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Tello

Terms and Conditions

Any service ("the Service(s)") offered on this website is a service of Tello, LLC ("Tello"), one the largest ethnic telecommunication providers in the world.

By visiting and shopping at tello.com you accept these Terms and Conditions. These general Terms and Conditions describe the rights and obligations of Tello and its Customers concerning the delivery, performance and use of the Services offered by Tello.com.

For purposes of these Terms and Conditions, "Customer" means a person or organization that purchases the Services available on Tello’s website for private and personal use, starting from the creation of an Account with us (registration) and the activation and use of our Tello SIM card. We also use the terms "you," "your" or "yours" to refer to Customer herein. The terms "we," "us" or "our" refer to Tello, LLC and its affiliates.

By ordering a Service from Tello, you accept these Terms and Conditions, along with all policies, price lists, and other documents referenced herein (collectively, "Service Documents"), as the same may be posted from time to time.

The use of this website and any products or services offered by Tello is expressly conditioned on your acceptance of all Terms and Conditions stated herein and any other place on this website. DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE OR THE SERVICES if you do not accept all the terms and conditions stated herein and elsewhere other places on this website, including but not limited to: Frequently Asked Questions, Privacy Policy.

Products and/or services purchased on this website shall not be used for any unlawful purpose. By using our website, you represent that you are at least 18 years old. Accordingly, you agree that you are at least 18 years of age or older or possess legal parental or guardian consent, and are fully able and competent to enter into the terms, conditions, representations and warranties set forth in the Terms and Conditions.

Changes & Updates

We may change these Terms and Conditions and/or any Service Documents from time to time. We will keep these Terms and Conditions and Service Documents up to date, and will use commercially reasonable efforts to post changes to the website prior to the effective date of such changes; provided, that we reserve the right to make changes on shorter or no notice. So, please revisit them from time to time. By continuing to use our Service after a change, you have accepted the changes implemented.
Tello may discontinue, change, or suspend any aspect of the website at any time. Tello may change, discontinue or suspend the availability of any database, content, feature, Service, or product offered on the website, or the terms of offering the same (including, without limitation, pricing), at any time.

Tello may change different aspects of its Services and features without notice or liability.
In no event shall Tello, its employees, officers, representatives, service providers, suppliers, licensors, and agents be liable for any direct, special, indirect, incidental, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages, or any other damages of any kind, including but not limited to, loss of use, loss of profits, or loss of data, whether in an action in contract, tort (including but not limited to negligence), or otherwise, arising out of or in any way connected with (i) the use or inability to use the Tello websites or the content, materials, software, information or transactions provided on or through the Tello websites, or (ii) any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies in the Tello websites or the content, materials, software, information, products, or services on or available through these websites, (iii) the cost of procurement of substitute goods and services resulting from any products, data, information or services purchased or obtained or messages received or transactions entered into through or from our website; (iv) unauthorized access to or alteration of your transmissions or data; (v) statements or conduct of any third party on our website; (vi) the delay or failure in performance resulting from an act of force majeure, including without limitation, acts of god, natural disasters, communications failure, governmental actions, wars, strikes, labor disputes, riots, shortages of labor or materials, vandalism, terrorism, non-performance of third parties or any reasons beyond their reasonable control; or (vii) any other matter relating to our website, even if Tello or its authorized representatives have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Your sole remedy for dissatisfaction with the website and/or Tello Services is to stop using the website and/or those Services, and to terminate your Services as provided for herein.

By accepting the Services, you acknowledge and agree that the Services are provided by using or interconnecting with the networks and services of third parties, those third parties may change their rates, terms, practices and/or coverage areas, and the terms of your Services will be modified to reflect such changes by third parties. Tello has no control over such third parties, and will not be liable to you for any costs, damages, losses, or impacts of any kind due to the acts or omissions of third parties.

Use of service

By using Tello Services, the user accepts the rates, Terms and Conditions and procedures on this website. Tello may change or modify the Terms and Conditions from time to time without notice other than posting amended Terms and Conditions on this Website. Tello reserves the right to change, modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Website (or any portion thereof), including any and all content contained on the Website, at any time without notice. You agree that Tello shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, suspension or discontinuance of the Website.

Active phones & phone numbers

If a Customer enrolls a new SIM on a line with an existing active number, the Tello Service will no longer be active on the previous SIM enrolled on that line and will be available only on the newly enrolled SIM. An active number can only be connected to one SIM, so Tello Customers can only enjoy the Tello Service on one single SIM per line. When a line is no longer active, Tello will re-assign the phone number associated with that line, and that phone number may no longer be available to the previous account holder, unless the Customer has ported the number to a third-party carrier consistent with applicable law and Tello policies.

Billing policy

All sessions (data, calls) are debited directly from your balance (Plan or Pay As You Go) as soon as the records for the sessions are available from our providers. Taking this into account, delays in charges may appear.

Whatever the delay, charges will be deducted from the available balance (Plan or Pay As You Go) or, if the balance is not enough, as soon as the account balance gets updated (Plan renewal, Plan purchase or Pay As You Go Top Up). You acknowledge and agree that the rates for any Service, including Service to or from any country, may change from time to time, and that such changes will be reflected in the charges that are deducted from your account balance.

For example, a session (data, call) initiated on the last day of a national plan may be charged one day later and therefore, it will be debited from the balance of the newly renewed plan.
If the plan is not renewed, then the unbilled sessions (data, calls) are debited from another existing balance (Plan or Pay As You Go).
If there is no existing balance available (Plan or Pay As You Go), the unbilled sessions will be charged when the customer buys a plan or makes a top up.

Billing Cycle
You agree to pay all charges we bill you or that were accepted or processed through your Device. All Tello, LLC Service plans are measured on 30-day monthly cycles (including for purposes of determining your data usage levels).

