FreedomPop

Telecom
1

I didn't see a thread here for this MVNO, so I thought I'd start one.

Sign Up
Their free BYOD activation promo has expired, but they still have a $0.99 one:
http://www.freedompop.com/byodpromo8

Starts you on two free trials, so be sure to downgrade under both Plans AND Services in the first month.

Free Data
Basically, you get 500 MB free data every month, plus another 500 MB bonus every month for connecting with 10 "FreedomPop Friends" in your account. That bonus persists as long as you keep at least 10 "Friend" connections (meaning, you don't have to add 10 new ones every month). Add as many friends as you can from the most recent pages of this thread at Slickdeals and you should be good for 1000 MB free data per month going forward:
https://slickdeals.net/f/5276432-freedompop-friends

You also get "minutes" and "texts" on the free plan, but only through FreedomPop's VOIP app. I don't even bother with that, I just use Hangouts / Google Voice as my VOIP provider of choice. You need to install the FreedomPop Messaging app to activate the device, but once you are activated, you can uninstall it and continue using the free data.

Add-on for "real cell" minutes
The "Premium Voice" add-on ($3.99/month) gives you 200 real cellular minutes per month. It used to be outgoing only, and there was some trickery involved to force it to use cellular, but they've since added a "Incoming Premium Voice Preference" which you can enable in your account settings. I just tested and it worked for incoming and outgoing on the native phone dialer. Of course, it uses your FP phone number, but you could use it in conjunction with Google Voice and forwarding to use your GV number on it. (Real cell minutes on Sprint aren't that valuable to me, so I don't plan to keep this "Premium Voice" service beyond the free trial.)

GSM SIM cards
This is all for their BYOD CDMA service. They also offer SIM cards for GSM data service on the AT&T network, although "Premium Voice" isn't an option there and the free data allotment is slightly lower -- 200 MB base, 700 MB total after adding 10 "FreedomPop Friends." The LTE SIMs are currently $1.99 (and during the checkout process you get offered a second $0.01 "bonus" SIM) -- you can buy a bunch and rotate through them on the same device, if you need more data. They also have "Global" GSM SIMs (for $0.01) that work internationally as well as in the U.S. but they aren't LTE -- maybe a good choice for a backup / international travel SIM.

Overages / Billing
If you don't have a balance on your account, they will bill you when you are within 100 MB of your monthly plan limit. So if you have 1000 MB free per month, they will charge you $15 after you hit 900 MB. That $15 goes into your balance and will be used to pay overages if you exceed your plan limit. Their stated reason for charging before your limit is because of reporting delays. You can add $5 to your balance to cover overages instead (called "Disable Auto-Topup" in your account's billing settings) and your balance won't expire except you will need to click to renew it after awhile, I think. (Likewise accounts/plans don't expire due to inactivity, but they can go dormant if unused for awhile and you'll have to sign in to "re-activate" (for free) to get back online again.)

You can keep a credit card on file, or connect it to a PayPal account. I formerly used a prepaid card on my account but they have blocked that now. Many folks use a virtual credit card from their credit card company; others set up a special PayPal account with minimal funding. Still others link FreedomPop to PayPal, but then revoke the authorization in PayPal. I guess if FP tries to bill you though and it fails, they could shut down your account.

I'm pretty careful, and I don't use a ton of data anyway, so I keep a zero balance and haven't had any problems. I set my devices to limit mobile data at 200 MB below my plan limit (although I've never reached that threshold). I also use this FreedomPop API Python script as a basis for automating my usage checks / reports:
https://github.com/dodysw/fpopclient

My Conclusion
I happen to have both the CDMA and GSM models of the LG G2, so I have them both on FreedomPop free data now, sharing one Hangouts / Google Voice number. I will switch between the devices as coverage and data usage dictate.

2

I should add, while you can have more than 1 device or SIM card on a FreedomPop account, it is recommended to create new accounts for each where possible. That works best with that Python API script I linked above, and it seems like the safest way to ensure that all your devices get their "FreedomPop Friends" data bonus -- plus it allows you to be your own "FreedomPop Friend."

3

Wow, Awesome! I can't wait to try!! :slight_smile:

4

Yeah, that Python API client is pretty cool, I've got it emailing my usage reports now. Surprised it hasn't been discussed more? Maybe I shouldn't be publicizing it or FP could close it...

5

I have had extraordinary luck, with FreedomPop. I've never felt scammed and have gotten far more than my money's worth.

I have two global hotspots and two Sprint network hotspots that get 1.2-1.5 GB of data, per month, after sharing.

