Auto-Renew" topic and mentioned NOTHING about auto-renew, probably speaks a lot as to why he had difficulties getting a clear call on MJ.
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bitstopjoe
Future magicJack CEO


Joined: 13 Sep 2008
Posts: 2844
Location: North East Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent point which I totally missed... Not a mention of Auto-Renew and yet instead of making a new topic he hijacks one which has ZERO to do with what he is bitching about..
Maybe he even calls FORD when his GMC truck is having problems...

Oh well.....................
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Michael Pavacik
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 17 Aug 2011
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 11:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Never thought it was such a difficult thing to do that we needed a stick post on magicjack forum, anyhow, thanks for helping out.
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jrosetto
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 03 Jan 2012
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:41 pm    Post subject: webpage will not load. Reply with quote

The Magicjack website will not open. Is the site down?
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StanR
magicJack Apprentice


Joined: 15 Oct 2011
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 3:06 pm    Post subject: Auto-Renew 1 but not 2 MJ's Reply with quote

I bought the MJ+ and added it to an existing MJ account. I ported my landine to the MJ+. So: 1 account, 2 devices, 2 phone numbers. When I enable or diasable Auto-Renew it applies to both devices in my account.

Anyone know how to disable auto-renew for my MJ (and let it expire) but enable auto-renew for my MJ+?
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Matt9876
Dan Should Pay Me


Joined: 26 Jul 2008
Posts: 504

PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 3:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto-Renew 1 but not 2 MJ's Reply with quote

StanR wrote:

Anyone know how to disable auto-renew for my MJ (and let it expire) but enable auto-renew for my MJ+?


Just keep auto renewal turned off till the older MJ expires, then switch auto renewal back on for the MJ+.

If you manually need to add years to the MJ+ device it's easy to do.
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TheDoctah
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 19 Jan 2009
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:40 am    Post subject: Re: Auto-Renew 1 but not 2 MJ's Reply with quote

Matt9876 wrote:
StanR wrote:

Anyone know how to disable auto-renew for my MJ (and let it expire) but enable auto-renew for my MJ+?


Just keep auto renewal turned off till the older MJ expires, then switch auto renewal back on for the MJ+.

If you manually need to add years to the MJ+ device it's easy to do.



I did this, and then re-enabled auto renew about 1 week later so i don't forget and lose my MJ+ subscription.

However, MJ decided to back bill me for the original MJ subscription when i turned it back on. I was so peeved but didn't bother fighting them from my $20 back since its such a headache to deal with billing.
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black_icon
Dan isn't smart enough to hire me


Joined: 27 Sep 2011
Posts: 191
Location: out of nowhere

PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 11:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Auto-Renew 1 but not 2 MJ's Reply with quote

TheDoctah wrote:
Matt9876 wrote:
StanR wrote:

Anyone know how to disable auto-renew for my MJ (and let it expire) but enable auto-renew for my MJ+?


Just keep auto renewal turned off till the older MJ expires, then switch auto renewal back on for the MJ+.

If you manually need to add years to the MJ+ device it's easy to do.



I did this, and then re-enabled auto renew about 1 week later so i don't forget and lose my MJ+ subscription.

However, MJ decided to back bill me for the original MJ subscription when i turned it back on. I was so peeved but didn't bother fighting them from my $20 back since its such a headache to deal with billing.



If both MJ Plus and regular magicJack are registered under the same account and email, their auto-renewal feature is only one (same account). So, I would suggest you to leave the auto-renewal feature disabled for the meantime until the the regular MJ is deactivated from the account (60days after the expiration date). Once it's already deactivated, you can log back in to your account portal (my.magicJack.com) and enable back the said feature.
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timmage
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:06 pm    Post subject: Amazingly, auto renewed after being turned off long ago... Reply with quote

BE AWARE, apparently ol' Boris is getting a bit hungry and turned on the auto renew even if you have had it turned off for YEARS.

Check your credit card statements my friends.