We may offer you the opportunity to set up automatic payments through the method of payment on your account, which payments will be automatically charged at the end of your applicable payment cycle (“Auto Renew”). When you enroll in Auto Renew, automatic payments for plan fees that you incur will continue until you cancel.

The recurring charge may vary if you change your plan or we change our prices, following notice to you. You may cancel Auto Renew or review your payment preferences at any time by (i) contacting our customer service department at 1-866-377-0294, or (ii) managing your account preferences on the Tello website. You must change your Auto Renew preferences or cancel 24 hours prior to the end of your payment cycle in order for the change to go into effect. No minimum purchase is necessary to enroll in Auto Renew.

Wi-Fi E911
This Disclosure informs Tello, LLC customers of differences between the 911 and E911 access capabilities available with the Tello, LLC Wi-Fi calling service (the “Wi-Fi 911 Service”) and the 911 and E911 access capability available with traditional wired telephone service. It is important that you understand how these differences affect your ability to access 911 and E911 services.
 PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE INFORMATION BELOW. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING LIMITATIONS OF 911 FUNCTIONALITY. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THESE LIMITATIONS AND AGREE TO SHARE THESE LIMITATIONS WITH ANYONE WHO MAY USE YOUR SERVICE TO PLACE CALLS OR SEND TEXTS.

911 services are provided by your state and local government. Tello, LLC handsets are capable of making calls to 911 in the United States, and 911 access is available to customers regardless of your Rate Plan. The handset must have battery power and network connectivity to complete a 911 call. Although Tello, LLC is often capable of communicating your phone number and/or current location to a public safety answering point (“911 Communications Center”), in some cases, 911 Communications Center operators may not know your phone number or have information about your current location. As a result, when making 911 calls, you should provide your contact information and current location. Other third-party entities are involved in connecting a 911 call and Tello, LLC is not solely responsible for determining which 911 Communications Center your 911 call may be routed to. If you are porting a phone number to or from us, we may not be able to provide you with some Services, such as 911 location services while the port is in process.  If you are porting a phone number to us, it is your obligation and responsibility to make certain that all information forwarded from the port out carrier is accurate and complete. If you are outside the U.S., you may have to dial a different number than 911 to call emergency services.

Wi-Fi 911 service is dependent on a functioning Wi-Fi connection. Without a Wi-Fi connection, the Wi-Fi 911 service will not work. Wi-Fi 911 service will not operate during power outages or if your Wi-Fi connection is disrupted. In case of emergencies, it is recommended that customers have a redundant or backup internet connection, an uninterruptible backup power supply, and/or a landline telephone.

NEITHER TELLO, LLC NOR ITS NETWORK SUPPLIER IS RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANYTHING RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE ANY WI-FI CALLING MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY FAILURE OF EMERGENCY CALLS (WHETHER 9-1-1 CALLS OR OTHERWISE).

The customer will need to provide Tello, LLC with the correct service address to route 911 calls to the customer. When Wi-Fi 911 service is used, the phone call is routed to Tello, LLC which is then routed to the local emergency service provider. Tello, LLC does not track the location of the customer so Tello, LLC will depend on the correct service address to forward to emergency services.
If the customer makes a Wi-Fi 911 call and the customer is not at the correct service address, the customer will have to give emergency responders current location information otherwise, emergency responders will not be able to locate the customer.
Since WiFi 911 calls route through Tello, LLC, emergency personnel may not be able to identify the customer's phone number to call back the customer.

Since WiFi 911 calls depend on a Wi-Fi connection, customers should be aware that calls could drop or be delayed due to Wi-Fi connections being disrupted.
It is recommended that customers always maintain alternate means of contacting 911.

Acceptable use of service

When joining Tello, you also agree to comply with our usage policy, which means you can use our Service for:
  • Voice calls;
  • Web browsing;
  • Sending and receiving messages;
  • Sending and receiving emails;
  • Uploading and downloading applications and content;
  • Streaming music;
  • Sharing your data with other devices pursuant to the allotments of your Data Plan, subject to the limitations set forth below, including Tello’s Network Management Practices:
    • We prioritize smartphone and mobile internet (tablet) over Smartphone Mobile HotSpot (tethering) traffic on our network.
    • We may limit the number of devices that can be tethered
    • The Service can’t be used to establish a continuous, unattended connection
    • Tello may take any reasonable action which it deems in its sole discretion to be a potential threat to its network or other users, including limiting or terminating tethering/hotspot

However, there are some specific things that we don’t want you to use Tello for, including, but not limited to:
  • Illegal, abusive, threatening or fraudulent purposes;
  • Providing altered, deceptive, or false information about the identity of the sender or the origin of a message or phone call;
  • Actions which may be interpreted as harassing, defamatory, slanderous, deceptive, indecent, pornographic, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, or racially, ethnically or otherwise offensive, hateful or abusive, death threats, terroristic threats and any other uses related to terrorism;
  • Sending mass unsolicited email (SPAM), or other types of abusive, unsolicited, or other mass automated communications, including, but not limited to: viruses, worms, Trojan horses, rootkits, password crackers, adware, or any other computer programs that may damage, interfere with, secretly intercept or seize any system, program, data, or personal information;
  • Uses which consume disproportionate amounts of network capacity, causing harm or adversely affecting the network and Tello customers, who can suffer from degraded service when one user consumes an unreasonable amount of resources;
  • Actions generating unusually high usage;
  • Using a repeater or signal booster other than one we provide to you;
  • Using the Service in a manner that compromises network security or capacity, degrades network performance, uses malicious software or "malware", hinders other Customers’ access to the network, or otherwise adversely impacts network service levels or legitimate data flows;
  • Using applications which automatically consume unreasonable amounts of available network capacity;
  • Using applications which are designed for unattended use, automatic data feeds, automated machine-to-machine connections, or applications that are used in a way that degrades network capacity or functionality;
  • Accessing the accounts of others without authority;
  • Using the Service in a way that results in unusually high usage (specifically, more than 35GB (updated periodically) in a month) and the majority of your data usage being Smartphone Mobile HotSpot (tethering) usage for any 3 billing cycles within any 6-month period;
  • Reselling the Service, either alone or as part of any other good or service;
  • Tampering with, reprograming, altering, or otherwise modifying your device to circumvent any of our policies or violate anyone’s intellectual property rights;
  • Causing harm or adversely affects us, the network, our customers, employees, business, or any other person;
  • Uses that conflict with applicable law;
  • Uses not in accordance with these Terms & Conditions
  • Attempting or helping other people in any of the activities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to add new types of uses we consider unacceptable. We also reserve the right to act immediately and without notice to restrict, suspend, or terminate your use of the Service in case you have disregarded the rules above. But the list of permitted uses is so broad and generous, that you don’t need to worry. In fact, the unacceptable uses usually conflict with applicable law, so we are also trying to protect you against legal problems.

