Business Profile
Mobile Phone Service
Verizon Authorized Retailer - Cellular SalesImportant information
- Customer Complaint:Cellular Sales is headquartered in Knoxville,TN. The company maintains locations throughout the United States but all complaints are processed by this BBB. Accordingly, this customer experience record includes complaints from all of its locations.
Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Verizon Authorized Retailer - Cellular Sales's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 317 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 96 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe 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:01/10/2025
Type: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 January 4, 2025 I switched three phone lines to Verizon. I spent a total of $900 and exactly 7 days later I returned all three devices back to the store. I understand the restocking fee of $100 each but the sales person Sean Sapp charged us for six devices of nonrefundable and in the end we only got back $.15. He purposely overcharged our refund and it needs to be fixed. I went to the store two more times to try and get it resolved, with the receipt in hand and nobody will help fix the situation.
Business Response
Date: 01/13/2025
Cellular Sales has received the concern and will be contacting the customer to assist with navigating a resolution.Business Response
Date: 01/15/2025
Cellular Sales has attempted to contact this customer regarding this issue; however, we were unable to reach the customer. The customer may contact us if they have questions at 877-851-0649.Customer Answer
Date: 01/15/2025
Complaint: 22795410
I am rejecting this response because:
Sincerely,
****** ****Initial Complaint
Date:01/09/2025
Type: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.
Visited the Verizon broadway store to open my own acct. They did not have the phone in stock so made a call to another store on Kingston pike and had them hold the phone. The lady at the store broadway assured me I would still have phone service until I picked up new phone…I did not! She actually switched my service to said phone I was to pick up the next day… phone was not in my possession it was at the other store. Upon arriving at the other store the phone indeed was on but not the phone I wanted so the nice man at Kingston pike store helped me get what I wanted but it had to b ordered and would b here in 3 days and it was. After arriving back to the store on day 3 the different man was unable to allow me to get my phone bec Verizon had a treasury lock on my phone which meant I had already used my 30 day guarantee… I at this point haven’t even had service with them a week just 6 days. So now I am told it takes 24 hours to fix my acct and until that is done I can’t have my phone i want. So not only did my phone get disconnected and reconnected to another phone prior to me even looking at it… it also caused me such a hassle of getting my new phone. So now if and when I get my new phone my 30 day guarantee will be gone bec Verizon’s worker messed up so I’m stuck with it even if I choose not to go with that phone. If she would’ve left my phone on at my request and as she told me my guarantee and my acct wouldn’t b messed up and I would have what I want but no and my bill is already started.Business Response
Date: 01/09/2025
Cellular Sales has received the concern and will be contacting the customer to assist with navigating a resolution.Business Response
Date: 01/15/2025
Cellular Sales has attempted contacting this customer to follow-up on the concern. If the customer is still requesting assistance, they may contact us at 877-851-0649 and refer to case # ********.Initial Complaint
Date:12/30/2024
Type: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 went in to the Verizon store to buy a new phone and was attended to by an associate named **** ******. He offered a promotion where I could buy a tablet for only $25, but there were of course taxes and activation fees. It sounded like a good deal so I agreed, but when I got my first bill there was an estimated extra $25-30 a month for a line fee. Apparently a tablet needs a phone line.
When I first saw the bill, I left him a voicemail asking him to call me back and help me understand what happened, but he did not reply. A few days later I sent an email with even more info, but he still would not respond. So I called the help line on the Verizon website (1-833-VERIZON) and spoke to someone named *********. She said, and I quote, "They do this all the time". Yes, the official Verizon help number on their website said that to me. She put in some notes, gave me a case number and said I should be able to get everything refunded if I gave the tablet back as I agreed to the deal under false pretenses of "Just sign here. That's everything we discussed." It wasn't.
When I got to the store, **** was adamant that he did nothing wrong. He then 'did the math' to show that the bill would actually 'only' go up by about $15 bucks a month as opposed to the roughly $25-30 shown on THE DOCUMENTATION HE SENT ME on the day of the sale.
When I asked why a tablet needs a phone line, he replied with something to the effect of 'that's how we get the money back otherwise we'd just be giving you a tablet for practically free.' He, either intentionally or not, admitted to a deceptive business practice right to my face and didn't seem to see anything wrong with it. His selling point had literally been 'get a new tablet for only $25' Even though he knew that I'd actually be paying full price through an unnecessary phone line add on.
He said that he could refund the tax part and with a 'discount' on the restocking fee, I could get a whole $20 back. Can you help me get all necessary refunds?Business Response
Date: 12/30/2024
Cellular Sales has received the concern and will be contacting the customer to assist with navigating a resolution.Business Response
Date: 01/03/2025
Cellular Sales Upper Management has reviewed this concern and is unable to assist with any credits. The customer has been provided the final resolution and Cellular Sales considers this matter closed.Initial Complaint
Date:12/30/2024
Type: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 June 24,2024, at Verizon in Shallotte NC, I purchased two i phones and signed up for cellular service from salesperson, ****** ******
On July 1, 2024, because I was dissatisfied with the service,I returned to Verizon to discontinue the service and return the phones, at which time I was refunded $281.34.
