After using Tello Mobile as our primary cell phone service for 3+ years, we wrote this Tello review covering the good and the bad.
Before I tell you more about Tello Mobile though – I need to tell-o you about something called a mobile virtual network operator (or MVNO). You may have heard this term before OR know what it is. But for those new to it, it could help you save more on your monthly cell phone bill.
To start, an MVNO is:
a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides services to its customers. An MVNO enters into a business agreement with a mobile network operator to obtain bulk access to network services at wholesale rates, then sets retail prices independently.
Currently, there are about 139 MVNO's in the US and over 1,300 worldwide. These guys are smaller players in the market – paying license rights to use the big network's “lines.” (Think AT&T, Sprint, etc.). According to Wikipedia, 1 in 10 cell phone user utilizes an MVNO provider.
Some of the better known MVNO's in the States are Republic Wireless, Ting, Boost Mobile, Consumer Cellular. Because they are merely “renting” their space on the network – they can pass along the savings to their customers.
Plans starting at $5/mo at Tello Mobile
Get 15% off your first plan order with code 15OFFAFF. For new customers only.
Pros and cons of an MVNO
It's important to note the positive and negatives pertaining to a mobile virtual network operator.
Tello Review – Pros
- No contract
- Same native towers, but very few MNVO's have roaming
- Few or no taxes/fees (administrative fee, etc)
- Cheaper than major service providers
- Same features as postpaid (411, voicemail, call forwarding, etc.)
- Many of the same phones on postpaid networks
- Can make calls to Canada, China (new) and Mexico
Tello Review – Cons
- No subsidy (pay full-price for a phone)
- Don't have retail locations if you need in-person customer service
- Higher ping times on mobile data (higher latency means less priority through the data network)
- Some MVNO's have a limited selection of phones
Introduction to Tello Mobile
All this leads me to introduce you to another new player in the MVNO market, Tello (You have to admit they have a cool name). When the Tello folks contacted us to help get the word out and also take a look at their offering – we were thrilled. I personally love passing on any news to readers that might help them save more money or lower their existing cell phone bill.
So, let's take a look at Tello Mobile. Here's what they have to say about themselves:
Tello is a telecom provider newly launched on the US market with a strategy focused on low rates, no hidden fees, customizable plans, prepaid services with no contract commitments, and great customer care. The company behind Tello is present in the UK market since 2014 serving customers through its Tello.co.uk website. Both Tello & Tello UK were designed by KeepCalling, a global telecommunications company registered in 2002 in the USA. Presently, KeepCalling has been listed by Inc 5000 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the USA for 5 consecutive years.
What differentiates Tello Mobile from other MVNO players?
- Nationwide 4G LTE coverage
- Flexible plans
- Transparency
- No predefined phone-plan combos
- Tether away for free
- No ring time charges
One of the things I really like about Tello is its “Build Your Own Plan” offering. Basically YOU choose how you want to set up your plan NOT the provider.
Of course, they do have pre-defined plans for those who don't want to think too much OR don't know quite what they need:
Before you decide to sign-up with Tello, you'll want to be sure that the coverage is good in your area. They have a handy coverage tool on their site and you can plug in your home address to see if the 3G / 4G will be sufficient in your ‘hood.
Customers can bring their own phone, any eligible unlocked CDMA device, or they can buy a new phone directly from Tello, with prices ranging from $66 to $380. I think this is a great feature because many MVNO's do not offer this alternative.
Tello Review Update – Three Years Later
It's been over two years now that I first got on-board with Tello Mobile. And, I have to admit, that I was a little skeptical about how it was all going to work out after being on AT&T for many years.
I was paying (about) $40/mo for my unlimited everything with AT&T and with Tello, I pay $11.34 (tax included) for 200MB, 300min, and unlimited text. Over the 28 months that I've been on board, I've saved over $800!
While the service is not perfect (no MVNO is), it definitely meets my needs and is all I need, since I can operate on WiFi much of my days (limiting my data use).
Looking back, I'm still glad that I made the switch.
What's to lose?
Unless you have a lot of money lying around, travel every week OR have a sweet deal on a family plan – switching to an MVNO like Tello is a no-brainer.
Before I was paying at least $35-50/mo. for my individual portion on a family plan – but now I pay less than $12 every month.
Are you on an MVNO? What are your thoughts?
Plans starting at $5/mo at Tello Mobile
Get 15% off your first plan order with code 15OFFAFF. For new customers only.
Tello Mobile FAQs
What network is Tello on?
Tello Mobile uses Sprint for their network.
What phones work with Tello?
The following phones will work with Tello:
- Any CDMA device free of contract developed for Sprint or for other carriers
- Unlocked iPhones from 5S to SE and Nexus 5 to 6P
- Or choose from a variety of phones offered through Tello – starting at $25
Does Tello offer WiFi calling?
They do – but you need to download their app to make calls (via the My Tello app).
Is Tello's coverage good?
Since Tello is using Sprint's network, you can be assured that it is comparable. However, since they rent their space from Sprint, Tello service can (at times) experience slight delays in dialing / jumping online. But over my years of using Tello, I have not had a lot of issues jumping on calls when I need to and accessing my data. But, I rarely dial-out and often use WiFi.
