Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Consumer Cellular's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Consumer Cellular

  12447 SW 69th Ave Portland, OR 97223

  
• 

  Consumer Cellular

  PO Box 7175 Pasadena, CA 91109-7175

• 

  Consumer Cellular

  7204 SW Durham Rd Ste 300 Portland, OR 97224-7574

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/10/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ordered SIM Card 3/29. Never used the card.Noticed Consumer Cellular illegally charged me monthly fees even though never used/activated card.Called 5/29 to dispute. Company agreed to not charge and cancel.This was a lie. Continued to bill me June and July.Called again July 10. This time they said charges are valid and legal. I do not believe account is cancelled and am hostage to this company with my credit card.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/16/2025

  July 16, 2025
   
  BBB #********
  ******* *** (#XXXXX5506)
   
   
  Dear BBB,
   
  Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We value our customers and strive to provide them with the best experience, both in our customer service and with our products. We are sorry to hear this is not what ******* *** experienced.
   
  The account was cancelled as requested on May 24, 2025. Consumer Cellular bills are in arrears for monthly service and usage, meaning they are due after the billing cycle ends. Plans are priced on a month-to-month basis, which keeps billing simple and easy to understand. As per our service agreement, the service is billed till the end of the current billing cycle. The final balance for services provided during the last billing cycle was $25.87, paid via Autopay on July 10, 2025.
   
  As a courtesy, we did provide a $25.00 credit at the time of cancellation, which covered the invoice due in June. However, this account now has a zero balance, and no further credit or refunds will be provided.
   
  Thank you for allowing us to address these concerns.
   
  Sincerely,
   
  ***** *.
  Executive Resolution Administration
  T ************ F ************
  ********************************************************************
  ******************************
   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/16/2025

   
  Complaint: 23580764
  
  I am rejecting this response because Consumer Cellular should not be billing customers for unactivated SIM cards.  ************ targets seniors and **** members, who may not open/check their mail for weeks and ** ***** it the profits.

  Shame on them. Buyer beware.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/10/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  DATE OF TRANSACTION 7/4/25 CELL PHONE $199.00 PROBLEM My phone stopped working and I bought another phone at ************** Galaxy A16 5G On 7/7/25, I tried to log-in to my Consumer Cellular account and couldn't get in because I needed a phone to receive a 1-time password (the 'old' phone isn't working and that's why I bought a new phone). Their WEBSITE LOGIN PAGE STATES it can be sent via text message or EMAIL, WHICH WAS TEMPORARILY DOWN. I began a chat message and learned that email is no longer being used and told to use a phone from the library to call for my password.The service *** congratulated me for having an account with them for nearly 10 years, but could not- ever- send me the one time password via email. This is a scam. There should be a viable alternative to getting the one time ************, I have a phone I cannot use and have to find a phone to use in order to receive a password JUST TO GET INTO MY ACCOUNT. If my old phone isn't working and my new phone needs a 1 time password to activate it via my account, where is the logic in helping the customer?WHAT WAS DONE TO TRY TO RESOLVE IT The customer service supervisor listed several ways to use the following to help me out:-Google Voice, which needs a phone authentication, I do not have a working phone ********** Teams, which needs an email address for Consumer Cellular, which isn't available -GoogleMeet, which I did not have all the applications on the app to use it as it could have been used- to call the '800' number to Consumer Cellular in order to get a 1-time password.WHAT I AM ASKING FOR [1] An alternative way to access a 1-time password, other than text message [2] An email from CC stating that email will no longer be used and an alternative to receive the 1-time password to login to my account other than text message. [3] Better customer service. There is no reason why I needed to be on the phone for an inordinate amount of time and literally got nowhere. [4] An apology

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/14/2025

  July 14, 2025
  
  BBB Case #********
  ******* ******** (#XXXXX9834)
  
  
  Dear BBB,
  
  Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We are very sorry to hear of the issues that ******* faced while attempting to get a new phone activated. We spoke with ******* about the issue on 7/13/25. During our call, we advised that the option to log in to the online account using the email address has been removed for all accounts as a preventative security measure. Consumer Cellular takes account security very seriously, and it is our responsibility to keep our customers' accounts secure from unauthorized access or changes. Due to a concerning rise in fraudulent activity last year, we made the decision to temporarily remove this as a method of logging in. 
  
