Business Profile

Mobile Phone Service

Consumer Cellular

Complaints

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

Customer Complaints Summary

1,484 total complaints in the last 3 years.
469 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

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:04/07/2025
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.
This company Consumer Cellular lies and cover up there fraudulent actions. I was told I canceled my account before I completed the promotion and today I received another call saying they did not offer a promo code for the promotion. Which *** is claims they listened to the recording. They control the recording and can tell the purchasers anything to suit their purpose. Then the gb went from 5 to 7 which I know is not true. I have been with my previous company for 29 years and have not went over in **. This company is full of unacceptable and dishonest policies. When I spoke to ***** on March 6, 2025 he said I had 0 balance and account closed. This company has so many unsavory plugs in it that they themselves are like playing a fiddle. They are desperate for money and business with no remorse in how they get it. I hung on them today for they are full of BS.
Business Response
Date: 04/13/2025
BBB 23174338
***** ***** (#*****5860)

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We are sorry to hear about the customer's frustration surrounding their final bill for service. We spoke with Ms. ***** on 04/07/2025 and explained that when they signed up for service on 01/16/2025,their first bill was prorated during the billing period from 01/15/2025 to 02/14/2025 for $23.09, which was posted on 02/17/2025 and was due on 03/04/2025.

We also explained that because a promotion code was not mentioned when signing up for the service, and the first month of service being free was not discussed, a promotion was not applied to their account. Please know that when using a promotional offer with Consumer Cellular, the customer must supply a promotional code, which can either be obtained through the advertisement from which it was discovered or via correspondence, such as a flyer in the mail or email.

Consumer Cellular bills in arrears for monthly services and usage, much like a utility company. When an account is closed, there is always a final bill for service through the cancellation date. As such, when the customer canceled service on 03/06/2025, they received a prorated final bill for the billing period from 02/15/2025 to 03/06/2025 for $34.61, which was posted on 03/09/2025 and due on 03/26/2025. Because the customer used ****** of data during their final billing period, their plan was automatically upgraded from an unlimited talk, text, and 5GB data plan to an unlimited talk, text, and 10GB data plan on 02/28/2025. As a result, their final bill was higher than their original quoted bill when they signed up for service.

We understand the customer's stance on their experience with Consumer Cellular;however, no credit or refund will be applied because valid usage was reported during the billing periods mentioned. We're sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause.

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 ************
********************************************************************
******************************
Initial Complaint
Date:04/05/2025
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.
My bill dated 4-4-2025 did reflect a lower promised amount by a supervisor in March 2025.
Business Response
Date: 04/13/2025
BBB 23166399
****** ****** (#*****2268)

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We are sorry to hear about the customers frustrations surrounding their monthly bill. 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. If a change is made in the middle of a billing period, it will not reflect on the monthly bill until the following billing period.

We spoke with Mr. ****** and explained that because *****GB was used during the billing period from 02/15/2025 to 03/14/2025, they were automatically upgraded to an unlimited talk, text, and 20GB data plan on 03/04/2025; an email was sent informing them of this change, which also mentions that they can return to their original plan at the start of the next billing cycle or disable the automatic upgrade feature (SmartFlex) by accessing their online account or by contacting us at **************.

Because the invoice for $45.05 was posted on 03/17/2025 and due on 04/04/2025, it would not have reflected the changes he made with us on 03/27/2025. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

If Mr. ****** has further questions or concerns, they are welcome to contact our customer care team at ************** or chat with us online. We would be happy to help them.

