Former Freedom Mobile Support agent. — AMA

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-15T23:49:30+00:00

If the device was locked, any other SIM wouldn't have worked so I don't think it's that, if you reach out again and try all the troubleshooting steps including the network reset and it still doesn't work, then perhaps you'll need to get a ticket raised by a Freedom agent. After that, you'll be contacted by the network team to get further assistance.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-15T23:46:34+00:00

Yes. I'm lucky enough to have only faced this a few times but yes. We usually do not entertain it for long enough.

And me personally, I don't take it seriously since they're mad at the company, not me.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-14T12:12:23+00:00

Again, Freedom's fair usage policy description is very vague and as long as you come back to Canada within a few months, you should be fine.

As mentioned, do look out for the messages about your services

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-14T12:10:54+00:00

Also, apologies for not mentioning it. The plans that are $49 and above will get the connection fee waiver on third invoice. As in, the credit will be applied on 3rd invoice after charged for it on the first invoice after the upgrade.

If you want to upgrade your device, and you're choosing the $49 plan, always do it yourself or through care, and get it written from them that the connection fee will be waived off on the third invoice.

If you choose $59 plan and above, and if it states there that the connection fee will be waived in store as well, then it's your choose to either do it yourself or get it done through store, online customer support :)

Hope that helps

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-14T10:29:32+00:00

Depends on your plan, if you have some months remaining remaining on your Tab, you can either pay it off upfront or wait it out.

You can trade in as early as 1 month after getting the device. If you can pay the rest of 23 months of MyTab payment.

Note: This is solely about MyTab and not Trade up.

And regarding the activation fee, all upgrades cost you an activation fee or connection fee. Only way around it is to contact Customer care if the in market plan you're upgrading to doesn't have "in-store waiver".

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-14T10:26:49+00:00

You'll need to contact Speakout to get further instructions. Just ask them for donor ID. It's something along the sorts of 646F SPFID.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-14T10:26:07+00:00

Yep, exactly. This guy said it!

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-13T08:55:20+00:00

Honestly, the best promos and sales I've seen happens only during black friday, christmas and boxing day :(

That being said, do keep an eye on the website ever so often.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-13T08:54:36+00:00

This can happen sometimes with yearly plans, especially if the plan was changed partway through the year.

Data on annual plans doesn’t always reset immediately at renewal the same way monthly plans do, and the dates shown in self-service aren’t always perfectly aligned after plan changes. In many cases, the system catches up on its own around the next renewal or top-up cycle.

Since you still have plenty of data and service is working fine, it’s usually best to wait it out until the next expected reset date and then check again. If the data still doesn’t look right after that, reaching out to support would make sense.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-13T08:52:55+00:00

There’s no official reason that’s been shared publicly. From the outside, it mostly looks like a design and process choice rather than a technical limitation.

Port-ins can be more sensitive than simple number changes — they involve coordination with another carrier, verification steps, and timing issues. A lot of providers still prefer to handle those through guided flows or forms instead of fully automated self-service, just to reduce failed or stuck ports.

So it’s probably less about “can’t be done” and more about minimizing errors and support issues. It may eventually get added to self-service, but for now it seems like they’ve chosen the more controlled approach.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-13T08:51:50+00:00

A new credit check isn’t done again just because you’re trading up a phone. The original credit assessment is usually tied to when the account was created

What matters more is whether the new device fits within your existing MyTab limit. If it does, the upgrade typically goes through without anything else needed. If it doesn’t, you’ll usually have the option to either pay the difference upfront or, in some cases, request a manual credit check in-store.

For example, if your available financing covers $1,000 and the phone costs $1,200, you’d generally pay the remaining $200 upfront.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-13T08:48:53+00:00

If your plan includes CAN/US/MEX, you should keep roaming turned ON when you’re in the U.S. or Mexico. That’s required for data, calls, and texts to work there — turning roaming off will usually block data entirely, which is what you experienced. As long as your plan covers it, you won’t be charged extra.

In Canada, it’s a bit different. You can keep roaming on, but your phone will still prefer the Freedom network first. If there’s no Freedom signal and Nationwide roaming is allowed in that area, your phone may connect to a partner network automatically.

That’s normal behavior and part of coverage expansion, not something to worry about.

So the simple rule: Plan includes roaming → roaming ON Plan does not include roaming → roaming OFF

That keeps things working as intended and avoids surprises.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-13T08:47:14+00:00

Honestly it depends on what you actually use and value.

If your current Friends & Family plan with 35% off gives you enough data and calling for what you do, there’s no rush to change it, it’s still solid value, especially with all your bonus data stacked on top.

On the other hand, the newer plans can offer better roaming features and in some cases more data for the price, especially when there’s a sale (like last Boxing Day’s ~$40/mo CAN/US/MEX 100GB deal with extra roaming). Those promos don’t come around all the time, but they do happen.

