It looks like Red Pocket Mobile
is finally offering Verizon based LTE service and allowing the activation of LTE phones on its "CDMA" (Verizon) platform. Verizon doesn't allow its MVNOs to use the Verizon name so Red Pocket, which sells service on three operators, refers to them as GSMA for AT&T, CDMAS for Sprint and CDMA for Verizon.
There's still no mention of LTE on the CDMA platform on the Red Pocket website, but yesterday a listing for a Red Pocket 1 Year Wireless Plan - Every Month 1000 Minutes/1000 Texts/1000MB
The seller is redpocketstore which claims to be the official Red Pocket Mobile eBay store. I called Red Pocket customer support and the representative knew about the eBay deal and said it was legit but was unable to answer any questions about it and referred me to the eBay seller.
According to the eBay description, the plan works with AT&T, unlocked GSM, Sprint and other CDMA phones. The eBay offer contains an activation kit with comes with "dual cut and nano GSMA and a CDMA LTE triple punch SIM card". I messaged the seller on eBay asking if Verizon LTE phones were supported and if they would get LTE data got this reply;
"Hello, from what it sounds like, you would be trying to activate phones on the CDMA network.
The answer is YES! The only issue that would come up is if you are still on a pre-existing contract with your current carrier, if the phone you're trying to activate has an unpaid balance or if for some reason the phone was reported as lost or stolen.
As long as it doesn't meet the above hiccups, you will be good to go.
They do get LTE as long as that coverage is available in your area."
I then asked the seller if the CDMA SIM was for Verizon or Sprint and he replied:
When we mail out the starter kit, it does include a triple punch SIM card for the CDMA network.
For the CDMA-S network, we do not typically include a SIM card as your pre-existing SIM card if your phone uses one should work. If your phone requires a SIM card and you do not have one, please let us know the type of phone you have and the ESN number and we will be happy to mail you the appropriate SIM card for the CDMA-S device."
Seeing as the kit includes a CDMA SIM rather than a CDMAS one, it's pretty clear that this eBay deal marks the launch of Red Pocket Verizon LTE. When I called Red Pocket support they said that LTE phones were still not allowed on any of the regular CDMA phones but suggested that the eBay deal might be different.
So is it a good deal? Maybe, as always that depends on your needs. 1000 minutes, 1000 texts and 1000 MBs for $16.66/month is .555¢ per minute, text, or MB. However, there's no rollover, this is a "use it or lose it" deal. The per unit cost goes up if you can't use all your minutes, texts and data up every month. If you run out of anything you can add 500 minutes or 500 texts or 500 MBs for $10 (2¢ each) or 1000 minutes or texts or MBs for $15 (1.5¢ each). The add-on minutes, texts or MBs don't rollover either, plus they expire at the end on you current plan month. That means that if you run out near the end of the month you could end up paying $10 for minutes, texts or data that expire in a few days.
Another gotcha with this deal is that only the first 500 MBs per month are at high speed. The second 500 MBs are throttled to between 64 and 128 Kbps. Still it's hard to find any plan that includes LTE, 1000 minutes and 500 MBs of high speed data for under $20 on any operator, especially Verizon.
I'm wary of paying any provider $200 or more dollars up front for a year's service. But Red Pocket has been in business since 2006 so they seem pretty stable. On the other hand, Red Pocket suddenly shut down service on the T-Mobile network earlier this year leaving users to scramble for a new provider. Red Pocket customer support doesn't have the best reputation either. To Red Pocket CS' credit, when I called today hold time was less than a minute, the representative was friendly and courteous and other than not wanting to talk about the eBay offer seemed knowledgeable about Red Pocket's products and services.
Hmm... so are you saying that showing GSMT customers the door was a trick to reduce tech support hold times?
ReplyDeleteDennis: Your math is wrong. $16.66/3000 = .55c/resource, not 5.55c.
ReplyDeleteYou're right! I'll update the post.
Deletemath is still wrong $16.67 divided by 3000 = UNDER 6 tenths of 1 cent each.
DeleteNope - math is correct. .555c is less than .6c.
DeleteThank you so much Anonymous for sharing that. I received my activation kit last week, thinking I was getting the best deal out there, and when it said $0.55 a minute I was wrong to have went with Red Pocket.
DeleteThe rate is not 55¢/minute, it's 0.55¢/minute or $0.0055/minute or a little more than half a cent per minute.
DeleteCorrection: The Gold Plan has 1000 MB, not 100 MB.
ReplyDeleteCorrected, thanks.
DeleteThe listing now says "dual cut and nano GSMA, dual cut and nano GSMT, and a CDMA LTE triple punch SIM card". I thought they no longer offered GSMT (T-Mobile) service?