Are Tello phones unlocked?
According to Tello's website, “all phones available at Tello are unlocked and free of contract.”
Can I port over my current phone number?
Yes. Once your phone is active on Tello, you need to contact their customer service. They will help you port your number.
Does Tello offer International roaming?
According to Tello: Unfortunately, we do not offer roaming services or national roaming at this time. However, while you are abroad you can call over WiFi using your account balance with our app, My Tello.
How many different phones does Tello offer for sale?
As of this update (5/1/2020), they have 23 different phones for sale – from Android to Apple, refurbished to new. Their lowest price phone is an Alcatel Cinch at $25 (refurbished) and their most expensive is an Apple iPhone at $700.
How do I know how much data I have left to use on my plan?
If you have the My Tello app installed on your device, it's very easy. Open the app, and click on “Show Balance” to see what you have available.
Update 1/30/17: Since switching to Tello full-time, I have been paying $11.69/mo. $11.21/mo. ($10 base rate for unlimited text / talk 1GB data + $1.21 in taxes). It's been more than I need given that I utilize WiFi much of the time.
Update 5/25/2018: Tello announced their referral program for existing customers. Users can find a unique link in their dashboards they can share to refer a friend to the service and both will receive $10 Tello dollars (good for use for phone or plan purchases).
Update 6/11/2019: Tello has changed their plan pricing once again. Which means more bang for your buck! Here's how the new prices look:
- unlimited talk&text – $8/mo
- unlimited talk&text + 1GB – $10/mo
- unlimited talk&text + 2 GB – $14/mo
- unlimited talk&text + 4 GB – $19/mo
- and several new plan options.
Update 8/27/19: Tello is offering a sweetheart of a deal: a plan for new customers: unlimited talk & text plus unlimited data. After a monthly cap of 25GB 4G LTE data is reached, data will be throttled down to 2G speeds. In other words, for a limited time, they give new customers the chance to get 25GB 4GLTE data instead of 12GB for only $39/month. Wow!
Update 3/17/20: Tello launched their Spring Promo today. They are offering all new & existing customers $75 off a wide range of phones; includes certain models of Galaxy, iPhone, and Moto G7. This offer is good through March 31, 2020.
Update 5/1/20: As of today, Tello has 23 phones available and still has plans starting at $5/mo (200 minutes, unlimited text, but data is extra). The low-cost tiered plans we find most interesting are:
- $5/mo – 200 minutes, free text messaging, data extra
- $6/mo – 200 minutes, free text messaging, 1GB data
- $7/mo – 600 minutes, free text messaging, 1GB data
- $9/mo – 1,000 minutes, free text messaging, 2GB data
- $10/mo – Unlimited minutes, free text messaging, 2GB data
Tello Review and Comparison of Other MVNOs
| MVNO | Network Used | Plan Price (Min. available) | Calls to Mexico & Canada Included in Plan | Customer Service | Plan Friendliness (Ability to uprade / downgrade at will) | Free Tethering |
| Boost | Sprint | $35 (Unlimited / 3GB data) | $5 extra | Fair | 1 month notice | No |
| Consumer Cellular | AT&T, T-Mobile | $15 (250 min / no data) AARP members can get 15% discount. | International direct dial | Good | Anytime | – |
| Cricket | AT&T | $30 (Unlimited Talk / Text Plan/5GB) | Smart / Pro Plans only | Fair | 2x per billing cycle | Yes |
| Gen Mobile | Sprint | $5 (Unlimited text) | Yes (over 101 countries) | Good | Yes | Yes |
| Republic Wireless | Sprint, T-Mobile | $15 (Unlimited talk / text), + $5/GB | No | Fair (Most CS logged to community) | 2x per billing cycle | Yes |
| Straight Talk Wireless | AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon | $35 (Unlimited text/talk + 2GB) | Add-on | Good | Anytime | No |
| Tello | Sprint | $7 (100 min / Unlimited text/Unlimited data) | Yes (texts and MMS only) | Good | Anytime | Yes |
| Ting Free $50 credit through this link | Sprint, T-Mobile | $10 (Unlimited text/talk / $5/GB Data. Plans based on what you use). Free $50 credit with signup through this link | Yes | Good | Okay | Yes |
| TracFone | Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile US, Sprint Corporation, and U.S. Cellular | $14.25 for auto-renew (200 min / 500 texts / 500mb) | No | Fair | Okay | No |
| Twigby | Sprint, Verizon | $5 (Unlimited Text/Talk, 1GB Data) | Yes (and China) | Good | Yes | Yes |
| UNREAL | Sprint | $15 (Unlimited text + talk + data – up to 1GB) | No | Fair | Yes | No |
| Visible | Verizon (Visible is not considered a traditional MVNO) | $40 (unlimited talk,text and data) | No | Good | Only one plan offered | Yes |
Tello Mobile
Pros
- Low cost
- Unlimited text / data while on WiFi
- App available
- Build your own plan
- BYOP
Cons
- No roaming
- No international service
- Piggybacks off big providers
126 Comments
they say there is great costumer service I’m either blind ware is the phone number #
I just recently switched to Tello foe about a month now. I have dropped calls and it seems every time I get a call or make one it drops right after. Then sometimes the call just goes dead in the middle of the conversation. don’t hear a dial tone or anything. This has happened weekly. I don’t live in the middle of nowhere where the reception is bad. Haven’t had problems with data just dropped calls.
