Consumer Cellular

Revdex.com Complaint ID [redacted] (Customer # [redacted])Dear Revdex.com,Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. TheiPhones Ms. [redacted] purchased were brand new and not refurbished. The phones sent to her hadnever been used when she...

received them. All iPhones sold by Consumer Cellular are locked toConsumer Cellular and service must be active with that phone for at least six months for the phone tobe unlocked. The first iPhone was purchased on 6/12/17 and Ms. [redacted] called and set up anexchange on 6/17/17 reporting that she was unable to hear on the speakerphone. A second phone wasshipped on 6/19/17 at no charge pending return of the original phone in like-new condition. The originalphone was due back by 7/28/17.The second phone was returned to us via USPS as unclaimed on 7/13/17. We contacted Ms.[redacted] to see if she would like it sent back to her and verified her address; the replacement phonewas shipped out a second time on 7/14/17. Because the first phone had not been returned to us by thedue date, the account was billed $321.75 since at that time the customer had two iPhones in herpossession but had only been charged for one. Deliver notice was left by USPS on 7/17/17 and thesecond phone was confirmed delivered on 8/2/17. We set up another return for Ms. [redacted] tosend back of the phones and receive a credit for the second charge. We finally received the originalphone on 8/15/17, two months after it was purchased, and the phone had significant physical damageof dents in the corners. This phone is not eligible for a return or exchange and was mailed back to thecustomer. I’ve included the pictures taken of her phone when we received it. The first photo shows theback of the phone and includes the unique IMEI number of the device showing it is the same phone weshipped on 6/12/17. The other pictures show the damage that excluded the phone from being returneligible. I’ve highlighted some specific areas in the photos with a red box. These are the IMEI and thesigns of damage.The balance currently due on the account is $69.81 for the service provided and used from 8/12/17through 9/14/17, the date the account was cancelled upon request. During this period 1,278 minutes,293 text messages and 1.20GB of data were used; the billing is valid. Please contact us to make paymentarrangements.Sincerely,JESSICA H[redacted]CORPORATE EXECUTIVE RESOLUTION SPECIALISTT 800.686.4460 F [email protected]

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory. Thank you Revdex.com for your help. Hopefully, the company will investigate why their customer service calls via 611 on their phones are showing up on customer bills as being from/to another cell phone company. The roaming charge explanation is not credible, as the company advertises no roaming charges for all calls in the domestic U.S. Thank you, again.Sincerely, [redacted]

Revdex.com Complaint ID [redacted] (Customer # [redacted])Dear Revdex.com,Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. We’redisappointed to hear that Ms. [redacted] had problems with her SIM card and starting service. This accountwas opened 10/25/16 and a SIM card...

was shipped to use in her existing phone. Ms. [redacted] was notcharged anything for the SIM card however she paid $10.65 for express shipping. The SIM cards we sendout are convertible to all three sizes of SIM card so that they will fit every phone. As long as thecustomer’s phone is unlocked, it should work with our SIM card, however since we didn’t sell the phonewe can’t guarantee it.Ms. [redacted] ordered a new phone on 10/28/16, then changed her mind and cancelled the order. Hernumber was transferred out and the account cancelled on 11/1/16. Because the account was cancelledwithin our 45 day Risk Free Period, there will be no charges for service. I do see that Ms. [redacted] is amember of [redacted] and I have her [redacted] member number on file. I apologize if she was told otherwise.If Ms. [redacted] would like to resume service and transfer her number back to Consumer Cellular we wouldbe happy to do so. We have a variety of phones available; a basic flip phone starts at $35.00 plus tax. Wealso have smartphones starting at $70.00 plus tax. Ms. [redacted] can purchase any phone she likes and pair itwith any plans she would like. I would be happy to offer a $20 credit towards her first bill if she decidesto reinstate service before the end of the year. If Ms. [redacted] would like someone to call her and get this setup, she may contact my office directly at [email protected],JESSICA H[redacted]CORPORATE EXECUTIVE RESOLUTION SPECIALISTT 800.686.4460 F 503.675.8989

