magicJack VocalTec, Ltd. YMAX CORP., VocalTec Communications LLC (Stratus Telecommunications) Long time customer, Rip off of local phone service, change of service not known in advance, lies, wants more money, very deceptive West Palm Beach, Florida

I have been a long time user of Magic Jack. We were using the basic jack that you plug into your PC for service but when they came out with Magic Jack Plus (Which doesn't require use of a PC) we bought that one and changed our telephone number as well. We pay by the year but have been considering paying for the five year program. Well, till now I have had pretty much no problems. Rebooting once in awhile but nothing severe. However, in the last two weeks we have been totally unable to dial any LOCAL numbers in our area code. Not even our next door neighbor, the local pharmacy, nobody local! I thought it must be a glitch. So I kept waiting. Using our cell to dial local numbers. But when using our Magic Jack Plus it will give us two types of messages. One being this. "Were sorry, due to Verizon not paying what is owed to Magic Jack, your call will not complete at this time". We also received this error message more often than the other. " To call a conference line or a plat Form please visit us at my.magic.com/prepaid". I mean really? I am not trying to call any conference call. Just my neighbor or friends in my area code here in Georgia. Well anyway. Here is what the Tech told me (Posted below as a copy and paste of the entire conversation but omitting phone numbers). After our conversation ended I decided to come here and warn others, your not going to get what you pay for. Beware is all I am saying.

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You are now chatting with 'Jake'
Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK554081841260X
Jake: Hello, how may I help you?
Nina: I have a question about something that has been going on for two weeks
Jake: May I know the exact nature of your problem with full details please?
Nina: Every time I try to call someone in area code 706 it says Verizon hasn't paid their bill and it will NOT let me dial anyone in that area code, and I LIVE in that area code
Jake: May I have your magicjack phone number please?
Nina: It is a MUST that I be able to dial in that area code, my number is XXX-XXXXXXX
Jake: can you give me 3 sample phone numbers you tried to call which you hear that message?
Nina: Today I am getting this error message " To call a conference line or a plat Form please visit us at my.magic.com/prepaid". It hasn't let me call ANYONE
Nina: in 706 area code
Nina: My brother in law number is 706-XXXXXXX
Nina: 706-XXXXXXX
Nina: 706-XXXXXXX
Jake: One moment please...
Nina: None of the number to my brother in law, the dr. office, or my landlord or anyone in court houses or transfer station work, I;ve tried just random numbers too it gives me the same message
Jake: One moment please...
Nina: Something about Verizon hasn't paid their bill and call cannot be completed, and the other message is about the conference call which I am NOT trying to make. I can call any other area code and do not get that problem
Nina: Currently I am having to use my Cell phone to make calls that are here locally, and that is running my bill up
Jake: Nina, since you hear that message already now then you need to purchase prepaid minutes through your magicjack account in order to connect to those numbers. As what we clearly stated on our Terms of Service... 4. What Is Free and What is Not... and your area code is no longer free.
Jake: We may require prepaid purchase and/or we may charge you for calls to conference lines,  platforms and certain non-ILEC area calls (plus others now), or any call wherein we incur a cost from another carrier (such as your phone company in area code 706 who now wishes to not participate). We may provide for a fee, premium prepaid services, which may be powered by YMAX Communications Corp. (YMAX), and may include some inbound, international, conference, platform and outbound calls that receive a recording and certain calls to non-ILEC areas, and the rates for those services will be governed by listed price lists or tariffs.
Nina: Look, I have never had this problem before, I live in this area code. I have had magic jack for 3 years now and I just now started having this problem. Why is this
Nina: I am NOT doing a conference line, I am trying to call NEXT DOOR, or across town. Nothing works in this area code and it just started in the laast few weeks
Jake: May I know who owned this number:  706-XXX-XXXX?
Nina: my land lord
Nina: next door
Jake: Since you already hear that message then you need to purchase a prepaid minutes on your magicjack account in order to call your local numbers in area code 706, we apologize. But it is the rules now.
Nina: Prepaid to call in states? since when did that start
Nina: I've called these numbers for three years
Jake: That is the only way to call that area code Nina because you already hear that when you tried to use the magicjack to call that number
Nina: So, your telling me that I pay one fee now for a year of service unlimited but in order to call someone in the United States who lives right next door I now after three years have to pay extra?
Jake: Yes, you need to purchase a prepaid minutes for that magicjack for use with your area code.
Nina: I will be reporting this to the B.B.B., officially filing a complaint with Ripoffreport.com and contacting my States Attorney Generals office to file an official complain, this is a rip off. Mind you, this is not the last you will be hearing of me.!
Jake: I am sorry you feel that way, have a good night.