ReplyDeleteThey don't. Red Pocket has updated their eBay listing removing the mention of the GSM-T SIMs.
DeleteI like the deal for sure. I hate RedPockets Customer Service. I would be ok with paying the $199 for the year. I think Red Pocket is a stable company.
ReplyDeleteMeh.... not that great of a deal. Tracfone smokes it with their triple android deals. You can use any 4g LTE phone and get triple min/text/data on any card. If you get the 1 year card with 400 mins ($90) you get 1200 min/1200 txt/1200 mb data. And I believe it rolls over with a new card. I don't see any reason to use Red Pocket's deal over tracfone's aside from maybe a customer service standpoint, but idk if $110 extra a year is worth it...
ReplyDeletetracfone offer is for per year, red pocket is per month. thatz the difference
DeleteThat's what I thought at first, too, but then I realized that it says 1000 per month for the year.
DeleteWith the Tracfone deal those 1200 min/texts/Mb have to last you the whole year (or you have to add more). If my understanding of the Red Pocket deal is correct, it offers 1000 min/text/Mb per MONTH, so 12,000 per year, or 10 times what Tracfone offers (granted Red Pocket doesn't allow rollover).
DeleteI had Tracfone and was very happy with it, and it kept track of my minutes for me.
DeleteBUT Red Pocket gives me so much more for so much less. I use my phone daily and I like knowing that it will refill itself every month without me paying another cent. Unless I do go over my limit on calls, and then I can choose to pay the extra $10 for less than $0.02 a minute.
It will be interesting to see if the $20 3g plan becomes compatible with 4g phones. It is overall a much better deal than the $200/year.
ReplyDeletebut this store has no feed back on ebay. i will wait to buy from a zero feedback seller..
ReplyDeleteIs this going to be like their T-Mobile data plans? Sign people up and then turn it off without warning.
ReplyDeleteI don't keep up with Verizon. Does anyone know if the new in box Moto E LTE from Verizon prepaid available at about $50 from a few stores can be activated on Red Pocket MVNO? Or any other new phone <~ $100 for that matter.
ReplyDeleteIf its a new Verizon Prepaid phone it can't be activated on MVNOs until it has been used on a Verizon Prepaid plan for 6 months.
DeleteOnly Verizon 3G phones seem to require use on Verizon PP for 6 months. Brand new LTE Verizon prepaid phones have been reported to work on Selectel, PagePlus, TracFone and Puppy. The same is probably true for the Red Pocket eBay plans but no one has confirmed that yet.
DeleteI returned a Vzw PP LG Optimus Exceed 2 to Best Buy; it would not activate on MVNOs.
DeleteThat is a 3g only phone though. Above stated that 4g phones that take sim cards might possibly work.
Delete>> Only Verizon 3G phones seem to require use on Verizon PP for 6 months. Brand new LTE Verizon prepaid phones have been reported to work on Selectel, PagePlus, TracFone and Puppy. <<
DeleteI'm guessing that this is due to their 700MHz "C Block" agreement with the FCC that requires their phones using it to be 'unlocked' (to some extent). Just a guess though.
All new phones will have LTE. Does this mean Verizon can't lock any of their Prepaid phones?
DeleteIs this the best value for a medium user on vzw mvno's ?
ReplyDeleteDepends what "medium" user means. I'd say 1000 mins/1000 texts a month is a lot. 1GB isn't a lot. For the monthly price though just compare it to other $15-$20 plans, if this fits more with your usage pattern then it is the best deal.
DeleteThis is likely the most service customers can get from a Verizon MVNO with 4G LTE for an average of less than $20 per month at this time. Tracfone, Puppy Wireless, and Selectel Wireless are the alternate Verizon MVNOs selling 4G LTE service, but generally they offer less monthly service for similar money.
DeleteThis was mentioned over at Kitty's forums and she stated:
ReplyDelete"anyone who PREPAYS for 12 months on a plan, well, good luck with that. There are very very very big red flags as to why they can't do that on a monthly basis. I know their pricing and it's a huuuuuuuuuge red flag."
The same was also said about the current 3g $20 plan with unlimited texts and 1gb of data on red pocket so I am not sure how much truth there is to this.
I certainly would like to try it for at least a month before committing for one year. My experience with Red Pocket has been awful.
DeleteI used them before on the $20 plan for CDMA. Only problem was auto pay didn't work back then. I heard it has been fixed since though.
DeleteThe $20 3G plan was throttled, wasn't it? The Kitty quote made me chuckle. She sold plenty of $80 annual PP pins when she first opened her dealership. RedPocket had already been in business for 4 years at that time. But now she says their annual plan is too risky. I'll bet she is worried about RedPocket since their prices are so aggressive. More value than any of her unique plans.
