cell phones

An Honest Gen Mobile Review: Excellent Service At Low Cost

October 9, 2019 By Gina DiMasi

Like a lot of extreme savers, I am incredibly frugal. I find myself constantly looking for the best deals and ways to cut costs to keep more money in my pocket. And I am guessing since you are here on Savingadvice, you like to save money too. Well, I have the newest gold mine for you. The company is called Gen Mobile and they’re offering super good quality phone service for as low as $9 per month. If you are curious, check out the Gen Mobile review below.

Excellent Service, Strong Network Coverage

Customer Service
East of Use
Network Availability
Versatile Options

4.6

Customer Service 4.5. Good customer service, but doesn’t have 24/7 availability.

Ease of Use: 5. Plans are very easy to set up. No issues with getting started.

Network Availability: 5. Great job. Does well in even in rural isolated parts of the US.

Versatile Options: 4. Strong options, but plans could be improved with an unlimited data option.

I personally haven’t had the best experience with small cell phone operators so I was definitely prepared for the worst yet pleasantly surprised with Gen Mobile.

That said, this post is a full-on scorecard for the service, from delivery all the way to usage capabilities. With that, here is a little bit of background on America’s phone plan costs.

America as a whole spends far too much on its monthly phone plans. For example, if we look at this data from CNBC, we see that American’s pay about $125 a month for their phone bill. Which is a lot!

chart — Source: Bill pay service Doxo.com, via CNBC.

I know people who won’t even spend $125 on a pair of sneakers they will wear for 12 months, let alone a monthly phone plan.

What is Gen Mobile?

Somewhat new to the market and making its debut in the summer of 2018, Gen Mobile was founded by Robert Yap – a veteran in the wireless phone industry. The business is smaller, but family run. Gen Mobile is part of a class of telecommunications businesses called Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).

MVNOs do not own their own wireless networks, but instead rent space from one of the major US carriers. There are about 139 MVNOs in the United States. The numbers of these kinds of businesses have grown since 2009 due to changes in FCC regulations. By and large MVNOs have better customer service and since they do not have infrastructure costs, they can offer lower prices to consumers. Gen Mobile is no exception. Their service piggybacks on Sprint’s network and their minimum plans cost $9 per month.

Here is Gen Mobile’s coverage map. They have a presence in most of the United States.

Gen Mobile offers several different kinds of plans. Its pricing starts as low as $9 and spans up to $25 a month. Any plan over $15 includes unlimited calling to 100 countries (a big plus for my global friends and any expats!). See the listing of all 100 countries below:

Gen Mobile prides itself not only on its affordability but also on its high-quality customer service. It offers live chat, phone calls or email customer care from 8 AM to 6 PM PST.

Fun Facts

You can keep your number the same when switching from another provider to Gen Mobile
You can buy a preowned phone from Gen Mobile, which is another great cost savings feature
Each plan comes with a 7-day money-back guarantee, 4G LTE data, no annual contract, nationwide coverage, and unlimited global texting
Gen Mobile has a user-friendly app that helps you manage your account (track usage, make payments, etc.)
If you miss your monthly bill payment, Gen Mobile grants you a 15-day grace period where you are still allowed to text before shutting off your service.

Current Phone Selection:

They’re offering most of the standard phones:

Phone Plans:

As part of my Gen Mobile review, we look at the actual phone plans Gen Mobile offers. There are two versions you can sign up for. A one-month phone plan – think about this as a month-to-month plan. This may be good for those who don’t know what their future plans will look like.

There is also a three-month phone plan option. As you can see in the pictures below, these plans are a bit cheaper than just the one month plan. They are generally less expensive than signing up for one month of service.

One Month Phone Plans:

Three Month Phone Plans:

Positives and Negatives:

Gen Mobile’s positives greatly outweigh it’s negatives. Let’s lay out all the facts:

Positives:

