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Comments on news posted 2014-08-07 18:01:04: When I first came across FreedomPop advertising their free services, I naturally figured that it was too good to be true. ..

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RossFromPhil
@66.249.83.x

RossFromPhil

Anon

these people are over exaggerating

ive had a hotspot 4 months not one over charge.its seems they changed alot at freedompop including the system.people that say bad things and never had service look like fools.how can you speak on something you dont know about? your missing out big time and look like some mr know it alls.yes people did have problems in the past.freedompop fixes problems and responds to emails fast so if they charge you they will fix it.FYI if you do a charge back because you can't wait 2 days for a refund, freedompop will shut off your free hotspot. i dont blame them.if you don't have patients you deserve being shut off because your getting this negative information on the internet.if you believe things you read on the internet without doing the research, you are a fool.i won't be responding to any post so feel free to bash me.all i know is im chilling, surfin with my free hotspot.
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned) to ITGeeks

Member

to ITGeeks

Re: This explain a lot

said by ITGeeks:

1- TracFone and all of the other true MVNOs pay a great deal to be an MVNO, those costs and requirements are NOT cheap by any means.

Cheaper than building towers buying spectrum and paying for maintenance I can assure you.

2- the Gov't did NOT force them to open their networks.

Yes they did.
spamster
join:2009-11-27
Yonkers, NY

spamster to ITGeeks

Member

to ITGeeks

Re: 4G Only?

Honestly, I'm not sure, but I don't really care since the service is free.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536 to inteller

Premium Member

to inteller

Re: They have billing cycles, but they don't honor their billing cycles....

Sounds a lot like the magicjack crooks. i wonder if they own this company.

SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

SeattleMatt to RossFromPhil

Premium Member

to RossFromPhil

How is this FREE?

So, checked it out - chose the 500GB FREE plan - it says though I'll then have to pay $9.99 / month after the 1st month for the "Premier Plan"...

Played around with the "carry over" option - which is $3.99 / month. Still a damn nice deal, but not free.

Walked through carefully as the author suggested - wonder if they've done away with it.

JimThePCGuy
Formerly known as schja01.
MVM
join:2000-04-27
Morton Grove, IL

JimThePCGuy

MVM

How long will the 4G (not LTE) service be around

Since FP rides on Clear's WiMax network how long is it going to be before you no longer have service or need to migrate to a more costly LTE plan?
Current feeling is a bit over a year give or take.

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958

Premium Member

Be careful about that 1 cent

"I was very careful with the registration process as well as reading their emails to me and was able to activate the router without winding up with any monthly fees or other charges, except for a $.01 charge on my credit card"

1 cent is what will show up when someone gains access to your bank or credit card first just to see if they actually have access. After that, holy h**l can break loose!

Been there and done that and luckily my bank caught it. Had some nimrod trying to charge all kinds of crap from iTunes!!

inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

1 recommendation

inteller to ArrayList

Member

to ArrayList

Re: They have billing cycles, but they don't honor their billing cycles....

I disputed it directly with them and they gave me the usual "since you've been a great customer we will give you this one time courtesy credit" I hate it when companies say that shit, like them NOT ripping you off is out of the goodness of their hearts.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

1 edit

tmc8080

Member

seems too good to be true

well, yes and no..
I was on the fence about FP and I said no..
HSN had a good deal on the LG Dynamic 2 bundle deal w/ 1200mins/txt/data (tracfone)and I went for that instead. Technically, if you can hop on low cost or free wifi (or hack some you never need a voice OR data plan under a smart phone / tablet device. It's all about the convenience.. there are too many horror stories about the got-ya's and catch-22's with this service where they will end up charging you SOMETHING down the line..

IF they could just be upfront with their customers and not do any bad things to them, it might be worth the hassle. However, they've done things such as charge inactivity fees, over the limit fees when customers actually did NOT go over the limit, etc. It sounds worse than oil companies & banks at this rate.. why get caught up in that from a cell carrier?!?