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 ************
********************************************************************
******************************
Initial Complaint
Date:04/05/2025
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.
On Friday April 4th I transferred 2 lines from T-Mobile to Consumer Cellular. After the transfer was done, I was unable to set up Voicemail (VM) & VISUAL Voicemail (VVM). After talking with multiple ***** with their tweaks I was able to get the Voicemail working on both phones. However, I was only able to get VVM working on one phone (the Consumer Cellular ******* Galaxy S25). Despite numerous more calls, and troubleshooting, VVM would still not work on my ******* Galaxy A15 (phone number ending in 6306, a phone I had gotten from T-Mobile). The message "Visual Voicemail cannot be activated on this mobile network. Contact your provider."The message suggests it is a network issue, not a phone issue. On Saturday, 4/5/25 I called support again. I first encountered the attitude: "too bad, so sad." We don't help with customer provided phones. Even if it is a phone Consumer Cellular actually sells (a ******* Galaxy A15 5G)? Also I requested higher tier technical support, yet nobody offered that until I finally reached a pleasant supervisor: ****. **** escalated the issue after we got nowhere troubleshooting. I also called T-Mobile. The *** was helpful, but had nothing unique to share. I continued to search the web. I read some people were successful using the ******* VVM on a T-Mobile ******* phone (even withT-Mobile as their carrier) and others were not. My first inclination was to request that Consumer Cellular provide me with THEIR ******* A15 5G at half price. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WARNED by the sales ***s there could be challenges with a customer provided phone. However, I eventually came across a post about forwarding a mobile phone number to ****** Voice for missed calls. I installed ****** Voice, picked a number, set up the forwarding and tested it. *****. Not only does it work as Visual Voicemail, it converts the message to text as well. Yea. I'd like an apology, at the very least.I would be happy to provide more detail.
Business Response
Date: 04/07/2025
April 7, 2025

BBB 23166153
********* ****** (#XXXXX6850)

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We are sorry to hear that ********* ****** experienced difficulties setting up visual voicemail on a device.

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 was experienced. We do appreciate the feedback shared and are constantly looking for ways to better serve our customers. We have forwarded this concern to the appropriate department for further review and training.

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that all features will work as expected with phones purchased from sources other than Consumer Cellular. While we do everything possible to help solve problems, even when a phone is unlocked, some phones are designed for use with a specific network and cannot connect to certain features outside of that network. We are glad that Ms. ****** discovered a workaround to get the desired feature with the device. We do offer a trade-in program if Ms. ****** wishes to trade in the phone for a different device provided by Consumer Cellular in the future.

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: 04/07/2025

Complaint: 23166153

I am rejecting this response because:
I also discovered yesterday (Sunday 4/6) that Visual Voicemail was not working on the phone I had bought from Consumer Cellular. I thought we had gotten it working, but alas it was not. Again, calling in I first had no success, as now representatives were telling me that could not help with the phone I bought from them because the Visual Voicemail app was a ******* app. So the original **** and the response I received via BBB was a misrepresentation - saying they could not help with customer brought phones (even though ********************** sells the same phone). IN FACT, most CONSUMER CELLULAR **** I spoke with abdicated any technical support at all for Visual Voicemail.
However, on Sunday evening I reached ***, a supervisor or supervisors. Despite NUMEROUS prior **** telling me I had to set up regular Voicemail BEFORE setting up Visual Voicemail - they were WRONG. In fact, if someone wants to use Visual Voicemail, that must be set up -- not regular Voicemail. Once Visual Voicemail is set up, regular Voicemail will work. Note that Visual Voicemail requires a passcode of at least 7 digits, whereas regular Voicemail will work with just 4. IT APPEARS, if you set up regular Voicemail with less than a 7 character passcode, Visual Voicemail can't work.
In any case, working with ***, I was able to set up Visual Voicemail on the Consumer Cellular phone (Galaxy S25). I am not going to attempt to use it on the other phone (Galaxy A15), as I am now using ****** Voice as my Voicemail app, and it works fine.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR A COMPANY THAT TOUTS ITS CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO BE SO INCOMPETENT (for whatever reason). Given the ineptness and struggles I've encountered over the past few days, it will be a long time before I will even consider recommending anyone look to Consumer Cellular for service.
There is nothing more to say other than Consumer Cellular has left me significantly disappointed.
Sincerely,

