Consumer Cellular Customer Service Issues

I have recently discovered that the email address provided for customers and potential customers is not valid. Dear Sirs, I always carry my cell phone for emergencies only, as evidenced by my minimal usage since signing up with your service. However, today I faced an emergency when my house lost power. I attempted to call Duke Energy to report the outage, but instead of reaching them, I received a message stating I was no longer a Verizon customer. After trying another number with the same result, I contacted your customer service at [redacted] and was informed that I was not a customer before being disconnected. It appears I have been paying for services I have not been receiving. I would appreciate an explanation for this error and request information regarding the amount I will be reimbursed. Sincerely, R. D.

I purchased a phone and service plan from you. I received the phone on 6/01 and created an account for activation. However, the number [redacted] has not been ported yet. The message I receive says "SIM not provisioned mm#2". My previous attempts to switch to Jethro Mobile failed and the number was never properly connected to their SIM card. The number originally belonged to a Windstream landline and was supposed to be ported to T-Mobile. This phone is for my 87-year-old father who has had this number for 50 years. I have not canceled the Jethro service yet as it was never fully functional. I tried to activate the phone in various locations but only got a weak 2G signal, while your phone shows a better 3G signal. Please help me resolve this issue so my father can keep his familiar number.

I contacted your customer service tonight about my increased invoice. I mentioned I am disabled and recently received usage alerts despite my average bill being $26.21. My bill rose to $28.21 in March, $34.09 in April, and alarmingly to $44.74 in May. I discovered that my WIFI was turned off on my phone, resulting in erroneous charges for using services at home. I asked for my original plan to be reinstated, but felt the representative did not grasp my situation. With 26 days left in this billing cycle, I won't be using the allocated usage. I feel that despite being a long-time customer, the service is no longer what it used to be. I am considering switching providers after this cycle. It's disheartening how these additional charges are impacting my already challenging year. Best, J.T.

I lost a work phone with the number [redacted], crucial for responding to client emergencies in my role as a health care provider. Following Consumer Cellular's advice, I bought a Sim Card from Target to transfer the number from [redacted] to [redacted] on my Hauwei. Despite no issues with this process before, the service is not working, causing missed calls and impacting my ability to reach clients. I am unable to contact Consumer Cellular as my husband's phone is in Philadelphia. Your help with restoring my phone service is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Rebecca Taylor Cohen

I recently had my new Consumer Cellular iPhone stolen by someone who pretended to be me and took the phone from the mailman during delivery. They activated the phone and now I am receiving bills for service I never had. I reported the theft to the Sheriff's office, who came to investigate and advised me to contact Consumer Cellular again. The Sheriff's office doesn't provide police reports for theft cases, but they did recommend reporting the theft again to Consumer Cellular. I promptly informed Consumer Cellular about the stolen phone. It would have been beneficial if they had tracked the phone's location and user, as suggested by the police. I am disappointed with the lack of assistance from Consumer Cellular in resolving this issue. I suggest purchasing phones in-store from a reputable provider to avoid similar situations in the future. Dealing with this mishap has cost me both time and money, leading me to search for a new company that values integrity and takes necessary precautions when delivering packages.

A few days ago, I canceled my service with Consumer Cellular as I plan to use my Consumer Cellular [redacted] phone with SafeLink. The SafeLink Tech Person transferred my old SafeLink phone number successfully to the Consumer Cellular [redacted] phone using a compatible SIM card from AT&T. When I canceled my service with Consumer Cellular, I received an unlock code, "[redacted]," for future use of the phone with SafeLink. However, when the Consumer Cellular [redacted] phone asked for a Service Provider Key and I entered the unlock code, it wouldn't accept it after several attempts. Currently, my old SafeLink phone is disabled, and the Consumer Cellular phone is not activated yet. I have changed my Consumer Cellular phone number from [redacted] to [redacted], the SafeLink number. Unfortunately, I have no other phones to contact you. Can you please provide me with a code to unlock the Consumer Cellular phone? Best regards, Paul D. [redacted] S Yakima Ave, Apt [redacted] Tacoma, WA [redacted] [redacted]

Hello, my name is Valerie Woods. I am experiencing two issues with my Apple devices. Recently, my new iPhone XE has not been delivering voicemail messages when I receive calls, despite multiple resets. This problem has persisted for about two months, and I am eager to resolve it as soon as possible. Additionally, my daughter is now using my old iPhone 5S, which I transferred to her after purchasing the iPhone XE. However, the 5S keeps powering off, even after a reset. I discovered that the warranty plan I had been paying for on the 5S was mistakenly removed when the device was transferred to her name by a representative. This has left us without a warranty on a phone that is less than two years old. I urgently need assistance to rectify these issues. Kindly provide a solution to restore voicemail on my XE, reinstate the warranty on the 5S, and address the malfunctions with the 5S under warranty. I would also appreciate receiving the voicemail number via email. Thank you for your prompt attention to these matters. Valerie

