Charging MajicJack 911 fees? Good grief...

[CoolBreeze]

Kanawha County’s Emergency Operations Center and Kanawha Commission President Kent Carper, acting as the center’s president, are in negotiations to settle a complaint they filed last year against ultra-cheap phone provider majicJack.

The county charged majicJack and an affiliated company, Ymax Communications Corp., with failing to collect and remit 911 fees.

The county argued that the companies’ failure to collect and remit the fees results in lower revenues for Metro 911, directly impacts the ability to fund vital communications services, and gives majicJack an unfair advantage over other service providers.

MajicJack and Ymax have contended that they do not provide interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.

Rather, the companies have said that majicJack sells a device and licenses the software.

Ymax gives customers the option of getting a phone number and of receiving calls by subscribing to majicIn service.

MajicJack gives customers the option of making outgoing calls by subscribing to magicOut service.

The state Public Service Commission staff didn’t buy this argument. It sided with the county.

The companies have since said that although they comply with all laws, “we do believe a surcharge is in order.”

A hearing scheduled last week was postponed when both sides asked to suspend the schedule “in order to facilitate continued settlement negotiations.”

[AmpedNow]

Looks like an ol' boy shakedown to me.

Part of the price of doin' business in these parts.