  As a result, if a customer is unable to verify the one-time passcode sent via text message, they will be unable to log into the account online until they are able to receive and verify the passcode. Consumer Cellular also requires a one-time passcode to be verified before we can allow any activations to take place. If customers are unable to verify this, they must call in to complete additional verification steps with us before we can activate the new equipment. 
  
  On 7/7/25, ******* chatted in with us requesting to activate the new device and let us know that she was unable to verify the one-time passcode. At that time, we advised that she would need to contact our customer service department to complete her request. Later, we received a call from the customer on 7/9/25. During the call, we performed additional verification with the customer and successfully activated her new phone. We apologize for any inconvenience the customer has experienced throughout this process; however, keeping customers accounts secure is of the utmost importance. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *.
  Executive Resolution Administration
  T ************ F ************
  ********************************************************************
  ******************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/10/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a phone from consumer cellular in April 2025. On June 8 2025 I began having issues with it. I called consumer cellular costumer service on June 9, 2025 to get the issue taken care of. My phone kept saying I had to connect to Wi-Fi when I was in my car. Consumer cellular said my Sim card was not working. I was on the phone for an hour and forty five minutes trying to get this fixed. They closed all my esim cards on my phone At this point the phone I was talking on died. When I called back, they could not verify my account because they couldn't send me a text with a code. Why? Because they closed my esim cards on my phone. So a supervisor came on and asked me if I ever lived on a street I had never lived on and if I knew someone she gave me a name. Because I never lived on the street or knew the person, they could not help me. ?? I was on the phone another half hour. I asked them why they couldn't just trade out for a new phone. They said it had been longer than 30 days. A new phone should last longer than 30 days. So now I have a useless phone I still owe over $200 on and they won't let me cancel my service since I owe on the phone. So Im paying a monthly fee that Im cant use because I dont have a working phone. They are supposed to be helping seniors. All they are doing is taking advantage of them and cheating them out of money. What am I supposed to do? Pay them for a useless phone and buy another one?

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/18/2025

   
                
  July 18, 2025
  
   
  BBB 23579440
  ********** ******** (#XXXXX9279)
   
  
  Dear BBB,
   
  Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. 
  
  ********** ******** contacted Consumer Cellular on 7/9/25 with concerns about their *** card not working properly. During the conversation, the customer worked with an agent to address their concerns. While it may not be ideal, troubleshooting may sometimes require taking steps in a specific order, and these steps may not immediately resolve the issue. Our support is trained to complete troubleshooting steps in an order that will best allow problems to be resolved as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 
  
  As part of the troubleshooting, the customer was instructed to remove their existing *** card, and a new electronic *** card was assigned. To complete the activation, a one-time security PIN must be sent to the device. As the device was inactive and could not receive the PIN, an override was needed. ********** ******** spoke with a supervisor to complete a series of security questions in order to approve the override. Unfortunately, the customer was unable to verify their identity successfully, and the override was denied. ********** ******** was advised that the verification process could be reattempted in 24 hours. During this conversation, the customer inquired about an equipment return; however, this was denied as the equipment is not within the return period, nor is the equipment defective. 
  
  On 7/11/25, ********** ******** spoke with a supervisor to attempt the one-time PIN override again. However, the verification was unsuccessful, and the override was not completed. Per the customers request, we processed a *** re-use to reactivate ********** ******** original *** card. The *** card was reactivated the same day, and service was restored. 
  
  Unfortunately, our attempts to speak with ********** ******** regarding their complaint have been unsuccessful.
   