Versatile: Different plans for different kinds of people. As you saw above, you have a one-month or three-month plan with no contracts to get you stuck in. All of the plans offer different calling minutes, data, and texting abilities.
Affordability: Far cheaper than the average phone plan. As discussed above, the average person spends about $125 on a phone plan per month. So even if you purchase the most expensive Gen Mobile plan at $25 a month, you are saving $100 a month, which is $1,200 a year!! Talk about cost savings.
Hotspot: Gen Mobile offers free tethering. This means you can enable your phone to be a hotspot. This is great for all my fellow travelers out there, trying to get your work done with inconsistent wifi.
Pre Owned phones: Say you no longer like the phone you have or you need a phone. Gen Mobile offers you the option of buying preowned phones, which are a fraction of the price of regular phones that most service providers offer.
Pair with phone number: No more “new phone, who dis?”. By allowing you to pair with your pre-existing number, your contacts will stay intact and you don’t have to worry about asking the question at the start of every new number conversation.
Customer service: Gen Mobile is dedicated to having great customer service. It offers three different ways to reach customers and is available for a large portion of the day.
100 countries: This unlimited calling to 100 countries is a game-changer for expatriates. Seriously. Many phone plans charge you over 50 cents a minute for international phone calls. This is definitely something to be taken advantage of.
No credit checks. If you are still trying to get your credit score back up to where it once was, or say you’ve never had a credit card before, then this service will not discriminate against you!

Negatives:

Data: Truthfully, this is the only real negative I can find. Once you surpass your monthly data amount, that’s it. No more data for you. For heavy data users, this could be an issue. However, Gen Mobile offers plans with up to 3 GB of data, which is more than enough for me. I will be the first to admit I am definitely data-dependent, so if I can make 3GB work seamlessly then you probably can too.

Personal Experience:

As part of this Gen Mobile review, I reviewed one of their phones. My Gen Mobile package arrived very quickly. Just a couple of days passed by between shipping it from them to my doorstep.

When it arrived, after I took the bubble wrapping off, the package looked something like this:

Then, upon opening, I saw my phone and instructions – with specific phone plans and how to get started. It was super easy, by the way. All I had to do was charge the phone and then dial 611 (or you can dial in from a separate phone, if easier) and hook up my phone.

I really liked that it provided a little reminder, it is small enough to keep on your fridge so you can always look back at it if needed.

So after setting up the phone, I was ready to put it to the test. So, the the weekend I did this review I headed to the White Mountains in New Hampshire for the weekend. The idea was to see how good their service is outside of a highly populated area – the mountains were perfect for this purpose.

I had service the whole time. There were no problems with calling, texting or using social media. These were all hugely important to me as I run a part-time business through my phone so I had to make sure I was always available.

Gen Mobile really did pleasantly surprise me with how great the service was. I have tried other random MVNOs (not to be name) that were just bunk. They were nothing that they said they were – making you pay extra for every little thing.

In doing this Gen Mobile review I found them to be very transparent. They offer what they say. Yes, there are additional things you can purchase with your plan, but they are not mandatory. Only if you want extra specific items a la carte to make your plan more tailored to you.

Gen Mobile Review Wrap Up: Its Good, Get it.

For anyone in the market of a new phone service provider, I would definitely recommend Gen Mobile. Heck, even for those who don’t even need a new phone provider, I would still recommend it. Gen Mobile costs about one sixth the price of a regular phone plan, you get a tailored plan and excellent customer service. Learn how you can save $600 a year with Gen Mobile.

Have you ever used Gen Mobile? If so, what was your experience like? Let us know in the comments!

About the author: Gini Dimasi is a corporate finance analyst, blogger and graduate of Framingham University. She’s a finance expert, bitcoin enthusiast, real estate investor and index fund aficionado. She regularly blogs at Dual Income No Kids and The Wicked Wallet.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this article are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, savingadvice.com will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will add value. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Contract Phones With No Upfront Costs

September 9, 2019 By Alexa Mason Leave a Comment

Source: Pexels.com

What is a Contract Phone?

A contract phone with no upfront costs do not require outright payment. This makes it possible for purchasers to make instalment payments over an agreed period of time for the phone, during which they will gain other benefits such as minutes, texts, and data.

Benefits of a Contract Phone

Users of contract phones with no upfront costs can benefit from spreading their payments over a set period of time. This can allow for better cash flow management over a time period. Money that could have been used for an upfront payment for the phone can, instead, be used for income-generating investments. For many, the payment plan can serve as a forced saving mechanism. It helps to commit to investing the amount that was saved using a payment plan.

Contract phones offer their users better predictability. Unlike some other options, users have a more accurate understanding of their expected bill. The data quota provided by a lot of prepaid plans , once used up, may need to be replaced by a user. In contrast, a contract plan gives users one less thing to think about.

With contract phones, the costs of premium handphones can be significantly broken down, making them more affordable, even for those who typically may not be able to afford outright payment for a phone.

Varieties of Phones Offered Through Contracts

The variety of phones available on contracts is usually more and of better quality than phones provided on other types of deals. Different types of mobile phones exist which can provide savings. There are budget phones available on mobile phone contract deals. Renewal of contracts can often lead to discounts on new cell phones, which would have cost more on a different type of phone deal.

