US Cellular

January 18, 2016

Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: Revdex.com Customer Relations Advocate
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611
                                       
Re: Complaint Number: [redacted]
Customer’s Name:  Jennifer L. [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number:  Not Provided

Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above complaint. We are in receipt of Ms. [redacted] correspondence in which she states she purchased a new phone, two tablets, a case with rewards points, and added a data blockage so she couldn’t go over her data.  Her bill is over $1000 and she was denied arrangements because of a broken payment arrangement.  Ms. [redacted] would like for her services to be turned back on and she does not want to be charged for her tablets. 

We are truly sorry for any frustration this situation has caused.  Ms. [redacted] states her rewards points should have covered the case she purchased.  U.S. Cellular began to phase out our rewards program in early 2015 and ended our rewards points program on September 1st, 2015.  Rewards points were not available to Ms. [redacted] in November to purchase a case.

Please know it is never our intention to hide any charges or activation fees from a customer.  Our activation fees are printed on each service agreement that must be signed.  In regards to our data blocking service, we offer data usage controls that will prevent new data sessions once a specified limit has reached our system.  We will not interrupt a customer in the middle of a data session so there is the possibility of overage.  The usage controls are intended to minimize overage, not completely prevent it. 

We have reviewed Ms. [redacted] concerns. Because we value the security of our customers’ information, we require the correct account number or cell phone number as listed on the account for verification purposes. This was not provided in her submission.

Please advise Ms. [redacted] to resubmit this complaint with the information requested above and we will be happy to address her concern at that time.  We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused and look forward to receiving the needed verification so that we may proceed in researching this matter.

Sincerely,
Amy C.
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular®

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/08/27) */
August 27th, 2015
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: Revdex.com Customer Relations Advocate
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL XXXXX

Re: Complaint Number: XXXXXXXX
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular...

Account Number: N/A
Good afternoon and thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account! We appreciate you taking the time to contact us. I am in receipt of Ms. [redacted]' complaint in which she states that she received a phone call from a company known as United Process Service. Ms. [redacted] states that when she accepted the call, she provided her personal information and found that they were collecting a debt. Ms. [redacted] states that the debt was being collected from a cellphone account that she had as a teenager that was no longer listed on her credit report. Ms. [redacted] requests that this gets figured out and reported with legal penalties.
I can understand where Ms. [redacted] is coming from when receiving a random debt collection call pertaining to a cellphone that she had many years prior and has since been taken off of her credit report. We apologize for any frustration or confusion this [redacted] have caused her.
After researching to find any information in regards to Ms. [redacted]' history with U.S. Cellular, unfortunately, we did not find any matching accounts that contained the phone number that she provided. When an agency contains any of our former customers, the agency is clear as to an account that was registered with a U.S. Cellular account. Ms. [redacted]' would need to ask any specific questions through the agency or under what credit report they are stating this is reported under. If she would like us to check for any service that she [redacted] have had with us any further, we have to ask that she please provide the correct account number, cellphone number, or her full social security number to locate. Once we have this information, if we are able to locate an account that was with U.S. Cellular in general, we will at least be able to provide Ms. [redacted] with answers such as if the account is with an agency and what agency to refer to.
Should Ms. [redacted] have additional questions, she [redacted] contact our Customer Service Department at (XXX)XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular

I had US Cellular service for my cell phone while I was in high school back in early 2000s. I cancelled my account in 2004, and moved out of the state in January of 2006. I received a phone call in late 2012 threatening to be sued for an account that was opened in October of 2006 and held until 2008. I explained to US Cellular that it was not my account and that I had moved out of state. In 2012 I enlisted in the Army. The representative that I spoke to in 2012 told me that they had found the account to be a fraudulent account and that it was being taken care of. It was removed from my credit report, and I never heard another thing about it up until now. I received a phone call with the threat of a tax garnish and an expensive court process if I did not pay over $1,500 to pay off the account that was in collections. When I explained that this account had been closed and written as a fraudulent account, there was not record of it. So now, almost 10 years after the fraudulent account was opened, I am being threatened with court and a tax garnish. That statute of limitations in the state of North Carolina is 3 years. Nobody has been able to explain to me how I am being threatened almost 10 years later. I have tried multiple times to get in contact with the US Cellular legal department, and the corporate customer service. Nobody is answering my calls and nobody is returning my messages. I even sent an email to the customer service and have not heard anything back. This company used to be really good. Now, not so much. This is the most disappointing customer service I have ever seen in my life. Being on active duty takes me lots of places, and it's sad that I am threatened more by a company from 10 years ago than I am of war.