DeleteYes, that was my issue - autopay did not work. It was work trying to pay the bill. I kept getting cut off each month. I finally gave up and moved on.
DeleteI've used the CDMA $20 plan for the 1GB of data twice. Did not need auto fill as it was for vacation coverage. The support is ok if you are willing to use chat, hold times were long and comprehension took patience. Chat worked fine. Good deal. This latest offering is tempting.
ReplyDeleteDennis, GREAT post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI have used red pocket before (to get me by for one month) and had no trouble.
I do have aa aquestion: if I buy the red pocket year from eBay will it work on my unlocked Sony Xperia Z1 compact? Currently I am using Cricket and its fine but I am in a rural area and EVERYONE has Verizon and with Cricket (ATT) I get somewhat spotty coverage.
So back to my question would it allow me to have access to Verizons network on my Xperia Z1 Compact Phone? Thanks
From the spec on Phone Arena, it doesn't look like the Z1 Compact has any CDMA capability. It does support Verizon's LTE Band 2 and 4, but not band 13. I would say you'd get limited Verizon data and VoLTE (which is not everywhere yet) if the area uses band 2 & 4, and if the coverage falls back to legacy CDMA for voice and data (which I suspect would be a common occurrence), the Z1 won't get anything at all.
DeleteThe specifications on Sony's website suggest the Z1 Compact does not support the CDMA network or primary LTE band used at Verizon, so it will not work.
Deletehttps://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDUQrAIoADACahUKEwia3Kry--7HAhVGj4AKHXjuDqE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.verizonwireless.com%2Fthread%2F861188&usg=AFQjCNGZCREQn130E5hDspIm6Zg6w3OIRw
Thank you Loco Mole and Anonymous.
DeleteHonestly, this is too soon . Right now Red Pocket Cdma is reportedly in transistion to LTE and it's really really touch and go. Until they announce on the website and the dealers and cs know what the hell is going on I wouldn't recommend touching it. Anything RP has a tendency to go haywire when it first launches. Avoid being a guinea pig till it's well established and routine. This behavior should apply to ALL new changes or new mvnos period. And btw, I see most new mvnos failing period.
ReplyDeleteTheir abrupt stoppage of the T-Mobile hotspot service, after several other issues (including not being able to load a new PIN online to refresh the account), was the final straw for me with RP.
ReplyDeleteThey may have been around for several years, but HORRIBLE CS (worse than the usual), and that shady deal with the hot spot... No thanks! Just like these resellers coming and going. A good price sounds good and while you get it, IS good. But I want actual phone service, not some game where I randomly have no service because the shady company that I was paying for service isn't there anymore (or offering the service I paid for anymore).
"Another gotcha with this deal is that only the first 500 MBs per month are at high speed. The second 500 MBs are throttled to between 64 and 128 Kbps."
ReplyDeleteWhich begs some questions: is the second 500 MB throttled LTE or just EvDO? If you pay $10 or $15 to get the extra data before your bucket is depleted but after the first 500 MB has been used, do you get back full speed?
No one knows for sure yet but if you buy extra data it should be full speed.
DeleteIt will be full high speed for add-ons:
DeleteNeed More
Minutes, Text or Data?
Never run out of minutes. You can always add more whenever you need it.
ADD$10
500 MINS Talk or
500 Texts or
500 MB of High-Speed Data
(per month) 6
ADD$15
1,000 MINS Talk or
1,000 Texts or
1,000 MB of High-Speed Data
(per month) 6
Any indication that this pricing will be sustained for more than one year? Most of RPs other plans are nowhere close in price to this deal, May not be worth it if you need to switch again, and their next price point is double the cost.
ReplyDeleteCan Verizon Iphone 5s work with the CDMA plan? Will it require a sim card?
"Red Pocket Cons:
ReplyDeleteNo call forwarding, No detailed call records. No way for users to check their balances, data used or plan expiration on the non-AT&T plans except by calling customer support. "
All still true AFAIK.
DeleteDoes anyone know if RP will be updating their verizon plans? I used to use the $20 plan @3g speeds but now it says 1gb of data at reduced speeds (it used to say high speed, which was 3g speeds) and reduced speeds states a 64-128kbps throttle. If they've changed that plan it's pretty worthless now.... at least on the data side.
ReplyDeleteWe have two phones on the RP $20 plan and it is still 3G speeds here with 1GB data. No throttle, but still no way to check balances except via phone or chat which is highly annoying. We just use an app to track data on our phones and we don't talk that much and texting is unlimited, so it's worth the hassle for the value.