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *.
  Executive Resolution Administration
  T ************ F ************
  ********************************************************************
  ******************************
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/09/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On July 7th 2025, I was assisting my elderly mentally friend and we received the worst of the worst customer service. Between him and I spoke with 7 representatives and 4 supervisors just to activate his replacement phone, we spent a total of 6 hours on the phone. The supervisor ***** was POWER TRIPPING over the conversation that it had to go her way or the highway, the supervisor ***** put use on hold for a long time and than hung up the line, she wasnt knowledgeable about the company policies and procedures/handbook about someone given authorization to speak on their behalf. After 6 hours on the phone, He still as of today 7-7-2025 phone isnt working or is activated. This is the worst company **** ever dealt with, if this is the way a company treat elderly mentally people this company need to be sued. I will be writing to Better business bureau.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/16/2025

  July 16, 2025
  
  BBB #********
  ******* ******* (#*****7808)
   
  
  Dear BBB,
   
  Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We apologize for any inconvenience caused when contacting our customer service for assistance with their phone.

  We value our customers and want them to have the best experience with our customer service and products. We are sorry to hear this is not what ******* ******* experienced. We do appreciate the feedback shared and are constantly looking for ways to better serve our customers. We have forwarded our customers concern to the appropriate department for further review and training.

  Due to increased fraudulent activity and to keep our customers accounts and service safe, when activating a retail purchased device or SIM card there is an added level of verification.  When speaking with our customers, if the additional verification is failed, the system will not allow for another attempt for 24 hours.  This has been put into place for the protection of our customers and to keep their accounts safe from fraudulent activity.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *.
  Executive Resolution Administration
  T ************ F ************
  ********************************************************************
  ******************************
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/09/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Consumer Cellular Order #******** placed July 1, 2025 Placed Order by Phone w **************** *** by name ****** Ordered Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max ***** $1,199.00. Paid $129.09 at the time of order which includes $25.00 Expedited Shipping Fee & $81.09 for Sales Tax. Expedited Shipping was suppose to be 1 to 2 days per ************ *** ****** I agreed upon this service due to the fact i have lung cancer and heart disease and needed the new phone desperately as I have no means of communication in case of emergency w family bc my old phone broke suddenly and not useable! The balance for cost of phone was to be billed on a monthly basis. Nature of my Dispute is I have spoken w Customer **** ************** several times this week and no one seems to know anything. They have no idea where the package is and they refuse to refund my $25.00 expedited shipping charge! It has been 9 days and still no Phone nor credit! **************** ***s are not knowledgeable of their services nor products and i am very frustrated w no resolution to this problem!! They sent me email on July 2 stating phone will be delivered that day then on July 3rd sent me another email stating on July 3 that the phone would be delivered by 6:00 PM that day! Waiting home all day bc they said they would need my signature and here it is 9 days later and still no phone! hoping you may be able to help Thanking you in advance! **** ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/15/2025

  July 15, 2025
  
  BBB 23577315
  **** **** (#*****1194)
   
  
  Dear BBB,
   
  Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond.  We apologize for any inconvenience caused by shipping and receipt of their new device.   

  **** **** spoke with a representative for assistance with upgrading their phone on July 1, 2025, selecting Express Shipping with 1-2 business day delivery through the ***************** with the fee of $25 added to the purchase of the device.  The order shipped the same day, and tracking through the **** website shows the order was delivered on July 11, 2025. The device was shipped the same day, however, did not arrive within 1-2 business days as advised.  

  As Consumer Cellular uses ***** all shipping charges are directly paid to **** to cover mailing costs and, as a result, are non-refundable. However, as a courtesy, we have stepped outside of our policy and applied a credit totaling $26.66, which includes the original shipping fee of $25 for the phone shipped and sales tax, $1.66.  The credit will be applied to your next invoice for service.
  