I have been experiencing phone service issues on [redacted] (Clyde's cell) since June 26, [redacted]. After ordering a SIM card for a different phone, I encountered problems when I tried to switch phones. Despite various attempts to resolve the issue by contacting customer service daily, both my and my husband's phones are still not working. My husband's phone displays a "SIM card not provisioned" message. Due to the ongoing problem, his phone remains deactivated. I have been blocked from receiving calls, thus resorting to seeking help via email. The lack of communication with family is a critical situation for us. I am disappointed with customer service and urgently need a competent person to assist and potentially compensate us for the trouble. Please help resolve this issue promptly. Thank you. Marjorie McGarva [redacted]

Yesterday, data usage was 24.8 MB, and today it is 29.6 MB. Data usage has been off for several days, and the phone hasn't left the house. We have a WIFI network at home, and notifications are disabled. Despite discussions with CC representatives, the problem persists. We're frustrated with CC's inability to resolve this issue and are considering switching carriers. We are puzzled as to why data is still being used in our home on WIFI. This is a new problem for us, and we are worried about exceeding our monthly data limit. We are looking for a solution to stop data usage while connected to our WIFI at home. Can you help?

I purchased an iPhone X from you about a week and a half ago, and unfortunately, it seems to have some serious issues. Here are the problems I have encountered since getting this phone, although I had no issues with my previous iPhone 6s from your company: 1. Visual voicemail is not working despite troubleshooting with customer service and Apple, leaving me without this essential feature. 2. The cell reception is significantly worse than with my old phone, especially indoors. This has caused problems with making calls and receiving texts at my workplace. Restarting the phone temporarily solves the issue, but it reoccurs quickly. 3. Texting is unreliable, with images failing to send and group messages experiencing errors. Sometimes messages switch between iMessage and sms without reason. 4. The phone overheats unexpectedly, which is concerning. Given these issues, I would like to exchange this phone for a functional one as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance.

I am writing to address a specific complaint regarding my phone - [redacted] (Account# [redacted]05). Here is an overview of the situation with approximate dates: To begin, a recent solution was provided to resolve some ongoing issues. On July 27, I was informed by a customer service representative named Sandy that my new SIM card had not been fully activated, causing problems with text messaging and network connection errors that I had been experiencing since July 15. Prior to this, multiple calls and chats with Customer Service resulted in agents attributing the issues to Apple, leading me to spend three days troubleshooting with Apple before the actual culprit, Consumer Cellular, was identified. Additionally, around July 11, I contacted Consumer Cellular due to volume problems on both my phone and my wife's phone ([redacted]). Joseph at [redacted] assisted in upgrading our coverage to AT&T and providing new SIM cards, which were received on July 15. Subsequent conversations with Breanna and others regarding unresolved issues culminated in the discovery of the activation problem. Overall, between July 15 and July 27 (a span of 2 weeks), I faced significant communication difficulties. I am requesting Consumer Cellular to consider compensating me for these inconveniences by waiving a month's service fee. I kindly ask for prompt confirmation of this resolution. Thank you. Sincerely, Neil Scott-Barbour

On July 1, [redacted], I contacted Customer Service at Consumer Cellular to inform them that I would be traveling abroad on July 2 for an extended trip. I requested to have my data service turned off and to only be billed for the minimum talk minutes to maintain my service. Unfortunately, when I tried to confirm this change at the Airport on July 2, I was unable to reach anyone before my flight departed. Upon my arrival overseas, I asked my wife to contact Consumer Cellular, but she was unable to speak on my behalf as she is not listed on my account. I have now discovered that my bill has not been adjusted as requested and I am disappointed. I am still abroad and would like a retroactive adjustment to my bill. While it is difficult to reach Customer Service at Consumer Cellular, I hope my request for a refund after adjusting my July bill is clear and will be processed promptly. Thank you for your attention and cooperation. Sincerely, Sammy B.