********* ******
Initial Complaint
Date:04/04/2025
Type:Service or Repair 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 requested *********** to be able to make and receive phone calls and tests while on vacation in *******. I received confirmation from CC it was all set up from 23 March to 03 April 2025. I arrived in ******* on 3/24 and made a call with no problem that day and the next to check on an 85 year olf I had responsibility for to make sure he was ok and taking his medicine. This was the only reason for the service. 3/26 I was not able to make a call or send a text. I got someone to call CC for me and paid them in Euros. 11 Minutes later I was told all reconnected. The next day I found it was not so got help from local person again and this was Friday 3.28 and 35 minutes on phone and advised a second sim card had been added to my phone which I did not request. He could not take it off. Had to call when I returned to **. 5 days without phone access put me and my friend in a dangerous situation. I could not check flights, call for my car service to bring me back to departure airport. What if I had an accident? Very scary for old people and since CC is advertised by **** they should know how to work with the elderly. Most stressful and harrowing vacation of my life.
Business Response
Date: 04/06/2025
April 6, 2025

BBB #********
********* ***** (#XXXXX2554)

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We spoke with the customer on 4/6/2025. We are very sorry to hear of the issues the customer experienced with her service while using our international roaming service.

The customer called in on 3/17/2025 to have international roaming enabled from 3/23/2025-4/3/2025. Unfortunately, a system error occurred on 3/26/2025, which inadvertently activated a new *** card on the customer's line of service from a device that she was in the process of returning for a refund. This effectively deactivated the *** card the customer was using. We have confirmed that the customer now has working service again.

As a one-time courtesy to the customer, we have waived the last three invoices for a total credit of $100.98. This covered the customers current balance of $27.72 and left a remaining credit of $73.26 on the account that will be used to cover future invoices.

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: 04/07/2025

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

********* *****
Initial Complaint
Date:04/04/2025
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.
My cell phone broke. It was covered by the extra insurance. I verified it by looking at my last billing statement. 3 people gave me the runaround for over 30 mins. They told me I did not have the coverage. It's their mix up and they refused to assist me. I am planning a funeral. This is horrible and she was a nasty person. I will persist
Business Response
Date: 04/04/2025
April 04, 2025

BBB 23160024
**** ****** *****3274

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. 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 the customer experienced.

We understand Demi Olivers concerns regarding needing to replace their device.After reviewing Demis account, we found that the only device covered under warranty is the ******** Moto G 5G; this does not cover any other device on the account.When a customer purchases a new ********************** phone, they have 60 days to add the protection plan. Unfortunately, since it is past the 60-day timeframe,Demi will need to purchase a new phone to replace their broken device.

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: 04/17/2025
Please see the message below. Case number 23160024

I actually have a copy of the current month's bill showing I had insurance on the phone. My husband had called a few months prior inquiring about getting another phone and was told that the only phones with coverage was the iphone and the moto-G. Further I am still paying for the phone so it would not be logical to disconnect insurance. When I logged into the website after it was "down" it showed a difference from the paper bill they send because with technology you can do things like that but if you have a paper copy in hand it is different. Then I was told my paper copy was in error. I will be changing from consumer cellular and I would like this known and added to my response to their response to me as that is incorrect information and horrible customer service. Please follow up on my request.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/03/2025
Type:Service or Repair 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.
They refused to replace a defective fraud not working product. This new model Verve by Consumer Cellular doesn't recognize *87 to allow blocked calls to call me. When a blocked number calls my home phone it says the wireless number you called is unavailable. The older model by consumer cellular had no problems accepting blocked numbers. They lied to me saying it is my phone to avoid shipping me out a replacement. I was told by one of the supervisor that I would get a replacement. My phone is not capable to do anything special functions. This same phone was hooked up to the old home base from Consumer Cellular. The only thing that changed with the home base from Consumer cellular from the old model to the new model.I tried 3 other plain phones & and still blocked calls cannot call **** tried my phone at my friends home whom also had the older model, it accepts blocked calls. They refused to send out a tech to check this. They have lied to me selling me a defective fraud product which is illegal. They have sold me a fraudulent, defective product that doesn't accept blocked calls. Nothing has changed on my end, only their home base. They heard the error message that says the wireless customer you are trying to reach is unavailable. I notice a strange phone number that should not been on my account. I was also lied about this as well. This phone number as shown in the attachment ************, I was told something about buying a sim card from target. I don't have this phone number. This is not my number and I didn't have anything to do with any sim card from target. This also is a fraud on my account. The person I talked to was obviously lying to me about this situation.I have been catching these people in so many lies. I am requesting that they replace this home base that recognizes blocked calls or get me back a new older model they had.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/06/2025
Add to my case.