Violation of Acceptable Use Policy
No refunds will be provided if the service is terminated for violation of the acceptable use policy.

Performance with Tello’s "Unlimited" plan
The Unlimited data option provides unlimited data usage at a regular monthly rate per line (promotional rates may vary). Customers will receive 4G LTE/5G data speeds for up to 35 GB of data per billing period. Your data speed will be reduced to lower speeds once you have used 35 GB of data in a billing period. You can downgrade your unlimited plan at any time, with no change fees.
Tello Unlimited Plans with international long-distance service are provided solely for live dialogue between and initiated by, two individuals for personal use and not for non-residential use or resale. The limit for international calls is set at 1000 min/30-day billing cycle and this balance is not rolled over. In case of abuse of usage, we reserve the right to suspend, terminate or restrict your ILD Services without any prior notice. We further reserve the right to add or remove countries from the list of those for which Unlimited Plans are available, to discontinue Services to any country, or to revise the number of minutes.

Network Management
Generally, Tello does not inhibit the ability of our Customers to use mobile data. However, like many service providers, Telloemploys reasonable network management practices consistent with industry standards to maintain the reliability of its network and minimize network issues and complications, and these practices are subject to change. Specifically, Tello currently manages its network in the following ways:
  • Traffic identified as malicious (such as distributed denial of service attacks) may be automatically identified and blocked
  • In the event of network congestion in which the supporting technology determines that Service is likely to be degraded for Customers, Tello manages its network resources to prioritize certain communications in order to avoid disruption of those Services. Otherwise, network management is non-discriminatory and agnostic to the application.
  • Certain Services are subject to limitations, detailed herein.

Termination of service

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ISSUE A WARNING OR TO SUSPEND OR EVEN TERMINATE YOUR SERVICE AND ACCESS TO OUR WEBSITE OR APP IF WE DETERMINE YOU HAVE VIOLATED ANY OF THE TERMS OF SERVICE LISTED ON THIS PAGE OR IN ANY SERVICE DOCUMENT, ANY OF THE RULES OR POLICIES APPLICABLE TO THE USE OF THIS SITE, OR FOR ANY OTHER REASON.

Tello SIM

Unless specifically stated otherwise on our website, the Service is available only for persons located within the United States (excluding Puerto Rico).
Roaming is not available, and our Service can not be used outside US territory.
Standard delivery period: when ordering a Tello SIM is 3-5 business days, but no later than 7 business days. No delivery will be made on weekends or national holidays.
Tello SIMs purchased from tello.com or from approved providers need to be activated by the Customer in the Tello online account within 30 days from purchase, otherwise the SIM will expire and it will be unusable for future activations. No refund of the SIM price will be granted in case of such expiry.
SIM format is delivered as specified by the Customer during checkout (micro or nano). If another format is needed upon delivery, additional charges may apply.
Tello Mobile cannot be held liable for the processing and fulfillment of SIM orders placed on third-party websites (such as Amazon.com).

Pay As You Go Service Agreement

Pay As You Go credit is available for a period of 90 days since Customer's last Pay As You Go order. If no order was placed in a period of 90 days, Pay As You Go credit will expire and the Tello Service will be disconnected.

Calls are billed in increments of one minute, with fractions thereof rounded up to the next minute.
If data usage is turned ON in Customer's online account, all data sessions will be charged first from an active plan containing data. Only when the data balance of the plan is zero will data sessions be charged from the existing Pay As You Go balance.

Data usage is rounded up to the next full-kilobyte increment at the end of each data session.
All sales are final. Balances once credited are non-refundable, non-transferable and non-exchangeable.
Call details provided by Customer Support agents regarding the usage of a prepaid credit are final and will be considered authentic record/proof of the usage of the Pay As You Go balance.

Call history from the Customer's account is available for the last 30 days.
Pay As You Go credit can be used for data usage, US and international calls and texts.

Our final rates may be updated at any time and will be listed on our Pay As You Go - Rates page. We advise you to visit it before purchasing Pay As You Go credit or placing a call.
Customers are fully responsible for all charges related to Auto Recharge. Once this feature is activated, Customers agree to the charges that will apply on the credit/debit card when their Pay As You Go balance drops below the set amount.

Plans Service Agreement

Plans are subscriptions purely designed for residential usage.

If you subscribe to one of our plans we will provide the Service solely to you for normal residential, non-commercial use. You and only those of your immediate family members who reside in your personal residence can use the Service. National Plans are provided primarily for continuous live dialog between two individuals. Unusual call patterns, excessive conferencing or call forwarding, excessive numbers and/or consistent excessive usage will be considered indicators of non-residential use. Any other indicators of impermissible usage may trigger an account review or further action by us.
Any Tello user can have at any given moment a maximum of 10 lines in their online account.

By subscribing to Tello plans you agree to be charged monthly. To cancel the subscription you must deactivate the Service from your account. Regardless of the number of minutes, data used you will be charged monthly for your subscription. The monthly fee is non-refundable.

