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I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

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Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#291

Post by toomuchtodo »

threeseed wrote: post #265
toomuchtodo wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Passport number along with cryptographic authentication similar to Estonia’s ID card. I believe this satisfies the need for authentication of all citizens at a global scope.

Not everyone has passports let alone valid ones. And getting one for people can be difficult as many people especially older ones don't have supporting documentation e.g. birth certificates and so can't prove identity.

You can’t function as a citizen of a country without identity documents. Passport national ID cards, in my opinion, the optimal solution to the problem. Issuance can be streamlined, and cost can be absorbed for those who can’t afford it.

Society requires foundations.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#292

Post by wittedhaddock »

jessriedel wrote: post #124

> Google Fi won’t restore service or allow your number to be ported out until the bill is paid, so around and around we go. I'm surprised this is legal. Number portability isn't something phone companies offer out of the kindness of their heart; it's required by law. Does the law really allow them to hold the number hostage as part of a payment dispute? EDIT: Nope, this is illegal: > Once you request service from a n…

We wrote an article describing how this can be done, we file complaints with the FCC for our customers against their former carriers all the time: https://www.communityphone.org/2018-08-07-how-to-file-a-comp...

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#293

Post by dabockster »

iandanforth wrote: post #29

The lede here is somewhat burried: "From what I’ve since learned, if a card in your Google Pay is stolen, or someone uses your Payments account fraudulently, or anything happens that leads to a security flag being raised, it can lead to your Google Payments account being frozen. ... If you can’t use Google Payments, you can’t pay for Google Fi This, fundamentally, is why I can’t suggest anyone use Project Fi anymore.…

> even a well-intentioned agent doesn’t get the same answer from the “security department” twice

So you've gotten agents fired? Or does the security department flip flop with a different answer each time?

I've thankfully never had to deal with Google support, so I'm curious about your experiences.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#294

Post by jdofaz »

rmason wrote: post #172

I've had accounts with Verizon, Sprint and tMobile. On their worst day Google Fi is head and shoulders above them, it's not even close. I've used cell phones for thirty years and my time on Fi is the most stress free in all that time. Having said that Google needs to do a better job at customer service. But so do Facebook and Amazon, both of which have caused me major problems.

I think I am flagged as a profitable customer with T-Mobile because I never have to wait on hold and I always get excellent service.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#295

Post by dragonwriter »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #291
threeseed wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not everyone has passports let alone valid ones. And getting one for people can be difficult as many people especially older ones don't have supporting documentation e.g. birth certificates and so can't prove identity.

You can’t function as a citizen of a country without identity documents. Passport national ID cards, in my opinion, the optimal solution to the problem. Issuance can be streamlined, and cost can be absorbed for those who can’t afford it. Society requires foundations.

> You can’t function as a citizen of a country without identity documents.

Sure you can. Identity documents exist more to prevent (the “wrong") people from functioning as citizens than to enable people to do so.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#296

Post by dabockster »

woolvalley wrote: post #126
magduf wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With Microsoft, it makes good sense for them to not have any support. They can save a lot of money that way, and there's simply no downside. Does it anger customers? Sure, but who cares? It's not like the customers are going to abandon Microsoft. With Google, there is at least a chance they could move to the Apple ecosystem.

Why wouldn't I abandon MSFT? There is google docs, chromebooks and mac os already. Only a small power user use case needs to stick with office specifically nowadays.

Last I checked, Windows is still the OS of choice for consumers, businesses, the space station (check the recent HN post and zoom in on one of the ThinkPads), etc. So MSFT still has a good chokehold on modern computing.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#297

Post by Terretta »

r00fus wrote: post #273
JohnTHaller wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever occur to you that someone using a debit card may not be able to "just use a different card"?

Perhaps this is an America-centric point of view, but almost everyone has multiple cards. You can also use a prepaid credit or cash gift card to create an account or pay for Apple content. Perhaps this US centrism colors Apple's view as well?

You don’t need a card to keep using the apps you’ve purchased.

You don’t need a card to maintain or get an Apple ID (unlike implied bythe default user flow, it’s possible to get w/o one).

You don’t need a card on an Apple ID to download free apps.

You even don’t need a card on an old account to use apps from that old account on the same device as apps from a new account, you just need to be able to provide valid credentials for both (seems like triggers when the device is trying to update the apps in question).

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#298

Post by rconti »

magduf wrote: post #121
sithadmin wrote: post #6

I abandoned Fi after a trip to western Europe, where I was billed for 6 GB of usage in a single day on one of my data-only SIM cards, despite that the device the SIM was installed in (a 4G hotspot) registered only 200MB of usage that day. Support was completely unhelpful, and after escalation reported back that the Fi team has zero visibility into chargebacks from their carrier partners and ergo could not diagnose th…

I just went to western Europe (Germany specifically), and spend 15 Euros for phone service there. It's simple: I just bought a SIM card at a shop (O2) and put it in my Verizon phone. I got a prepaid card that had unlimited text/calls (within Germany only), and 3GB of data, which was far more than enough for my 2 weeks there. Cellular service is much cheaper in Europe than in the US, so you might as well take advantag…

In Germany, they want your passport and an address to register a SIM. It's not one of the worst countries for buying a SIM, but it's not one of the best. Last time it took me trips to 3 or 4 stores and at least 90 minutes to get a SIM.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#299

Post by OxO4 »

magduf wrote: post #121
sithadmin wrote: post #6

I abandoned Fi after a trip to western Europe, where I was billed for 6 GB of usage in a single day on one of my data-only SIM cards, despite that the device the SIM was installed in (a 4G hotspot) registered only 200MB of usage that day. Support was completely unhelpful, and after escalation reported back that the Fi team has zero visibility into chargebacks from their carrier partners and ergo could not diagnose th…

I just went to western Europe (Germany specifically), and spend 15 Euros for phone service there. It's simple: I just bought a SIM card at a shop (O2) and put it in my Verizon phone. I got a prepaid card that had unlimited text/calls (within Germany only), and 3GB of data, which was far more than enough for my 2 weeks there. Cellular service is much cheaper in Europe than in the US, so you might as well take advantag…

Note that this option may have some limitations depending on the country: Turkey blocks the IMEI of unregistered devices after 120 days, so if you plan to travel there multiple times, you may be out of luck (AFAIK only residents can register their device). So it is definitely worth checking the rules before traveling to a country.

Re: I Can No Longer Recommend Google Fi

#300

Post by wxz »

gamblor956 wrote: post #282
ploxiln wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also a problem with Square, and Stripe, and Paypal ... it's an unsolvable fraud/scammer problem. Basically, if there was customer support that could fix the problem, then skilled scammers can get money and control out of them. They can do it a lot better than you can get your stuff re-enabled, they know just when to say what to whom. Verizon just accepts the inefficiency, and also over-charges random customer…

Have to chime in here: not a problem with Paypal. I've actually gone through this process, spoke with a real human being, and got things resolved in about 15 min...

I completely disagree. I've had the same problem with PayPal and Venmo. At some point, if anything goes wrong, they just say their security system has flagged you and there is nothing they can do. They can't even tell you the issue. You just have to wait and hope it eventually clears you, hope it doesn't flag you the next time you do it (which it probably will somewhere in the algorithm, since you've been flagged before) or close/cancel your account.
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