I have spoken to Consumer Cellular Support and again the runaround.
They keep blaming my phone.
1. I asked them what phone do they suggest to hook up with my consumer cellular even though it say it takes any phone. Fraud/Lie
2. While I don't care about call forwarding. There are no phones available to put in the number then press talk/push button as the instructions
says, When you do this to basic phones it disconnect. It doesn't work like a cell phone. Cell phone you punch in the number then press send
to dial the number. It does not do this on landline phones. Something is wrong with this picture here.
3. I ask them to send out a tech. They refused.
4. I ask them to trouble shoot this problem by giving me a phone number connected to a homebase to call with my blocked number. They refused.
They claim to do trouble shooting and when I made a good suggestion they have avoided this.

Right now while I understand they are sending me a replacement landline home base they continue to keep blaming my phone without getting this
confirmed. They refuse to do the trouble shooting of the suggestions to confirm that I believe their homebase is wired to not accept blocked incoming calls as well as if your own number using *67 to block your own number you cannot call out.

I want them to troubleshoot but testing their own homebase to have a blocked number call the number connected to the homebase to confirm what
I have been trying to say along. These people cannot continue to keep blaming other people and not troubleshoot what is simple an obvious.
Test their own homebase with someone calling a number connected to the homebase with a blocked number. I want this done.

If you need to, Contact the CEO ** ***** to look into this.

I never had this issue with the older model home base version. Consumer cellular should be testing their own product and not selling it like this.
I would like the trouble shooting to be one other they keep refusing to acknowledge and to get this confirmed. That is get either myself whos
number is blocked or a blocked number to call a phone number that is connected to the homebase.

The error message is the wireless cellular your trying to reach is not available. If they refuse to do this trouble shooting then something is very seriously wrong here.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/07/2025
I was told they were going to send my unit out without cost and for them to provide a shipping label. After speaking to several *** when I went
over the same thing I called to find out when I was going to get my ***lacement. I was lied to again. They went over the same thing of explaining
what I had to hear for the 3rd time and they want me to pay after I was told there were no cost to get this.

I specifically told the *** today that I was told no shipping cost and he refused to honor shipping this out without cost and to send the shipping lable
for the old one.

I want my unit ***lace and without any cost to me. This product is a defective product and again they have refused to check in their office
as they are not doing a good job of trouble shooting to set it up to allow a block call test to call in with this unit active. They have not done and refuse to do this trouble shooting and lied to me about no cost for shipping.
Business Response
Date: 04/08/2025
April 08, 2025

BBB #********
****** ****-******* (#*****7242)

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the Verve Wireless Home Phone Base and have had the pleasure of speaking with our customer to assist with the device.

****** ****-******* requested a replacement Wireless Home Phone Base be provided because the device does not allow calls to connect to their phone from numbers with blocked caller ID. We have advised that the Verve Wireless Home Phone Base does not have a feature to block calls, and there is a high likelihood a replacement device will have the same outcome.

We value our customers and want them to have the best experience with our customer service and products and we are sorry this is not what our customer has experienced. As requested by our customer, we have processed an exchange, and a replacement Verve Wireless Home Phone Base was shipped to their billing address on file on 04/08/2025. If the device is returned to Consumer Cellular and is in like-new condition, with no scratches or other physical or liquid damage, there will be no balance due for the replacement Verve device. We have advised our customer, if the returned device is found to have any physical, liquid or cosmetic damage, they will be charged for the replacement.

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: 04/08/2025

Complaint: 23155608

I am rejecting this response because:
I spoken to customer service with more lies and controdictions against me. I NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES AUTHORIZED
FOR CONSUMER CELLULAR DID I ALLOW CHARGES!!!

One customer service said because I gave them the pin code it was allowed for them to charge me unauthorized charges. Then when
I spoken to another supervisor about let me hear how I said I authorized charges, I was refused, it was said they don't allow customers
to hear what was said. I am being lied to. I know I only agreed for them to ship out the replacement and agreed my replacement was free from
defect. Under no circumstances and I made it very clear I said no charges was to be made on my account. I said this many times.

