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UPDATE: 10/2019 – GivMobile is no longer in business. Please visit my reviews on Sprint.
Almost everyone needs and uses a cellphone these days. And it seems that almost everyone has and complains about the large, unpredictable bill attached to that cell phone. Family plan this and data plan that. 3G or 4G? Did I go over on minutes? Why is my bill so high this month? My phone is easy to use so why is the bill a headache? There has to be a better way. And indeed there is. GIV Mobile brings a new and refreshingly different approach to your wireless phone needs. It’s wireless for a cause. The promise of national, unlimited coverage and a reasonable bill along with a portion of your monthly bill donated to a charity that you can select during the signup process.
Let’s face it. Most of us want a cell phone or smartphone that works and doesn’t drain our bank account. GIV Mobile delivers that and more. Now you can save significant money on your wireless plan and know that you are contributing to a charity of your choice. The GIV Mobile team sent us a test phone and provided us with 30 days of service to try out all the features.
A few key facts about the service: GIV Mobile uses the national T-Mobile network and with an activated account and compatible phone you get access to that network for calls, texts and data wherever there is T-Mobile coverage. It’s a large network and I was able to try it in a number of cities as I brought it along on some trips. Of course, you will want to check coverage for your home area as well as locations you frequently visit, GIV Mobile provides a quick map and tool to see where it will work. Service was as clear and crisp as my regular carrier and to be honest, I had no issues that I wouldn’t expect with any cell provider. The occasional dropped call here and there but overall it worked fine and will likely meet your needs. The test phone GIV Mobile provided used 4G data and based on my tests of things like youtube and web browsing, it was more than fast enough to meet those needs. One cool added bonus is included, unlimited international texting to many countries. So, if you have friends or family living abroad, feel free to text away to your heart’s content. This is a hidden gem of a feature and could save you significant money.
GIV Mobile does sell a variety of smartphones, including some of the latest Android and iPhone models. The prices for these phones are clearly posted on their site, seem competitive vs Amazon and don’t require a contract. Of course, you could always use an existing phone that is compatible with the service. Just make sure to check that the phone is compatible with T-Mobile service and you should be all set. Finally, you can easily port your existing cell number overusing the online signup.
Set up was easy and completed online. Your phone or SIM card will arrive ready to be activated. A few simple steps on the web and you will have your number assigned and be ready to go. Depending on where you bought your phone and how modern it is, you may or may not need to adjust settings. If you do, GiV Mobile has easy and responsive customer care. I know because I goofed on one of the steps and needed some hand-holding.
You have two plans to select from. Both include unlimited talk, texts (including international as noted above) as well as voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding and long-distance. (international long distance is available at very reasonable rates). The $40/month plan included a small amount of 4G data, 250MB. If you use your phone on wifi at home and work or don’t need data at all, this option is a great deal. With 250MB you could still send the occasional email or look up an address while on the go. Step up to the $50/month plan and you get nearly 10 times the data. With 2GB of 4G data, all but the most youtube obsessed smartphone junkie should be able to get through the month with plenty of Googling, emailing and tweeting.
The value is strong when you compare vs the other options you have. And, no contracts so if it doesn’t meet your needs they don’t have you over a barrel.
GIV Mobile currently contributes 8% of your monthly bill to a charity that you designate from a pre-selected list. The list is comprehensive and covers everything from The American Cancer Society, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to the United Way with seemingly everything in between. I liked the fact that the consumer gets to select a charity that they are interested in and the process is easy and web-based.
To be able to have solid nationwide coverage at a competitive rate while giving a little back to the world makes for a great value. Throw in the fact that signup is easy and there are no contracts to keep you tied down and GIV Mobile is wireless for a cause.
Stay Connected:
- Visit GIV Mobile for more details
- Like GIV Mobile on Facebook and @GIVMobile on Twitter
Disclaimer: I was provided with product for this review. All views and opinions with regard to GIV Mobile or the company are my own and were not influenced by the company.
Great idea! I really like the charity part.
Include’s unlimited talk, texts which is what my family really needs
I love the fact that they give to charities and the plans are a great deal. I know too many people who pay so much more for very little. This looks like a great service.
Great review!!! Like the no contract and the price of the plans is awesome. Will be looking more into this.
I think it is useful and I hope to work on it all over the world
I think it is so useful and I hope to work on it all over the world
I think this a wonderful thing they are doing.
This is a great way to help a charity plus get an awesome phone service. I need to make international calls, not just text. I will see if a plan there offers this. If so, I am switching to their service. You did a wonderful review for us. Thank you for all the information. It was very helpful.
GIV Mobile sounds like a really great way to go. I love the fact that 8% of your monthly bills is donated to the chariy of your choice and the monthly plans are very reasonable.
That’s awesome that they donate to charity.We need more company’s like that.
With all the talking people do this is a great way for charities to get some money for a good cause.
sibabe64 at ptd dot net
I love that they give to Charities!! I also like the idea of no contracts!
I would be saving money with this phone company! That would help with Christmas presents!
Walmart’s Straight Talk is around the same price as Giv Mobile. There are 2 key differences that I’ve seen. One, you can use an existing phone with Giv Mobile. I called Walmart’s wireless customer service and was told that Straight Talk will only work on their phones, so you can’t take your existing phone and make it work with their plan. The second difference is the charitable aspect. These 2 things make me want to take a closer look at Giv Mobile.
I like the idea of donating 8% to charity.
It says a lot to me about the integrity of a company when they are willing to give back. I love that I can also choose the charity that I wish to have donated to.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
I think unlimited international texting to many countries is a great selling point. The donation to charity is a great idea also.