  Sincerely,
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/08/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I canceled service with Consumer Cellular on 5/1/25 I noted a $24.29 charge on a **** card on 5/25/25. I initially disputed the charge, thinking this payment was for service in May after my account was canceled.When I realized the charge for service in April, I reversed my ********** June ******** statement shows that the $24.29 was credited to Consumer Cellular.Consumer Cellular subsequently sent me a bill for $24.29 plus a $5 late fee.I called them on 7/7/25 and they told me they had no record of the $24.29 payment already made (Funds released by ******** to Consumer Cellular).I paid them the $29.29 charge they requested although this results in a double charge for my last month of service.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/14/2025

  July 14, 2025
   
  BBB 23572072
  ***** ***** (#*****7362)
   
   
  Dear BBB,
   
  Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We apologize for any frustration that our billing has caused for ***** *****. We verified that they disputed a payment of $24.29 processed on 05/25/2025 with their bank. The bank then applied a refund of $24.29 to their account. ***** ***** withdrew his dispute with the bank on 06/11/2025, as the bank had already applied a refund of $24.29 to their account on 06/04/2025. Consequently, no further payment was submitted by the bank to Consumer Cellular. ***** ***** called us on 07/07/2025 and made a payment for $29.29, which was the original payment declined and a $5 chargeback fee.
   
  Currently, we show no evidence of a double payment. If they have any evidence to show that a payment was deducted from their account after 06/11/2025, other than the payment on 07/07/2025, we would be willing to review those documents and escalate properly.
   
  Sincerely,
   
  ****** *.
  Executive Resolution Administration
  T ************ F ************
  ********************************************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/15/2025

   
  Complaint: 23572072
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  I sent a copy of my May ************* statement that shows on that statement that there was a temporary credit during the Charge dispute of -$24.29.  I also sent a copy of my June statement, the following month, that shows that the $24.95 charge was reinstated after I reversed my dispute on the charge.  This $24.29 charge is listed on my June statement as a payment to Consumer Cellular.  I will send the attachments I sent to Consumer Cellular.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** Roach *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/21/2025

  July 21, 2025
  
   
  BBB #********
  ***** ***** (#*****7362)
   
  
  Dear BBB,
   
  Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. Were sorry to hear that ***** ***** isnt satisfied with the information we provided to find a resolution. Our stance remains unchanged, as we are currently awaiting a response from Mr. ***** regarding his bank's ability to validate that the charge was processed to Consumer Cellular for the $24.29 payment.
   
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *.
  Executive Resolution Administration
  T ************ F ************
  ********************************************************************
  ******************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/22/2025

   
  Complaint: 23572072
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I called Citi**** when all of this started.  I was told that the funds were released which also corresponds to my June **** statement where it shows a $24.29 payment to Consumer Cellular.  It is funny they expect me to provide proof.  It is either a bookkeeping error on Consumer Cellular part or ******** forgot to forward the released funds to Consumer Cellular.  I'm betting it's a bookkeeping error on Consumer Cellular part.

  I have already sent proof in the two **** statements.  The ******** statement that shows the $24.29 withheld during the dispute and the June statement that shows the charge was reinstated.

  I will try to get ******** to respond in a letter or email to a request that the funds were released and the $24.29 charge on my June bill reflects that.

  However, I feel I have already submitted adequate proof that they should and probably have received the money in line with my June ********************** know when my June Citi**** balance is paid on July 28th the $24.29 will be on that balance.  Just look at my June **************** Have Consumer Cellular explain why the $24.29 charge is on my June bill that I will soon be paying.

  Sincerely,
  
  ***** Roach *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/25/2025

  Consumer Cellular still doesnt Understand or doesnt want to.  Attached is an email from Consumer Cellular I received today after my attempt to very clearly explain how they are double charging me.  No amount of clear documentation or logic seems to clarify the problem for them.

   

  Attached is an email where I responded to an email sent to me from Consumer Cellular.

   

  I have tried my best to explain the problem to Consumer Cellular

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/25/2025

  Consumer Cellular has agreed to refund the $24.29 over payment so our complaint should be settled.  Thank you.