They fact they have refused to let me listen to what they think I said tell me they are hiding. I would not allow authorized charges nor
does using my code to access to my account gives them the authority to charge my account. They have made this charge without even sending the
replacement which I had not received yet.

This is illegal what they have done. I am making it very clear from the get go when I asked for the replacement that I would not have any charges.
and NOW I want to hear what they claim I said, considering that I AM NEARLY DEAF!!! THERE IS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ME TRYING TO
PUT FRAUD CHARGES.

When they mentioned about shipping I said I am not going to pay for shipping, nor was I going to pay for any charges this exchange is to be without charges. I made this very clear.

Sincerely,

****** ****-*******
Customer Answer
Date: 04/09/2025
I want to add to my complaint

I did another check Not only can I not recieve block calls. I dialed #** to block my ************ number to call out.
It won't let me dial out using my homebase with my number blocked.. so now not only I cannot receive calll that are blocked I cannot dial out with a block number from my number own number. ************ that is my consumer cellular number. It won't allow me
to block my number if I don't want to expose my number when calling.

Customer Answer
Date: 04/15/2025
I found an illegal unauthorized charge without my consent of $19.35 on 3/21. they took advantage without telling me,
putting a charge on bill using the fact my credit card is on file for automatic payment. This does not mean they can put a charge
on my account behind my back without my consent. I was told there would be no charges.

This $19.35 charge is to be waived. I was defrauded with this charge, not knowing anything about this except that I would not have
any charges incurred to me. I want this charge removed or credit back for this. I had been lied to and they put this charge on my
account without my knowledge. They took advantage of my credit card for my usual monthly paying to take a charge without telling me.
This is illegal and considered fraud.
Business Response
Date: 04/15/2025
April 15, 2025

BBB #********
****** ************ (#*****7242)

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond further. We apologize for any inconvenience this issue has caused.

We understand there was a question regarding a charge of $19.35 processed on 03/21/2025. We have had the pleasure of speaking with Ms. ************ regarding this payment, and they now understand the charge was for the sales tax and shipping on the Verve Wireless Home Phone Base ordered on 03/21/2025 and is not a charge for the replacement device shipped on 04/08/2025.

The call recordings are for quality and training purposes for the representatives and Consumer Cellular, they are not openly available for the customers. If a customer wishes to obtain a copy of a recording or a copy of the account notes, they must obtain a subpoena. If the recording is still available when the subpoena is received, we may be able to provide a copy of the recording.

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: 04/16/2025
Please close this case, it has been settled.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/03/2025
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.
Consumer Cellular stole my moms phone line. They were calling her trying to get her to use their service. She gave them permission to speak to me and when I spoke to them I told them that she did not want their service. The lady that I spoke to said that was fine and the call ended. Now my moms phone is showing that its on a consumer cellular line and they are refusing to release her phone number back to her. Her cell phone doesnt work now. Its been 2 months since the initial conversation. My mom is in her 70s and is having a bit of a mental break over the issue. Im not sure how they ported her phone number but it recently happened and thats how she found out what was wrong. I was the one that told them she did not want their service so Im not sure how they made the phone port over suddenly. . Ive listed her phone number as the account number. They need to release her phone back to her and reimburse her for any damages or charges by them and by her current phone carrier AT & T who told her she would owe them money if she ported her phone over. *** estimated $500 total with the amount **** is saying she owes them for breaking a contract and what she owes consumer cellular. They did NOT have consent to port her number or open an account. Theyre taking advantage of her age.
Business Response
Date: 04/04/2025
April 04, 2025

BBB 23154395
*** ******

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. 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 the customer experienced.

We understand *** ******* concerns regarding her mothers phone line. Although there is an account associated with the number provided, the number never transferred over to our service. It appears the number still belongs with AT&T. Since the Consumer Cellular account that was created never had an active line, we waived the total balance of $33.66 that was due on the ********** amount has been paid to Consumer Cellular for service and we have credited any amount generated. Amys mother will no longer receive invoices from Consumer Cellular.

