Complaint Review: freedompop - Internet

I have used FreedomPop for the past year. I have to say the idea is great. Having lived a very financially unstable decade due to many hard life issues, I found the concept of being able to fall back on a free service invaluable. However!

They make it difficult to put any overage safeties on your account, and it's clear that they do this on purpose.

You end up needing to upgrade to a paid service, which while much cheaper than the competition, is spotty in areas (granted I live in Port Huron Michigan). I have paid for the unlimited service most of this year, which for clarification is 1 gig of 4g service and unlimited 3g therafter (but they don't redily tell prospective customer that). This basically amounts to a paid for overage protection from a system they created to screw you unless you pay, which I find a scam every single cell phone provider participates in.

I ran into a problem today when Freedompop tried to charge my account TODAY and failed because I didn't load money into the account. On their very first attempt to draft on my account, they IMMEDIATELY suspended my account without any warning of a problem whatsoever. I found out after trying to call very important people today that I could not due to billing suspension.

Here is what made me extremely angry. I had to dig up their customer service number, which has never been prominantly displayed anywhere on their site (they clearly don't want to talk to you), they informed me that I had to pay a $35 reactivation fee... for a single failed account draft which happened on the same day... which they suspended IMMEDIATELY without warning.

The real kicker? Freedompop bills in advance, I literally have $0 balance and they suspended my account!

I don't know of a single provider that suspends accounts without warning that they will shut off service in x days unless you call them.

They further aggrivated me when they insisted that nobody could remove the fee or reinstate service. I refuse to pay for such an unforgiving and downright preditory fee! This basically told me that even if it was their fault entirely, their "service" reps have power to do nothing but take your money.

I find their concept as a company to be genius, but their execution to be infuriating.

I suggest this service strongly consider the following customer freindly options;

1. While they do have an option to notify on data usage, they apparently have NOTHING in place to warn you of imminent account suspension with fair grace time for resolution. This is an atrocity against any loyal customer if you ask me.
2. Never tell a customer that even if it is the companies fault, there is nothing you can do to resolve a situation, regardless of all valid fault or hardships, except to take their money.
3. Place protections on the account.
• This includes an option to automatically downgrade to the base free plan for any billing issues in order to maintain uninterrupted phone service. Especially for customers on autopay. Lets not forget notifications of any such action!
• An option to completely disallow any use of further data if the plan has reached it's limit.

As long as Freedompop insists on making their customer service and website as convoluted and unfriendly as possible to their customers, be prepared to CONSTANTLY monitor your usages and never do the "auto top-up" unless you're autopaying for an unlimited plan.