# How magic is MagicJack? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 28, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-magic-is-magicjack/569332 "2011-01-28T20:37:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-magic-is-magicjack/569332/21 "2011-01-30T08:50:54Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > It’s not, but having someway to communicate with parents and emergency services is. And neighbors often aren’t home these days. I rather suspect they are home as often as they were 20 years ago. And I wouldn’t be surprised if, by now, you can tweet 911. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-magic-is-magicjack/569332/22 "2011-01-30T15:41:35Z")
I don’t know what kind of internet service you use but mine offers a bundle with basic home phone service for 15 a month. You can pay for more features like long distance service but just the basic is 15. I even have an old corded phone hooked up in case the electricity goes out. I wouldn’t trust Magic Jack. I never hear anything good about it. Back when I was a youngin I babysat all the time without any sort of phone. We didn’t have one at our house until I was older. Somehow I managed not to damage anyone permanently. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hallucinex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba9def/32.png) [@Hallucinex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hallucinex)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-magic-is-magicjack/569332/23 "2011-01-30T16:37:21Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Buy a second charger and leave it at your house so at least if he has the phone, he can charge it if necessary. For that matter, could it be worth just picking up the cheapest little pre-paid mobile you can get with a few bucks credit on it and make sure it’s somewhere easily accessible when you’re out in case of emergency? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-magic-is-magicjack/569332/24 "2011-01-31T03:19:33Z")
All I know is that all the VOIP providers like MagicJack and Vonage carry a warning about how they are not capable of handling 911 calls properly. There are plenty of situations (loss of power, unreliable internet) where you will not be able to rely on them. Thus, for your application, I would not recommend using VOIP. The advice of a prepaid phone is good. As long as you have service, it doesn’t matter if you have minutes. Calls to 911 will still go through. Cellphones do handle 911 properly. And, yes, your money would be better spent on a second charger for the phone, so that all calls, whether to 911 or to you can come from the same phone. That’s easier for even an adult to manage, let alone a 12-year-old kid. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-magic-is-magicjack/569332/25 "2011-01-31T03:34:03Z")
> [@Bartman](#): > > No. Both the phone and charger are usually at his mother’s. Occasionally one or the other migrates to my home.Seriously, responsibility is not the issue here folks. You said your kid seems responsible enough to babysit but really only seem worried about the phone and the reason the phone is a problem is because he rarely uses it. My suggestion would be to either come up with a better phone solution for your house. Vonage has been suggested. Or. Get a second charger for your house and make sure (between you and mom) that the phone itself travels back and forth. That way he always has it on him and if the battery is low there’s a charger near by. If you don’t want to spring for a second charger just get him in the habit of plugging it in at night. Every non-smart phone I’ve had could easily go three days between charges, a week if could be turned off for 8 hours a day (like at school). Assuming he’s at mom’s at least 3 nights a week and she can make sure he keeps it plugged in and that it makes it to your house with him I’d think that would work. If that’s not feasible, I’d make the jump to a regular landline or Vonage. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-magic-is-magicjack/569332/26 "2011-01-31T05:29:42Z")
> [@Bartman](#): > > No. Both the phone and charger are usually at his mother’s. Occasionally one or the other migrates to my home.Seriously, responsibility is not the issue here folks. Can we all forget I mentioned it? If you want to start a discussion about how irresponsible I am by wanting my child to babysit, please take it elsewhere. I’ll even come and participate. If possible I would like to use this thread to discuss the reliability or lack there of, of Magic Jack. > > But it sounds like people don’t consider Magic Jack to be a reliable land line replacement. > > How about ooma? Has anyone tried that? > > Or is there some other alternative I am unaware of. I recommend Cell-Phone Charger. It’s a $19.99 one-time purchase at pretty much any store (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc.) and works with a variety of existing cell phones. Just plug in your son’s cell phone and _boom_ problem solved. (Seriously…I’m an empathetic, warm-and-fuzzy guy usually. But I just can’t understand your insistence on buying some new gadget and paying extra when the solution is so obvious and requires minimal effort on everyone’s part. Unless you want to buy MagicJack or some other VOIP system and are just looking for a reason to try it. In that case, by all means, try it out–no need to rationalize.) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-magic-is-magicjack/569332/27 "2011-01-31T16:46:00Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > If he’s not responsible enough to maintain a cell phone, he’s not responsible enough to babysit. Then I guess I’m not responsible enough to be a parent! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-magic-is-magicjack/569332.md?page=1)