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. I think that Ms. [redacted] is not understanding my previous response fully. She isn’t cut off from minutes if she hits 30 per day. There is a bucket of minutes. If that bucket held 200 minutes and she opted to use the 200 minutes in one day, that’s perfectly ok. We don’t say that you can only use 30 minutes out of the bucket per day. When we talk about minutes per day, we are talking about an average. If you had a bucket of 300 minutes and there were 30 days in the month, on average you could use 10 minutes per day. Of course you might use 60 minutes one day and no minutes some days and 1 or two minutes here and there. That is ok. You get a bucket of minutes and you use them however you want. In regards to her billing, even if we had billed her at a full month, she would have been upgraded and would have been put on the next higher plan based on her usage. We reduced the cost of that for her by not charging her the full price. If I was to remove the reduction that she received, she would be charged $40.00 plus tax on the second invoice instead of $36.00 plus tax. This service was used and the charges are valid and correct.

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. Themobile hotspot is outside of the risk free guarantee period however, as a courtesy, I have setup thecustomer’s hotspot to be returned to us. The device must be in like-new condition when it arrives to...

beeligible for refund.In regards to the data, there was a total of 7,935.52 MB of data used on the hotspot during the month ofMarch. This is accurate and valid data. We do recommend that customers do not leave the hotspotturned on all the time and we also recommend that they put a secure password on the device as well toprevent others who may be in range from using their device.I have looked at the customer’s invoice and because he was already on the largest plan available, thereis no credit adjustment I can provide. He is receiving the best rate for the usage he had
Sincerely,TINA G[redacted]CORPORATE EXECUTIVE RESOLUTION SPECIALISTT 800.686.4460 F 503.675.8989Tina.G[redacted]@ConsumerCellular.comwww.ConsumerCellular.com

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:  Somehow on 10/7 a lady named Sara/supervisor was able to call approx.. 1000, I was in another building in Phoenix, same zipcode 85003 we spoke about the possibility of my phone not being younger than the original phone having the problem.  I have switched the sim card to an the [redacted] basic phone, bought last year about two months before switching to consumer cellular, that is just for voice, which is all I use on my plan.  same results no service, switched to a smart phone which is probably 2-3 years old, same results no service.  I asked her to call me back later in the day, she got my voicemail and left me a message (no service) and a number to call me back. On 10/8 about 0745, called the number she left, after providing my information to the rep, asked to be either xferred to Sara or her voicemail, the rep would not do either, so I stated I would do it through this method, and/or maybe she will trying calling my cell again or possibly my home phone [redacted] to leave me a message and possibly a better way to get back to her or leave notes in my account for the rep to actually xfer my call.  all the phones used are all 3G compatable. Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Sincerely,
[redacted]
If the customer is [redacted] the service and phone is 100% guaranteed.

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. I’m sorry to hear that Mr. [redacted] is having trouble with his phone. All new phones purchased from Consumer Cellular have a one year manufacturer’s warranty. If during that time...

the phone has a defect that is not caused by damage of any kind we will replace the phone. Mr. [redacted] purchased the Huawei Vision 3 and activated it on our service on 12/17/15. We were first notified of problems with the phone by email sent on 12/22/2016. The email we received from the customer indicated his battery was now lasting less than a day. Our agent sent a thorough response to Mr. [redacted] with a series of steps he can take to improve battery life, but it is not unusual for smartphones to have to be charged once a day or more. The agent also explained that the battery of the Vision 3 is not intended to be removed and therefore is not normally sold for replacement. Removing the battery from this phone requires tools and voids the warranty. Prior to removing the battery, Mr. [redacted] indicated the phone was still working, the battery just didn’t last more than a day. At this point, because we were first notified of problems more than a year after purchase and the battery has been removed, this phone is not eligible for warranty. I apologize for any inconvenience. If Mr. [redacted] would like to speak to an agent so we can assist further with his phone or service, we would be happy to contact him or he may call customer service at 800-686-4460. Sincerely, JESSICA H[redacted] CORPORATE EXECUTIVE RESOLUTION SPECIALIST T 800.686.4460 F 503.675.8989 [email protected] www.ConsumerCellular.co...⇄

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. Mr. [redacted] purchased his phone on 11/5/2015, delivered on 11/7/2015, and had a 45 day return period. We were not alerted to there being any type of issue until 3/7/2016; 121 days...

after purchase. At this time we will not offer a refund for the phone, however if there are still issues that are determined to be a manufacturer’s defect, Mr. [redacted] is within the warranty period and we would replace the phone. When we last spoke with Mr. [redacted] on 3/14/2016 we did a master reset of the phone and it appeared to be working properly after that was done. If this is no longer the case, Mr. [redacted] will have to call 1-800-686-4460 to have a warranty replacement processed. The original phone must be in like-new condition with no damage, scratches, liquid exposure, etc. or he would be charged for the replacement.