   

  **** *****

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/07/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was told that once I paid off my broken phone that I will receive another one but today I paid off the phone and was told I can't get another one I spent close to $500 this week paying off that phone

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2025

  
  July 8, 2025
  
  BBB #********
  ****** ******** (#*****2923)
  
  
  Dear BBB,
  
  Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We have advised ****** ******** that he will not be able to get a third phone on a payment plan. Our policy is there can be no more than two ******* agreements per household. ****** ******** obtained three ******* agreements on his account at one time, due to an error within our billing system. They called in on 07/07/2025, and we advised that if they were to pay off the third EasyPay plan, there would be no guarantee of getting a third one again. At that time ****** ******** made payment for the ******* plan. Currently for ****** ******** to get a new phone on a payment plan, they will need to pay off one of the two active EasyPay plans.
  
  Thank you for allowing us to address these concerns.  Please do not hesitate to let us know if we can be of additional assistance. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *.
  Executive Resolution Administration
  T ************ F ************
  ********************************************************************
  ******************************
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/08/2025

   
  Complaint: 23566464
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I already had three phones on easy plans so it is what I had and nobody said anything to me about it now I paid off a phone i can't get another one and Im stuck paying for a line that I'm not even using. Should have been told this in the first place it wasn't my error but there's who change the rules a year later.
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/03/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have consumer cellular as my phone provider and my bill was due last week. I made a payment of ****** on 6/25/25 but I got 4 charges of $****** and 1 for $140. I spoke to Consumer Cellular and they said they didn't see the payments on their computers and I needed to talk to the bank as well as sending the statement from the bank because they couldn't accept anything else (sometimes the statements take 30 days to get)so I contacted **************** and even went to one of their locations. I was told these charges were valid and were paid and to contact Consumer Cellular. I have called and spoken to representatives everyday up to 3 times a day since Saturday June 28, 2025 until today and all they said is to wait and they won't pay for any charges from my bank or the apartments where I live at. Thankfully, I got June's statement yesterday and it shows all the charges on there (I'm attaching it) I'm disabled and don't get assistance, I borrowed money to pay my rent and some bills but now because these acts committed by Consumer Cellular I will be charged a daily late fee.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/12/2025

   
  
  July 12, 2025
  
  BBB 23555881
  ***** ******* (#XXXXX6913)
  
  
  Dear BBB,
  
  Thank you for contacting us with ***** ******** complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We apologize for any inconvenience the customer experienced caused by the billing on their account. 
  
  On 7/1/2025, ***** ******* contacted Consumer Cellular with concerns about their recent payments. The customer made a payment via the web for $136.99 on 6/26/2025. ***** ******* explained that they received five charges from Consumer Cellular: four for $136.99 and one for $140.00. These concerns were sent to our ****************** for review.
  
  On 7/9/2025 we spoke with ***** ******* about the unapplied payments. After review, our ****************** was able to successfully locate the missing payments, and refund checks are to be issued to the customer. As a courtesy, and for the billing error, we have offered the customer a credit of $20.00 to be applied to their monthly service costs for up to 12 consecutive months. ***** ******* has accepted this offer. 
  
  Thank you for allowing us to address these concerns. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *.
  Executive Resolution Administration
  T ************ F ************
  ********************************************************************
  ******************************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/03/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The beginning of the year,(I think February), I switched my phone service from Straight Talk to Consumers Cellular in the hopes of saving some money every month. Upon sighning up for the service Consumers Cellular promted me to put in my area code and I did. The reply was that we have 5g service in your area. I then precceded to sighn up for their service. Upon completing the phone service switch over I noticed that I had only 1 bar and 4g service. I walked outside and and 2 bars with 4g service. I called someone within my contacts and it said unable to call,"International Call". To my family in ********,"what". I spent the better part of an hour with a represenative from Consumers Cellular and together we fixed the problem. I then inquiired and told her that I only have 4g service and not 5g service. I said that upon switching over to your service it said that I had 5g coverage. So she checked for me and a few minutes later she said"No we only have 4g service in your coverage area". I told her" we have one cellular tower not more than a mile away. So when when your service said 5g i believed it". She replied" Do you have a internet provider?" I replied "Yes, I have Mediacom". The represenative replied" You need to keep your wi-fi on and enable wi-fi calling". I thanked her and did just that. So March arrived and my Mediacom bill was $35.00 dollares more than the previous two years of service. I just let it slide, honestly at the time it did'nt occure to me that it was in fact Conseumers Cellular's lack of coveragr in my area contributing to the increase in my bill. The beggining of April I called and the represenative said the same thing, so I told her to cancel my service immediatly.I now am getting invoices from Consumers Cellular for $94.66 ***************** warning. I will not pay for being mislead to. The blatent lies from not one but two represenatives should be illegal.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/10/2025

