Have 3 Tello accounts, none from which I've made any calls, texts, or data use for about 1 year. Two of those accounts have under $2 each, and one has $0 for about 1 year.
I logged in recently and they appear all to be still active. Haven't tried to call, text, or use data.
I guess I'm a nervous type (and I have more than $2 in my PayGo accounts, so perhaps that justifies my nervousness).
But, I did have an Aha! moment about an easier way to make sure I have some use every 90 days. SuccessOne reported that Tello sends texts to his/her lines to make sure they don't go inactive. So, I tried sending a text to a Tello PayGo line, and did not turn the phone on to receive the text. Sure enough, it shows as a $0.01 charge in my Tello dashboard. (It did take a couple of days for the charge to show up.) So now, I don't have to remember to dig the phone out of the glovebox to make a call, or load the Tello app. I can just text each of the 2 phones from my primary line.
KentE wrote :But, I did have an Aha! moment about an easier way to make sure I have some use every 90 days. SuccessOne reported that Tello sends texts to his/her lines to make sure they don't go inactive. So, I tried sending a text to a Tello PayGo line, and did not turn the phone on to receive the text. Sure enough, it shows as a $0.01 charge in my Tello dashboard. (It did take a couple of days for the charge to show up.) So now, I don't have to remember to dig the phone out of the glovebox to make a call, or load the Tello app. I can just text each of the 2 phones from my primary line.
Chelle wrote:I keep my Tello PAYG lines alive by using the Tello app. I haven't turned on the actual phones in well over a year.
Woops if you are in an area of no service, neither sending a text message to my phone or calling the line shows up on the dashboard.(it will probably charge my account whenever I do get to an area with service). However turning on the phone and making a call through the app does work and shows up as activity, which is a whole lot better than having to drive 90 miles to where I do have service.
On a whole different side note I discovered the tello app has cheaper priced international rates for me than google voice or tracfone. and works great! wherever I have wifi.
The charge will show up eventually if you text your phone and never power it on or go into a service area, it might take 2-3 days though.
I am comfortable with Lycamobile pay as you go for 4 months , now I receive a text that I have to select a monthly plan in 30 days or the account will force to close.
Anyone have experience how to keep it? I am tired to find another carrier and go through the tedious port out process.
Thanks
Check out this HoFo thread:
https://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1913322-Lycamobile-ending-prepaid-(no-plan-option)
There was always the threat of lyca discontinuing this hidden paygo plan. Nothing you can do about it. If you want stable then consider the $3 a month tmobile prepaid plan. Or something like truphone is reliable (ATT)
If you have to find another carrier anyway, I would highly recommend Tello's "Pay As You Go" as a replacement for your Lycamobile phone service, as long as you get good Sprint coverage where you live (or drive the most, since the phone's in your glove compartment). As has been noted earlier in this thread, your balance never expires as long as you make at least one call or text every 3 months, and you can recharge your account for as little as $5 at a time. You can check out more details on Tello's FAQ page (just scroll down to the Pay As You Go section) to see if this might work for you: Tello Mobile | Frequently Asked Questions | Help Center
Good luck with your "relocation", no matter where you end up. Hope it goes smoothly for you!
I don't even turn on my Tello phones. I have their dialer app installed on my T-Mobile phone and use it to make a call every three months.
I don't even check mine and they seem to keep ticking along. I know a couple get spam calls and things that I seem to get charged for so that probably counts but a couple of others I have gone over 3 months without activity and they haven't done anything about it.
If @tom88 doesn't need data, the FreeUp free plan is not bad. I agree with mmfacemm's suggestion of the Truphone Paygo sim with free incoming calls is a good option.
I don't see how FreeUp can survive without anyone paying. It is just matter of time before it is gone. Why bother another migration or risk losing your number?
I have two paid FU accounts and there are others here on Nth that also have paid accounts. So some people are paying by mainly printing coupons, but will that be enough to make FU sustainable? I and some others use GV, so losing one's FU# is not a problem. How many people remain on a free plan without upgrading to a paid plan will probably partially determine FU's fate, or a least the fate of the free plan, which FU may do away with.
Their paid plans are reasonable. Maybe us nth circle "freeloaders" are only a fraction of their subscriber numbers? Also, even if the business fails, would the phone numbers really be lost without sufficient warning? I feel like based on the way FU is running their operation, they would be able to fail/shut down gracefully. The rewards program is run by a third-party (Billaway), so I'm not factoring in inconsistent coupon credits into my assessment.
I've always considered FreeUP's free plan to be a 'teaser' rate, intended to remove any worries about whether or not one can earn enough to pay for, or significantly defray the cost of the paid plans. As such, I expect the free plan will go away, or be downgraded again in allotments at some point in the future, or be made a limited-time plan. Assuming they're watching the subscriber distribution, I don't see the free plan as being a problem of sustainability for anything other than the free plan.
Even if the free plan doesn't impact FreeUP's sustainability, there are still all the other risks of a small MVNO.
I only use about 2 minutes and 2 MB per month, and I print coupons every day.
They're not losing money on me.
Same here. In fact, I must be a cash cow for them, given that I print coupons but don't get any credits for printing -- so coupons.com pays them, but they don't pay me. I use zero mb of data per month, zero minutes, and about 5 texts -- to reverify my phone number every week with coupons.com in the ever-optimistic quest for those coupon credits! A few more suckers like me, and Freeup will be in business forever!
MOO! Me too... or is that Me MOO?
Got 1 sim to test initially and a then few more for family members that rarely use cell phones but like to have them for emergencies.
This seemed like the best GSM alternative to Tello for low usage with minimum interaction and with the company founder's pedigree, unlikely to disappear without the opportunity to port out valuable numbers.
So I find it almost meditative to put my mind on hold and print coupons even though the balance is not being touched.
Is Lycamobile paygo is still functioning for users with a balance?
If the below posts are true, it probably isn't.
"The text message reads: "ALERT! In 30 days, we are discontinuing Pay-As-You-Go service and your service will be suspended regardless of any account balance. For continuous service, purchase a plan at Lycamobile.us"
https://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1913322-Lycamobile-ending-prepaid-(no-plan-option)
EDIT: On this Hofo post, Lycamobile Paygo users state their phones are working as of 5/20.
https://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1913322-Lycamobile-ending-prepaid-(no-plan-option)/page5