First off first off when it comes to a respectable honest service I have to give tello a flying F.. The promise of good service No I haven’t gotten it.. Dropped calls and no explanation frim Custer service.. When a person purchases a plan its beccause we believe in it… not 100 percent of course but at least offer what u say.. Hot spot service …ive been through two phones and no ….it just dosnt work.. Explanation no the. e cus service actually hung up on me.. It was to convieant to be a dropped call. And we where 20 mons in on conversation and they took my number in case of disconnect.. And you guessses it …no call back.. Now two phones two up grades ” that was suppose to helo the connectivity” and three payments later im stuck… If you wanna be lied to. Taken advantage of then yeah tello os a Go.. But want a truthfull at least they try company tello is a Hell No.
This is perfect for my parents. They use about 100MB and less than 50 calls per month. They were paying Verizon $80 per month and Tello will be under $20 for two lines. They live in Vegas so Sprint coverage is fine. Signup was a breeze and I like their dashboard interface. Simple and easy to use. The few times I’ve called customer service were no problem. TIP 1: start with a minimal plan.If you run out of data or minutes, you can always “renew” at any time during the month, which starts a new 30-day billing cycle from the renewal date and adds the minutes and data to your “bank”. TIP 2: Even if you’re NOT running out of minutes/data, renew on the last day of your billing cycle anyway. By not letting it “automatically renew” your unused minutes are added to the renewed plan (i.e., you KEEP any unused minutes and data) AND you can downgrade your plan if you don’t need as many minutes or data.
I love TELLO, and no it isn’t perfect, but only marginally different from my old service that cost a lot more. What IS perfect is their immediate customer service (whether via phone — less than a minute — or via “real” chat — about a minute), compared with my old carrier’s 45 minutes to an hour wait time via phone and a “simulated” chat (not real person) which was really only a FAQ search. The four times I called TELLO (initial, then later to have my number switched to them) they were courteous and helpful, and stayed on the line until the task was done. For THAT reason alone, I would have switched. I get unlimited calls and text and 1Gb of data (I have WiFi at work and at home). For that, I pay $10 plus change per month. Wow. Totally worth it, plus can call all over US and Canada.
I have been on Tello for probably 4 years. They are inexpensive. My husband had lousy customer service with them last fall. I had problems this year too. I get different information than my mother, who is also on Tello, did. I was offered Tello dollars instead of a refund, but just wanted my cash with no restrictions. My referral credit disappeared, but it was given back “as a courtesy”. I am seriously looking into switching for me and my 3 children, even though it will cost us more, and we hardly use our phones.
Just an update. Since summer, Tello’s PAYGO plan added an additional requirement of at least $20 fill up every three month. This resulted in me losing my phone number.
Hi, i need help to understand how the phone bill works on tello? Do they take money from the bank account automatically? or do you pay it online? I dont know what to do? If it does take money from the bank to they charge you extra or do they charge of the exact payment of the phone plan?
Hi JCC, You can pay online with most major debit or credit cards (American Express (for USD payments only), Diners, Discover, Japanese Credit Bank, Maestro, Mastercard, Visa or Visa Electron) as well as with Paypal.
I just switched from another prepaid plan (Boost Mobile) as a prepaid plan that I could use with an unlocked phone to make travel easier. I honestly have never had such terrible service. My data is incredibly slow- so slow that it has basically been unusable. Phone service has been decent, although there has been a few dropped calls. Texting has been a terrible pain- with pictures texts usually not going through. The technology they use for their customer service chat seems pretty archaic- the support agents take so long to respond that the chat cuts out. The website only shows the chat option intermittently, so that usually means you can not get back on your chat. Its been about two weeks, and I tried to give it a fair shot. All I ask for is good data, decent phone service and a way to reach customer support besides an email.
I got none of these things.
I had mixed opinions about Tello. Was thinking of moving to Tello, this review helped.
How is their service in Phoenix Az.? Or Northern Arizona? I like the cost of Tello.
Hey Bobby – Great question! They use the Sprint Network. You can enter Arizona, USA in the field here to see where their coverage is strongest in Arizona. https://coverage.sprint.com/
Thanks for the link. It’s perfect.
I have a question about what is the best phone too buy in the Tello website? I don’t use IPhone.
Just about any Android phone will do! I would recommend going to a local Best Buy or Walmart to check out some models and get a sense for what screen size you like. Samsung and Motorola both make great phones.
I just switched to Tello from Sprint about a week ago. I had a 2GB plan for $30 a month at Sprint that I’ve had for a few years. (Almost $37 when including the taxes and fees). Still pretty cheap overall but I’m always looking at ways to save money and heard about these lower cost operators like Tello and others. After looking over quite a few I decided to go with Tello and try it for these reasons: Tello runs on the Sprint network so I can still keep my current phone. Also they are offering double the data and minutes for the same price till the end of May. They had a promotion where you got 15% off your first month plus a $15 Tello credit for new users. Also I used a referral link and got another $10 Tello credit. The equivalent plan im on now costs me only $12 and less fees than I had with Sprint. Plus you can change your plan whenever you want if you need less or more minutes/data and I believe when you do that un-used minutes/data will carry over to the next month. So thats another way to possibly save. Seems like a great deal and everything has worked perfect so far. Keep checking their website for special promos that seem to pop up for the best deal.
