Does anyone pay the $1 per month maintenance option?

[robbyrobby]

That's through the ACP program, which I already have for internet service. Can a person qualify for ACP for phone if they already have it for internet?

FreedomPOP is using some trickery in Verbiage to try and get people on ACP, i believe none of us on this forum are applying for ACP benefit but instead selecting the free for all option for 100/100/100 minutes/texts/MB per month

[Boz1]

That's true!

Regarding the FP 100/100/100/mo free plan, this image of the package, from the Target link I provided above, makes it pretty clear.

[PaulCrawhorne]

The Free option is the bait.

The ACP switch is OPTIONAL.

48 million, or up to 40% of Americans households, qualify for the program, but only 10million have applied.

They want people to use that option, converting to the ACP version plan is how they will make money.

Potential high upside, low cost to test market when you only send three SIMs out to stores every few weeks or months

[robbyrobby]

The Free option is the bait.

The ACP switch is OPTIONAL.

48 million, or up to 40% of Americans households, qualify for the program, but only 10million have applied.

They want people to use that option, converting to the ACP version plan is how they will make money.

Potential high upside, low cost to test market when you only send three SIMs out to stores every few weeks or months

if they want more people to go the ACP route I suspect they will need to send more SIMs out to the store so there are some leftover after all the Hofo, reddit and slickdeals readers buy them up just for the free plan for testing, playing around or get for their minimal usage devices.

i actually think though its ideal for a lot of people who have varied usage who can get by for free some months and pay a few bucks for top ups on others, probably not for data but for minutes and/or texts

[chetansha]

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The ATT prepaid terms on their website still says $100 is a 365 day expiration.

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[a107]

You're still not getting it! Read: https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...tted-at-target

Ok, I understand now.
Seems a little too good to be true somehow. The reviews on it don't look like the service provided is very good.
For now, after calling a CSR at AT&T 3 times and getting facts straight, I've decided I can pay $5 a month to extend my prepaid balance each month. That comes out to $60 a year rather than the $100 I'm used to, so that's a plus. No, it isn't the $5 once and that's it payment Freedompop has, but I can always switch to that later on if I hear enough good about it over time. If I made the switch now, I wouldn't be able to go back to what I have now (which is a grandfathered plan no longer offered to new customers), and my $133 balance would be gone.

Here's those not-so-good reviews about Freedompop I was referring to:
https://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/freedompop.com

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/freedompop.com

[sillyette]

For now, after calling a CSR at AT&T 3 times and getting facts straight, I've decided I can pay $5 a month to extend my prepaid balance each month. That comes out to $60 a year rather than the $100 I'm used to, so that's a plus. No, it isn't the $5 once and that's it payment Freedompop has, but I can always switch to that later on if I hear enough good about it over time. If I made the switch now, I wouldn't be able to go back to what I have now (which is a grandfathered plan no longer offered to new customers), and my $133 balance would be gone.

I help an elderly couple who were/are in your similar situation - a hefty balance, very low usage, grandfathered plan.

For them, I call in every month and pay $1+tax to extend their current balance expiration date by 30 days. That way, they're only adding $12 to their existing balance (instead of $60) in a year. That works out better for them because they don't use their existing balance anyway, so don't want to keep adding to it.

[a107]

I help an elderly couple who were/are in your similar situation - a hefty balance, very low usage, grandfathered plan.

For them, I call in every month and pay $1+tax to extend their current balance expiration date by 30 days. That way, they're only adding $12 to their existing balance (instead of $60) in a year. That works out better for them because they don't use their existing balance anyway, so don't want to keep adding to it.

That's what I was originally wanting to do (see post #1) but decided I didn't want to be calling them every month and having to give them my credit card info. each time (especially when every time I call Customer Service, I have a hard time understanding what the CSR is saying). I would have done it if they would allow me to set up an automatic recurring payment, but they said I can't do that. I decided to just go online and pay $5 each time, but I suppose I could still do the $1 thing if I ever felt like calling them on some months. Maybe I'll get lonely and want to talk to someone, so I'll call a CSR and do the $1 payment.
Good thing AT&T doesn't deduct from my balance when I call Customer Service.