DeleteDoes RP allow the phone to be used as a mobile Hotspot?
ReplyDeleteRed Pocket Store on eBay Customer Service Hours: Monday through Friday - 8AM-5PM (PT). Customer Service # 1-866-986-5983. Located in Woodinville, Washington.
ReplyDeleteReply from ebay store
ReplyDelete"Hello,
The activation kit arrives with three SIM cards total. The two GSMA SIM arrive in classic and micro on one card. the second card contains a nano by itself. The CDMA is the triple punch. Please let us know if you have any further questions for us.
Thank you."
From their listing:
ReplyDeleteBring nearly any AT&T compatible, T-Mobile compatible (if unlocked), unlocked GSM, Sprint compatible or other CDMA device to use with our service.
Sounds like AT&T or Sprint, not Verizon
According to the eBay poster, the activation kit comes with a CDMA (Verizon) SIM, not a CDMA-S (Sprint) SIM plus a GSM-A (AT&T) SIM. Verizon does not allow MVNOs to mention their name. Red Pocket uses CDMA to distinguish Verizon from Sprint which they call CDMA-S.
DeleteI thought the eBay Red Pocket was a fantastic deal. I am a senior and currently use PagePlus - the $12/mo plan for 250 min/250 texts/10mb data. BUT you can't tether my iPhone 4s and usually I have to get the monthly $29.95 plan which is now 1500 min/unlimited text/1.5gb data BUT you can't tether it. I refill using babblebug (NO TAX)! OK - so I got the locked AT&T Fire phone off eBay for $125 with a year of prime included - unlocked my sim - which I didn't have to as I can only use it on AT&T or T-Mo - got google play added - and then contacted via email the eBay auction and asked many of these same questions. I was told I could use the fire phone as a hotspot and that is what is important to me when I don't have wifi for my iPad or netbook - and you can buy more data if needed. So Dennis since your article is so informative before I spend $200 could you possibly confirm that you can tether with the Fire phone using Redpocket? THANKS!!!! To me tethering with any prepaid plan is worth it for that feature alone.
ReplyDeleteThe Fire Phone's hotspot feature works out of the box on many networks so I think it will probably work on RedPocket GSMA. But there's no way to no for sure until someone tries it.
DeleteAs Dale ponted out below, Hotspot is against RedPockets terms and conditions so there's a chance that they might shut off your data for hotspot use. On a month to month plan that wouldn't be a big deal as you could switch to another operator and only be out part of a month's cost. You have more at stake paying for a year in advance. Only you can decide if you want to take that risk.
From Red Pocket's terms and conditions...
ReplyDelete"I. RED POCKET SERVICE CANNOT BE USED FOR: (1) access to the Internet, intranets, or other data networks except as the device’s native applications and capabilities permit, or (2) any applications that tether your device to a laptop or personal computer other than for the use of Wireless Sync, or (3) any other prohibited uses described herein."
Although there maybe be software work around's to the problem.
Dale
Dale - thanks for your response - here is the response I got from the eBay auction "Third question - by any chance would I be able to tether or use phone as hot spot?"
Delete(ebay) "You technically can use the phone as a hotspot, however this is something we don't encourage. If you do run out of data, you can get more data by going to http://myeasyrefill.com" - so you can see my dilemma - I don't want to stream or anything - just check email or do a few other things easier done on my netbook or iPad than a phone. My iPhone would not allow tethering on PagePlus and I don't want to sign up for Red Pocket only to find out my Fire Phone won't allow the hot spot feature to work too. I'm hoping to find out if it will work without installing a tetherme app or whatever. But I've checked the Amazon Forum and Howareforums to no avail - it's like no one has done this :-(
DDLB, assuming you already have phone service with someone else, here's what I would do. I would take the Firephone and sign up for a month on one of red pockets monthly plans. That way you get to hold onto your existing number and test out their service's hot spot capabilities with the new phone. If all works as planned, port your original number over to Red Pocket using the IMEI of the Firephone and let the other number die peacefully.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to first contact Red Pocket to make sure they allow you to port another number to an existing active account.
Dale
This is an excellent idea! Thanks! I do know they offer the money refunded if conditions are met but I like this idea the most as I'll have a whole month to see how their service works. Now if I could just get the google play to work right - I have followed all the ideas I googled but I have to keep reinstalling it :-(
Deletei just got the sims and starter pack. when i tried to activate it said i need an activation pin which wasnt in original ebay email from them. i emailed again and got it within 2 hours.
ReplyDeletethere is an att micro and full sim and there is a vzw triple sim. they say for sprint you can use the sprint sim.