I am on the same Sprint $30 plan for past 10 years….which is $37 and change after taxes.
Exactly how much are monthly taxes/fees on your Tello $12 plan?
Hey Aaron,
Wondering what you think about using Tello on a smartphone for my kids. I have an old iPhone that’s compatible, so no need to spend money on a new one. My kids would only use the cell to call me or text me, when needed, which would be very infrequently. (We discovered we need another means of communication when our home Wi-Fi went out and our Ooma VOIP home phone wouldn’t work during the internet outage.)
Does Tello make sense for my kids to use on a very limited basis as an “emergency” cell for calls and texts? If so, what plan would you recommend?
If not, do you recommend another calling/texting phone service for kids?
Thanks much!
Can anyone tell me how Tellos service is in Arizona? I travel around Arizona im looking too save money on my phone service.
Try Gabb wireless
Hi, will your link to Tello give you the referral dollars along with me? I am looking to start 2 lines. I figured I could get you some dollars through your link, and I’ll create the second line through a referral from my first line.
Hi Roy. That’s thoughtful of you. Yes, if you click on the green button above to go to the Tello website and make your order – we will get credit. I’m not sure if you’ll get credit for the second line however. Perhaps do a 2nd transaction via your referral link? Thanks and let us know your thoughts on Tello!
That’s was the plan: to create a second account through my first line. That way, I can hopefully get $20 on the first line and $10 on the second. Every little bit helps. Thanks for the response!
can you update the site they no longer have the image of the coverage i just go to sprit to get the map all they have a spot to give it you adress and so on and tell if you are in coverage
You’re right Matt – they took their US map down that showed nationwide coverage on their site. We’ve replaced it with a Sprint coverage map – that should give an indication of where Tello is available.
Aaron:
I’ve been with Tello for a year now.. I can tell you this:
Customer Service = Great
The service itself = Great
The cost of the plans = Great
Data Speed on my S7 = Good
UnlimitedText Messaging = Great
Unlimited HD Calling = Great
Visual Voicemail = None
I use the Sprint Visual Voicemail App. It works about 90% of the time…..
My S7 is a Sprint Phone, Tello fired up my phone with the Sprint Sim (no Tello Sim)..
Thanks for sharing your experience with Tello – glad it’s been working for you.
Can we make usual phone calls for the minutes we buy, as we do in other networks or do we need Tello app to make calls
Arun, you can make usual calls with dialing out of your phone. Using the Tello app, you can make international calls
The service is ok but customer service is getting worse. The chat is almost not available I have to wait 15 minutes and nobody answered me. That is happening a lot. At the beginning they were different.
Hi Elsa. Sorry to hear about this experience w/ Tello. It’s certainly not been anything I’ve encountered with them – as they generally seem very responsive and easy to work with. Will pass this along to our rep at Tello regardless.
Hi Aaron,
Thanks for an excellent update to Tello! I have 2 lines with them and have been very pleased. One ‘trick’ you might not be aware of is they don’t offer rollover of unused talk text and data, but their is a way to achieve rollover that I’ve been doing for 2 years. What you have to do is change your plan every month one day before it would renew anyway. You do this by using the build your own plan and just needing to change 1 thing. For example if you chose 100 talk last month, choose 200 this month. (then next month you can switch back to 100) When you do this ALL of your unused min, text, and data ROLLOVER to the new billing cycle! Do this every month on the 29th day of your billing cycle and you just get yourself rollover and then watch everything stack up very quickly!
Have never heard of this approach – wow! I guess this could be good if you need the minutes.
Guess they won’t be allowing it long now that more are gonna try it?
Does this still work?
I use 1GB data only for $6 per month. If I add 100 phone minutes for $1 more dollar when I manually renew at 30th day, will my data roll over?
I’ve been using Tello for almost a month now and my phone lost connection sometimes when I went into some buildings. It works fine in some others though.
I think it’s still a pretty good plan, the connection is not as strong as other network but if you’re just looking for a cheap plan and do not need much data, then it can still be used.
I highly recommend Tello to all who are thinking of switching.
I’m on virgin mobile USA which is a Sprint MVNO from what I understand. It says that I can’t BYOD my LG Tribute 2. I’m confused as to why this device wouldn’t work on Tello. Any thoughts?
Hi Evan. Hm. If it is unlocked, CDMA, free of contracts, and Sprint-ready, it should work. I’d shoot a note to Tello support to see what may be amiss.
Thanks Aaron,
Perhaps it isn’t unlocked, I’ll see if virgin will do that for me. It’s definitely free of contracts as I just pay month to month. Great article btw and thanks for the quick response. I’ll shoot Tello support a message.
Excellent! Thx
I have a Samsung Note 8. I have family on Guam, a US Territory like Puerto Rico and Virgin Island. Will my calls to Guam be considered an international call or local calls? There are no special way/difference in making a call to Guam, same as calling someone in Virginia, 1 + area code + telephone number.