How about they charge $20 for 20gb of data with a 1-year (wifi hotspot thingy) expiry and LEAVE YOU THE HELL ALONE!! Unless they do something like that, they can shove their service.. I'd rather hop on free wifi instead.

inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

inteller to sman83

Member

to sman83

Re: If You Know What You're Doing

there is a difference between reading the fine print and having to walk through a virtual minefield. They remind me of those adware vendors who flip the OK and cancel buttons through a software install.....and then install anyways.
inteller

inteller to JimThePCGuy

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to JimThePCGuy

Re: How long will the 4G (not LTE) service be around

some areas are already turned off. it happened here. and when I requested an exchange of the device they wanted $140!!! These devices they had out are as good as trash.
ihatedslr
join:2000-12-11
US

1 edit

ihatedslr

Member

Really free?

Is it really fee, or is the service plan $0, but there are taxes, fees, etc. that amount to something other than $0?
iolaire
join:2001-06-29
Arlington, VA

iolaire

Member

I'm a long time user with FreedomPop and am happy

I read about people who feel they are scammed by FreedomPop and don't really know what to say other than - what did you expect with a "free" service? Going into FreedomPop it was clear there would be hoops to jump through, they provide a free service and need to upsell people to pay for that free service.

I've purchased four FreedomPop product and am happy with them all and also have been able to limit upsells... I've had a few of the standard issues, $2 monthly charges for non use that were supposed to be stopped at some point - but a ticket fixed that. Calling into customer support takes a long time.

First I purchased a puck that rand on the CLEAR network, it was ok by very line of sight and didn't work in buildings and next a iPod Sleeve that added data to my iPod, that worked well and I still use it as a basic hub for my wife's iPad when we travel. Then I purchased the first FreedomPop phone the HTC Design G4, that was an ok data product but the phone it self left a lot to be desired, but with three batteries it could be used for a day. I don't use voice or text but that data works as advertised.

Finally I purchased the iPhone 5 once released by FreedomPop. The phone itself works well, the data connection is great usually 4G, I'm finally a happy camper feeling like I have a real phone. I did have some complaints, they claim the phones are refurbished but mine was not, it still had a screen protector on it and no headphones. The battery is close to being 20% bad where Apple recommends replacing the battery. I did send it back due to the battery issue and they returned it with no changes! But in the end I decided to keep it, if I have to drop $30 for a new battery replacement kit is not the end of the world. I have my account on auto top up and am careful about the data used, last month FreedomPop got about $2 from me in overage. Via slick deals I have so many FreedomFriends that I have full gig free each month.

Anyway its a free service, work within the rules and you can get free service, if you neglect to click the right box, or accept some "free" offer that charges you after it ends, then you will get some charges - but those are far less than other data products.
iolaire

iolaire to ihatedslr

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to ihatedslr

Re: Really free?

You have to pay for the device, if you follow all the rules/limits it is completely free for the monthly service.
iolaire

iolaire to JimThePCGuy

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to JimThePCGuy

Re: How long will the 4G (not LTE) service be around

Almost all the current devices are on Sprints 4G (LTE) network. I don't think they are pushing the CLEAR products anymore, unless maybe as some sort of refurbished option.
iolaire

iolaire to AmericanMan

Member

to AmericanMan

Re: 4G Only?

On the iPhone 5 and HTC Design 4G it uses both 4G and 3G, I don't know about the pucks.

JimThePCGuy
Formerly known as schja01.
MVM
join:2000-04-27
Morton Grove, IL

JimThePCGuy to iolaire

MVM

to iolaire

Re: How long will the 4G (not LTE) service be around

I was speaking within the context of the article which is geared to a Clearwire device.
iolaire
join:2001-06-29
Arlington, VA

iolaire to 78036364

Member

to 78036364

Re: where is tehe FCC on this?

Verizon is changing existing plans. People who had the old Verizon unlimited plans had truly unlimited data with no throttling. Now they are saying they are going to change that...