I am seeking guidance on transferring my Contacts from one Samsung Galaxy J3 to another. My initial phone accidentally fell into a pool, resulting in my carrier, Consumer Cellular, providing me with a replacement Galaxy J3 6. Despite the helpful support from Consumer Cellular, we were unable to transfer my contacts due to software differences between the devices. After exhaustive attempts, I discovered a method to transfer the Contacts independently, which I am eager to share. For those encountering similar issues with the Samsung Galaxy J3 6 or comparable models, follow these steps: Requirements: - Your phone - A laptop or PC with contact information - The USB cable from your phone Before commencing: - Convert your Contacts to a VCard file (*.VCF format) - Establish the availability of your Contacts data in VCard (VCF) format on your computer Step by Step: - Power on your phone and connect it to your laptop - Access Windows Explorer to check for your connected phone - Locate the folder named "Samsung" on your phone through Windows Explorer - Identify and copy your VCard files from your computer - Paste the VCard files into the "Samsung" folder on your phone - Disconnect your phone from the laptop - Open "Contacts" on your phone, access the menu, and choose "Manage Contacts" - Opt for the "Restore" function, select "Internal Storage" as the import source, and import the contacts - Verify that your contacts are successfully restored Always remember to back up your data periodically. Now you can resume using your phone with your Contacts reinstated.

Our phones have been experiencing issues recently where calls frequently drop and there is no dial tone, making it difficult to tell if the call is going through. Today alone, I have had four dropped calls, and someone who tried to reach us had to make seven unsuccessful attempts. This ongoing problem has persisted for about four months, initially we thought it might be a temporary glitch that would resolve on its own. However, it has only deteriorated over time, causing inconvenience when trying to make outgoing calls and hindering others from reaching us successfully.

Since Monday 8/13, our telephone service has been down. After contacting customer service on Tuesday, I was informed that maintenance on the cell tower in Turner, OR caused the issue. They estimated service restoration by Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, my wife and I are unable to make or receive calls, impacting our ability to reach essential services post her surgery on 7/26/[redacted]. With two cell phone lines and a home phone, we are inconvenienced and seek compensation for this downtime. Moreover, we would appreciate an explanation as to why advanced notice of this service disruption was not provided. Thank you.

While in Colombia for 3 weeks, I contacted a Consumer Cellular tech representative before departing from the US to inquire about accessing my cellphone messages and making calls. Previously, I encountered issues in November when I purchased a T-Mobile SIM card as advised by Consumer Cellular, which did not work. This time, the tech support advised me to call the pilot number [redacted]. However, when attempting to make the call from internet café landline phones here, I received a message stating I need an AT&T account and that my number cannot be found in their system. I am currently using my T-Mobile SIM card. How can I retrieve my messages from my cellphone or alter my voicemail to prompt individuals to email me instead of calling? Please respond to me via email at [redacted] When checking my voicemail, a recording indicates I need to set up a T-Mobile account.

I have an Alcatel Go Flip cell phone that I keep in a case. When I took it out of my pocket, it was completely dead even though I had charged it. I suspect I may need to get a new phone. I am worried about potentially losing my SIM card and having to manually re-enter all my contact numbers. This situation is stressing me out. I could use some urgent assistance with this phone issue. Thank you.

Subject: Issues with T-Mobile SIM Cards in Canada I recently installed the T-Mobile SIM cards you provided for phone numbers [redacted] and [redacted]. While the cards worked fine at home, once we arrived in Canada, we lost all data capabilities on our phones. We are unable to access the internet or use GPS, which has significantly impacted our trip as we rely on network access for navigation. Our phones are essentially only useful for calls and texts, and we can only go online when connected to Wi-Fi. I have attempted various settings configurations to restore data services without success. Please advise us with any instructions or suggestions on how to properly set up or configure the phones to resolve this issue. Unfortunately, we cannot revert to using our old AT&T SIM cards as they were left at home, over [redacted] miles away. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I have been continuously receiving bills since I canceled my service after receiving the initial bill. I was told that I would be refunded for the two SIM cards I purchased. The cancellation process was unclear as there were additional service charges, taxes, prorated fees, and the first bill did not match the agreed-upon terms. My account number is [redacted]. I canceled within one month, have made multiple calls and sent messages, but I have not received the refund or a resolution. Please stop sending me invoices for charges I do not owe and promptly refund the payment for the SIM cards I bought.

As a long-time Consumer Cellular customer who has referred many others, I unfortunately can no longer endorse the service. The new "upgrade" program initially seems beneficial for users when they exceed their plan, especially during the first month. However, the majority of your customers, who are seniors, may not realize the overage charges until several months later due to automatic payments and infrequent phone use. It is frustrating that there is no option to decline this "protection" and prevent unnecessary charges without spending more time online, which many of us prefer not to do. I hope Consumer Cellular can find a more customer-friendly and equitable solution for this issue.