And I have an assortment of global SIMs that are in a variety of devices that we have.

I pay for rollover on four SIMs and am saving that data for a rainy day. It also helps keep me from feeling like a freeloader. At $3.99/500MB it's reasonable and I donate the remaining data to my hotspots.

For a total monthly investment of $15.96 I get more than 8 GB plus another 2 GB rolled over for the future.

I end up giving lots of data away but it's a fun little universe to be part of and I hope they stick around for years to come.

6

So I've loaded the api.py onto two linux boxes and getting the error message:

File "api.py", line 5

^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

:frowning:

EDIT: NEVER MIND... Looks like the download process screwed up the file. Will try again. :slight_smile:

EDIT2: Worked ... This is BRILLIANT! Awesome sauce!! This will be VERY helpful! Thanks again!

7

One thing that I found out.. If you get one of their Global SIMs it comes Live... Soooo.... if you are going to cancel/opt-out any of the add-ons after (or during the first month) you will need to go online and do it in the first 30 days... Don't think (like I did) that since you haven't "activated" the SIM in a phone that your 30 days isn't ticking away...

8

Good point. As a rule, I pretty much downgrade evetything immediately after ordering. I don't need the extra data for a month anyway.

9

Also, in addition to downgrading your Plan and Service, there is one more freebie to which you can subscribe -- the free Global 100 minutes under International. I haven't really used it yet but it might come in handy someday!

10

Been w/ FP since 2013 and never had a surprise charge. You just have to read everything carefully before clicking and learn to monitor/manage your usage.

Even when w/ RingPlus+, we used a number of FP hotspots or unlocked hotspots w/ Global SIM cards to augment our data when out and about. All our numbers are with Google Voice, so it's pretty low risk moving the phones back to FP for now. We're all enjoying the Premium Voice trial though most likely all but my mother's line will probably downgrade before the trial ends. She's the only talker of the group, the rest of us are light data users and we rely on Hangouts for messaging/texting.

Not happy RingPlus+ went away, but glad to still have some free options. We activated a spare phone w/ CellNuvo as well just to try it out. So far so good on all fronts.

Cheers.

11

OK, here's the deal:
Using the exact, correct URL & account credentials I logged in to check on the support ticket...
At which page I was told to log in again, and again, and again - but no getting past there.

The cancellation confirmation email DID arrive as previously quoted;
(I am neither incompetent nor stupid, thanks.)

So:
Since proceeding with this online was out - I called instead, and got to an agent in a couple of minutes.

Now all this has been doubly confirmed via that conversation:
A - This was a system failure on their system's part;
2 - Their billing system IS having errors;
C - Their support ticket system was/is down (hence the failed log ins...);
4 - Even though the account is visible & reachable, right now their support is not fully online.

Results:
1 - Full refund granted & confirmed via email;
B - Downgrade finally processed manually by the agent.

Conclusion:
I did nothing incorrectly, their system is a mess.

This is our 5th time trying their various different products & services.

No matter how diligently the downgrading instructions have been followed, at least 4 of those tries have necessitated a follow-up phone call to actually get the downgrade done - and most of those also needed refunds processed manually as well.

In their favour:
Their phone agents are generally quite helpful and pleasant even if they are mostly NOT native english speakers & usually a bit difficult to communicate with due to the language differences.

Final bottom lines with regards to us & FP :
We have their 'global SIM' on a free account - which may even get used in something, someday - but until then that number is used via their app on a wifi-only Android - so that is OK.

We also have their AT&T SIM on a free account as of today, and that will likely also be used in a device we have not yet bought that will be .needing a very small amount of services at some future date.

Aside of that, if/when I cross the hurdle of getting the correct SIP credentials for both accounts I will likely also set them up via a softphone app so they'll get a little usage now & then...

BUT:
We will not try any more of their wonderful 'NEW' offers - that ship has sailed off into the sunset & will not be returning to this port !!

PS - final confirmation from the billing summary page:
Feb 15, 2017 5:52 PM ######## Refund - $19.99

12

"A - This was a system failure on their system's part;
2 - Their billing system IS having errors;
C - Their support ticket system was/is down (hence the failed log ins...);
4 - Even though the account is visible & reachable, right now their support is not fully online.

1 - Full refund granted & confirmed via email;
B - Downgrade finally processed manually by the agent.

I did nothing incorrectly, their system is a mess.

This is our 5th time trying their various different products & services.