FreedomPop is similar to T-Mobile where from day one they are offering unlimited with the footnote that they throttle you. That's much less bate and switch...
iolaire

iolaire to KoolMoe

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to KoolMoe

Re: vs Republic Wireless (data vs cellular)

FreedomPop works over Wi-Fi. For example I spoke to a hospital re a organ donation over Thanksgiving from Mexico using the HTC Design. Voice quality was bad, but it worked. I don't talk on the phone much so I don't know how the voice quality is on the iPhone. (I use it for data and don't load the FreedomPop app.)
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned) to iolaire

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to iolaire

Re: where is tehe FCC on this?

said by iolaire:

Verizon is changing existing plans. People who had the old Verizon unlimited plans had truly unlimited data with no throttling. Now they are saying they are going to change that...

Those people are no longer under contract which allows Verizon to change features and these people AGREED to this. READ Verizon terms. Don't AGREE to something if you don't like the terms.
ihatedslr
join:2000-12-11
US

ihatedslr to iolaire

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to iolaire

Re: Really free?

That's cool. I though they might try to bill you, monthly, for a few bucks somehow.
ITGeeks
join:2014-04-20
Cleveland, OH

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to 78036364

Re: This explain a lot

Cell phone companies don't build towers, They lease them.

And nope! Cause if they did the regional carriers would have MVNOs as well. Also you do realize that PagePlus was the first MVNO??? So if the gov't "forced" the cell carriers to open their networks, then why didn't it just happen with the explosion over the last 5-9 years??? PagePlus is 20years+. They started out as a Paging reseller.
ITGeeks

ITGeeks to spamster

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to spamster

Re: 4G Only?

You should care and should know as you are the one that wrote the "article" and yet got paid for it. If you are going to at least get paid for what you wrote, you should know the facts.

The Device you have uses WiMax. NOT LTE
ITGeeks

ITGeeks to iolaire

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to iolaire
The Puckes use WiMax- it's just not 4G and 3G with two 4G networks. the writer needs to cite which network.

WHT
join:2010-03-26
Rosston, TX

WHT to 78036364

Member

to 78036364

Re: where is tehe FCC on this?

said by 78036364:

a $20/month unlimited plan that will only throttle the data after 1GB of usage.

Two points here...

"Unlimited" typically means 1) you don't get shut off and 2) you don't have to pay for overages.
But it can allow for reducing (throttling) your speed past a certain point. That speed reduction could be down to 128 Kbps - which pretty much is the same as getting shut off, but still unlimited within the definition.

When is "unlimited in reality limited?
The FCC has taken a back seat on this, but New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo brought a lawsuit against Verizon Wireless for terminating users with excessive use on an unlimited plan. Verizon settled with $150,000 in penalties.
spamster
join:2009-11-27
Yonkers, NY

spamster to SeattleMatt

Member

to SeattleMatt

Re: How is this FREE?

They haven't as far as I know.
spamster

spamster to cork1958

Member

to cork1958

Re: Be careful about that 1 cent

The $.01 charge was probably to make sure the credit card is valid. So far, I've had no further charges from them.
iolaire
join:2001-06-29
Arlington, VA

iolaire to ihatedslr

Member

to ihatedslr

Re: Really free?

As you see in the comments above they make it easy for you to generate charges, but if you are careful it can be free.
asdfdfdfdfdf
Premium Member
join:2012-05-09

asdfdfdfdfdf to ITGeeks

Premium Member

to ITGeeks

Re: 4G Only?

Give spamster a break. There is no obligation to give every fact about everything on a subject to write a useful article. If that was the standard nothing would get written anywhere.

The device shown in the picture is a 2012 era photon and it is wimax only. People looking at devices for freedompop need to make sure they know whether the device is wimax or lte, as wimax will disappear at some point and a new device will have to be purchased. Typically, at freedompop, if it says 4g, and doesn't specifically say lte, then it isn't lte. I wouldn't pay a lot for such a device this late in the game, as wimax is essentially dead, but if one can get a good deal, as in the article, then it could still be worth doing as long as one looks at the coverage map carefully and is sure wimax service is available in their location (wimax coverage isn't all that extensive).

Thanks for the article spamster.
spamster
join:2009-11-27
Yonkers, NY

spamster

Member

Thanks for your support. I was very lucky to get the 2 Photons I got for $15. Sometimes it pays to be on mailing lists.
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