Users of mobile phone contracts stand to benefit from more internet than users of other mobile phone deals. The costs of internet on non-contract deals can be higher than the costs experienced by mobile users.

Some mobile phone deals come with free gifts and other extra benefits that may not be available on non-contract deals. Some contracts may come with gifts such as phone pouches. The free gifts offered by a deal may help to offset certain indirect costs of owning a phone.

Unlike other deals, they allow for more consistent connections. With a contract, one does not need to worry about being connected. Providing signal is present, users can be confident that they can make calls, texts, and use of intent whenever they want.

10 Best Personal Finance Apps

July 12, 2017 By Mary Newton 1 Comment

Modern lives center around cell phones, so it only makes sense that our financial lives should as well. But how can you decide which financial apps are best for you? Here is a list of the ten best personal finance apps available.

Best Free Personal Finance Apps

Stash Invest

Stash offers a simplified approach to investing. You can start with an investment as low as $5, as well as receive personalized guidance for your investments. Stash also offers financial and investment education for users looking to learn more about investing. Stash is free on both iTunes and Google Play.

Mint

Mint offers a one-stop-shop for all your personal finance needs. It helps you track and pay bills, budget, track investments, and even check your credit score. Mint is free on both iTunes and Google Play.

Robinhood

Robinhood’s platform offers free stock trading for users. Their fast execution and real-time market data allows users to keep track of stocks and trade at opportune moments. Robinhood is free on both iTunes and Google Play.

Paribus

Paribus is a finance app that helps you “find” money. Essentially Paribus scans your inbox that you use for online shopping. Once the service has scanned all your receipts it checks price match guarantees, other deals and even if the item went on sale shortly after. Then Paribus contacts the company about you getting your money back. You don’t lift a finger. Paribus is free on iTunes with a Google Play app in the works.

Personal Capital

If you are an investor you may want to turn your attention towards Personal Capital. Personal Capital can give you a snapshot of your investments, savings and even help you plan for retirement. Personal Capital is free on iTunes and Google Play.

Best Paid Personal Finance Apps

Not all personal finance apps come for free though. Some apps are a bit more involved and, therefore, cost a little more than others. In some cases, though, it may be worth it.

BillMinder

BillMinder organizes your bills with reminders so you are always paying bills on time. You can also track where your money goes with comprehensive charts and graphs. The app even offers syncing capabilities across households. BillMinder is $1.99 on iTunes and $2.99 on Google Play.

Pennies

Pennies is an everyday money tracker that provides you with daily budgets. It helps you keep track of your spending health, as well as offering syncing across all devices and compatibility with any major currency symbols. Pennies is only available on iTunes for $3.99.

HomeBudget with Sync

HomeBudget tracks expenses, income, bills due, and account balances. The app offers budgeting support and analyzes your expenses and income. All of its features are integrated, and the app has a Family Sync option, which allows a group of devices within the household to exchange information and work within a single budget. HomeBudget with Sync is $4.99 on iTunes and $5.99 on Google Play, and also offers a free version with limited features on Google Play.

Money Pro

Money pro offers bill planning and account tracking, and can be used at home and even at businesses. Among its many features are account reconciliation, split transactions, detailed reports, and multiple profiles. Money Pro is $4.99 on iTunes and free on Google Play.

Income OK

Income OK is a basic app that allows you to input your income and expenses. It also has a partner app, Expenses OK, which just offers expense tracking. Income OK also offers a widget feature for easier access to information and input capabilities. Income OK is only available on iTunes for $0.99.

With so many apps out there, it is difficult to know which ones are best for you. Try downloading some of the best personal finance apps out there, and you are sure to find the right fit for your financial needs.

Looking for other great products? Check out our reviews:

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Think You’re Grandfathered In? Your Grandfather May Have Left The Building.

November 4, 2008 By Jennifer Derrick 2 Comments

This week I’ve been getting calls from the satellite provider we use in our RV. They’re forcing me to “upgrade” my old package to their new, similar package. A couple of years ago I got a notice from them that my package was being discontinued, but that I could keep it as long as I remained a customer in good standing. In other words, I was “grandfathered in.” Fast forward two years and this is no longer the case. Despite the fact that I pay the bill on time every month, I am now being forced to change my plan. It will cost me an additional $3 per month and I know (because this has been the case with them before) that the minute I authorize the change they will stick me with a new two-year contract that I cannot get out of without penalty.