The fire phone needs a nano sim. I had to cut/file a t-mo micro down to use to unlock the AT&T fire phone (wasn't really necessary I guess). So could you please tell me if you can use your phone as a hot spot if it has that feature! THANKS!
DeleteIt looks like their cheapest plan is $19.99 a month. It's a tough call. Maybe try your Firephone on one of PagePlus value plans and see if you can get the hotspot feature up and running and then port over to Red Pocket?
ReplyDeleteYou problem is an easy one. Try getting MMS or LTE on a BB Z10 working when the MVNO locks the APN so you can't. Grrrr...
Dale
One more comment. Per thier terms.
ReplyDelete"We want you to be delighted with your purchase of this prepaid service. Within 14 days of activating the service, if you are not satisfied and have consumed fewer than 30 minutes, 30 texts or 30MB of data, we will refund your purchase in full. After this 14 day period, or if you consume more than 30 minutes, 30 texts or 30MB of data, your purchase is non-refundable."
Dale
They just called me that lte/cdma/vzw sim can't be activated just yet . They offered to activate the gsma sim. I asked if I can switch later to CDMA sim and they will get back to me :)
ReplyDeleteShould be non-issue. You should be able to transfer to the CDMA SIM from the GSMA SIM without any trouble. Their customer service should be following up soon to transfer you to CDMA.
DeleteI'm new to prepaid plans. Does this mean 1000 min. 1000 texts and 1000mb of each per month or is it a combination of the three? In other words if I made 500 texts, called 300min and used 200mb of data that would be my monthly allotment.
ReplyDeleteIt means 1000 of each. So if you used amounts in your comment you would still have 500 text left, 700 min, and 800 MB.
DeleteReDPocket says it's "and" not "or". So you can use up to a total of 1000 minutes AND 1000 texts AND 1000 MB per month
ReplyDeleteFollowing up. They activated the att sim since they can't do the cdma vzw one yet. They said I can change when it's fixed up. Btw, you can check the data usage easily by dialing a special code. You can also check balance easily.
ReplyDeleteJeff - what kind of phone are you using it on now? Do you have a hot spot and if so can it be activated? I'm really tempted to get it for my Verizon Iphone 4s when it becomes available and would have the same hot spot question for that too! Are you going to post an eBay feedback?
Delete@DDLB, the Iphone 4s is a 3G device, not LTE, so there should be no issue activating now on the CDMA eBay plan. This is a medium user plan, so use of a hot spot may dwindle your data rapidly.
Deletei am using an unlocked att iphone 5. the hot spot option is there and it turns on but i didnt connect anything to it. the data speeds seem to fluctuate a bit much..
Delete2nd DDLB's question - what kind of phone?
ReplyDeleteHey, quick question. I have an iPhone 5s on Sprint, but it has been factory unlocked. I looked at the bands the phone supports and it supports all the bands Verizon uses. Would I be able to activate this FACTORY UNLOCKED Sprint iPhone 5s on the Verizon network with this plan since all the bands are supported???
ReplyDeleteI don't think Red Pocket will accept a non Verizon device for use on the Verizon network. But a Red Pocket Verizon SIM that has been activated in a Verizon device will probably work in an unlocked Sprint iPhone 5s.
DeleteSee Verizon Opens the Door to Non-Verizon Phones a Little Wider, Prepaid Included for more information.
Activated AT&T Galaxy S5 on GSMA Ebay Red Pocket Plan (Gold one, with unlimited SMS actually) yesterday. Was troublesome to port the number from PagePlus, online form was failing with some cryptic messages about port failure, spend a while on the phone with red pocket customer support (strangely handled by Quick Ship Electronics). Finally the number ported, everything seems to work, get 4G LTE data.
ReplyDelete*777*1# provides balances (for AT&T I guess).
Registered for Red Pocket online account - it is showing that account expires in a month, but it is probably just because the system is not updated to handle yearly thing.
Generally everything feels really new and buggy with activation/registration process but hopefully it will get ironed out. The price is good, so when they make Verizon work I will consider switching other household phones from PagePlus.
One other not great factor about that activation page.
DeleteThe activation page isn't using SSL.
It also asks (but doesn't seem to require) SSN.
That's a seriously "bad thing" they have going right there.
"One other not great factor about that activation page.
DeleteThe activation page isn't using SSL.
It also asks (but doesn't seem to require) SSN.
That's a seriously "bad thing" they have going right there."
Reply: The SSN is only needed if your previous carrier requires it for porting out your phone number. It is not being asked for under customer information, and most carriers don't require you to enter your SSN.
Also is SSL certified. https://myeasyactivation.com/
Hmm. Seems really shady. I noticed the actual seller was quick ship electronics, too. Better be able to activate LTE with Verizon, even if it takes a little while. Better last the year.