  July 10, 2025
  
  BBB File No. 22633484
  ******* *******-***** (Account No. **********
  
  
  To Whom It May Concern, 
  
  Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond.  As it pertains to service coverage, all cellular service providers face the same challenges. Per the nature of the signal itself, it may be impacted by many things; a towers transmission limitations, weather, terrain, trees/foliage, in-building/in-vehicle use and even network capacity constraints are just a few. More remote or rural areas also tend to have fewer towers and this can result in less consistent coverage as well. It is also true that while inside a home, cellular connectivity can be further impacted by the building materials of the structure itself. Some of the more problematic materials are brick, cement, aluminum siding/roofing or stucco.
  
  Wi-Fi calling allows you to make and receive phone calls using a Wi-Fi network rather than a cellular network, which is useful in areas with weak or no cell service. It leverages Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to transmit calls over the internet, converting your voice into digital packets. 
  
  Wi-Fi calling generally does not increase your monthly internet bill. Calls made over Wi-Fi are deducted from your mobile plan's voice or data allowance, not your internet service provider's data plan. Wi-Fi calling doesn't require a lot of bandwidth; a voice call uses approximately 1 MB per minute and a video call uses between 6-8 MB per minute. 
  
  Consumer Cellular bills in arrears for monthly services and usage, much like a utility company. We are not a prepaid provider; service is month to month and will remain active until we receive a request to cancel service. When an account is closed, there is always a final bill for service through the cancellation date.
  
  The balance due on the customers account is $99.66; $66.61 for the service dates of 2/04/25 3/03/25, $18.05 for the final prorated dates of 3/04/25 3/13/25 and $15.00 in late fees. As usage reported through the cancellation date, the charges remain valid.
  
  Please be advised that the account will continue to accrue late fees until the balance is paid in full. If the customer chooses not to pay the balance due, the account will be turned over to a third-party collection agency.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* *.
  Executive Resolution Administration
  T ************ F ************
  ********************************************************************
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• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/02/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My father (**** ********) died June 10th 2025. He had phone service *************) through Consumer Cellular. I called the company on June 17th to cancel the phone. The **************** **** told me that they had cancelled the phone, but since it was paid till the end of the month it would stay on till the end of the month and that no more automatic drafts would be taken out of our joint account. This seemed reasonable and ********** the end of the month, another draft for the monthly service was automatically deducted from our joint account. I called again and was told a different story and that they would not be refunding the money. Since he passed away, his bills need to be settled by his estate, not my bank account. ********************** should refund the drafts after he passed away on June 10th. Calls to their customer service have been met with different responses by different reps. **** don't seem to know how to handle a deceased customer.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2025

  July 2, 2025
   
  BBB #********
  **** ******** (#*****6803)
   
   
  Dear BBB,
   
  Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We apologize for any frustration that our billing has caused for **** ********-*******. We were able to contact them and address their concerns about a recent payment withdrawal from their bank account. The reason the payment of $37.16 was processed on 06/28/2025 was due to the account being on autopay. We were able to refund the payment back to their method of payment, and **** ********-******* will be disputing the final charges with our billing department, as her father passed away during the middle of their billing cycle.
   
  Thank you for allowing us to address these concerns.  Please do not hesitate to let us know if we can be of additional assistance.
   
  Sincerely,
   
  ****** *.
  Executive Resolution Administration
  T ************ F ************
  ********************************************************************
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