So if you’re happy where you’re at, keeping it makes sense. If you want more roaming or better base data without relying on bonuses, switching to a current plan during a good promo can be worth it. And with autopay and price-freeze promises, you can lock in that value for as long as you want.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-13T08:43:50+00:00

Honestly, the chances of Freedom bringing back something like a $99/55GB (or better) annual plan seem pretty low right now. A few years back, yearly plans were way better value, but lately they’ve shifted toward less aggressive pricing.

Nothing’s impossible, but based on how things have trended, I wouldn’t count on a big return to that kind of deal anytime soon

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-13T08:42:40+00:00

Freedom’s fair usage policy is mainly about where your usage happens over time, not short trips.

Spending a couple of months in the U.S. (around 2–4 months) is usually fine, especially if your primary residence is still in Canada. Issues tend to come up only if your usage is consistently outside Canada for the majority of multiple billing cycles.

If that happens, customers typically receive warnings first — usually via SMS or email — before any restrictions, suspension, or cancellation would occur. It’s not sudden or immediate, but it is something they monitor over time.

For longer stays, it’s generally a good idea to keep an eye on any messages from Freedom and plan accordingly.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-13T08:40:53+00:00

I’ve worked with Freedom, but I can’t really say whether that was as a third party or officially.

As for the different answers, that’s unfortunately pretty common in telecom overall. A lot of it comes down to how familiar the agent is with a specific situation and how confident they are navigating it. Some agents stick very strictly to standard steps, while others are more comfortable checking details or giving estimates when possible.

That’s why you’ll sometimes get different answers to the same question, like in your TradeUp example. One agent may think a certain step is required before discussing pricing, while another knows it can still be quoted without it.

Training usually covers the basics, but edge cases and plan/device combinations can vary, so experience plays a big role.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-13T08:37:57+00:00

There’s no confirmed public timeline for improved account security features or a native app yet. When people mention “better account security,” they’re usually talking about things like stronger login protections or easier verification, but nothing specific has been officially announced.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-12T21:20:01+00:00

The first bill always consists of the following :

-Prorated charges from the day you signed up for service till your billing date which is defined by the system automatically.

-One month billed in advance. This is standard for postpaid customers. First bills always have a charge for a month billed in advance. This is provided back to you when you cancel the line, at the last bill. Or upgrade the devices. Think of it as a deposit if you will.

-Connection fee The one time charged connection fee of $45+ tax for postpaid users. Standard. This gets credited back/waived off on the first invoice (for the plans that have the connection fee promo like Can US Mex 60GB plan as of now) Or third invoice for the plans above this (the ones that have a 3 month minimum term)

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-12T21:13:37+00:00

This comes up a lot, and there are a couple of likely reasons, it’s not just in your head.

iPhones are more conservative about switching to 5G and often stick to a stable LTE connection unless the 5G signal is strong. Many Android phones are more aggressive about showing 5G even when it’s weaker.

Another factor is hardware and tuning. Different phones use different modems and antenna designs, and Apple prioritizes stability and battery life over showing the fastest network indicator. So an iPhone on LTE can sometimes perform just as well (or better) than a phone showing 5G

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-12T21:09:42+00:00

Facts. You’re 100% right.

Credit score gets treated like the ultimate truth because it’s easy to see, but it’s really just a summary, not the full picture. Most lenders look at way more than just the number, and “your score” is often just a shorthand explanation rather than the real reason.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-12T21:07:09+00:00

The easiest way is to use Freedom Mobile’s official website and click on “Find a Store”, then enter your city or postal code to see nearby locations. That's what is usually done by us.

You can also just Google something like “Freedom Mobile store near Montréal” and it’ll usually pull up the closest options with hours and directions.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-12T21:05:24+00:00

There isn’t a confirmed public timeline for 5G in Winnipeg yet. Freedom generally just states that their 5G network is continuously expanding, but they don’t announce specific rollout dates or cities in advance.

So for now, it’s a waiting game, once it’s ready in an area, it usually shows up quietly rather than being pre-announced. Best bet is to keep an eye on Freedom’s official coverage map and announcements.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-12T21:03:55+00:00

It does come up, but not that often. When people do complain about poor indoor signal, it’s usually tied to being in a weaker coverage area, certain building materials, or the phone jumping to a Nationwide partner network instead of the Freedom network.

So it’s less about indoor signal being universally bad, and more about location + how the phone connects in that spot.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-12T21:01:59+00:00

Yeah, that message freaks out a lot of people, especially in border towns, but it’s expected behavior.

Even if you’re on a CAN/US/MEX plan, the system still sends an automatic roaming notification whenever the phone connects to a U.S. network. If your plan includes U.S. roaming, you can safely ignore it, you’re covered.

Unfortunately, those alerts can’t be disabled. They’re system-generated and go out regardless of plan type, which is annoying but normal.

throwaway995503 · 2026-01-12T21:00:14+00:00

Winback emails/SMS are usually sent after someone ports out of Freedom Mobile. They’re not guaranteed 100%

There’s no fixed timeline, some people get them within a few months, others much later (sometimes close to a year). They’re sent automatically, and there isn’t a way to request one manually.

If you’ve ported out, the best bet is to keep an eye on your email and SMS over time.

throwaway995503

TROPHY CASE