ReplyDeleteNot feeling confident about my purchase. Unbeatable deal for a year of service though. Will comment further when I go through their process.
not shady just a new plan.. their customer service was very good when i emailed them back and forth
DeleteJust a thought, but if bought through eBay, would eBay not stand behind the purchase?
ReplyDeleteI bought a factory unlocked refurbished Verizon Moto X (2nd gen) to use this plan on Veriaon 4G-LTE. I checked the device on Tracfone and PagePlus to make sure it had a clean ESN before trying to activate through the myeasyactivation website, RP customer service, and the eBay seller I got this message from the eBay RedPocket store:
ReplyDeleteHello,
We apologize for the trouble! It looks like this device is being black listed by the CDMA network so it cannot be activated onto this network. We are more than happy to activate your device onto the GSMA network. Please let us know if you are ok with this and we can get this started. If this is something you do not want to do, we can issue a refund.
Thank you.
- redpocketstore
Did you call the # on the included card? They were able to help me.
ReplyDeleteThink they may still be having issues w/their integration on the CDMA side, but the rep I spoke with was able to get their "tier2" folks to make it happen. Then again, it is also possible that the device is indeed "on the list." You'd have to check with the actual carrier to be 100% sure.
When I checked online, their system flat out refused 2 known good devices, which had *previously* checked out as "compatible" only a couple days prior. Judging from that, they are probably still sorting out issues with tying into the carrier's systems properly.
I bought the this on ebay and 5 days later they sent me GSM (AT&T) and CDMA (Verizon) sims via USPS. I had a Verizon iphone 6 that I wanted to put on the plan. Needless to say website activation did not go smoothly. Basically the website rejected any MEID from a 4G CDMA phone and rejected the ICCID CDMA sim.
ReplyDeleteSo I resorted to using the red pocket phone support but the phone support wasn't much help. When I was on the phone with them they admitted they were having problems with the 4G Verizon phones and asked me to call again the next day.
I finally got everything resolved by using the email support. I just kept sending my information every 6 hours asking for help activating my phone. At first I got the typical "is your ESN clean" or "we can't port that number" deflections but after about a six emails I got a response saying "put in the sim and re-power your phone"
Long story short, although it took three days and many phone calls and emails, it appears that everything is working now. I am using a Verizon iphone 6 with the CDMA sim on red pocket!
Love it!
BTW, They still can't report my balance but they say they are "working on it".
I am having the same activation problem, may I have the email support address then I can contact them? thanks
Delete[email protected]
DeleteThanks, I have an off-contract Verizon iPhone 6 that is using at oversea currently. Can I use that iphone's IMEI to activate on the red pocket network and use that CDMA sim in my Sprint unlocked iPhone 6?
DeleteA Sprint iPhone 6 with an unlocked GSM-LTE slot will work with an active Verizon network SIM such as the Red Pocket Verizon nano-SIM. You could also activate Red Pocket Sprint network service using the nano-SIM that came with your Sprint iPhone 6.
DeleteI know my unlocked sprint iPhone 6 with work on Verizon network, but Red Pocket doesn't allow me to activate from the non-Verizon phone. I just wondering can I use my cousin's Verizon phone at oversea to activate the card
DeleteI believe you need to activate the SIM in a Verizon device connected to the Verizon network in the US.
DeleteFor people that have gotten the CDMA (Verizon) working. Are you getting LTE service and if so how are the upload/download speeds?
ReplyDeleteAbout 5Mbps down, which is what other MVNOs get for the same underlying carrier.
ReplyDelete"Good enough" for me.
On the balance reports, that would be really nice to have online. Using an app for data use monitoring so I know where I am. Hope they can get that working sooner rather than later.
Has anyone gotten the Verizon based service working with a Verizon Prepaid LTE phone? I've got a Verizon Prepaid Samsung S4 that I've used with their prepaid service for over a year. I've read elsewhere that the Red Pocket customer service is claiming that a Verizon prepaid phone wont work. I'm hoping they are referring to the fact that the phone has to be used on the Verizon prepaid service for 6 months before Verizon will unlock it for use on an MVNO.
ReplyDeleteThe Red Pocket Ebay store was unable to activate my factory unlocked Verizon Moto X 2nd gen. I had to go to Tracfone where it activated without any problem. They refunded my purchase at least.
ReplyDeleteHow can I get my Verizon Galaxy S4 activated on Red Pocket's CDMA network? The website is rejecting my phone's meid. But I'm out of contract with verizon and my phone is paid off etc. I want to port my number over to red pocket too.
ReplyDeleteWould this device be compatible with their gsm sim? (4g data, etc.)