Surprisingly, in early August, I received a statement saying I owed $180.65!!!
I immediately went to Verizon in Shallotte and talked with a salesperson ** *** **** ** ****** ****** who told me she had taken care of the problem.Business Response
Date: 12/30/2024
Cellular Sales has received the concern and will be contacting the customer to assist with navigating a resolution.Customer Answer
Date: 01/06/2025
When I went to Verizon, Shallotte NC this morning to resolve the problem, the Sales Rep called financial services to tell them that the problem was no fault of mine but Verizon’s and all I would be required to pay was 1/4 of the erroneous statement of $180.65. And they would also need to clear my credit score. However, the rep , *****, on the phone, working for Transworld Systems Inc. would not accept their information! She, *****, stated that all she could do would be to turn in a dispute!
It blatantly appears to me that the consumer/victim has no advocate!!!!
**** ****
Business Response
Date: 01/06/2025
Cellular Sales Upper Management has reviewed this concern and is unable to assist with any credits. The customer has been provided the final resolution and Cellular Sales considers this matter closed.Initial Complaint
Date:12/30/2024
Type: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 Oct 26 2024 at the N Oracle Rd Oro Valley AZ, ******* ******* sold us two Pixel 9's with the assurance that there will be bill credits taken off in the amount of the phones. Essentially, 2 free phones with the bill credits. There was no trade in required, nor any plan change from our 55+ plan. Now, 3 months later, the credits have still yet to appear on our bill, and no one seems to know of any deal. Please either give us the bill credits, or allow us to return the phones.
It makes ZERO sense why anyone would purchase two full price phones when there are multiple discounts available.Business Response
Date: 12/30/2024
Cellular Sales has received the concern and will be contacting the customer to assist with navigating a resolution.Business Response
Date: 02/06/2025
Cellular Sales was able to reach out to the customer and provide a final resolution. Cellular Sales considers this matter closed.Initial Complaint
Date:12/27/2024
Type: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 December 14, 2024, we went into the Verizon store on Center Street in Hickory, NC and we worked with their salesperson, **** ******. We explained to **** that we have been customers of Verizon for 20+ years and wanted to get two new phones. He "sold" us the Google Pixel Pro 9 phones, that were "free", as long as we remained customers for 36 months. Ordered one black phone and one white. He found that the white was not in stock and it would arrive in a day or two. When it did come in, he texted me to notify me that the wrong phone was sent and it would be a few more days. We waited and it came in finally, on December 23rd. We drove back to the store in Hickory and **** was to activate our new phones and we were allowed to keep our old phones. After arriving at 3:00 pm and not leaving the store until after 6:15 pm, **** ****** was unable to activate our phones. We left the store with no phones in working order. We came home and attempted to chat with Verizon supervisors. After 2 1/2 hours and being disconnected on chats with supervisors and customer service reps, we still sit with two new Google phones, both not activated, with no explanation as to why. Two old phones that no longer work since they deactivated them. I have Stage IV metastatic breast cancer and my husband has severe heart conditions, one that has a pacemaker and new heart valves. We sit in our home tonight with no phone service in the case of an emergency. We cannot comprehend why they could or would not activate our phones. They offered us no explanation. The absolute incompetence is not acceptable to us in what they put us through today. They wasted an entire day for what should have been less than an hour for both phones. This should not be tolerated or permitted by any business to treat customers as they did us.Business Response
Date: 12/27/2024
Cellular Sales has received the concern and will be contacting the customer to assist with navigating a resolution.Business Response
Date: 01/06/2025
Cellular Sales has attempted to contact this customer to assist with navigating a resolution. The customer may contact us at 877-851-0649 and refer to case # 00977299.Customer Answer
Date: 01/07/2025
Complaint: 22726250
I am rejecting this response because: since they disconnected my old Samsung S10e phone, I've had nothing but problems with it. I am not able to send outgoing mail via my Yahoo mail, which I have been able to do without any problems prior to visiting Hickory's "Cellular Sales". I've been on the phone with Verizon's "611" help line and spent hours, but the problem persists. Verizon said they could put me in contact with Yahoo's customer service, but I would be charged for their services! Absolutely not!! I've never had one problem or needed any assistance with my Samsung phone before and I know it was due to their incompetence that is causing me all these problems. They need to come up with their solution to my problem.
Sincerely,
**** *****Initial Complaint
Date:12/17/2024
Type: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 visited this location in Spring of 2022 to switch my service from another carrier. I brought in an iPhone 13 that I had won in a contest through my employer to be activated and then financed a 2nd iPhone for my wife. I overall had a great experience. About 6 months ago, I went to a different Verizon store to switch my account to a business account. At that time the sales rep I worked with informed me that there was a device payment on the iPhone that I had won from my employer. I explained this couldn't be possible as I had already owned the phone outright when I activated it through Cellular Sales in Lorain, OH. Verizon customer service confirmed there was indeed a device payment on the phone. I needed to trade that phone in to qualify for a promotion to upgrade to a new phone, so I reached out to Cellular Sales to resolve the problem and was referred to Christina Guzan who is a "market business advocate" for the company. I gave her a copy of the original invoice showing I that my iPhone was "customer owned equipment," and also gave her the original receipt from my employer showing they purchased the iPhone outright. At first she was very responsive, but eventually stopped all follow up with me. Another rep who's name I do not remember contacted me and we both got on the phone with Verizon's business customer service. They paid off my remaining balance on the iPhone 13 but told me that we would have to work it out with the consumer customer service department to get a refund for what I had already paid in monthly payments which is roughly $800. I was assured this would be taken care of by the other rep I spoke with but she never got back to me. This was over 6 months ago. I have sent Christina several emails during that time to which she did reply but never actually got any results for me.