Calls are charged with minute rounding. Partial minutes of use are rounded up to the next full minute.
Minutes included in a plan are available for US, Canada, Mexico and China. Any call made to a number from these countries will be charged from the Customer's plan balance.

Plans rates are subject to change without any prior notice.

Plans will be automatically renewed every 30 days, unless a Customer decides to change or renew a plan during the billing cycle, which is possible. The Customer will be charged on the spot, which initiates a new billing cycle.
If the automatic billing fails, a new attempt will take place on the next day (on the 31st day of your plan). If the billing succeeds, your billing date will remain the same as before. If automatic billing fails to pay the charges on your account in full on the second attempt, your Services may be suspended or terminated, at Tello’s sole discretion and your plan may be deleted.

If a plan is changed or renewed during the billing cycle, any remaining balance will roll over for the next 30 days
 (except for unlimited plans if available). The billing date will also be renewed each time Customer changes a monthly plan.

Any unused balance of the plan will expire once the usage period is over.

Any change made during the billing period is effective immediately after the request has been processed by the system.

The Service can be canceled at any time from the account. Once the subscription is canceled you will no longer be charged.

Tello reserves the right to expire numbers that no longer have an active plan. Customers will receive a notification via SMS or email 7 days prior to the expiry. Your specific phone number will be reallocated to another Customer and will not be available after expiry.

Tello, LLC Service plans which include a data plan (“Data Plan”) as part of the Service
Data usage is rounded up to the next full-kilobyte increment at the end of each data session. Your data usage includes, among other things, text, web browsing, instant or picture messages, and email whether read or unread, sent or received, solicited or unsolicited. We use filters to block spam messages, but we do not guarantee that you will not receive spam or other unsolicited messages, and we are not liable for such messages. All data purchased through a Tello, LLC Service plan (both data that comes with a particular Tello, LLC Service plan and any additional data you purchase as an add-on), will expire immediately upon termination of your Tello, LLC Service plan for any reason.

If more than one product is active in customer's account, the balance will be used in this priority: for data usage, national calls and texts: Plans balance and then Pay As You Go balance. Premium destinations can not be called with any of our plans. These numbers can be called with Pay As You Go balance.

Tello Unlimited Plan
The Unlimited Plan is meant for using data mainly with your mobile phone. We reserve the right to limit excessive tethering/hotspot usage above 5GB. Accounts where we find excessive data usage may experience slowness in speed and/or service limitations for the current billing cycle, up to termination.

New and existing customers on qualifying plans including data have streaming video optimization technology automatically applied to our plans, and video is delivered at a lower resolution (typically 480p) rather than at a higher resolution which is better suited for larger screens. This helps customers stretch their Data Plans by reducing the amount of high-speed data consumed for streaming video. Data speed optimization is not applied when a device is on Wi-Fi and therefore all data, including video, will be delivered at available speeds.

Park Number Plan Service Agreement

By subscribing to the Park Number plan you agree to the following terms of service:

  • the Park Number plan does not include any minutes, text or data; once you activate it you won't be able to make/receive calls or text or use the internet
  • the billing cycle of the Park Number plan starts once you purchase it; you will be charged every 30 days until you decide to cancel the plan from your Tello online account
  • any remaining balance from an active Tello plan (minutes, texts, data) will expire at the end of the 30 day billing cycle; the balance will not carry over even if the Park Number plan was purchased during the previous billing cycle
  • Tello reserves the right to expire numbers that no longer have an active plan (Park Number plan or any other plan with minutes, texts, data)
  • if the payment for your Park Number plan fails to renew, your phone number will expire and it can not be retrieved. You will receive a notification via SMS and/or email 7 days prior to your number expiry. If you fail to repurchase the Park Number plan or subscribe to any other Tello plan, your number will be lost. Moreover, your specific phone number may be reallocated to another customer.

Offers and Promotions

All offers, promotions, discounts or bonuses are subject to certain Terms and Conditions as listed on their presentation page or banner. Offers and promotions can be canceled anytime without any prior notice as stipulated in these Terms and Conditions.

In case of goods, promotions will be honored while stock lasts. No refunds can be imputed to Tello in case of offers no longer available or stopped without any prior notice.

Referral Program Agreement

Tello Mobile's Referral Program (the "Program") is offered at Tello's discretion.
The Program and its terms are subject to change at any time without notice, including cancellation of the Program.
The beneficiaries of Tello’s Referral Program are: the person making the referral (the "Referrer") and the person who has been referred by a Referrer to the Program (the "Referred").

The Referral Program is governed by the following terms and conditions:
  • Each eligible referral will result in the Referrer and Referred each receiving a credit worth ten U.S. Dollars ($10.00) (the "Tello Dollars").
  • The Tello Dollars can be used to pay for an entire phone bill or to purchase a phone through tello.com. Still, you can not create a new line using Tello Dollars as a payment method.
  • The Tello Dollars will be used to make a purchase (plan, Pay As You Go Credit or a phone), once the amount of Tello Dollars is enough to pay for the entire invoice. No partial payments are allowed.
  • Only referrals for new customers are eligible for the Referral program. A referral order will be deemed invalid if the order is placed by a customer that already exists in Tello’s database, according to company criteria.
  • No Tello Dollars will be awarded if the Customer who sends the referral link is no longer using the Service (no order, no call, no SMS, no Data usage in the past 6 months)
  • If no activity is registered in the Customer's account for 6 months (no call or no order placed), the Tello Dollars will expire.
  • A Referrer must disclose the fact that he or she is a Tello Customer when he/she makes the referral and that he/she will receive a reward if the Referred completes the Referral Program and places an order using the referral link.
  • A Referrer should honor all requests to stop referrals or communications about the Program.
  • A Referrer should not engage in any misleading, deceptive, annoying, or harassing practices with respect to referrals or Program communications.
  • The reward (Tello Dollars) is not cash and cannot be exchanged for cash.
  • The Tello Dollars are not valid for self-referrals and fraudulent transactions. We reserve the right to stop any Customer from using our Services who we believe is using a referral campaign in an unethical manner.
  • We must be able to communicate with both the Referrer and the Referred using email for you to participate in the Program. You will not be allowed to participate in the Program if you unsubscribe or otherwise opt out of receiving promotional and marketing email from Tello or we are otherwise unable to communicate with you by email.
  • Tello Dollars not used within 12 months since issue date will expire.