Hi Sonia. Calling Guam is not in Tello’s coverage yet and so qualifies as international call from the US, according to a Tello rep.
We have been looking at switching to Tello but are having trouble finding a new basic CDMA cell phone to buy that can be used. Any ideas?
Hi Mary – According to Tello’s website, they state: You can enroll into our network any CDMA device free of contract, developed for Sprint or for any Sprint MVNO. So, most of the new phones on their site should fit the bill.
Hi Aaron,
I am deaf and want a text only phone. Now I have Virgin Mobile with text, data, and talk/voice mail. I don’t like talk/voice mail for obvious reason. My plan costs me $38.00 a month after tax. I see if I go with Tello and select text only, maybe throw in data for map on the road, I will save a lot of money over VM. I am also a senior soon to be 55 in two weeks. Question for you…I first used Blackberry back in 1990’s. I liked the style of the phone for it was perfect for text only through ATT. I am looking into buying SANYO PLS 2700 Black Bar Cell Phone – Tello Ting Good2go, Ebay item # 152604241778. Will this phone work with any Tello plans?
Thank you and it is great seeing this post and appreciate your sharing all of this.
Hi Frank – Thanks for stopping by. My wife loved Blackberry’s too (she kept hers for as long as possible). According to Tello, these are the factors you need to consider when bringing a phone to their network: the phone has to be unlocked, CDMA compatible, and Sprint compatible. If your Sanyo fits that bill – you should be good to go. For your reference, I use their 200MB, 300min, unlimited text plan and pay $11.40/mo (w/ taxes). Fits me perfect as I use WIFI a lot (don’t even use the full 200MB). Best to you.
Hi Aaron,
Found a phone on Ebay, Kyocera Hydro Edge C5215 – 4GB – Black (Sprint) Smartphone, locked, CDMA compatibility. Even though it says it is locked and the carrier is Sprint, will it still work with Tello? As long as it is ‘Sprint’ then it is okay for it to be locked with that carrier? That is what I am wondering. I know you said the three criterias I must find is unlocked, CDMA compatible, and Sprint compatible.
Frank – I would advise against it if locked. Best to be on safe side :)
Here’s a place I highly recommend to purchase a refurbished phone: http://www.Decluttr.com . I found a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S7 on Decluttr.com (correct spelling) and free shipping. I love my new phone! Decluttr listed the phone as Sprint ready (CDMA) and I only had to purchase a sim card from Tello. I’ve been on Tello four months now (since June 2018) and am very happy that I switched from Consumer Cellular – – for less than half the price. What an amazing deal. Sometimes my calls have interference like breaking up a bit but overall I am very satisfied with Tello. Customer Service has been very helpful, I love talking to a REAL person when I call. I have been lucky they answer right away, no on hold time so far.
Aaron,
You say in the review that all MVNO’s offer Call Forwarding. This is not correct. Republic for one does not. There are others but I’m not remembering which ones I’ve run across in my searching. Tello does offer it and so does Mint. I’m currently with Cricket but need to downgrade service as I move overseas but want to maintain my number in the USA as well as have calls forwarded to a VOIP phone I’ll have in my home in Colombia. This is why Call Forwarding is needed in my case.
I was leaning towards Mint but sort of had some reservations about prepaying for 6-12 months with them. Tello is looking like a good possibility.
Thanks for the heads up on the call forwarding Steve. Tello has been great for my purposes so far. Going on 1.5 years now.
Hi There
We have Tello phone and text service and Iphone 5c that we bought through Tello for my 12 year old son. We specifically do not want a data plan (to keep him off the internet all the time!) However we do want him to be able to text message. He is unable to text when he is not on WIFI. We called customer support at Tello, and we were told that he has to get the other party (whom he is texting to) to turn off Imessage. This is not something that is practical to do. Anyone else have this problem? Is there another solution?
Hi Suzanne. Hm – from reading some forums, this is a known issue with iPhones and MVNO plans.
One solution for that issue would be to disable iMessage and force everything through standard SMS instead of using Apple’s proprietary data-based messenger for these messages.
Hope that helps. I’ve also reached out to Tello support for you.
Hi Suzanne, this is Maria, on behalf of Tello Mobile.
Sorry to hear you’ve been having problems. Please contact our customer support in order to give us the details of your account so we can see what’s really happening.
We are available 24/7!
Thanks & have a great day!
Hello,
Does Tello allow one to Port their current number? I currently have FreedomPop and am unhappy with the service.
Hi Miguelito – Yes, you can keep the old number all your friends know. Once your phone is active on Tello, you need to contact their customer service. They will help you port your number. Best.
Thank you!
Yes: been there, done that with a tMobile phone number.
Caveat: The number being ported will be unavailable for 1 or 2 days during the process.
Hint: Instead of using the Tello web page, call Tello Support and ask them to initiate the porting process – it’s easuer and faster that way.
Dear Sue,
My name is Maria & I am writing on behalf of Tello Mobile.
Thank you for using Tello. Our service is subject to the Privacy Policy published on our website. At no point do we share your information with third parties. If any information is checked with other entities, it is only according to the Privacy Policy and never for Spam/ telemarketing purposes:
“We will share your personal information with third parties only in the ways that are described in this privacy policy. We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
We may also disclose your personal information:
in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements; as required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena, or similar legal process; when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud; if Tello is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, you will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on our Web site of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your personal information; to any other third party with your prior consent to do so.”