No matter how diligently the downgrading instructions have been followed, at least 4 of those tries have necessitated a follow-up phone call to actually get the downgrade done - and most of those also needed refunds processed manually as well."

Thanks for sharing this detailed description of the outcome.

It really seems very worrisome if this has already happened to you on previous occasions as it clearly indicates the company has been aware of deficiencies in their billing system and has failed to correct them. This was not a one time "glitch."

Knowingly allowing a system to behave in this manner suggests, if one were to look on it in the most favorable light, egregious managerial incompetence.

If a company cannot be relied upon to perform this core business function correctly, it is hard to feel comfortable being a customer of such a service.

13

Out of curiosity, what was the erroneous charge for? Is it still listed on the billing overview page in your account?

For future reference, if you change your payment method to something that they can't charge (PayPal with the authorization revoked), you might avoid some of these headaches. Glad you got a resolution though.

For what it's worth, I have 9 orders/accounts with them over the past 2 years and zero issues. Good luck / bad luck? Even the problems I've read about, it sounds like they have always been reachable and fully willing to fix things. One could do a lot worse than that, like our dearly departed RingPlus! :slight_smile:

14

Thanks for your kind thoughts in response Oldbooks1.

My 2.5 cents on this matter...
This may be overly simplistic thinking on my part...but, I think thusly:

In such a situation this may be the best path to profit via just casually doing just what we've experienced with FP.

Like so:
Offer a 'free trial', charge for it very punctually pretty much no matter what the user does in trying to pre-emptively cancel it, then just count upon the large number of folks who are not attentive enough in reading CC charges to allow a great many of said charges to stand - perhaps even for many months before they are noticed.

I say all the above because I had suggested their SIM deal to a distant friend, who got it, never used or activated it - then discovered a bunch of charges had occured without being noticed, months later - then felt responsible enough to let those stand whilst contacting them to cancel the unused (but paid for) services.

In today's world it seems quite likely (to me) that there will be a significant number of folks who do not have the time for, or simply do not make it a regular chore to read all the charges posted to their CC accounts monthly.

I do so simply because we are engaged in a determined effort to reduce our CC 'debt' so as to actually have a little 'disposable income' someday soon...and also because after all the previously identical occurrences I was expecting this to happen despite my efforts to the contrary - and it did happen just as expected.

15

Is there any reason to consider getting the FP Global SIM instead of the FP domestic AT&T/LTE SIM if it will only be used in the US?

16

No difference in the ongoing pricing structure so the only reasons would be:

  1. You want an automatic UK VPN
  2. You prefer T Mobile to AT&T
  3. You're worried about accidentally using up your allotment at LTE speeds
  4. You like a bit of latency
17

More lag! :slight_smile:

18

"For future reference, if you change your payment method to something that they can't charge (PayPal with the authorization revoked), you might avoid some of these headaches. "

I am interested in learning more about this because it seems similar in nature to what was often discussed on the RingPlus forum namely using virtual cards with extremely low limits.

In looking around the web I have been unable to find really clear and detailed explanations of the implications of these approaches.

Here is how I currently look at the matter and would appreciate any clarification/correction/additional information.

There are really three separate issues:

  1. the contract which states what services will be provided and what that costs are

  2. the billing system which is how a customer is charged. If a charge is in accordance with the contract it is valid otherwise, it is not.

  3. the payment mechanism which is how the merchant receives the funds.

Virtual cards and Paypal payment authorization revocations only affect 3) which means that it simply becomes difficult or impossible for a merchant to collect through the payment method of record.

It does nothing to "protect" against wrongful billing. If one does not address the "wrongful" billing the balance can indeed be deemed an unpaid debt that is enforceable by any means provided by law.

Is this correct or not?

Thanks.

19

i had freedompop for a year and they're only good for data the voip calling is useless! i bought a global sim for $1 when they had a soecial and it never worked. tbere is no support unless you pay for it and if you do you cant understand what they're saying

20

Agree about FP's data being their strength. With RP+'s going under, my family's numbers are all in Google now and we brought our phones back to FP for the data but use Hangouts for calls rather than the FP app.

Can you post what you're doing/seeing when trying to use the Global SIM card? Maybe some of us can help.

I have 10 Global SIMs that I rotate through an unlocked GSM hotspot and they all work fine. I've also used in an unlocked phone oversees in Germany and Austria and they worked as advertised. HSPA+ speeds, UK IP address (so long latency times in US), but it was really fast in Europe.

FP's support is best on FB or Twitter when you Direct Message them. They've typically responded and corrected problems within 24-48 hours for me.