For further assistance with *** ******* mothers phone number, they will need to contact AT&T or the original provider.

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 ************
********************************************************************
******************************
Initial Complaint
Date:04/02/2025
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.
Ordered a phone on Feb 14 that was to be delivered to me in 3 days. Phone did not come, so we called in and was told it's on the way should be there in a day or so. We continued to call every week there after and got told each time that it's in first on location then another. After waiting for a month, we canceled the order and ask for a refund of our money. We were told it takes 3 days to process the request and would take up to 17 to 21 days for a refund. Ita April now and we have not received our money yet. The phone finally came a couple of weeks after we had canceled the order. We did not open the package and returned it to the postal office to be returned to sender. We have spoken with Consumer Cellular and they say they did receive the returned phone back. But here we are still not returning my money. I have filed a complaint with the ********** of my bank, and am currently awaiting for resolve to this issue. I am not a lending organization, and do not feel it is my place to provide them money to run their business on. It has been sufficient time for them to make a refund yet they are still holding my money. This is definitely bad business policies being used.
Business Response
Date: 04/09/2025
April 9, 2025

BBB #********
**** ******* (#XXXXX7275)

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We apologize for the negative experience with Ms. ******** order and refund.

Unfortunately, a **** shipping delay affected Ms. ******** order in one of their facilities. We are sorry for the delay, and weve completed your return. The funds should be available based on the banks processing time.

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 ************
********************************************************************
******************************
Initial Complaint
Date:04/02/2025
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.
I wanted to send this to Consumer Cellular via email, but they have no way for me to submit it. I am providing to BBB for independent review and to document this experience. I called into Consumer Cellular customer service on 04/01/25 to request a 2 month. The reason for this was a combined total of 6 weeks of no coverage when traveling overseas in the *******, ****** and *****, not to mention the frustration and helplessness associated with it. I called in each time for these trips and was told my wife and I would have coverage. The first time I was advised of the applicable charges but never had the ability to make calls. Before leaving for Europe I called and was given the same assurances. Unfortunately we had the same issues. This last time I called and once again told all would be fine. I had no call coverage but my wife did at first. Since you don't have 24/7 service I had to get up at 4:00 am to call. Over 30 minutes later I still had no service and it was blamed on the network. The technical service person said it was because this was not your equipment, but Consumer Cellular doesn't own any equipment/towers. When I called today *** first said I needed to activate the service one month before we left. Later in the call she changed it to 2 months. This isn't written anywhere on your site and it's the first time I've ever heard this. A complete fabrication. I've had other cellular services, never had to do anything like this, and unlike yours's, the service actually worked overseas. Don't believe me? Listen to your recorded calls and take a look at all of the text messages / emails confirming we had coverage. Each ***resentative gave differing instructions and requirements. I saved most recent emails if needed.I switched to Consumer Cellular because of the alleged great customer service. All I can say now is bad technical service and horrible customer service. Just because you answer the phone and speak English doesn't make your service good.
Business Response
Date: 04/04/2025
April 04, 2025

BBB 23149827
****** ****** (#*****3740)

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. We are sorry to hear international service was not working while our customer was traveling abroad, and for any inconvenience this has caused.

International roaming was enabled as requested most recently on 03/17/2025. We are sorry to hear the phone service was not working while our customer was traveling. We understand how inconvenient it can be when the phone service is not working correctly.

We apologize for any misunderstanding or confusion regarding international roaming. Though we do offer this feature, as our customers are roaming on international towers, we cannot guarantee their service or all features will work outside of the **************** and available features will be determined by the carrier to which the phone is connecting to while outside the ***************** 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: 04/04/2025

Complaint: 23149827

I am rejecting this response because: They did not address the issue.This is not a one time problem.This has happened in three different countries, three separate times over a 9 month period. When I called the representative I was informed I should have turned it on a month before I left and then later in the call, 2 months before I left. There is no such guidance I could find on their website. And every time I request activation of this service I receive different guidance. They record their calls and can easily check verify the substance of my complaint.
Moreover, they continue to collect a monthly fee-for-service they did not provide. I simply asked them for 2 months credit on my bill, which they refused to provide. The time i didn't have service totaled 6 weeks. Thrir representative blamed me for not activating the feature properly. As I referenced above the response is a non response, it does not address my credit request or the fact their service has not worked on 3 separate occasions in 3 separate countries. They say the equipment is not theirs, but neither are any of the towers or equipment in the **************
They lease their equipment from larger cellular providers.
This has become a much bigger issue because they simply will not accept their responsibility.
In this matter.
I have the emails and text messages. I received from them confirming service was activated and terminated on the dates requested if this is needed.