Account protection

Please select a password that would not be obvious to someone trying to guess your password, and change it regularly as an added precaution. Furthermore, we recommend that you use a different password from your email account as an additional security measure. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the password and account, and you are fully responsible for all activities that occur under your password or account identification. You should make every effort to safeguard your account data. Tello is not responsible for lost or stolen account data or unauthorized use. You agree to immediately notify Tello of any unauthorized use of your password or account or any other breach of security. Credit/debit card fraud is a criminal offense.
A security PIN is generated for all Tello accounts, for a better security. The security PIN gives the Customer access to request certain account changes, such as: device change, port out, account deactivation, etc.
Also, for security reasons, any requests that require an action taken by our Support Team should come either from the email address registered to the account or from the Tello number. Customer must be properly authenticated by Customer Support personnel prior to the release of any Customer data via phone or email.

Transaction authorization

At Tello we use automated and manual systems to confirm proper credit card usage and transaction authorization. We also track every transaction. Information related to fraudulent transactions, including but not limited to IP addresses, detailed transaction records and email addresses is collected. The information will be provided to appropriate law enforcement officials consistent with applicable law when required to assist in the prosecution of any persons attempting to commit fraud on Tello's website.

Taxes, Surcharges & Fees

Sales on tello.com
In addition to the charges billed for Tello Services, surcharges, taxes, fees, and other charges may be applied to your invoice based on the type of service you have, and your geographical location, among other factors.
By visiting and shopping on this site, the Customer agrees to pay all applicable federal, state, and local taxes, surcharges or fees required or permitted to be billed by Tello. Additionally, the Customer acknowledges that international services may be subject to value-added taxes or other taxes or fees imposed by the countries in which calls originate or terminate. The Customer is responsible for, and agrees to pay, all such taxes and fees imposed upon the Customer’s use of the Services.

Certain taxes, fees or surcharges may show up as separate line items on your invoice. Examples include, but are not limited to the following.

Federal Surcharges



Federal Universal Service Fund ("FUSF"). The Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires Tello to contribute to the Federal Universal Service Fund ("FUSF"). The FUSF helps to make phone service affordable and available to all Americans, including:
  • consumers with low incomes;
  • those living in areas where the cost of providing telephone service is high;
  • public schools and libraries;
  • rural healthcare providers.


The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") delegates the administration of the FUSF to the Universal Service Administrative Company ("USAC"). Each quarter, the FCC adopts a "contribution factor" for FUSF support. The contribution factor is a percentage of the total interstate and international end-user telecommunications and Interconnected VoIP ("I-VoIP") revenue that each carrier is responsible for contributing to the FUSF.

As permitted by FCC regulations, Tello has opted to bill the FUSF surcharge as a separate line item to end-user Customers. Consistent with such regulations, Tello only bills FUSF line-item charges in an amount equal to the quarterly contribution factor currently in effect multiplied by the invoiced amount subject to the FUSF. This is a permissible pass-through surcharge but is not a tax or charge mandated by the government.

Please visit USAC's website for more information on the FUSF.

State & Local Regulatory Surcharges



State Universal Service Fund (USF). Tello may also be required to contribute to State Universal Service Funds ("SUSF"). The funds may be used to assist in providing universal service and to support a variety of other programs at the state level. Tello collects applicable charges from its end-user Customers. These charges are permissible pass-through surcharges but are not taxes or charges mandated by the government.

Telecommunications Relay Services Fund. Some states also require contributions to State Telecommunications Relay Services ("TRS") Funds to offset the cost of providing local transmission services that provide hearing or speech challenged individuals with the ability to use certain communications services. Many states require Tello to remit this fee to the governing authority. Tello collects applicable fees from Customers and remits them to the relevant authorities.

State & Local Sales and Use Tax



All states, with few exceptions, impose some form of state-level sales and use tax. The sales and use tax is generally imposed on the sale or use of tangible personal property and certain services. These taxes are intended to be passed on to the end user/consumer.

In many states, local jurisdictions also impose a sales or use tax. In some instances, the local sales and use tax is administered by the local jurisdiction. In other instances, the state administers the local sales and use tax. Certain exemptions apply to sales for resale, and sales to certain types of entities (e.g., the federal government, state and local governments, non-profit entities, etc.).

Tello collects sales and/or use taxes as required by state and/or local law.

Communications Services Tax

Some state and local jurisdictions impose communications specific taxes on communications services in addition to or in lieu of sales or use tax. The communications services tax is intended to be passed on to the end user/consumer. The rate for communications services tax (CSR) is usually different than Sales and Use Tax Rate and its value varies by jurisdiction.

Certain exemptions apply for sales for resale, and sales to certain types of entities (e.g., the federal government, state and local governments, non-profit entities, etc.).

Tello collects the communications services tax as required by applicable state and/or local law.

Gross Receipts Taxes

A number of states impose a gross receipts tax on communications service providers. In some states, gross receipts tax is intended to be passed on to the end user/consumer. In other states, the gross receipts tax is the responsibility of the seller, and there is no pass-through to the end user.

Certain exemptions may exist. Gross receipts tax is intended to be passed on to the Customer, based on the type of entity making the purchase (e.g., the federal government, state and local governments, non-profit entities, etc.).