If you feel that your Tello number is listed on advertising databases we can always consider the option of assigning a new number to your Tello account.
Our Support Team is here to help 24/7.
Thank you!
“We will share your personal information with third parties only in the ways that are described in this privacy policy. We do not sell your personal information to third parties.”
LOL, that is SOOOO American marketing!!! We will share your personal info, but we won’t sell it. Well gees Louis, once you “shared” my personal info, “they” already have it so no need to “sell” it.
I’m sure they aren’t too different than many of the companies we interact with online these days (Google, FB, etc).
Telo is the worst cell provider I’ve ever used! What is not mentioned is they are a spam provider! I was looking for an inexpensive provider for my 2nd phone that is just that my 2nd and I use it very infrequent but have had the # for more than 25 years and do make or receive an occasional call and didn’t want to lose the #. I was on Sprint for 20 Years and Att for 5 and if I received 1 spam/spoofed call a month it was a lot. From the day I connected to Tello I’m receiving on average 3+ a day calls including V/M and texts. Telo requires your to sign up on line billing goes thru Big Daddy and all your information is collected and then published. After the first week of getting so many spam calls not only on the cell but my landline I googling my # and Dahhhh published as a new Telo service customer. In 25 years my name w/ # never appeared in any google search. So Cheap is not cheap! it has it’s cost. So unless you don’t want your bill racking up because of spam calls and texts. don’t use them.
NO ONE RESPONDED TO THIS SO IT MUST BE TRUE. Thats horrible. I was considering Tello but not if they publish customer info.
Rob – see ^^ (Tello responded)
I don’t see the response regarding the spam and collecting of info. I am considering signing up with Tello. Please let me know. Thanks
S.S., see the response here
Thanks Aaron.
I saw the reply after I posted here. I sent a reply to your email, but not sure if
you saw it or not. I need some guidance on what phones are best. Don’t want
to spend a ton of $$$, but don’t want a cheap phone either. What are your thoughts on refurbished phones? If it’s a used phone, makes me a little leery.
My use will be for some talk, but probably mainly text. TIA for your help!
I’ve used refurbished phones with good success. You can get unlimited talk/text with Tello for $8/mo.
That has not been my experience after the better part of one year on Tello.
Yes, I get spam calls – but I got them on tMobile too.
My impression is that spammers simply call every number in every exchange no matter what – and, increasingly, spoof the callerID with a number from the exchange of the number being spammed.
Verizon, my landline provider, has recently been flagging spam calls on it’s own – supplementing NoMoRobo (which is free on land lines but pay-for-play on mobiles, so I use “Should I Answer?” on my mobile instead.
Crowd-sourced spam blockers have kept my spam calls to a minium – as in 1-2 per week (both under tMobile and Telloĺ.. Lately, I have been using the freebie “Should I Answer?”.
One of the Nuclear options is to set the phone to ignore calls from numbers not in one’s address book, but I have not found that necessary.
Hi,
Does anybody know if with Tello you can change plans or actually cancel the plan for a few months? I spend three/four months abroad and I would prefer not to have any phone plan in the USA if not here. Just wondering how much flexibility one has with Tello to change to another cheaper plan when not using the phone or even not having any plan and getting a new one upon my return. Also, does the sim card expire after a certain time?
Thanks.
Best,
Hi LGT. You could probably go about this by using the pay-as-you-go plans. The only catch here is that if you don’t use up the plan minutes / data / what-not within 6 months, the credits expire. You could also just purchase a plan and go month-by-month as this is how they do their billing and then sign-up again when you return. There are no “activation” fees. You can upgrade / downgrade plans at will too. As for the sim card, don’t believe there are any expirations associated with them.
I don’t know which is worse Tello or Straight talk between them they managed to lose my advertised phone number while trying to port my phone number from Straight talk to Tello. I don’t think either company knew what they were doing during the 4 day fiasco. Finally I went to TPO the phones provider and had them activate it at a minimal price and plan to bounce to Boost mobile this month, $35 for 3 Gigs and unlimited talk and text. Enough with both these companies for hiring such incompetent morons.
Hey Les. Thanks for sharing your experience with Tello. I know they can have their hiccups especially when porting numbers – but their customer service usually tries to get to the bottom of it / or lets you know what they can / cannot do.
Hello,
I am purchasing three LG gizmopal II smart watches for my toddlers and wondered if I can use them with Tello. They are unlocked/contract free devices from Verizon. Also, can I purchase a data plan for a tablet or is this service for cell phones only?
Thank you
Hi Ashley. A Tello rep said the following:
Verizon smart watches – 99.99% not compatible
if the tablet is unlocked & Sprint compatible, it should be fine
Hope that helps!
Thank you!
I signed up for service with the small Sprint MVNO Twigby. They have better prices than Tello and you can roam on Verizons network
Thanks for the comment Christian. Haven’t heard of them. From checking them out, their options seem somewhat limited and the prices to Tello’s are comparable.
…..also, seller on ebay states that it is GSM unlocked (if that helps). Thanks
Hi Shannon. According to Tello’s site: “It needs to be a Sprint-ready unlocked phone.”