LTE coverage will be limited with a Verizon S4 on the AT&T network as it only supports one of AT&T's LTE bands, band 4.
DeleteOrdered and received 2 of the 1 Year kits for our 2 GSM phones (AT&T Fusion 3's). Started the port-in process Friday afternoon - coming from Cricket. Still no voice or data. Sent eBay message and called the 1-866-986-5983 number on the information sent along with the sim's. Noticed it says support hotline 8am to 5pm Monday thru Friday. I sure hope I get phone service and help before then. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to contact support beyond what I've already tried? Hopefully somebody at Red Pocket will still get back to me today. Hope they don't shut down for the weekend!
ReplyDeleteTurning the phones on and off will force them to reregister on the network and that may get them working. If it doesn't:
DeleteTry messaging the seller on eBay.
You could also try calling the regular Red Pocket number 888-993-3888.
Thanks Dennis for the suggestions. Finally called the Red Pocket regular number that you listed and reached a support person that helped me. She said they didn't process the activation codes on my 2 phones. Once she did that all is well. Thanks again for your help!
DeleteAny idea if Verizon CDMA service would work with the new Nexus 5x from Google?
ReplyDeleteA previously activated Verizon SIM should work. I don't know if Verizon or Red Pocket would activate a SIM in the Nexus 5x or not. We will have to wait until the phone ships and someone tries it.
DeleteHello, I am in an area where Verizon LTE is spotty same with cricket varies from 3G 2g and LTE. Can I use this red pocket theme for my Sony Xperia z1 compact instead of my cricket sim. For example will I still be able to use Verizon service other than LTE on my xperia z1 compact?
ReplyDeleteThe Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is a GSM phone so it won't work with Verizon. It would work with a RedPocket GSM (AT&T) SIM but coverage would be the same as with Cricket which also used AT&T.
DeleteGot the $199 for a year. Port my Black wireless cell no. to Red Pocket with a little problem cause of account no. and pin. Customer Service from Phil. was so nice and helpful in porting my no.
ReplyDeleteLog in to my account and i can see everything my usage on my monthly allowance.
Today it's down to $159.99 on eBay.
ReplyDeleteI got one at $159.99. Activated online with no problem. Checked balance online.CDMA on Iphone 4s. Want to upgrade to 4G phone soon. Great deal. Works the same as Pageplus.
ReplyDeletewhen was that- it is back to $199 right now
DeleteIt was around Black Friday but it was on sale a couple weeks not just one day. I grabbed the cheaper deal because 1000 SMS each month is plenty. For Me.
DeleteI wish there was more data but for less than $15/month it's plenty for email and other stuff that can't wait for wifi.
Has anyone that has signed up for this checked their account status on the redpocket website? Mine looks like this:
ReplyDeleteAccount Type:
Ebay $199 Plan
Airtime Expiration Date:
February 4th, 2016
Available Voice Minutes:
906
Available Text Messages:
687
Available High Speed Data (MB):
500
Available Reduced Speed Data (MB):
346
Either they have the high speed and reduced speed reversed or they're using my slow speed data first.... This is actually new and last month it showed 0 MB of high speed available and 500 MB of reduced speed available, but I was getting high speed 4g the whole month....
GSM or CDMA? I'm on GSM and can't get status on the website but the short codes work so it's not a big deal.
DeleteCdma verizon
DeleteMine now show mixed use of high speed and reduced speed... Very strange.
DeleteSo what happens after the first year of the ebay deal??? Do you then have to go to their standard $30 monthly plan?? Can you buy another ebay plan and add to your existing account. Is the ebay plan just there to reel you in????
ReplyDeleteAs long as they still offer it you can just buy another year.
DeleteI was wondering something today. What happens if you have a yearly plan on a prepaid provider like Redpocket that offers multiple carriers and they stop providing service for one of the carriers midway through your year? Are there terms relating to this situation in the ebay $199 plan?
ReplyDeleteWhen RedPocket discontinued GSMT service in June user's service was cut off mid month with little warning. Affected users could switch to GSMA but the plans were more expensive and customers had to pay the difference. Customer service was swamped. Some users who managed to get through to CS got refunds, most did not.
DeleteI guess it would help to pay via paypal then since it is an ebay deal and they offer 180 days of "protection"?
DeleteStrange. I logged into my RP account today and it's showing "Account Status: Closed". My phone is still working right now and when I logged in a couple of days ago it was showing my minutes/txt/data buckets. My plan just renewed a few days ago and I am on the ebay 199 plan with CDMA (verizon). Anyone else report what they're seeing if they have this plan?
