If you are an OFW or has a relative living in the Philippines and you want to buy them a Magic Jack read this post first to have some helpful insights.
Magic Jack has hit the Philippines in a big way. There are many people in North America taking advantage of this low cost device to stay in contact with
loved ones in the Philippines. The Magic Jack is usually purchased in the U.S. Or Canada and then
shipped to the Philippines. Once the device is installed on a computer in the Philippines the person using it can make unlimited calls to North America. While the Magic Jack website states that the device does not work on dial up,
Filipinos seem to be finding ways to make it work. However, reports I have received say that the Magic jack performs much better onDSL speed. One thing I know for sure is this device is going to put a major squeeze on some major phone companies like Vonage. They cannot possibly compete with Magic Jack when it comes to price.
If you want to use Magic jack internationally you must pay a fee per minute.
For the Philippines it is 18 cents per minute. But you can also buy another Magic Jack and send it to the persons you are calling there, if there are regular calls. After they install it, the callings will be free, as they are considered national callings. But it does makes sense only if you call frequently.
In closing I would make one suggestion. If you are going to buy a Magic Jack I would think twice before
buying in in the Philippines unless it is a reputable dealer. This does not include guys selling them on Ebay or in the newspaper. I know the tempation is to save on
shipping costs to the Philippines but being cheap is not always the answer. If you buy it from a reputable dealer, or the Magic Jack website you will at least have some recourse if the device does not function properly. If you buy one off the street in Manila good luck getting a refund.