Hi Guys,
Wanted to see if a factory unlocked iPhone 5c will work with Tello?
Will Sprint iphone 5C work on your network?
Hey Eric. Yes if it is a Sprint-ready unlocked phone. You can verify if it will port by checking this page https://tello.com/bring_your_own_phone
Does Pay as You go Credit expire after 6 months if you are still using or only when you don’t use any minutes for 6 months?
Vasu – from Tello’s website, it says: “If you don’t use the service for 6 months, the credit will expire and the Tello service will be disconnected.” So, keep er active and you’ll be fine! :)
Thanks
We began to port out our R+ number on Feb 4th to Tello before coming across this write up. Any way to still qualify for the 30% offer?
Hi Aurelio. I would contact Tello directly to see if they can honor this offer for you.
Is there a time frame that the unused balance in a pay as you go plan expires? If so, how long is that time frame?
Your PAYG credit is active for 6 months
It used to be that you could walk into any big box store and buy a brand new sprint prepaid or Boost mobile phone which I did and used it with Ring Plus but I seem to remember that that was stopped by Sprint at some point. I’m moving to Tello now and do you know if I can still do that, I thought I might as well get a new phone at the same time. if not I can uses my existing Rig Plus phone.
thanks
You can port to Tello and bring your own device, as well.
If your phone uses a CDMA SIM, the one from RingPlus works on Tello too, just enter the SIM number.
You don’t need to buy a new SIM and you can keep your number, here are the steps: http://blog.tello.com/news/tello-is-welcoming-ringplus-customers-30-off-easy-porting-process/
Maria,
On behalf of Tello.com
I am currently with Ringplus. How long does it take to port in my phone#? Do you charge a fee to port in a number? Thanks.
The porting process usually takes about 2 business days, but due to the high volume of port in requests, it may take longer than usual.
There is no porting fee at Tello!
How much do I have to pay in order to set up a “pay as you go” account? Any top up money is needed? Say I have to pay $5. I will keep using this money till the balance becomes low. Then, I will need to deposit more money, right?
Yes, you need to add more money and the credit in your account can be used for 6 months. I strongly recommend getting a plan and customizing it to your needs – add minutes, texts, data
Just switched from RingPlus to Tello because I got an email from RingPlus letting me know Sprint intends to evict them from the network. Ends up being a little more, but at least I don’t have to deal with idiotic plan names.
Hi Robert. Welcome to Tello – I think you’ll like them. Excellent customer service and very customizeable plans that fit almost any need.
If you have an extra phone, use it. I bought a phone from them i know it’s refurbished, but didn’t know it was that bad that you cant even hear the other party unless you turn on the speaker. Called them up, they asked me rto return the phone and they will replaced it after 15 days, from the time they received my shipment. Its been 21 days no updates or whatever. You have to call them
Again and again. And they will
Just tell you they don’t have any updates too from the dept that’s checking the units. So it means you have to wait until they probably feel like giving updates. But im still charge with monthly service even without a phone. Yeah they have cheap rates and cheap phones too. So be careful when you buy a unit from them.
Hey Cath,
We apologize for the inconvenience and we are very sorry you received a device not 100% functional.
We know it may seem a long time, but our return policy stipulates a 15 business day deadline, which actually means 21 standard days. Plus, we just heard back from our phone provider and it seems the phone you returned was received and today we’ll ship you a new one.
Moreover, you don’t have to worry about the billing. We know there were several days when you weren’t able to use the service and, based on our standard procedure, we will extend the 30 day plan period. This way, you will be able to use the balance for the same period of time and you will be charged later on.
We apologize again if the 15 business day period seem a bit long and we hope you’ll continue using our service.
Michelle,
On behalf of Tello.com
Ring Plus is awful. They just cancelled me after 3 months by cancelling my plan. I lost my upfront money, and to choose another plan I had to pay $23. So I paid $9 plus tax for 3 months of service. Lousy if you are looking for a low use phone. Ring plus might work if you are a high user – but they cancel their plans and change them and keep your auto top up you paid up front. And if you look at their current plans there really is only one free one – but you pay the auto top up when you sign up. And the plan can be cancelled whenever they feel like and they keep your $
Ringplus has free plans, much better than this.
But, didn’t someone here say that Ringplus was evicted from Sprint??? :)
Yes, Adela – RingPlus is no more.
i need unlimited data is this a good deal for it?
Hi AR. If you need unlimited data and roaming – I am not sure I’d select Tello. Tello has plans up to 5GB data / month but nothing unlimited and no roaming. 5GB is a lot of data – but I might look elsewhere for something more robust if you are a heavy user / traveler. Of course, you can always get unlimited data when on WiFi. EDIT: Tello has informed us they may be adding national roaming in the near future. (9/21/16)
I use my phone for navigation (googlemaps) and sometimes I’m in remote places, mostly east coast. The service map on Tello is just purple (coverage) and white (no coverage?). There’s a lot of white. I’m currently with sprint, and Tello says they use sprint towers – but Sprint seems to have service in areas that are ‘white’ in the Tello map. Before I switch to Tello, I’d like to know if I’ll be able to access google-maps or a navigation app when I’m remote.
