Complaint Review: FREEDOMPOP - Internet

I want to tell you about my terrible experience with this very shady phone service provider. First thing you must understand, is the service is not free. You need an internet connection to make any calls or send texts and unless you are in an environment where there is constantly free internet you MUST buy a data plan from them to ensure you have the ability to use any device.

Now the horror begins..I sign up for service and purchase a phone with them. They want a cc on file so I am careful to place my pre paid AMEX on file to ensure I have control over recurring charges if the service ends up being a bust. They immediately sign me up for 7.99 of "premium service" that is unspecified as to why this is so necessary for my account. Only one of these "bundled" services seems useful: upgrading phonecall quality..the others such as "visual voicemail" seem superfluous. Upon investigating, I find the website lists premium voice for one charge of 3.99 separate from the bundle, but when I call after the initial month's required trial and use of the bundle I am mysteriously told that in my area I am not allowed to sign up for the voice quality upgrade on its own but only as part of a larger package. UHM I think well okay I'll let it go for this month since there is NO PLACE on the website to "unsign" for this "optional" service. In the meantime, I deliberately add no more funds to my AMEX and downgrade to the free 200 minute, 500 text plan and THAT is when the chaos begins...The necessary app that must be installed on the phone goes haywire, denying me access to the service. It sends a repeated looping message that I must activate my phone..and when I follow their instructions I am taken to a page that says "your device is already activated" except the APP NEVER opens up. I start calling customer service and use all 200 minutes talking to reps in countries far from here in unintelligle English that sped up sounds like gibberish they reiterate the same ridiculous instructions over and over with no results. I get emails that send the same mindless advice, all the while continuing to lock up the phone. 

Finally I realize I must change my plan to upgrade my minutes. On the website it initially offered my a 10.99 plan with reduced data and unlimited minutes and texts. Suddenly this disappears and the smallest plan available starts at 20.00. I call customer service and magically the 10.99 plan is available over the phone..I guess they figured if they couldn't take me for 20 they would settle for ten. Then the kicker..when I get off the phone, and attempt to make a phonecall..I am curtly told I am out of minutes even though I have just paid for and upgraded my plan which it indicates on their website should be available immediately after updating.

Did I mention that there is no real customer service. If you contact them via their website which for some reason I now can nolonger do because it refuses to recognize my login UNLESS I am viewing my account and giving them more money..that it takes 3 or 4 days for them to respond generically.

In short, they are a SCAM and extremely shady and TOTALLY useless phone service. Do yourself a favor..and never get involved.