Giving 8% of my monthly bill to a charity that I designate; that sounds pretty cool and effort free (which is nice).
This is such a great idea to make donations and there are lots to choose from, this is definitely a forward thinking company.
This is a great idea and sounds like a wonderful cell phone company. I had T-Mobile, which is whose towers and network GIV-Mobile uses and I had really good reception. It is the only wireless carrier that would not drop calls while I was on the elevators. Thanks for the giveaway.
These plans are a good value. I have a plain house phone with unlimited long distance and call waiting and it costs me more than these plans. I am thinking about doing away with my house phone and getting a cellphone. The cost of these Smartphones is the only reason I have not done so yet.
I love that a portion of my bill would go to charity. I also love that they offer a wide variety of charities to select from. Such a great cause!
This really is a great idea. I’m always looking for ways to give to charity. GIV Mobile makes giving so easy and affordable.
Nice — 8 percent of your monthly bill is donated to charity.
I love the idea of free international texting. That is one of those things that I really don’t understand. Why my texting goes thru the roof if I go to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. Sounds like a great plan!
That’s great that they give money to charity, but it looks like this is more expensive than T-Mobile’s unlimited plan.
I think it’s amazing that they can provide unlimited service for $40 and still give 8% to charity.
I think it is a great idea that this company is giving back to those in need!
I think it is amazing
I like the idea of being able to help with part of the bill I am going to be paying anyway. I’m completely interested in these $40 plans that are popping up on the T-Mobile network, but the winning service point is that I can also help somebody else! That is a great option.
I have never heard of GIV Mobile, but they are definitely a company I would want to give my business to.
this is a very smart, clever and amazing idea more Companys should join in on this! i would definately be on board to join in on this great idea!
Even with it contributing to a charity, they’ll need to lower their prices for what you get to compete with other pay as you go companies. Just saying… :/ (And I know a lot of lower income families would rather have the option of choosing the give to the charity, or some months getting the discount just to keep their service going.)
I like what I’m reading; I’ll have to check you guys out more in depth when I have a chance because we are trying to make a different here. Pear Energy is another company that thinks out of the box.
I like the fact that GIV Mobile has unlimited plans at a reasonable rate without signing a contract. The fact that they donate 8% of your bill to the charity of your choice is an added bonus. The fact that they are 100% owned, operated and serviced in America is an even bigger bonus. My contract is up, so I think I will sign up today. Thanks for the informative review.
Love that this is being done for a cause as well.
I love that they donate to charity! What a good example!
This is a great concept, but I wish that list included a pro life organisation. That is my favorite cause as a feminist.
You guys really have a good idea. I like the thought in it. Allthough you should have one for helping the projects and inner city youth grow and progress, maybe an after school program like boys and girls club or something. But overall amazing!
Can it get any better than this? I think not! I great company and a chance to give!!
This is great! I have been wanting a good cell phone for a long time but am afraid I’m behind on times and don’t have one at all!! Its to costly these days. This sounds affordable and reliable, I’m in!
I wish there was a way to try their service out before I committed myself. I like the charity part.
I’m surprised anyone is still on a month billing plan when there are so many unlimited plans out there now. I’d probably pick them over the rest for the giving part. I’d like to see how their coverage works here. Something about being so close to the Ocala National Forest makes service here hard to get sometimes.
It’s nice you can choose your own chaarity and not be giving to something you might not feel comfortable with, I also lile theree are no contracts so if you arent pleased you caan switch.
Nice review and alot of good things about them we will take a look when our time is up (soon) on a current contract.
I would choose this company for wireless service because of their generosity toward charities. If their prices and coverage are comparable, which it sounds like they are, why wouldn’t you choose them?
This sounds like a wonderful company. Thank you very much for sharing.
This is wonderful what giv mobile is doing. All the phone companies should do it also…
Being able to give while being able to communicate seems like the perfect symbiotic relationship, doesn’t it?
I do like that the GIV mobile plan contributes to charity and does not require a contract. I shall have to study this plan further. Thanks for the info.
I love this concept! I am going to be switching providers as soon as my contract runs out, so the timing of this post is perfect. And I love that GIV doesn’t require a contract. Thanks for sharing this!
I’m sorry it should be “I get my phone bill and wonder what all those fees are and where they are going.
Wow! I get my phone bill and wonder what all those fees are and here they re going. Why does it cost so much for phone service? It would be nice to know that part of it is going to help organizations.
I like this idea, and in general, the idea of making charities commercially viable.
Not only is this concept clever, it’s awesome! I love that you can get a quality phone and service for a good price and part of the proceeds go to a charity of my choosing! Kudos GIV Mobile!
This is great on several levels. First, how rare is it that you find a company with a real sense of responsibility, so that they always donate part of the profits to charity? Second, what a joy to not be stuck with a contract! Just renew on a month by month basis!
This phone plan sounds awesome. I love having no contract with such a tight household budget. Currently, I have no cell phone, so this would really help.
I have been fighting my carrier over my high bill so this is a wonderful alternative. You get similar service with no contracts AND they give back to charity. What a great company!
I don’t have a Smart Phone yet, so I will definitely look this one up! Thanks for the glowing review and clearly stating how much it will cost, I think that I would just need the $40.00 plan since I would mostly just use it at home, and what a great Company to give back to the Charities!
I like the idea of no contract and the fact that they give some of the money to charity that’s wonderful.
From the little that I now know about them, I really like the idea of them giving some of the money to a charity that you chose.
I think it is amazing that GIV Mobile currently contributes 8% of your monthly bill to a charity that you designate from a pre selected list.