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FreedomPop 'Free' Service Not Free, Sometimes Shady
Though Company Says They're Working On Transparency

Whenever I post something about FreedomPop's free wireless service, there's usually at least one poster in the comment section who is quick to point out that the service's little fees technically make the service not so free. Whether it's the $1 fee for not using the service enough, fees to receive usage alerts or fees to roll bytes over month to month (though admittedly some can be opted out of), there's a littany of little fees that make the service not-so free.

Dirt cheap still, perhaps, but not free. And if you're burying fees off the bat, not the best way to build brand trust. Jared Newman at Time recently ran through all of these little fees that FreedomPop charges, many of which the company says they're trying to be more transparent about. For example, the company insists they stopped charging the $1 inactivity fee to new users a month or two ago. Newman notes:

quote:
FreedomPop CEO Stephen Stokols...pointed out that users receive an e-mail alerting them to the $10 automatic top-up after they sign up. FreedomPop began sending those e-mails to new users about 2.5 months ago. Second, starting last month, FreedomPop began waiving the $0.99 “Active Status fee” for new subscribers, and will eventually be doing so for existing users. It seems FreedomPop is working to address criticisms, but the company still has more work to do on being up front about the cost of the hardware and other fees before people sign up, not after they’ve handed over personal details and/or payment info. That issue, combined with the additional services that FreedomPop tries to sneak past new users, is what ultimately leaves a sour taste, not the fees themselves.
Frankly, I've heard far more complaints about signal strength quality than anything else, though FreedomPop also helped that somewhat recently by expanding their coverage to include Sprint's 3G EVDO network.

Update: FreedomPop reaches out to us to insist that they're really working on eliminating any surprises for users, directing our attention to this blog post, while confirming that they've eliminated the $1 "active status" fee. They offered this explanation for that fee:
quote:
We used to pass on a .99 cent network fee to keep an inactive account active on our partner network each month. The reason we did that is because we actually get charged by our partners, so we were hoping our users could just turn on their device once per month so we’d all avoid that nominal cost. However, it has caused more confusion than it’s worth so we have suspended this charge going forward.
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meeeeeeeeee
join:2003-07-13
Newburgh, NY

meeeeeeeeee

Member

Perhaps

Attending the Barry Obama School of Transparency might help? We know it did Wonders for its founder and namesake.

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList

Premium Member

had it for months, it's free

The 500mb 4g only tier is free. No extra charges that cannot be opted out of.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Re: had it for months, it's free

Correct, it's free. You can have the service for 100% free.

The trick is that FreedomPop keeps trying to slip in getting the customer to agree to nonsense fees. The customer can decline. But the customer has to be alert to avoiding it and declining them.

But at the end of the day you can have the service 100% free.

P.S. Two weeks ago they eliminated the 99 cents non-usage fee altogether.

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList

Premium Member

Re: had it for months, it's free

the non-usage fee isn't even on the website anymore.

spy0009
@dfri.se

spy0009 to ArrayList

Anon

to ArrayList
Actually if you head over to slickdeals.net they have a scheme going on where you can make it 1000mb free with "freedom friends." They have a pre-filled list of friends you can use so as not to spam your real friends.

anondownload
@comcast.net

anondownload

Anon

should be in retail for cash

i wish these hotspots were sold in store where they could be purchased for cash without having ro hand over a credit card or any billing info.

credit cards and billing agreements should not be necessary to use a 'free' service.

meeeeeeeeee
join:2003-07-13
Newburgh, NY

meeeeeeeeee

Member

Re: should be in retail for cash

said by anondownload :

i wish these hotspots were sold in store where they could be purchased for cash without having ro hand over a credit card or any billing info.

credit cards and billing agreements should not be necessary to use a 'free' service.

If they weren't PLANNING on making you part with your dollars, they would never ask for or even WANT your payment information.

duh
join:2008-08-18
Atlanta, GA

duh

Member

Re: should be in retail for cash

said by meeeeeeeeee:

If they weren't PLANNING on making you part with your dollars, they would never ask for or even WANT your payment information.

And the company probably wouldn't exist, either. Money has to be made somehow, or the business won't survive.

So yes, you can get it for free, but the reality of the matter is that the free intro level really is that -- an intro level. Many users will want to get more than that. (I opted for the rollover feature; while I don't use the service much, when I do, it tends to be significant consumption. So that helps deal with spotty usage at low cost, and I basically have a backup connection for telecommuting when I'm feeling Comcastically without fixed-line broadband.)

Expect the fee structure to change a few more times in the future, too. The $1 non-usage fee previously existed because of MVNO account maintenance charges that FreedomPop (and similar MVNOs like NetZero) pays, so the difference will probably be made up somewhere else.

I'd post my account e-mail address here to allow anyone to add me as a connection for their monthly 'friend bonus', but meh. If you want that, PM me. :-P

meeeeeeeeee
join:2003-07-13
Newburgh, NY

meeeeeeeeee

Member

Re: should be in retail for cash

I have no argument with someone making a living. My problem comes when they LIE to me to do it. Don't say it's "free" or "unlimited" when it's simply, factually not.

duh
join:2008-08-18
Atlanta, GA

duh

Member

Re: should be in retail for cash

With the withdrawal of the $1 no-usage fee, there are absolutely no mandatory recurring charges, even if you just leave the device turned off. So at least they've eliminated that bit of contention.

meeeeeeeeee
join:2003-07-13
Newburgh, NY

meeeeeeeeee

Member

Re: should be in retail for cash

said by duh:

With the withdrawal of the $1 no-usage fee, there are absolutely no mandatory recurring charges, even if you just leave the device turned off. So at least they've eliminated that bit of contention.

I'm glad they're now "working on it", but it's hard to un-ring the bell. They are already viewed as "shady" at best, by many. Wouldn't it have been better to just be honest and straight forward from the beginning?

duh
join:2008-08-18
Atlanta, GA

1 recommendation

duh

Member

Re: should be in retail for cash

Yep, but like you said (again), that ship has sailed. That's the great part about consumer choice: No one is forcing you to use their service.

raj james
@rr.com

raj james to meeeeeeeeee

Anon

to meeeeeeeeee
can by for cash on amazon

meeeeeeeeee
join:2003-07-13
Newburgh, NY

meeeeeeeeee

Member

Re: should be in retail for cash

said by raj james :

can by for cash on amazon

Amazon has no stores within walking range where that could be accomplished and I'd really rather not do business with someone who starts our relationship with bold faced lies.

Enron Aaron
@mpowercom.net

Enron Aaron

Anon

Free 500 good enough for me

I've had service 2 months, it's free. they offer services like roll over data for $3.99 per month but you opt into it if you want it, so what's shady about trying to make money?? hope they are, cause I want to keep my free.

Chris Nutell

Anon

Ditto

i'm in same boat as other posters here, FP is totally free for me and what I thought "was too good to be true" is actually true so amen!

I've had some connection issues in San Diego but i've got screamin speeds in LA so for free, not complaining.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA

Premium Member

I was going to sign up...

And then I saw all the BS fees and I gave up on that.
IanR
join:2001-03-22
Fort Mill, SC

IanR

Member

loads of fees

They try to slip in all kinds of abusive fees.
Speed guarantee fee
connection guarantee fee
rollover fee
inactivity fee
You name if fee.
Then when you try to contact them you need to circumvent the minefield of their website to try and find a way to connect to them formally.
When you do contact them and order cancellation they come back and offer 1 GB alternatives etc. and continue to debit your CC with their monthly fees.
NOT my idea of a "straight" company.