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:  They state I cannot have 10 lines to replace my SIM cards to update the area codes after a move.  This is strictly a company flaw that should be corrected, I dont need 10 lines, just new area codes.  They could do as most carriers and send the cards, when they are activated by phone then the old ones are deactivated and the new ones replace them.  I have never had a major issue until now but have recent phones purchased through them.  It would cost to much to leave until my phones are older.  I will work through this the slow way 2 phones at a time.Sincerely,[redacted]

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for clarifying the situation however the phone must remain active with us for 180 days before we will unlock it.

February 18, 2016 Revdex.com [redacted] Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. Our risk free guarantee states that if a customer cancels within the first 45 days and no more than 450 units...

of usage, we will waive any invoices that have generated. Ms. [redacted] used 543 voice minutes, 202 text/picture messages, and 0.14MB of data; exceeding the risk free guarantee. Ms. [redacted] chose a plan that was $30.00 for 1500 minutes, $5.00 for 150MB/1500Text and an additional line for $10.00. That is a base rate of $45.00. The invoice was $47.55 and this included the tax. We are not a prepaid plan. We are a month to month service and the initial 45 days isn’t free unless the customer cancels within the risk free guarantee period and within the units of usage stated above. I can assure you that no one has “messed with” her account. As a one-time courtesy we will extend the risk free guarantee and I have cleared her invoice. Sincerely, TINA G[redacted] CORPORATE EXECUTIVE RESOLUTION SPECIALIST [redacted]@ConsumerCellular.com www.ConsumerCellular.com

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: 
 I have had to forward the phone in the complaint. I  had little choice or incur a fee for the phone. I did call customer service again and inform them of this. Their response was to give me 10 dollars of the 16 I HAD to spend to send the phone to my daughter. I do not call this compaint reasonably resolved. I call it a patch/haychet job at best. The only reason I am staying with CC is at this time they are the cheapest carrier out there and my wife doesnt wish to change.
I am far from satisfied and still short of patience regarding this company Sincerely,[redacted]

Revdex.com [redacted]Dear Revdex.com,Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. Ourpolicy on unlocking phones can be found on our website and is also sent to the customer. It is in our enduser agreement. It states that phones are locked for...

180 days. Consumer Cellular sets this policy as wesell our phones at a discount. In some cases we will allow the customer to pay $120.00 to have theirphone unlocked prior to this, but that is at our discretion. I will include the portion of the end useragreement that covers this. The agreement can be found by going to www.consumercellular.com. Onthe bottom of that page is a large link that says Terms And Conditions.As a one-time courtesy I will unlock the one iPhone without waiting the 180 days or requiring the$120.00 fee because the customer has been with us for some time. Going forward we will require 180days after purchase to unlock any phone.The customer will need to connect the phone via a computer to iTunes to complete the process.Unlocking of the phone does not guarantee compatibility with any other provider.3. WHAT TERMS RELATE TO MY DEVICE AND CONTENT? 3.1 My Device. You areresponsible for all phones and other devices containing a SIM assigned to your Device. YourDevice must be compatible with, and not interfere with, our Services and must comply with allapplicable laws, rules, and regulations. We may periodically program your Device remotely withsystem settings for roaming service, to direct your Device to use network services mostappropriate for your typical usage, and other features that cannot be changed manually. If youbought a Device from Consumer Cellular, it may have been programmed with a SIM lock whichwill prevent it from operating with other compatible wireless telephone carriers’ services. If youwish to use this Device with the service of another wireless telephone carrier, you must enter anUnlock Code. Consumer Cellular will provide the Unlock Code upon request, provided that youmeet certain criteria including, but not limited to the following: (a) you have paid for yourDevice in full; (b) the equipment has been active on Consumer Cellular’s service for at least sixmonths and the account is in good standing (i.e. it has no past due amount or unpaid balanceowed Consumer Cellular); (c) your Device has not been reported lost or stolen; and (d)Consumer Cellular has the Unlock Code or can reasonably obtain it from the manufacturer.Consumer Cellular may allow you to pay a fee in lieu of the above criteria. The fee will be set byConsumer Cellular in their sole discretion. For further details on eligibility requirements and forassistance on obtaining the Unlock Code for your handset, please call 1 (800) 686-4460. Devices 12447 SW 69th Avenue ? Portland, Oregon 97223800-686-4460 ? www.ConsumerCellular.com ? [email protected] for use on Consumer Cellular’s system are designed for use exclusively on ConsumerCellular’s system and Equipment. You agree that you will not make any modifications to theEquipment or programming to enable the Equipment to operate on any other system. ConsumerCellular may, at its sole and absolute discretion, modify the programming to enable the operationof the Equipment on other systems. You are solely responsible for complying with U.S. ExportControl laws and regulations and the import laws and regulations of foreign countries whentraveling internationally with your Equipment.Sincerely,TINA G[redacted]CORPORATE EXECUTIVE RESOLUTION SPECIALISTT 800.686.4460 F [email protected]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
 It appears they have finally ponied up the refund I was looking for, as it is in the pending transactions on my credit card as of today. Thank you for your help, but I think we can close this. By the way, it is confusing that the message waiting email from you said your email address was not monitored, but then your message said to reply to this same email address if I had questions. Thanks again, Sincerely,[redacted]