[sillyette]

That's what I was originally wanting to do (see post #1) but decided I didn't want to be calling them every month and having to give them my credit card info. each time (especially when every time I call Customer Service, I have a hard time understanding what the CSR is saying). I would have done it if they would allow me to set up an automatic recurring payment, but they said I can't do that. I decided to just go online and pay $5 each time, but I suppose I could still do the $1 thing if I ever felt like calling them on some months. Maybe I'll get lonely and want to talk to someone, so I'll call a CSR and do the $1 payment.
Good thing AT&T doesn't deduct from my balance when I call Customer Service.

Oh and I was told by multiple reps about what I think is an even bigger problem when someone has a high balance but doesn't use the line much -- you have to keep paying at least the $1 per month *even if* you sign up for say, the $30/month plan. And you have to keep paying at least the $1 per month *even if* that $30 gets auto-deducted from your high balance.

Basically, I was told that the $1/month is charged to *extend the existing balance* by 30 days.

Oh, and getting this info out of the reps was like getting teeth pulled.

[a107]

Oh and I was told by multiple reps about what I think is an even bigger problem when someone has a high balance but doesn't use the line much -- you have to keep paying at least the $1 per month *even if* you sign up for say, the $30/month plan. And you have to keep paying at least the $1 per month *even if* that $30 gets auto-deducted from your high balance.

Basically, I was told that the $1/month is charged to *extend the existing balance* by 30 days.

Oh, and getting this info out of the reps was like getting teeth pulled.

Then I assume the $1 paid each month doesn't actually add to the balance, but is simply a "deadline-extender fee". Is that how it is? I guess that isn't too bad. Still $12 a year instead of the $60 I was planning to pay by paying $5 per month. I'm starting to lean more toward the $1 option.
Since you're experienced with it, I'd like to ask you about it. Do you need to provide them with your credit card information each time you call, or do you only do that the first time, and then they just keep it on file so that you only have to tell them to make the deduction? I wouldn't really feel safe giving it out each time to a different rep every time I call.

[sillyette]

Then I assume the $1 paid each month doesn't actually add to the balance, but is simply a "deadline-extender fee". Is that how it is? I guess that isn't too bad. Still $12 a year instead of the $60 I was planning to pay by paying $5 per month. I'm starting to lean more toward the $1 option.
Since you're experienced with it, I'd like to ask you about it. Do you need to provide them with your credit card information each time you call, or do you only do that the first time, and then they just keep it on file so that you only have to tell them to make the deduction? I wouldn't really feel safe giving it out each time to a different rep every time I call.

Yes, the $1 adds to the balance. (You also pay tax on the $1; the tax doesn't add to the balance).

No, you don't have to give your credit card info each time. They offer to save the cc info, and you can do that.

[a107]

Yes, the $1 adds to the balance. (You also pay tax on the $1; the tax doesn't add to the balance).

No, you don't have to give your credit card info each time. They offer to save the cc info, and you can do that.

Thank you for letting me know! I think I'm going to go ahead with the $1.00 a month idea, at least at the beginning. Probably no reason to do anything else since I hardly ever use my phone. I would actually like to see my balance start going down from where it is, which is at around $128. Once it's down to less than $50 or maybe $20, I would consider forfeiting the rest of it and taking a chance on something like Freedompop.

[kevink1]

Remember that usage of your balance does not extend the expiration date. Only adding to the balance does that.

[zapjb]

if they want more people to go the ACP route I suspect they will need to send more SIMs out to the store so there are some leftover after all the Hofo, reddit and slickdeals readers buy them up just for the free plan for testing, playing around or get for their minimal usage devices...

This is exactly who I think are getting these plans. First smile of the day thanks.

[sillyette]

Thank you for letting me know! I think I'm going to go ahead with the $1.00 a month idea, at least at the beginning. Probably no reason to do anything else since I hardly ever use my phone. I would actually like to see my balance start going down from where it is, which is at around $128. Once it's down to less than $50 or maybe $20, I would consider forfeiting the rest of it and taking a chance on something like Freedompop.

Sometimes, some reps will insist that you can't make a $1 payment - that is needs to be $10. When that happens to me, I thank them and hang up and call again. The next rep usually knows about the $1.