Dear Kirsten,
We (Tello) do use Sprint for coverage, and if the Sprint map shows coverage for a certain area, then you should get it too if you join Tello.
However, there is a big difference between 3G and 4G coverage. It’e easier to get 3G coverage, although it’s a little slower. The easiest, safest way to check is to contact our Customer Service team (24/7 by phone & email) and provide them the ZIP code(s) where you usually travel.
Hope I answered your questions. If not, I do encourage you to contact my colleagues: http://tello.com/contact, they’re friendly & helpful.
Michelle,
on behalf of the Tello.com team
COVERAGE: I compared the Sprint coverage map with the Tello coverage map. The difference is that Sprint has free ‘ROAMING’ in areas where it does not have tower/coverage. I called your customer service rep to confirm this, and she told me that Tello does not have roaming, so in areas that are white on the service map, there is NO coverage. There are a LOT of white areas, as soon as I get off any major highway, which is where I would really need navigation. She said I could download an app which I can use in WIFI to make calls in non-covered areas. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help me with navigation as I would not have wifi. I wish Tello met my needs, but navigation and calls in remote areas is important to me. I don’t need it often, but when I do, I need it to work. Thanks for your help. When you have better coverage or offer roaming, I would absolutely be interested in switching. Cheers!
There are navigation apps that only use GPS. No wifi needed. Or you can download Google Maps to use offline.
Hello Michelle your following statement is kind of rough to do – if I go in one day to 4 or 5 different areas then I’ll have to find out FIRST their zip codes to know if it’s covered? Also, will have to repeat this all the subsequent days I go out to still different areas?
“The easiest, safest way to check is to contact our Customer Service team (24/7 by phone & email) and provide them the ZIP code(s) where you usually travel.”
If you use Ting you have the option of signing up for Sprint or T-Mobile network coverage. Pick the one that provides the better coverage for you. Same price for either one.
I needed a work line that wouldn’t charge me an arm and a leg for light usage. I’ve been using Tello for about 4 months, and I absolutely love it. I like the fact that you could pick your plan every month based on your anticipated usage, and that the data gets throttled and not completely turned off. Typically I go back and forth between 100-200min a month, and 200MB of data. I typically go through the data within the first couple days, but then it’s throttled which is still good enough to get texts and email which is mainly what I use that phone for.
I just signed up for Tello today after years of up/down “service” from a struggling MVNO (STIMobile and its iterations).
My number has still not ported (only been a few hours), but I must say NO ONE, ANYWHERE, OF ANY BUSINESS TYPE, has been as good on communications. They helped me during the struggles to wriggle free of my previous provider (which wouldn’t answer my emails or phone calls).
With 3 cent per minute talk and no daily or monthly “keep alive” charge (do have to pay taxes on time bought, about 20%), nothing else even comes CLOSE to providing me with the emergency service (only) that I need.
Hats off to them (so far)!
Dear Barbara,
I just talked to our Tech Support team and they’ll look further into this case right away. Also, our Customer Service team will contact you again to perform some troubleshooting steps.
I am sure will manage to sort it out and to help you use the service.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and we appreciate your patience.
Michelle on behalf of Tello.com
Hi, I’ve signed up with Tello with a new factory unlocked iPhone 5s and they have activated it but still I have no service. I have had many conversations with them and their techs, advised me to stop by a full service Sprint store after giving me a username and password to set my APN. Sprint guys tried but could not help. I just go back and forth. I’ve paid for this month plus the month for my old carrier. After I was able to get service with Tello, I’d get them to port the number over. Well here I sit, still trying. I just can’t be rude to service folks, sometimes they just can’t help ya. I’ve been trolling the internet and trying a lot of the ideas given but without success.
I can’t say whether or not Tello is going to be a good choice.
Did Tello find a solution for you? I would like to know before buying from them. Thanks.
I was just about to switch to Ting, but now I have another option I need to consider. Thanks much!
Ting is another great option!
In my opinion Ting is not a great option. $16 for a month with 92 minutes of talk and 3mb of Dtat. Breakdown, $3 Talk, $3 Data, $6 Line charge, Taxes. This is for a “Back-Up” phone I keep.
Ting is terrible if you use data. They consider 1 gig of data “Large”. My coworkers laugh at me when I say I use that little. I generally use 1.5 which pushes me into the XL bracket for them which is 20$ all by itself, just to use facebook, no streaming of anything. I use <100 min a month and around 1000 texts, my bill is usually about 65 (6$ of that is a second not smart phone). Ting is only cheap is you don't really use data. Adding a second phone is really cheap with Ting, only 6$ per phone.
Does it use Sprint towers?
Hi Keith – Yes, Tello utilizes the Sprint network.
yes and they have bad Reception that use up my data plan by constant loading and just had 1 to 2 bars even i go outside. i will never get tello again bc I accept I made a mistake by sending text message wherein I did not close the plan but I accept it was a mistake I thought I used my other cellphone but Tello send me 2 0r 3 times warning in a day for 5 consecutive days and retaliated if they will sen me again the messages i will report them to the media as a harassment to a senior. They don’t say that they put tax to the plan…Bad Marketing.. I took now Metro PCS and even have internet access in my laptop for $60. unlimited inclusive no Taxes added