I just want to share my review for hello mobile as a lot of people would be interested in it after current tello pay as you go issue.
1. I had a sprint sim card so i didn't have to wait for them to ship the sim card. A lot of people initially complaint that they never got the sim card but were being charged in the meantime. i wanted to check the service so i took new no. from them instead of porting my primary number.
2. i choose $5 plan and got 2 months as offer. services started great. it took less than 10-20 minutes for service to start including their "network reset" procedure.
3. I have better sprint network in my area than t-mobile. Mint mobile was pathetic in my area with pages barely loading. I didn't checked speed but it was good enough for browsing and youtube 1080p didn't buffered.
4. after trying for a week, making calls and using sprint's visual voicemail app (premium is free for 15 days which is at 2 or 3 $ per month, else ad supported is free), i thought to move my primary number to it.
Now comes the horror part. I placed order for a sim under "byod". Placing order was a nightmare. I have to try multiple times and it kept on looping on different pages. Maybe I was using the same IMEI which was already activated in their system (as I only have one sprint compatible phone). Somehow i was able to place order and i have no idea if i can reproduce it again as it was really confusing.
It's been 2 days since tracking number have been provided and UPS haven't yet received the package. Then I noticed on UPS site that it have been shipped to billing address instead of the location where I am using it. They took 2 address while sign up, billing and area of use. Both are different for me as I am temporary staying in another state.
So today, I chatted them and asked if they can reship the sim to new address. The chat support was too slow. they takes lot of time to respond. it took me 4-5 messages to convey the message i need sim at new address. else everytime the person was saying to contact them once i get package. and i was like, that sim will be delivered 500 miles away from my current location. after couple of back and forth messages, the CS placed a new order for sim at my new address.
From last 2-3 days i was not using that phone so i thought let's use it more frequent in the mean time the new sim arrives. so that i will get to know the service and decide if i want to port my primary number to hello mobile or not.
on inserting the sim again, whooaah. it's not working. tried network reset and still no luck. the CS asked me ICCID and told it doesn't match in their system and to call them for support. CS was useless.
i called phone support and they were not available 2 hrs before the working hours. that's when i decided, i am not taking my primary number to hello.
i asked two CS to provide me with port out info and they rejected it. i informed one that FCC doesnt give you that authority to which they said we cannot provide unless you give reason. DENIED ON MY FACE.
now comes funny story. i chatted again and said i want to port out, give me port out info. i told i am not having network and CS is useless. phone support was not available hours before their working hours. and then based on response i came to know that their changed the SIM card number. WTH. the new sim card which was for new line, they swapped my current line with that ICCID and hence i was not having network. This CS didn't accepted it have been changed but he said this is ICCID for your number and sim is in processing.
I am taking my number to another provider but not hello mobile. tello gives $10.7 for 1gb +unlimited call including tax whereas hello gave at $10 including international calling to the country where i call which is another $3 pm via google voice. i guess i'll check with tello instead of hello mobile.
and they never gave me port out info. LMAO
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I was wrong.
Here's what they're doing. They claim to have an "A" rating with the BBB. They do not. Its C+ with a lot of one star reviews and many disputes. They say they won't charge your card until you start using the phone to make calls. This is a lie. They charge you the moment they create a shipping label. I called their customer service and they assured me t was a temporary charge and wouldn't 'commit' until I used the phone. That was another lie as the charge committed the next day. I then watched for 2.5 business days while the sim card was "shipper waiting for item". And remembered they have a 7 day money back guarantee.
So that's their play. Charge you right off, delay sending the sim card until by the time you get it, your 7 days is up and they keep your money whether it works or not.
Sure enough, when I called to cancel, well within the 7 days, the first customer service rep jumped on "sales are non refundable", which I corrected for him to say that I was still well under the 7 days. "Well, you'll have to talk to customer relations about THAT!" Don't let the door hit you where the good lord split ya? 20 minutes on hold to get customer relations, who balked at first "But you haven't even tried it yet!". Well, yes I've tried "it" which I take to mean your fraudulent lying service? Got my money back. Grabbed a redpocket deal. Sim card gets here today. At least I get at&t rather than crappy sprint.
Joy.
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Joy.
This is serious concern that you have paid full amount for unlocked Phone which got locked by someone whom you don't owe anything.
This is serious concern that you have paid full amount for unlocked Phone which got locked by someone whom you don't owe anything.
A week later, someone from Hello Mobile called to ask about the support call I'd made about it.
If Hello works for someone, count yourself lucky. If anyone is looking for a low cost provider, go with Red Pocket. Hello is fraud, lies and poor customer service in too many ways.
In the meanwhile, I have to thank Xfinity Mobile for dumping their original customers plans. For not much more, I have the coverage I want, enough minutes and texts to suit me, and 5x the included LTE data. And my phone was lucky to get 15Mb/s downloads from the supposedly "full verizon network" while I'm getting 60Mb/s+ from Red Pockets AT&T network. Both providers are on the same tower about 1.5 miles from my house. My phone supports every band both providers use.
So Verizons LTE network stinks, Xfinity wasn't letting me use all verizon towers, or they were throttling even that first 100MB.
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