Free mobile voice, text and data plans coming to UK ( Freedompop )

redux

binsley wrote: »

FreedomPop are, basically, criminals. Took out a contract with them in June, but their "service" hardly works at the best of times, and didn't work at all with my dual-SIM phone. I cancelled it online the next day, but they have continued to bill my BarclayCard for the last four months. Disputed the debits with BarclayCard, they credited the amounts back; but then FreedomPop must have shown evidence that I HAD originally taken out a contract (but presumably, not that I had cancelled it) - and the amounts were re-charged, and they are continuing to charge me monthly for a service I have never used, since it is to all intents and purposes unusable.

Called BarclayCard again today, they have again credited all the FreedomPop debits...but when will it end? Next stop the courts, I guess.

If your life is too dull, and you fancy the excitement of dealing with fraudsters, go right ahead. Otherwise, run away, run away...

Log in to your account and downgrade to the lowest monthly package, which is free.

Old issues with dual SIM phones could be addressed by using their other application, as discussed in threads on their forum, but I think these problems improved, as I can now use either. You do need to call from the FP application, not using the phone's own dialler. Doing the latter adds loads of extra digits to the number, and fails.

I appreciate that you've lost patience and are unlikely to try this though.

In case of difficulty logging in, you could call FreedomPop and get them to change the account settings, and do refunds.

Anthorn

Something of a rip-off to start. The cost breakdown of ordering a "Trio SIM card" is:

Basic 200 .......... £0.00
Activation Fee .... £0.99
Trio SIM Card .... £4.99
Shipping ........... £1.99
Total ............... £7.97

Of course the attraction is nil ongoing cost on the free plan but that is severely limited to 200 mins, 200 texts and 200 MB data and automatic top-ups via your payment card if your allowances run out.. Next up is the Premium 500 for £4.99 a month providing 500 mins, 500 texts and 500 MB data. On top of that is the Premium option at £3.99 a month which provides amongst other things data rollover and better than chronically bad voice quality. Of consideration must be that Freedompop uses the Three network so get a free Three PAYG sim and try the network before you buy Freedompop.

Contrast the above with for example iD Mobile which also uses the Three network and provides 500 mins, 5000 texts and 500 MB data for £3.99 a month and includes data rollover and EU roaming as standard.

A last consideration of Freedompop is that you can only make and receive calls and texts if you can connect to Three's network. Its VOIP selling point is therefore something of a misnomer. and a gimmick and not really any different to any other mobile network.
https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/freedompop-faq/

Lastly, the Freedompop sim activates immediately but:

Order Status
Your order will ship in the next 7-10 days. You will receive an email notification when your order ships.

So if you've taken a paid plan you'll be paying for up to 10 days during which time you can't use it because they haven't sent it yet.

I have the basic 200 plan on my stand-by phone that I never use. But if I ever start to use it the freedom pop sim will go in the bin.

Roger1

Anthorn wrote: »

Something of a rip-off to start. The cost breakdown of ordering a "Trio SIM card" is:

Basic 200 .......... £0.00
Activation Fee .... £0.99
Trio SIM Card .... £4.99
Shipping ........... £1.99
Total ............... £7.97

Oo, er. They're offering me:

Trio SIM Card: ............FREE
Premium 2.25GB Annual (1 Month Free Trial): FREE
Activation Fee: ............£0.01
Sub Total: ...................£0.01
Shipping: Standard 2 to 5 days: FREE
Due Today (VAT Included): £0.01

I guess it depends on the offer. This is for the (new?) prepaid service @ £5.49 monthly if paid annually (£65.88).

SnowTiger

Roger1 wrote: »

Trio SIM Card: ............FREE
Premium 2.25GB Annual (1 Month Free Trial): FREE
Activation Fee: ............£0.01
Sub Total: ...................£0.01
Shipping: Standard 2 to 5 days: FREE
Due Today (VAT Included): £0.01

I guess it depends on the offer. This is for the (new?) prepaid service @ £5.49 monthly if paid annually (£65.88).

I signed up for that. My first month is coming to an end soon. I'll downgrade it to their free 200/200/200 offering soon.

I've taken advantage of several similar offers from them during the past few months.

I've had nearly two years of calls, text messages and data from FreedomPop and have paid less than a tenner. :rotfl:

Roger1

A question please, SnowTiger. The prepaid offer is promoted as using Three 3G/4G. The old 'free' offer was on wifi IIRC, augmented by Three for 99p/month.

Do you use yours free on wifi or free/using Three for 99p/month (or something else)? This will help me decide whether to take the prepaid offer seriously.

Thanks.

redux

Anthorn wrote: »

A last consideration of Freedompop is that you can only make and receive calls and texts if you can connect to Three's network. Its VOIP selling point is therefore something of a misnomer. and a gimmick and not really any different to any other mobile network.
https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/freedompop-faq/

That isn't correct, and it's a bit surprising that Uswitch hasnt done a bit more research.

You can use any data connection, such as wifi, and including other SIM cards.

So someone might use it in a dual SIM phone on two networks, and also carry a 3g/4g wifi router on a third or fourth network.

Indeed it can even be used on a device without a SIM card, such as this tablet.

They also launched a SIM with roaming about a year ago here, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be available at the moment. But as I already hinted you could still use the bundle on the UK one on a locally-bought SIM.

Kernel_Sanders

Roger1 wrote: »

Oo, er. They're offering me:

Trio SIM Card: ............FREE
Premium 2.25GB Annual (1 Month Free Trial): FREE
Activation Fee: ............£0.01
Sub Total: ...................£0.01
Shipping: Standard 2 to 5 days: FREE
Due Today (VAT Included): £0.01

I guess it depends on the offer. This is for the (new?) prepaid service @ £5.49 monthly if paid annually (£65.88).

I'm a potential new customer, so is there anywhere I can get this offer? On this page http://uk.freedompop.com/uk/device_phones?experience=uk.default they don't state in the spec that you need a 3G phone under 'Device Compatibility'. Is this correct?

SnowTiger

Roger1 wrote: »

A question please, SnowTiger. The prepaid offer is promoted as using Three 3G/4G. The old 'free' offer was on wifi IIRC, augmented by Three for 99p/month.

Do you use yours free on wifi or free/using Three for 99p/month (or something else)? This will help me decide whether to take the prepaid offer seriously.

On the 200/200/200 tariff I don't pay anything. Calls go via data (Wifi or mobile data). It's basically a VOIP service. On their premium tariffs, call are placed through the mobile network in the usual way.

I use it mainly for data, which works great for me and is reliable.

I wouldn't use FreedomPop as my main network, though.

Text messages appear not to be working at the moment.

I don't think data is capped, so once you've used your free allocation of 200MBytes you'll be charged. I swap out the SIM when I hit 150MBytes.

mobilejunkie

SnowTiger wrote: »

I don't think data is capped, so once you've used your free allocation of 200MBytes you'll be charged. I swap out the SIM when I hit 150MBytes.

Not if you've turned off the option on your account.

Roger1

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

I'm a potential new customer, so is there anywhere I can get this offer?

My offer was e-mailed, as an existing customer. The URL includes the word 'upsell' so I assume that it is tied to my account only. Sorry, I don't know how to get the offer from new.

On this page http://uk.freedompop.com/uk/device_phones?experience=uk.default they don't state in the spec that you need a 3G phone under 'Device Compatibility'. Is this correct?

Sorry, don't know.