Sincerely,

****** ******
Business Response
Date: 04/16/2025
April 16, 2025

BBB 23149827
****** ****** (#*****3740)

Dear BBB,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond further.

As it pertains to service coverage, within the US and internationally, 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.

Regarding a request for credit on the account, we understand the frustration when service is not working as expected. However, due to consistent usage reported during each billing cycle since the service was activated, we are unable to provide any credit toward the monthly service fees.

Sincerely,

***** *.
Executive Resolution Administration
T ************ F ************
********************************************************************
******************************
Customer Answer
Date: 04/16/2025

Complaint: 23149827

I am rejecting this response because: The same excuses constantly. Consumer Cellular is in the business of providing cellular phone service (voice, text, data). On 3 separate occasions, in 3 separate countries over a 9 month period they failed. Their response speaks of the equipment not being theirs and all the reasons cell service will sometimes fail. This most recent trip, over a 2 week period, the service failed in *****, *****, *****, ****, ********* and ******** We never had any coverage the entire 2 week period. These are not rural areas and we were outside most of the time. The WhatsApp function on my phone always worked but their service never did. They say we have high usage and this is the reason they cannot issue a credit. The fact remains that we did not have any service for over 1.5 months (3 trips combined). The excuse of equipment not being theirs is garbage. They don't own any towers in the ** or anywhere else. Somehow, this is now a factor in rejecting a legitimate complaint because I was overseas? This is the business they are in. They don't advertise great service in just the US. Their response is non-responsive again. In short, they know they are wrong but they don't like the fact I'm calling them on it. Therefore, they won't issue a simple 2 month credit and admit they need to fix their service. BBB needs to make consumers aware of the game they're playing. Watch a commercial that boasts great coverage and great service. This is a total lie and false advertising.

Sincerely,

****** ******
Initial Complaint
Date:04/01/2025
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 made a change from consumer cellular to another service provider. Because i did that... i could not log into their web site to see my charges to make sure billing was what i thought was acceptable. Today i was told because I'm not a customer anymore they immediately cut my access off last month... i was told i can access the account on the day and after when the carrier switch was made... guess not.I have been charged for data usage I did not use, their response was that i should have backed down the data plan,,, they auto increase it as needed, but why charge for something not use ? this is their business practice. How many other people is this happening too?
Business Response
Date: 04/10/2025
April 10, 2025

BBB File No. 23148283
****** ******** (Account No. **********

To Whom It May Concern,

Thank you for contacting us regarding this complaint and allowing us the opportunity to respond. Consumer Cellular takes the security of our customers very seriously. We do require a One-Time Passcode (OTP) to be sent to the customer's cellphone when accessing their online account. This is to protect our customers and to ensure that only authorized users can access their account. Once the customer ports out or cancels the service, they are not able to receive the **** however, the final invoice is sent via email or via ***** depending on their preference.

As Consumer Cellular does not have contracts, customers can change their plan as often as needed to match their current usage needs. As well, we do offer automatic upgrades on our data plans. Should the customer exceed their plans limits, their plan would automatically be upgraded. As many of our customers find the upgraded plan to better fit their needs, we do not automatically lower the customers plan. It is the responsibility of the customer to monitor their account and make adjustments as they see fit. Customers do have the option to disable automatic upgrades.

****** Chaissons account reflects he had been enrolled in Unlimited Talk, Text and 10GB for $35.00 plus tax (plus $4.00 for an Allstate Protection Plan) from 3/19/24 3/11/25 (the date service was cancelled).

While Mr. ******** did not request to have his plan lowered, as a one-time courtesy, we have issued a credit of $10.00 to the credit card on file on 4/08/25.

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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