I’m mad and I’ve told them so. I even quoted the exact passage from the notice that said I could remain on this package. (Sometimes being a pack-rat has advantages because you can call companies on their foolishness by repeating their words back to them.) All to no avail. It’s change or nothing. You know what? I chose to cancel my service. We don’t have it at home anymore and only keep it for the RV because it’s tough to get regular TV reception in the boonies sometimes. I’ll learn to deal without it.

This isn’t the first time that the grandfather clause has been revoked on me. My bank did it once. They told us that we were grandfathered into the special package of free services that we had. They were eliminating that package but, because of our balance with them, they would let us keep it unless we left them. Well, we stayed with them and never dropped our balance but guess what? Two years later we got a letter telling us that they would no longer honor that agreement and we would lose our free services. They lost a client.

Until I went to prepaid cell service, I used to get this spiel all the time from various phone companies. They change their packages every day it seems and I was always getting grandfathered in, only to be told several months later that they would no longer honor the grandfather clause. Needles to say, I went through a lot of cell phone providers.

I understand that companies have the right to do what they want with their offerings. But I also have the right to get fed up when I’m promised something and it is later taken away. I’m certain that keeping customers on older packages and giving them free services costs the providers money. But I also know that it costs them even more money to attract a new customer once an existing customer is lost. Especially when an economy is in the toilet as ours currently is.

So what can you do if you’re grandfathered into something and it later gets taken away? Unfortunately, there isn’t a whole lot consumers can do. If a company is bent on eliminating that service or package and doesn’t mind losing customers in the process, your choices will be limited. However, there are a couple of tactics you can try before you give up entirely.

Let them know that their new offer is unacceptable

This might open the door for some negotiating. Maybe they won’t let you keep your old service, but they might cut you a break on the new service. Maybe you’ll take the new service, but you want something else thrown in for free. Most companies have a lot of leeway to make deals, so see if you can sweeten your deal to something you can tolerate.

Simply refuse to take the new deal

I did this once and it completely flummoxed the agent. I said, “No, I won’t change to the new plan. Either keep it as is, or we’re through.” The agent hemmed and hawed, completely unprepared for that response. I said, “Since I’m not taking the deal, I guess my service is cancelled.” She said, “Well, now don’t be too hasty.” They had no idea what to do with me. They didn’t want to lose me as a customer, but they didn’t know what else to do. They figured all the sheep would just quietly go with the program and I messed up their little plan. Finally, the agent went away and came back to say I could keep my plan. Eventually I still got ousted, but it took another six months.

Remind them of their agreement with you

This is where it pays to keep copies of statements and other communications from companies. More than once I have hit a provider with their own words that indicated I would be grandfathered into something for as long as I remained a customer in good standing. Sometimes they cave and say, “Oh, yeah, well, we forgot,” and I get to keep my plan, and sometimes they say, “Yeah so what? We’re changing the deal.” It can’t hurt to try if you have the documentation to back it up.

Tell them that if they won’t honor the agreement they made, you’ll take your business elsewhere

And be prepared to actually do it. If push comes to shove, you can always cancel your service with the company. Sometimes when you tell them you’re mad and you want to cancel they’ll allow you to keep your old offer, or they’ll give you a really sweet new deal. Or they might just say, “So long and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” You have a lot more leverage in this situation if you are serious and not bluffing. Most companies know that, if they just hold out long enough, you really won’t cancel. You won’t want to deal with the hassle of finding a new provider or getting new accounts. So they will call your bluff but if you stand firm, you might get some satisfaction. If nothing else, you’ll cancel and the whole hassle of dealing with them will go away.

Go to the media

If you really fee like you’re being treated unfairly, you can go to your local TV station or newspaper’s consumer reporter and ask them to go to bat for you. Rarely is this worth it, but if you’ve got a point to make and you’re really PO’ed, it can give you some satisfaction. You can also be sure to post your thoughts on any discussion forums or blogs you might belong to. Be sure to tell the company that you plan to do this when you speak to them. Sometimes the threat of negative publicity is enough to get them to give you what you want.

If all of this fails and you don’t want to cancel, you’ll just have to take whatever their new offer is. It stinks, but they get to decide when to rescind an offer and what to offer in its place. But we as customers get to decide whether or not to take it. We don’t have to be victims of shady policies or games. We can work on our own behalf to keep the offers we signed up for and, if that fails, we can take our business to someone who will appreciate it.