If this has happened to many of you in TX please let me know, the TX A.G. loves these cases.
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Anjalena
magicJack Apprentice


Joined: 26 May 2009
Posts: 26
Location: Orono, Maine

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

lenw wrote:
Auto renew borders on the unscrupulous. Thanks for this information - I have disabled the auto part.
It should be against the law to auto renew without explicit instructions from the customer.
They have been unscrupulous in other ways as well. Before I bought mine, I was promised one free phone number switch and that Canadian area codes were "on the way". Canadian area codes are now somewhat available but now I am told the only way for me to get one is to buy a NEW Magic Jack. I am told existing customers (like me) don't have the right to make the promised change.
Not a nice way to do business. Just as auto renew is a sleazy thing to do. I really don't trust them one little bit. The only thing good about them is the low price. Yes it is cheap.


This change happened in 2009?! It only just happened on my account this year! I know because last year, as usual, my account ran out before I had the money to renew it and I lost my service for a couple of days. So this bullcrap is brand new to me!

This JUST happened to me! I got an email yesterday morning alerting me to a transaction, an auto renewal of my account, with an order # and everything. The email was sent to me at 4AM in the morning with an addendum in tiny print that if I wanted to change the order or cancel it, I needed to write back to them within ONE hour! W.T.F?!

Who gave them permission to put my account on auto renew? Certainly not me! I have to live off of $700 per month (U.S.). I'm very poor and only have that SSI check and that's it. I cannot afford to do auto-debits to my account at all. (the only one I have is my internet service and that's the only way they would do it) So I know darn tootin' that I didn't set up Auto Renew on my account.

And who gave them permission to access and use my debit card/bank account information? Shouldn't that be saved privately only for my use and only when I log in and specifically use that account to pay for a service?

I'm sorry for sounding so incensed, but this is all brand new to me and I'm just shocked and appalled! Not meaning to take it out on you guys. But I'm sending replies to magicjack and they say they've cancelled the order but my bank account is showing an incoming debit of around $30 though it's not listing what source yet. And my magicjack account is still showing my account being active until next year. I'm trying to get them to put me either on email or telephone with a Supervisor of some sort but they're giving me the run-around and it's not helping matters, to put it mildly. =(
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Palerider0098
magicJack Apprentice


Joined: 27 Sep 2012
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 6:34 am    Post subject: Disable Auto Renew Reply with quote

Honestly, I'd switch to a different provider given the recent issues that MJ is experiencing. They have been sued for Patent Infringements by Nettalk; the Court Docs were files on 9/21/2012 and now they are charging 19.95 a year for 500 monthly call forwarding minutes. They are no longer the Great Value which sucks, especially since I have 3 MJ's to replace now. You can attempt to get any answers from their live help, but I wouldn't bother as I have asked them many times about these issues and all I get is incorrect or B.S. answers from them.

Go to http://www.nettalk.com and check out their products; They offer a USB Model and an All in one that will work when connected to either a Network Jack or your Wi-Fi Connection. They will also port your current MJ number and they offer free call forwarding as well. MJ now charges for call forwarding and current users will lose this feature as well so there is no grandfathering for us.
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tc1uscg
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 18 Aug 2013
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

lenw wrote:
I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and I urge others to do the same


It's 2013. How did that complaint work out for ya? Rolling Eyes Not trying to be prick but MJ seems to be doing fine. Why? Because they don't have to answer to anyone. FCC can't touch'em. And that's who we should complain to, that is if they could do anything about it.
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MagicIdiot
MagicJack Newbie


Joined: 05 Mar 2014
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2014 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Obviously the interface for this has changed, but I immediately disabled this feature when I initially signed up. Guess what? It didn't matter, when I contacted MJ to be sure that they knew any charges were not authorized, they took it personal, sent me a message that evening (even though my service period was not expired) that stated I had 1 hour to reply to the message or they would process a charge. This took place at 11:30PM. So those scammers took their 29.95 and their stupid BS new "Admin" charge, which is Dirty Dan's way of just padding his greedy pockets. Man that guy is just rotten to the core and does it with a smile. Not an ounce of integrity in him.
Dirty Dan could own the world if he provided solid support and didn't use deceptive practices, but he would much rather have a staff and a life that involves monitoring the BBB, Ripoff comments and complaint board to offer rebuttals rather than just having a little integrity.
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