In short, I was charged for a device that I already owned and would accept simply getting my $800 refunded to me, or applied as a credit on my bill, as a resolution.Business Response
Date: 12/17/2024
Cellular Sales has received the concern and will be contacting the customer to assist with navigating a resolution.Business Response
Date: 01/06/2025
Cellular Sales is attempting to contact this customer to provide an update on the concern. The customer may contact us at 877-851-0649.Initial Complaint
Date:12/12/2024
Type: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 purchased a new cell phone from this company. They told me I could use my old phone as a trade in and the new phone would only be 27 cents a month once the trade in was completed. We agreed. They activated the new phone on the spot and sent us a FEDEX return label to send the old phone to them for the credit. We did this, the Fedex was signed for and the sales person contacted us directly and told us he had received the phone and it was processed and all good and the credits along with the $35 owed since we were charged the activation fee twice, would be posted to our Verizon account. We waited, reached out, waited, reached out. No credits ever came. We called Cellular Sales and lodged a complaint with their Knoxville customer service department. They told me I had to give them 10 business days to research. We did. Then, I got an email from ***** who is supposedly the one handling it that it was with upper management and they needed another 7-10 business days to rectify. We waited. Sent another email to *****. ***** has not responded. Basically this company stole our iphone 13, gave us no credits and lied to us about the upgrade being credited. We called Verizon. Verizon told us to file complaints and keep them posted on outcomes. They have a lot of issues with CellularSales ripping people off. We have also reached out to Bill Liss at 11 Alive News who is willing to make this a story. We have *****, the sales persons info and his direct texts telling us he received our phone and we would receive the refunds. Yet, Cellularsales is now claiming they do not have our phone even though we have tracking proof and a signature and their salespersons texts confirming they received the phone. This is like a fraud scheme going on and no one is willing to take responsibility.Business Response
Date: 12/13/2024
Cellular Sales is actively working the concern to navigate a resolution.Business Response
Date: 01/03/2025
Cellular Sales was able to reach out to the customer and provide a final resolution. Cellular Sales considers this matter closed.Customer Answer
Date: 01/03/2025
Complaint: 22678566
I am rejecting this response because: We have made a resolution, but I have yet to receive the payment that we agreed on. I spoke with ***** from Cellular Sales yesterday and she told me that they would be mailing a check to cover the $660 owed on the phone they received from me. She said I should receive it in 7-10 business days. So, as soon as that check is received. I will most certainly close the complaint. I did receive the first $170 as a credit on my Verizon bill. Just currently waiting on the remainder via check.
Sincerely,
******* ******Initial Complaint
Date:12/06/2024
Type: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 transferred 2 lines from AT&T in November. I told the sales lady that there was a promotion on the lines. When she transferred my lines to Verizon, she gave me a temporary number which voided the promotion of $200 per line, so in total $400. I had to go back to the store to return something and the gentleman asked why I didn’t get the promotion and I explained. Then another associate walked up and asked if the promotion was still going on. He said the manager said, if they port my lines to a temporary number, it will void the warranty. I called the manager trying to resolve this with no resolution. The store made an error but I would like my $400 store credit. I called yesterday to speak to Anthony to manager and he sided with his associate saying I didnt ask for the promotion. I told him review the tapes but regardless of asking, I am Entitled to the promotion.Business Response
Date: 12/06/2024
Cellular Sales is actively working the concern to navigate a resolution.Business Response
Date: 12/10/2024
Cellular Sales was able to reach out to the customer and provide a final resolution. Cellular Sales considers this matter closed.Initial Complaint
Date:12/02/2024
Type: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 went to see what they have for black Friday sale and the sales guy said to upgrade the five phones you have to pay $735 tax. Me and my son upgraded the phones, and he said it is $281.84
Tax I said is the tax 9.25 it should be 211 and he said there is a programming fees, it is built in function in the iPhone there is no programming whatsoever. I did not want urge with the guy he said you have 30 days to change your mind. the following day I went to ask for my $70 refunded of the programming fees, or I can just return the phones and buy them online. When I went there the sales guy definitely you can return them but the $70 are non-refundable. No body there is programming fess and the $70 are non-refundable
This store is untrustworthy and not transparentBusiness Response
Date: 12/02/2024
Cellular Sales has received the concern and will be contacting the customer to assist with navigating a resolution.Business Response
Date: 12/16/2024
Cellular Sales is attempting to contact this customer to provide an update on the concern. The customer may contact us at *************
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