ALERT BUYER BEWARE: Helium Mobile

[wardmundy]

You've been warned...

"This company has a long history of doing wrong by existing customers:

• every time I would look at the helium ceo's twitter, he was just trying to boost crypto vs working on the actual mvno.
• company kept pushing for people to buy those hotspot/mapper/miner things
• company reduced data amount of the beta plans from 30Gb to 28 (and didn't bother to inform their existing customers - which seemed unethical)
• then killed off the option to pay with mapping/crypto rewards
• completely gutted mapping rewards for mobile customers
• then finally outright killed the grandfathered beta plans for all users
• There was also the SEC lawsuit against helium/nova labs in 2025 (to which helium payed 200k to settle) https://www.coindesk.com/policy/202...it-lied-to-investors-about-brand-partnerships
• and also the video by coffeezilla in 2022 about the shadiness of helium

"

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/comments/1tmcygo/helium_mobile_ceo_calls_free_plan_users_parasites

 

[tycho]

They offered free, and I took them up on their offer, and used them as my daily driver for as much as a year or possibly more. I don't need much cell service, and having used a Google Voice number since 2009 I don't really even need voice and data, so it worked for me. I moved on from Helium when free became taxes and fees, which in Chicago were more than other paid options would cost me. Never gave Helium a payment card or option and glad for that.

Now I read that, because I had the gall to sign up for the free plan that they noisily promoted, I am a "parasite".

Pretty funny how these folks' distortion fields work...

 

[mbellot]

when free became taxes and fees, which in Chicago were more than other paid options would cost me

A fellow inmate of the C(r)ook County Open Air Penitentiary I see...

 

[chris_c_]

Helium Mobile is officially sunsetting its free Zero Plan on June 11, 2026.

Existing subscribers are being transitioned off the Zero plan (pay only taxes and fees) to the $15/month Air Plan because the company stated the free service is "not sustainable long term".

Those who take no action will be moved to the Air plan at $15/month.

PORT YOUR NUMBER OUT to a better value plan at a competitor MVNO service by Thursday June 11, 2026, or cancel service and lose your number, by June 11, to avoid getting charged the $15 fee for the Air plan.

 

[wardmundy]

The only way Helium got credit card info from Zero Plan subscribers was under what now appears to be a ruse when they started collecting taxes and fees on "free for life" accounts. Now they advise users that they'll be moved to a $15/month plan unless they cancel by June 11. Forced, unauthorized migration to "for profit" account violates FCC policies, and you are well advised to file an FCC complaint and also send a stern email to Helium advising that you will request a chargeback from your credit card company if they proceed with any migration of your "free account" to a paid account. This company makes dirty fingernails look like a manicure.

 

[kenn10]

Next best "real" deal is US Mobile. No dirty dealings other than occasional misleading deals on unlimited plans. Periodic "steals" on new phones. All three carriers available, a pool of data available than can be shared by all lines on the account. Unlimited plans also available. No data-only plans.

 

[wardmundy]

And for bargain basement, check out Infimobile with eSIM support and your choice of Verizon or T-Mobile networks...


plus tax and fees.

NOTE: AT&T MVNO pricing is about double to triple the above pricing.

 

[tycho]

Red Pocket currently has a pay in advance $30 offer for a year from its eBay store that might suit some very low volume cellular users.

Regarding US Mobile, when Cricket thought it was okay in this environment of declining cost cell plans to increase its plan price by 10%, I encouraged my girlfriend to leave Cricket and pick up the then offered US Mobile high-end plan prepaid for a year at 50% off. I don't now remember the details, but she has basically anything anyone could want, with tons of data, roaming, hotspot, and international data which we both just used in Hong kong.

 

[kenn10]

she has basically anything anyone could want, with tons of data, roaming, hotspot, and international data which we both just used in Hong kong.

If someone needs unlimited, they have specials all the time. There have been mixed reviews on international roaming in parts of Europe and South America but otherwise, its a good deal.

I have 3 lines and 10GB of shared monthly data pool for $36/month total. Voice lines are on Verizon and on my phone I also have T-Mobile for backup data.

 

[wardmundy]

We have 3 lines with them as well. Aside from the slimy CEO, the service and support are great. As long as you don't do speed tests on the unlimited plans, you'll love 'em.

 

[chris_c_]

Got this notification today. Feels like a pump and dump scam. Probably millions of subscribers are going to get slammed with a $15 forced upgrade. I bet only 1/10 is patient enough to get thru the port out process.

 

[tycho]

Never gave them credit info (required when they started with the taxes) so happy about that!

 

[kenn10]

Got this notification today. Feels like a pump and dump scam. Probably millions of subscribers are going to get slammed with a $15 forced upgrade. I bet only 1/10 is patient enough to get thru the port out process.

View attachment 6431

Exactly how do you expect a carrier to exist and survive with no source of revenue?

 

[wardmundy]

Actually, the idea behind their free plan was that they were developing a competitive offering to the Xfinity and Spectrum WiFi nationwide offerings, for which they charged money. The wrinkle was that it was highly dependent upon lots of cell phones plus dedicated hotspots for which folks had to pay serious money. In the end, the whole thing turned out to be a nothingburger.

 

[chris_c_]

Exactly how do you expect a carrier to exist and survive with no source of revenue?

How can Helium Mobile be Free? Interview with the GM of Subscribers, Coco Tang.
Fast forward to 9m 30s to hear the question and her answer!

 

[kenn10]

Free is never free. Not really.

 

[tycho]

Exactly how do you expect a carrier to exist and survive with no source of revenue?

Nobody expects them to survive with no income. But (1) flogging an allegedly crypto-and-public-wifi-funded free offering as the best thing in the world to build a customer base, then (2) saying "oops, we miscalculated, we're now going to charge you taxes and fees, give us your credit card", and then saying (3) "oops, we miscalculated again, your free/free if taxes paid plan is gone, thanks for you your credit card, unless you proactively take steps we will now charge you 15/mo plus taxes and fees for the free thing you signed up for" while (4) calling the folks who took them up of their breathlessly marketed free plan "parasites" -- that's all scammy and poor form. Nobody forced them to make that free offering. They are welcome to withdraw it, but not to "auto-upsell" folks and/or disparage those folks for signing up for the plan they offered...

 

[kenn10]

Exactly why Ward labeled the thread as "Buyer beware." If it seems too good to be true, it will usually turn out that way. Scummy people will suck you in and then change the rules. If Google wasn't using Google Voice data for all their own nefarious purposes, it could not be free either. Too many people want free services, free food, free rent, you name it. Someone has to pay one way or the other. Comrade Mamdani in NYC and his wealthy constituents are learning that too.

Its a lot better to get service from a well-known, reputable company with a decent track record. In the case of cellular service, there are tons of decent MVNO's with low prices and decent services who also have a decent track record. Scams are everywhere.

 

[Halea]

Can anyone translate in plain english what the general manager of helium mobile is talking about between offsets 12 mn 55s and 13 mn 45 s of the video - seriously.
The narrative had the effect of nitrous oxide on my mind and I still can't shake it off!

 

[chris_c_]

Can anyone translate in plain english what the general manager of helium mobile is talking about between offsets 12 mn 55s and 13 mn 45 s of the video - seriously.
The narrative had the effect of nitrous oxide on my mind and I still can't shake it off!

Helium saves money (earns more profit) by paying regular people from the USA 50 cents per GB of WiFi data that Helium Mobile subscribers offload from the 5G T-Mobile network, saving Helium money off the price it would normally pay T-Mobile for that 1GB of 5G data for the customer (estimated $0.75).