So, my dad was tired of not being able to reach me since I no longer have a phone. He sent me a cordless home phone and magicJack. The phone connects to the magicJack which you plug into a USB port on the computer and you make calls through your DSL line. It also stores your contacts on a program on your computer.
It's one of those As Seen on TV products that you're not really supposed to trust. But my dad heard good things from people who have used it and wanted me to try it. So far, it's working really well. The service is unlimited local and long distance calls for $20 a year. Which is nice for me since the last thing I need is another monthly bill. Plus, when you buy the device, the first year comes with the purchase so I won't need to pay anything for a year. The only catch is that we need internet in order to use it but that's really no problem for us.
In a fit of paranoia, I looked it up online. There are a lot of complaints about their customer service, connection issues, and billing (for people who did the free trial). A lot of those issuing complaints call it a scam. So far I haven't run into any problems but we'll see how it goes.
I had heard of Skype before he sent me this but hadn't looked into it. I guess it's kind of similar only without video. I don't really like talking on the phone so I only use it when I have to. Skype would be kind of a waste on me anyway.
I'm still wary of products like these so I won't be surprised if it ends up being a total piece of crap. For the time being, however, I haven't been given any reason to consider it a scam. I've called my parents on it and everything's in working order. Yay phone service.
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