Tello pays gross receipts taxes, and collects them from Customers when required (or permitted) by applicable state and/or local law.

Local Utility Taxes

Local utility taxes are imposed by cities and counties in a select number of states. Certain exemptions apply to sales for resale, and sales to certain types of entities (e.g., the federal government, state and local governments, non-profit entities, etc.).

Tello pays local utility taxes, and collects them from customers when required (or permitted) by applicable state and/or local law.

Local License Taxes

Local license taxes are imposed by cities and counties in a limited number of states.

Certain exemptions apply to sales for resale, and sales to certain types of entities (e.g., the federal government, state and local governments, non-profit entities, etc.).

Tello pays local license taxes, and collects them from Customers when required (or permitted) by applicable state and/or local law.

E911 Fees

In order to maintain adequate 911 funding provided to emergency telephone service, state and local jurisdictions impose E911 fees on certain communications services. These fees are sometimes administered by the state department of revenue, but the majority of E911 fees are assessed and administered by local jurisdictions. E911 fees are intended to be passed on to the customer on the invoice. Sales for resale are generally exempt from E911 fees. Non-profit organizations are generally subject to E911 fees, whereas they might be exempt from taxes or other fees.

Tello collects E911 fees from Customers when required by applicable state and/or local law.

Other Fees



Cost Recovery

Cost Recovery Fee/Surcharge. A Cost Recovery Surcharge equal to 3% of total invoiced charges (excluding taxes) will apply to all Pay as You Go Customer invoices. A separate Cost Recovery Fee will apply to unlimited plan Customers.

This charge is imposed to recover costs incurred by Tello for fees, contributions and/or charges associated with one or more of the following:

  • telecommunications services for the sight and hearing impaired
  • local number portability
  • North American Numbering Plan administration
  • and administrative costs, fees and expenditures related to compliance with Federal regulatory programs and annual FCC regulatory fee obligations, along with other carrier and administrative expenses (including, but not limited to, costs imposed upon Tello by its suppliers).


This is a permissible fee but is not a tax or charge mandated by the government. For more information on programs supported by these surcharges, please see below.

Federal Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund. The TRS Fund was established by the FCC in 1993 to reimburse TRS providers for the cost of providing interstate TRS services. TRS services are telephone transmission services that provide hearing or speech challenged individuals with the ability to use a traditional telephone.

Under the FCC’s rules, Tello must contribute a percentage of its end-user communications revenues to the TRS Fund. The contribution percentage varies annually.

Local Number Portability Administration (LNPA). Local Number Portability ("LNP") is a customer’s ability to keep existing phone numbers when switching to another service provider. Tello must provide LNP, as well as contribute to the FCC’s LNPA program, designed to diffuse the costs of administering LNP. Tello pays a proportionate share of the LNP costs in each region in which it operates and has customers. This fee varies frequently by region.

North American Numbering Program Administration (NANPA). The North American Numbering Plan ("NANP") is an integrated telephone numbering plan for the Public Switched Telephone Network ("PSTN") serving multiple countries including the United States and its territories. It is administered by the North American Numbering Plan Administration ("NANPA").

Under the FCC’s rules, Tello must contribute to the costs of numbering administration. Contributions are based on a percentage of Tello’s revenues from customers using international, intrastate and interstate communications services. The percentage varies annually.

Annual Regulatory Fee. Tello, as an interstate service provider, must pay an annual regulatory fee to the FCC. This fee varies annually.

Sales on Third-Party Sites
Tello does not collect sales taxes applicable to purchases of Tello Services on third-party sites or through independent vendors or online marketplaces. These vendors/third-party marketplaces are responsible for collecting and remitting applicable sales, gross receipts, license, communications, or other applicable point-of-sale taxes. Tello will continue to collect usage-based taxes as well as state and federal regulatory fees (including, but not limited to, SUSF, FUSF, PUC fees) as well any applicable Cost Recovery Fee based on any sales completed through third parties.
By purchasing Tello Services from any third-party vendor or marketplace, Customer agrees to the Terms and Conditions of the third-party vendor with respect to the application of taxes, fees, and surcharges. Tello is not liable for any Customer claims related to taxes, surcharges or fees billed by a third party.

Applies to California Customers Only
On November 15, 2018, the Prepaid MTS Surcharge Collection Act, originally enacted in January 2016, was declared unenforceable by the United States District Court, as it conflicts with federal law.
For clarification, the Prepaid MTS surcharge was made of 3 parts (mts 911, puc, and local). The components declared unenforceable include just the mts 911 and puc charges.
As a courtesy to the customers, Tello, LLC refunded the collected MTS surcharges (mts 911 and puc) back to the customers in early 2019. The collection period which was refunded began on January 1st 2016 and ending on December 2018.
After December 31 2018, Prepaid MTS surcharges (local) are still being charged. The rates are listed here.

Refund and payment

All charges billed by Tello exclude taxes. Tello is committed to customer satisfaction and offers a 100% money back guarantee. An online purchase of any Tello product or service requires payment using a credit/debit card or PayPal account. Tello does not store credit/debit card information. Tello will refund the amount for any unused product or service to any Customer who is dissatisfied with Tello’s Services, subject to certain conditions. Refunds must be received by Tello within several days of the purchase date. Any promotion or discount applied to an order for which a refund is provided will be deducted from the amount of the refund. Tello will not refund any taxes paid on orders older than 6 months.

If an account and phone number are no longer active, any remaining balance (Pay As You Go credit or any Plan balance) in that account will be forfeited.

To request a payment refund, contact Tello Customer Service. You'll need to be the account holder or an authorized user and able to verify your identity and account information.
To request a refund via Chat or Email, send a message through our Contact section. The customer must be logged into his online account to send the request. Payments older than 5 months from the date of request are not eligible for refunds. In the event that your original payment method cannot accept the refund, an equivalent credit will be added to your account in the form of Tello Dollars.
Refund requests sent after a number port out will not be processed.
Refund requests are typically evaluated within one business day, with refund determinations sent via Email.

