Is Magic, the Text Message Courier Service, actually Any Good?

Magic is the new on-demand service based in text messages. It’s designed for really busy people….or really lazy people. Some 8,600 people are currently trying to gain access to this “magical” service, which promises the ability to purchase practically anything by “texting your desires.” 

It works (in the U.S., anyway) by sending a text message to a number on the official Magic site. Assuming there aren’t 9,000 people in front of you, you’ll then register your information. This includes name, address, credit card number...you get the idea. The company utilizes payment processing service Stripe to deal with credit card details, allowing such details to remain hidden from Magic employees.  

After all your details are registered, you can use Magic to order basically anything so long as it’s not illegal. Trained Magic operators “figure out the rest,” and all fees and tips are included in the final price. 

Originally a side project, Magic creator Mike Chen notes this is hardly the case anymore.  

“It topped 10,000 incoming messages on Sunday and was closing in on 18,000 Monday morning. Magic's team of magicians on call … grew from two or three at launch to 18 on Sunday,” Chen told Mashable.  

Likened to ChaCha’s text-a-question-and-receive-an-answer service, Magic has already been used to request a tiger (as in the actual jungle cat), as well as less-fangy items and services, such as those for bike wrenches and help in court.  

So how magical is Magic? Popular perhaps due to its simplicity, the service is receiving mixed reviews. It promises quick service that’s “like magic,” with couriers scurrying to your door ready to give you what you wanted, but some argue it’s more like Amazon in that you receive your requested item in a few days’ time. One reviewer notes that even a fairly simple request, such as a delicious chicken parmesan sandwich, took nearly half an hour for a response, which said the restaurant with the very best sandwich was closed.  

The supposedly-speedy courier service could just be experiencing growing pains, and Chen acknowledges the company let too many people sign up in too short a time. 

“We under-predicted how badly people wanted to use the service,” he said in an email. “If we let in a group of people, almost all of them start using it within a few minutes, which is not typical for wait lists with lower-demand services. As of now, I can say that we are letting people in at the correct rate, and that the number-one top focus of the company is quality.” 

Will Magic work out its kinks? Will it become the next big delivery service, bringing clients their hearts’ desires quickly and efficiently? Time will certainly tell.