ReplyDeleteI logged into my RedPocket account (Ebay $199 plan with CDMA (verizon)) today and the "Account Status" says "Active".
DeleteI've been using Red Pocket now for a couple of years, because it was, and is, the most affordable for people who travel to the States regularly. Started with the monthly plan as starter, without problems on the AT&T net. Yup, registration was a bit awkward for me as European, but it worked from the start. Then I bought the $100 pack with 1000 minutes and 365 days service. Works like a charm. Got 4 packs of the $199 deals on eBay, and enabled those for friends, without any issues!
ReplyDeleteYou should, however, find the strongest network at the places you are residing the most, and choose that simcard! (And make sure your phone is capable of handling that network)
I can only say, that the deals are, compared to what I am used to, are fine! Tech support is capable and experienced.
I've had the Red Pocket Ebay $199 plan (on Verizon) for the past year and its been great. Now that I'm coming to the end of the plan year I'm wondering how I go about getting another year of service. Do you just buy a new $199 plan on ebay (and get the new sim card) and use the new sim card or do you use the old sim card?
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't need a new SIM.
DeleteI would start by contacting the eBay seller redpocketstore through their eBay "Contact Seller" form: Find answers from redpocketstore.
I ended up contacting the ebay seller redpocketstore and they told me to buy a new sim from them on ebay and use the instructions on the sheet that comes with the sim. The instructions on the sheet take you to a website that insists you type in iccid/eid info and asks you to port your number etc... and that seemed weird.
DeleteYesterday I called Redpocket and was told to use the activation code as a "refill" and to NOT use the sim cards that were sent. I was also told that my service would run out by midnight and to activate my "refill pin" the next morning. The woman I talked to gave me the following directions for refill.
To "refill your pin" go to https://goredpocket.com/easyrefill and type in your current redpocket phone number (where it asks) and then click on the button "Go Refill". On the next page there will be a button that says "Already have a refill PIN code? Apply it here!". Click on that button. Another screen will come up with your phone number and a field for your "refill code". You can now type in the "Activation code" that they sent you in email from ebay when you bought the sim card pack.
My one year of service was refilled pretty easily this morning. I wish they had these instructions in the mail they sent me or with the sim cards they sent me but my refill was activated in seconds following these instructions.
I now see this small print on eBay for their 1 year $149.99 listing, the last two sentences address existing customer purchasing the kit.
Delete"*Our service will work with nearly any unlocked, GSM or CDMA device as long as your wireless contract has ended and your account is in good standing with your previous carrier (e.g., current on payments, etc.). Please make sure you are using the Red Pocket SIM cards from your Starter Kit to avoid any issues. If you are an existing Red Pocket customer or using a Sprint or other non-LTE CDMA device, you do not need to use the Starter Kit SIM cards. After you receive your activation code via email, simply activate your phone at myeasyactivation.com !"
DEAL: Red Pocket 1 Year Prepaid Wireless Plan - No Contract, SIM Kit Included $149.99 !
ReplyDeleteUnder $12.50/Month: 1000 Minutes & Texts & 1000MB Data
**500 MB @ 4G LTE Speed**
DeleteHello, does anybody know how often these red pocket prepaid plans go on sale on ebay? The current sale ended today (12/5). Thank you
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know when will $149/year promotion be active again on ebay. I need to buy at least one if not two for my family.
ReplyDeleteIt likely won't drop that low again until Black Friday. However, at $199 it's still an amazing deal. If you are going to purchase more than 1, use this URL to save $10. http://ebay.us/pO5Uzq
ReplyDeleteWow, red pocket only runs that special once a year ? That's a long wait!
ReplyDeleteYeah, but it's a crazy deal, and again for under $17 bucks you will be hard pressed to find a better plan, especially offered on all 4 of the major carriers. Also, the unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data has been dropped to $300 ($25 per month).
DeleteRed Pocket just launched a $99 annual plan on eBay. 500 Min/Text and 50 MB of LTE data. This plan is also eligible for the eBay add-ons of $10 for 500 min/text/mb lte or $15 for 1000 min/text/mb lte. Currently the plan is launched on their GSMA and CDMAS network, but the other two networks should be following shortly.
ReplyDeleteI just ordered the sim starter kit on ebay for this plan and it now comes with CDMA LTE (Verizon) sim. I have an unlocked iphone se att gophone. Does anyone know if I can use the CDMA LTE (Verizon) sim in my iphone se if it never has been on the verizon network?
DeleteJust noticed on Ebay that they are giving 1GB high speed data for all providers (Verizon/Tmobile/Sprint) except ATT (GSMA) on the $199 year plan.
ReplyDelete1,000 MB Data (500 MB @ Reduced Speed on GSMA)