FreedomPop - www.freedompop.com

Whatever you do, DON'T sign up with Freedompop. They broke my new iPhone!

When I bought my new iPhone 5 recently, I opted for a SIM-only deal from Freedompop. Trouble was, the coverage in my area was completely useless. The phone was unusable for calls and barely if ever connected to the internet. So I sought a new supplier.

However, when I plugged the SIM from the new supplier into the phone it didn't work. My iPhone had locked into the previous Freedompop SIM and no others would now work in it. Despite this being a seemingly common occurrence in new iPhones, Freedompop was unwilling or unable to do anything to unlock my phone to allow me to use the new SIM.

I have been back and fore with their customer services department for over a month to try to sort this out. At one stage, my repeated requests for an update went unanswered for TWO WEEKS, though now they've come back and told me they can't help. The local shop that unlocks phones can do nothing about it because Freedompop is too obscure a provider for them to have any unlock codes for.

The upshot is, I'm sitting on £500 of new iPhone 5 that has been rendered completely and utterly useless by Freedompop. I strongly recommend anyone thinking of registering with Freedompop not to do so. You might lose you phone, too.

What a terrible 'service'. If you're looking for a cheap SIM only tariff, then stay away from this company. They are CHEAP but there is a reason for that!

First of all, as someone else has mentioned, FreedomPop are actually a VoIP service. Essentially everything is done over the internet - messages, voice calls etc. You MUST download an app to make calls/send messages! Why would I pay for this when I can already get this for free with services like WhatsApp and Skype? Remember, you cannot send messages or make calls without downloading the app! You must also have an iPhone or an Android phone!

Issues: text messages don't go through even when using their own app! Occasionally they might, but it's hit & miss.

Voice calls: there is always a lag when calling someone, whether they are in the next building to you or far away. It's like when you call abroad. Very annoying and frustrating. And that's if you manage to get through in the first place.

Service: so they try and sell you their product by claiming you can have true free internet/voice service. One of their tariffs is £0/pm and includes 200 mins/texts/mb. I guess if you stick with this tariff, you may be OK as it is totally free but they will charge you for everything e.g. 99p connection charge, charges for voicemail etc etc.

Once I had installed my SIM, some of my phone (I have an iPhone) features didn't work, e.g. messages. I was FORCED to use the FreedomPop App to send messages (and that didn't work 100% of the time). I used to use iMessage a lot, but that doesn't work with this provider.

The other big issue was contacting them to request a PAC. According to UK law, a provider must provide a PAC within 24 hours of a request (most often, it is given immediately). I have changed networks a few times, and I've never had an issues getting a PAC and it's been sent to me almost immediately. With FreedomPop I've had to wait 5 full days for it. I had to email and call them a number of times for them to do this simple task.

The first email response simply ignored my request and said 'we can offer you a better alternative'. When I responded to this stating I just wanted my PAC, another email response suggested ways of how they provide a better alternative and still did NOT provide the PAC. In the meantime, I thought I would also call them. The first person informed me that they would ensure that the PAC is sent to me via email within 24 hours (I had already waited 24 hours previously). Of course, after 24 hours (now total of 48 hour wait) there was no PAC code. Thus, I made another phone call and was told I would get a PAC within 2 hours now - as I'd already waited for more than 48 hours. And once again, after 2 hours, there was no PAC. So once again, I called and informed the advisor of the issues I had faced. He did finally give me the PAC code but I was on the phone a total of 30 mins.

What this shows is clearly they don't want you to leave their company and make it as difficult as possible. I originally requested a PAC on a Monday and only received it on a Friday!

I will now be leaving FreedomPop and signing up to a 'proper' communication provider.

FreedomPop should make it *very clear* that they are a VoIP service and not a normal mobile phone operator. They only have a small print stating 'To make phone calls and texts, you will need to download our App' (or something similar to this effect). Even websites such as uSwitch who are promoting them should make this very clear on their websites!

The only thing positive I can say about this company is the wait to speak to someone is about 5 mins which better than most other companies. There is nothing else I can recommend about these guys.

... i have a a dual sim unlocked phone, as instructed, SIM in, power on, no network so can't download the app, connected to home network, downloaded the app, yes, i can see my account but still no network!! removed SIM, uninstalled app, rebooted and still nothing. checked the website support, can't do anything with the APN as there is no network. all in all a fantastic idea but not user-friendly, a very good reason to bin everything. and oh by the way, don't forget to delete any emails from freedompop from your inbox to save storage space.

Freedompop work the same way as VoIP where you make calls and text via WiFi or data using freedompop app you also get a simcard , however if you pay for a premium voice you can make calls over the network, but to receive calls and send text messages it have to go through data or wifi via freedompop app.

I joined freedompop hoping it was going to be a good service big mistake the sound quality is so poor text messages takes 2 hours to come through stay away.

If ever there was a way to do something, FreedomPop have studiously avoided it. In the UK this service sucks worse than a Dyson on steroids. Let me explain the idea, the way it works and how things have gone belly up.

FreedomPop is a Virtual Network, like Virgin and Lebara they use someone else's existing network. This allows them to see calls cheaply as no infrastructure. However the way FreedomPop works is to convert everything to data, voice, sms, all are sent via the 3G network.

Problem number 1 is that they have used 3. 3 are about as good at coverage as a thong is on a stripper! Meaning that unless you live in the town centre it is a lottery if you get coverage. If you have home wifi you should be able to link to that. This then allows you to call and make texts with no signal.

Apart from the fact that the network will allow you to make and receive texts, it will allow you to receive incoming calls. Dialling out, forget it. Just won't happen. I have had a sim from FreedomPop for 3 weeks. Worked fine at first. However your phone will just react to the software telling it a call is coming in via data. So any personalised ringtones probably won't get used. Then it would not make or receive calls or texts. So I factory reset the phone, loaded the software again. No joy. Turned out their network was down, never told me that on the website or the phone.

After several more problems I got a brand new sim free phone. Even a new install would not work. Calls could be received, texts could be received and sent. But no calls could be made. I kept raising customer service issues with their automated service. Basically all that does is log your complaint then 48 hours later tells you that seeing as they have not heard from you that it must be resolved.

Fantastic eh? Calling them means you get a call centre in Mumbai that must be a training centre for call centre workers as they do tend to cut you off as you patiently explain that you have done soft resets, hard resets and full back to factory resets and yes the system still does not work, no this is a new phone, yes it is 3G, no it does not work, yes it does not work over wifi and oh the system is down again is it?

Applications for a refund will not get back all the money you have given them and is so prolonged that root canal dentistry is quicker. Saying that they are dead keen to take the money from your account the moment you place an order.

Will it improve? As long as they continue to use 3 as the network provider you have more chance of seeing Old Nick in JJB Sports trying on ice skates.

Is it a good idea? Yes.

Will it succeed? Possibly!

Would I recommend their service? Hell no!