Pay As You Go refunds are available for a period of 90 days from Customer's last order. If no order was placed within 90 days of purchase, Pay As You Go credit will expire.
In response to a valid refund request, Tello will refund the total unused Pay as You Go account balance as long as the balance is still active. Refunds are not available for Pay As You Go balances purchased more than 5 months from the date of the request. In such case, a credit will be added to your account in the form of Tello Dollars. Partial refunds may be issued for unused Pay As You Go balances as decided on a case-by-case basis. Tello will not refund any fees related to auto-recharges. This includes applicable data-related charges. See https://tello.com/terms#paragraph_pay_as_you_go for more information on Pay As You Go plans.

Plans refunds - Tello will offer a full refund of the plan’s value if the Customer was never able to use any of the plan’s balances purchased (minutes, data) for any reason whatsoever. Partial refunds can be offered for unused plan balances as decided on a case to case basis.
Phones refunds - Phones purchased from Tello carry a limited 30-day warranty. Customers are entitled to a full refund during the 30 day warranty period if: 1) they return the device with all components (battery, charger, etc); 2) the device presents no damage or tear proofs; 3) the device presents functionality or workmanship errors. Tello will not refund devices that present defects arising from damage, normal wear-and-tear or liquid accidents, scratches, damage from drops, accidental damage, coverage issues, etc.
SIM refunds - Tello will not offer any compensation for a SIM purchased through its website. Moreover, the SIM is not returnable and non-refundable.
Shipping refunds - Priority Shipping, Two-Day Shipping and Standard Overnight Shipping costs are not refundable.

Return Policy

If you need to return the phone bought from Tello within the 30 day warranty period, you'll need to contact our Customer Support team. They will help you ship the phone back to the provider free of charge. In order to return the device, you need to:
  1. call our Customer Support team
  2. prepare the package for shipping including all accessories it came with
  3. use the shipping label received by email from our Customer Support team.

Refund for returned phones
You will receive a complete refund for the phone purchased if:
  • You return all the components (charger, cables, manual, etc.) along with the device not later than 30 days since the purchase date.
  • If the device is damaged upon receipt, you need to send Customer Support proof of the damage and provide photos of the device and the packaging within 48h of delivery.

Partial refunds may be offered if:
  • The phone you return arrives at the warehouse with physical damage and you failed to provide proof within 48 hours of delivery that it was damaged.

Backup your phone before you return it. We are not responsible for any damage, loss of data or information breach incurred after the time your device was shipped for return. Also, any Google account, Samsung account, Apple ID, activation code, pass code or lock key must be deleted prior to the return. Otherwise, the replacement or the refund may be denied by Tello.

Upon return, you’ll have two options:
  1. Enjoy the Service with no interruptions and opt for a refund.
    • You can purchase another device or even the same model from our website
    • Once the new device is shipped to you, you can activate it
    • Only after you have Service on the new device, return the old one to us
    • We will issue a refund for the returned phone, as soon as it reaches our warehouse and is verified and vetted as eligible for refund.
  2. Not be able to use the Service for several days (no mobile service) and opt for a replacement
    • You can return the current device
    • Wait until it reaches our warehouse and is verified and vetted as eligible for refund
    • We’ll send you a new phone (same model) as a replacement
    • Once you get the phone you’ll need to activate it.
    • You will have no Tello Service while you wait for the replacement.

Customers that decide to return a device should be aware that they can lose the phone number associated with their Tello line unless they select one of these options:
  • ask for a replacement phone
  • buy or bring a new phone to Tello
  • port out the number, consistent with Tello policies.

Delivery Policy

Any phone or SIM card will be delivered without any shipping costs by USPS. Usually, it takes no longer than 3-5 business days to deliver a device to the address specified. Customers can always track an order’s shipping status in their customer account. Delays caused by national holidays, weather conditions or transportation issues can incur, but Tello will not be liable for any such delays.

If for any reason a Customer decides to cancel an order or request a refund once the shipping process has already begun, Customer must wait to receive the package and then contact Customer Support to request a return label. In the unlikely event that the items were not dispatched yet, customers should contact our Customer Support team as soon as they decide to cancel a purchase.
All items are shipped to the address specified. Customers are fully responsible for any losses or delays incurred by entering incorrect or incomplete address details.

Phone Warranty

All phones (new, open-box, refurbished or pre-owned) purchased from Tello have a 30 day warranty. If you need to check the warranty or return the phone, you'll need to contact our Customer Support team. They will help you ship the phone back to the provider without any shipping costs.

If your device is defective and it's eligible for a warranty replacement, we'll replace the defective device with a new or refurbished device of the same or comparable model from our available stock. The warranty we offer only covers defects in functionality, materials or workmanship. The warranty covers issues such as software-related problems, activation problems, camera defects, unresponsive keys, multiple dead pixels, etc.

It does not cover defects arising from damage, normal wear-and-tear or liquid accidents. The warranty does not cover issues like diminishing battery life, scratches, damage from drops, accidental damage, coverage issues, or software incompatibility or problems with third-party apps. Attempting to 'root', open or fix your device will immediately void its warranty. Visible physical damage to your device will void its warranty.

Phones purchased from Tello may also be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. These third-party warranties vary from product to product. Warranties may be limited to pre-owned, refurbished, or open-box items. It is your responsibility to consult the applicable product documentation for specific warranty information. These warranties are separate from the limited Tello 30-day phone warranty. In addition, you acknowledge that certain third-party warranties may limit or void the remedies that they offer if unauthorized persons perform support service on the device.