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. I canconfirm that there is no AppleCare on the phone.
Sincerely,TINA G[redacted]

Revdex.com:
Thanks for your quick response to this problem.  I will let you know if I don't get the refund for sure.  This company needs put out of business. I have notified AARP what they did also.  I do not want any more money illegally taken out of my bank account and am sorry I let my husband convince me to do business with them in the first place. Nothing but a nightmare. Hopefully this is the end of it.  I have never had such a problem with any other company that I have dealt with.  Thank you. I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Sincerely, [redacted]

Dear Revdex.com,Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. I’m sorry to hear that Mr. [redacted] has experienced issues with the devices he purchased. In regards to the cell phone ordered in March, it is outside the return period but if the phone is in like-new...

condition, we can replace it under warranty. We have already replaced the home phone base.As a courtesy I waived the invoice for the service dates of 7/25/2017 – 8/24/2017 due to no usage. This put a credit of $19.00 towards the current invoice of $31.47. There is a remaining balance of $12.47 due on 10/16/2017.Sincerely,TINA G[redacted]

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing the opportunity to respond. We spoke with Ms. [redacted] on 3/28/2016 and addressed this with her. We receive usage as the towers report it to us. Typically we receive usage within 48 hours however there are...

certain situations, typically when roaming or if the cell phone uses a partner tower rather than a direct tower, where it can take us longer to receive the information. If this information comes in after the invoice cycle has closed, it is applied to the following invoice and is still considered valid usage. We have already credited the customer for the overage cost and no further credit is due.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I purchased a Consumer Cellular plan at Target, believing the man who installed it on my phone when he said it would work.  Consumer Cellular has disavowed any business responsibility in that good faith transaction between the seller of a Consumer Cellular plan and the buyer.  I called Consumer Cellular several times and wrote the CEO regarding my concerns about the failure of the service I was promised.  Once again, Consumer Cellular believes they are not responsible for the service that I paid for, but did not receiveThe service was not suddenly ineffective in September or November of 2017, it was nonexistent from the beginning.  It was only after my many attempts to use the service, and trying to understand if I was missing some instruction, and after several Consumer Cellular's attempts to identify the problem, that the diagnosis was made.  For a doctor to say that a cancer was never present until it was diagnosed would be negligent.  Yet Consumer Cellular is choosing only to recognize the time after I insisted there was a problem.Based on my experience, I realize that Consumer Cellular prefers to take money for nothing.  My trust in Consumer Cellular to fulfill a good faith agreement between a seller and a buyer has been misplaced, and I take responsibility for believing in what was promised.  The $8.61 compensation for never receiving the service I was promised in August of 2016 is, in my opinion, unconscionable.  Yet it may be exactly how Consumer Cellular chooses to do business with customers from AARP and Target.  I do not accept the response from Consumer Cellular.  My hope is that Consumer Cellular will see that there were and are other choices that they could make, and if they truly valued what they do, they would value the good faith that was extended to them.
Sincerely,
[redacted]