Consumer Cellular Scamming Elderly IMO

[DeborahW646342]

AARP endorses Consumer Cellular, yet in our experience, they seem to be pulling cons on older consumers as witnessed by numerous complaints with the BBB and FTC (even in these message boards!) detailing scams similar to our experience. 

My 84 year-old mother purchased and paid extra for a NEW phone, however, when it arrived, some of the features had already been set and the prompts were in Spanish (obviously  pre-owned, not new).

Consumer Cellular touts its 100% RISK FREE guarantee and easy returns with no shipping fees. They agreed to take the phone back as it was not new, then returned it. Shipping the phone straight back to her and claiming it was scratched and damaged (it was not), and refusing her refund. This “scratched and damaged” scam seems be a frequent one according to many others’ complaints online.

Subsequent calls and excessive hold times later, two Consumer Cellular customer service supervisors assured us they’d issue a credit.

That credit was never provided and conveniently, they lost both the notes and any record of my call despite talking to three different agents that day.

As of today, Consumer Cellular has refused return of their pre-owned phone they passed off as new, and will not honor the credit as promised, essentially scamming my elderly mom out of hundreds of dollars. 

AARP’s recommendation was one of the reasons my mother went with Consumer Cellular as a provider.

Unfortunately, Consumer Cellular seems to be not just misleading consumers with their “risk free” guarantee, but lying to consumers, and in my opinion conning them as well. 

Has anyone else experienced something similar with Consumer Cellular? 

[GailL1]

I’m wondering if it is just the AARP/CC that is having the problems - Consumer Cellular service is also sold by Walmart and Target and I wonder if they have the same complaints about the service - somehow I think not cause I doubt that Walmart or Target would continue to carry this provider - 

I’m just a Verizon kind of gal - had them so long that they were AirTouch when I 1st started - sometimes in the 90’s - 

[t260119n]

I switched to Consumer Cell several years ago through Target. The service (both my phone contacts with Consumer Cell, and the customer service reps at Target have provided EXCELLENT service for the most part. My only complaint is when my phone recently stopped recognizing the SIM card, I got booted off the chat 3 times, so I called tech support, and had to go to town to resolve problem, but no complaints whatsoever and I have highly recommended Consumer Cell to others. Can't beat the savings! -Konalulu '

[DeborahW646342]

Thank you! Her replacement phone was purchased at Target, so it’s the provider, Consumer Cellular, that’s definitely the problem and I suspect they’re relying heavily on AARP’s endorsement and support to continue.

[GailL1]

@DeborahW646342 

So she didn’t pick a Consumer Cellular plan when she got the replacement phone at Target? 

[DeborahW646342]

She did choose Consumer Cellular because we had been told, and believed, they were crediting her for the first phone. It wasn’t until the credit didn’t appear (they’d said 1-2 billing cycles) that we realized we’d been duped. 

[WebWiseWoman]

Hi, Deborah,

There have been multiple postings regarding issues with Consumer Cellular. Based on these postings I never chose their service (I've been with fi since 2015).

I'd suggest searching these (and other) forums for Consumer Cellular, then evaluate (I've personally read postings about the issues you've written about, which was part of why I didn't switch).

hth

#StaySafe

[DeborahW646342]

You were smart! Again, since AARP backs them, the unfortunate assumption was they were a reputable and trusted provider. Guess we’ll just have to hope for a Class Action suit to hold them accountable.