Phone Financing

Tello’s phone financing service is provided by Affirm, Inc., a company that is not affiliated with Tello Mobile. To review the full terms and conditions, please visit Affirm's website at www.affirm.com/terms.
  • Affirm phone financing is subject to credit check and approval.
  • A down payment may be required.
  • For purchases under $200, limited payment options are available.
  • The annual percentage rate (APR between 0–36%) may vary based on a credit check. For example, an $800 purchase might cost $72.21/mo over 12 months at 15% APR.
  • The estimated payment amount is calculated on a 24-month payment plan and does not include shipping fees or taxes.
  • If a refund is issued, please note the paid interest is not refundable.
  • The payment options made available through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check and are provided by the following lending partners: affirm.com/lenders.
Affirm loans are made by Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, Member FDIC. See www.affirm.com/faqs/ for details.

Warranties, exclusions and limitation of liability

Except for the limited warranty provided above, Tello MAKES NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WHETHER BY FACT OR BY OPERATION OF LAW, IN CONTRACT OR TORT, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE OR PURPOSE OR REGARDING THIS WEBSITE, THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS WEBSITE, OR ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE SOLD OR PURCHASED THROUGH THIS WEBSITE.

Disputes

Purchases will appear on your credit/debit card statement as "Tello". You agree not to file a credit card or debit card chargeback with regards to any purchase made on the website but instead try to resolve the issue with Tello. If you do not remember making the purchase - call the number on your statement next to the charge.

In the event that you breach this agreement and file a chargeback, upon a resolution in our favor of the chargeback by either the credit card issuing bank, the credit/debit card processor or by the credit card company, you agree to reimburse us for any costs incurred in researching and responding to such chargeback, including without limitation, our actual costs paid to the credit/debit card processor or our banks and the reasonable value of the time of our employees spent on the matter, as determined in our discretion in good faith.

In the event that a chargeback is placed or threatened on a purchase, we also reserve the right to report the incident for inclusion in chargeback abuser database(s). We use various credit reporting agencies and will send a default notice to them upon receiving a fraudulent order and/or chargeback. This in turn will seriously affect your credit rating. We are under no obligation to mark the debt as paid, even after we receive further payment to rectify the situation.

These Terms and Conditions may be available in multiple languages; in the case of a conflict between any other language version and the English language version of these Terms and Conditions, the English language version shall always control.

Service Accessibility

Accessibility Records
Tello keeps records of any interaction established between the company and any impaired individual who contacted the company’s customer support team through any of the following methods: chat, email, phone, or postal mail. Records are registered and saved for an undefined period of time; they are confidential and will be used only to determine statistics, general trends, or recurrent requests of the customers. Records can also be used to analyze, improve & develop features or options to further meet customers needs in regards to service accessibility and usability.

Accessibility features
As a website owner, Tello is responsible to adjust its features and services so that its website content is compatible with the majority of the browsers available on the market. Moreover, Tello.com can be used with any of the rendering devices used by visually impaired individuals. The content is not encrypted and can be accessed by audio rendering programs.

Any visually impaired individual can use his/her regular phone or special device to make use of our Service & applications, to the extent to which he/she is able to use his/her device and dial regular numbers such as: access numbers, PIN numbers, or numbers saved in their phone’s Contacts list.

We’re committed to offering accessibility support to our Customers with vision, hearing, mobility, and speech limitations. Therefore, any question regarding the use or accessibility of our Services can be solved over the phone or email. Our Customer support team is prepared and able to accept calls that use audio rendering devices or any other special devices used by people with disabilities. Still, the Services offered by Tello can be purchased solely online through the paying platforms available on Tello.com.

More Resources
Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier are useful innovative applications designed for people with low vision. Both applications, such as many others available on the market can be used when accessing our website from a smartphone. Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier are third-party applications and require a separate license from the developer. Tello is not responsible for the performance of third-party applications or services.

Hearing Aid Compatibility
All the phones offered by Tello are hearing aid compatible devices. Still, there are two different ratings to consider when picking a hearing aid compatible device: M-Ratings (reduced hearing aid device interference) and T-Ratings (compatibility with hearing aids with telecoils).
M4 and T4 are the better/higher of the 2 ratings for each one. The hearing aid compatibility ratings for the devices we offer are listed in the Tech Specs section of each device. Customers can verify the HAC rating of each phone being sold by Tello as follows:
- Go to the Phones page.
- Click on "View Details" of the device in question.
- Scroll down to Tech Specs to see the HAC details.
Customers are fully responsible for correctly using their hearing aid devices and for establishing the connection between the phone purchased and the hearing devices they own.

Visual Aid Devices
There are a number of devices able to help Customers with vision disabilities. The options most commonly used on these devices are: Voice Command, Menu Readout, Voice Over or Voice Command. Customers can check the specifications of each phone for such features.
Besides these, all iOS devices offer Siri, that can be used to send messages, place calls, etc. The majority of Android devices offer TalkBack, SoundBack, and KickBack, free applications designed to increase the accessibility of Android devices. These applications can add spoken, audible, and vibration functionality to the device.

Video Relay Service
The Video Relay Service (VRS) is intended to assist individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, and speech-impaired (D-HOH-SI) to communicate with hearing individuals via a sign language interpreter. VRS services work as a video call which offers the chance to the disabled individual to see a sign language interpreter. The interpreter can then communicate with the hearing individual.
The use of the VRS services requires a data plan. If the maximum amount of 4G LTE/5G of the plan is used and data is throttled, then for all users that need to use the VRS service, we will remove the data throttling as long as the customer can provide proof of disability.
The Certificate of Disability is available here for download.

Accessibility Customer Support
Available from 9am to 5pm EST Monday through Friday
Phone: 1-888-366-3172
Email: accessibility@tello.com

Contacting the Website
If you have any questions about this website, you may contact us at:

Address
Tello
4780 Ashford Dunwoody Rd, Suite A 236
Atlanta, GA, 30338
United States

Phone

United States, +1-866-377-0294
United States, +1-678-306-1436
From your Tello phone, dial 611

Email