January 2, 2017

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Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: Revdex.com Customer Relations Advocate
[redacted]
Chicago, IL 60611
                                       
Re: Complaint Number: #[redacted]
Customer’s Name:  [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number:  [redacted]
 
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular® in reference to the above account. We are in receipt of Mr. [redacted] complaint stating he was to receive a credit for our Refer-a-Friend Promo, but it was never placed on his account.
 
I do understand Mr. [redacted] disappointment and will be happy to review the account and the promotion in question. We have reviewed Mr. [redacted] complaint that he was referred by a friend and he has had issues receiving his end of the promotion. However, our Refer-a-Friend promotion is not issued by way of a credit to the account it is a U.S. Cellular closed loop promotional card sent via mail. This promotion is started and completed on line. The customer that is referring the friend is required to complete information through our website before the referred friend becomes a customer. I do apologize if there was confusion in store as this promotion is not processed by the sales representative completing any forms for the customer. Sometimes if the customer is having difficulty a representative my try to assist the customer, however all requirements of the promotions are the responsibility of the customer. I can offer a link https://referafriend.uscellular.com for additional information and restrictions on the promotion to assist Mr. [redacted] further.
 
In review of Mr. [redacted] current account, I see it was originally the Pre-paid $35.00 plan including 500MB High Speed Data w/ Data Throttling that was chosen and paid for, it was changed to the $45.00 2GB High Speed Data w/ Data Throttling which increased the cost $10.00 which caused an additional payment to be made by Mr. [redacted]. The Pre-Paid Simple Connect Plans come in different sizes depending on the amount of High Speed Data you need. They are all unlimited data, however as an industry standard it is not unlimited High Speed Data; as all of our signage, website, and other forms of media clearly state. Due to the confusion with starting Mr. [redacted] device U.S. Cellular gave him a courtesy credit of $8.00 on his account. On November 19, 2016, Mr. [redacted] called into our Customer Service Department regarding his data being throttled. He was advised how his plan worked and he was unhappy with the data situation and requested to speak to a Supervisor. Mr. [redacted] spoke to our Escalation Department and in an attempt to appease Mr. [redacted] we offered to move him to the larger Prepaid: Simple Connect $60 - Unlimited Talk Text and 5GB High Speed Data Plan. By making this change before the anniversary date for his payment renewal, we placed a credit on the account of $60.00.  This allowed the new larger data plan to start and gave the customer 7 days of free service valued at $14.00.
 
On December 12, 2016 Mr. [redacted] called in regarding the Refer-a-Friend promotion in question. Mr. [redacted] requested a Supervisor and again spoke to our Escalation Department where he was advised the promotion did not include Pre-paid accounts. As a courtesy due to the perceived service failure we offered Mr. [redacted] a credit of $25.00 and placed it on his account. Mr. [redacted] accepted that resolution. On December 17, 2016 Mr. [redacted] called in and advised the Customer Service Representative he was promised $50.00, the representative advised the customer the notes reflected he had been offered and given a $25.00 credit. Mr. [redacted] again requested to speak to a Supervisor and was connected to our Escalation Department. We advised Mr. [redacted] again of what the notes reflected and advised not all calls are recorded, but if we could locate the call we would call him back. The only reason Mr. [redacted] was switched to different associates was because he continued to request a Supervisor.
 
Mr. [redacted] states as a resolution for this issue he would like a credit of $25.00. Of course we never want our customers to be disappointed in our service. However we feel we have compensated Mr. [redacted] account over and above for a promotion he did not qualify for. I apologize at this time we are unable to provide Mr. [redacted] with any additional courtesy credits over the 7 days free service and the $38.00 in account credits.
 
Should Mr. [redacted] have additional questions, he may contact our Customer Service Department at [redacted].
 
Sincerely,
[redacted].
 
Customer Service Support Team
U.S. Cellular®

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2014/03/14) */
March 14, 2014
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: Ms. [redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611

Re: Complaint Number: XXXXXXXX
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number: ...

XXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms. [redacted]
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. I am in receipt of Ms. [redacted]'s correspondence regarding the service issues she experienced over the weekend. Ms. [redacted] states in her correspondence that she spent five hours on the phone with our Customer Service Department, and that her calls were disconnected. She continues to state that she was experiencing dropped calls, and no service. She also stated that people were reporting that they called her; however she had no missed calls. Ms. [redacted] was stating that Customer Service was reporting no tower outages. Ms. [redacted] is requesting that U.S. Cellular find a better system when customers have issues. She states that the current system is not acceptable. She also states that U.S. Cellular needs to notify her about these issues.
Ms. [redacted] I truly apologize for the frustrations Ms. [redacted] experienced due to the issued described above. I know that staying connected to family and friends is important. I am [redacted] to review her request to address her concerns.
Our records reflect that Ms. [redacted] contacted our Customer Service Department March 11, 2014 regarding no calls, and dropped calls. At that time, she stated that she had been having difficulties in her area since Saturday. We attempted to complete troubleshooting steps, and after those steps transferred her call to our Technical Support Department. We spoke to Ms. [redacted] later that evening, and connected her with our Technical Support Department due to the difficulties she was experiencing. On March 13, 2014 we attempted to contact Ms. [redacted] regarding the service issues she was experiencing. We were unable to reach her, and left a voice mail message.
Ms. [redacted] please let Ms. [redacted] know that I do understand that frustrations she experienced when trying to use her phone. I have checked our system, and did find that several towers in her area were experiencing difficulties. These issues were corrected on March 12, 2014. I show that Ms. [redacted] has been able to use her phone since these issues have been corrected. However as a courtesy I have issued an adjustment of $25.00 to Ms. [redacted]'s account. The adjustment will give Ms. [redacted] a new balance on her account of $160.43 that was due on March 13, 2014.
In her correspondence Ms. [redacted] asked for better notification that there is a service issue. I regret that the only way we can determine there is an error is through our customers. I will forward Ms. [redacted]'s feedback to our management staff to determine if a better system can be put into place. I hope this information is helpful, and I again apologize for the frustrations this issue has caused Ms. [redacted].
Should Ms. [redacted] have additional questions, they [redacted] contact our Customer Service Department at (XXX)XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/02/06) */
February 6, 2015
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention:[redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611

Re: Complaint Number: XXXXXXXX
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number: ...

XXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms. [redacted]
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account.
Mrs. [redacted] has expressed concerns regarding her price plan and charges on her bill. She is concerned that she is being billed for picture messaging at $.25 per picture message and expressed her understanding that her package included unlimited text & picture messaging.
I will be more than [redacted] to assist with Mrs. [redacted]'s concerns. We strive for our customers to have the best experience possible, and I can certainly understand the concern when viewing a higher bill than expected.
I was able to contact Mrs.[redacted] to discuss her current price plan. Mrs. [redacted]'s plan currently includes 1000 national minutes for $69.99. She is also paying 30.00 for her internet package for her smartphone device, and she has a 250 text messaging package for 4.95 per month. Her current text package does not include picture messaging. There is charge of $.25 per picture message sent under the current package with free incoming. The plan we currently have her on is a retired plan that had different packaging and offerings than our current plans as the industry's customer needs were much different when we activated her current plan than those of today. After discussing the situation further with Mrs. [redacted], she advised me that a U.S. Cellular(r) representative had advised her that she had the unlimited messaging. I recognized that this is where the misunderstanding began.
While speaking with Mrs. [redacted] we discussed the current charges and I further explained the limitations of her current plan and the benefits and differences in our new price plans. We discussed alternative options to provide her the services she currently needs to avoid these unexpected charges moving forward. Also, due to the confusion in her price plan, we were able to compromise on the charges on the account to provide her with a quality resolution.
I hope we were able to resolve the issues to the satisfaction and quality of service that Mrs. [redacted] expects and deserves.
Should Mrs. [redacted] have additional questions, she [redacted] contact our Customer Service Department at (XXX)XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular

I was a U.S. Cellular customer for around 4 years. I have had overwhelmingly negative experiences in dealing with customer service representatives there. I was using a cheap prepaid phone plan--being a college student, it was what I could afford. I decided to sign up for automatic billing, so that I would not have to worry each month about my bill getting paid. When I signed up, I got billed twice--once was the authorized charge that I paid in-store, and I also got billed by their automatic system, which was supposed to start the next month. This second charge caused an overdraft in my meager checking account.
When I went back to the store and waited the requisite 45-60 minutes to be able to talk to a representative and explain my problem, three or four separate employees that I talked to explained to me that even though I was charged incorrectly, it was against policy to refund the money to me. Also, due to some unforeseen charge, the balance in my account would not be enough for the next whole month of service. As they are weird about amounts that you can add to your account, I would always have a positive balance, through no fault of my own--not to mention that I needed the money for other life-sustaining things! Long story short, I had to call my bank to find out what information I would need to write a letter detailing this fraudulent, unauthorized charge. Only when I called back to the store detailing my plan of action did they agree to refund my money. While I have no doubt that their employees were merely following this dubious company policy, it would have been nice to not be treated as a nuisance for merely demanding fair business practices.
The sad thing is, I stayed with the company, tried again to use their automated billing system, and the very same thing happened to me again, even though I was assured it would not happen. Very disappointing.

On April 24, 2016, I was going to be late with my payment if I sent a check, so I called US Cellular to pay it over the phone. I had my checkbook in front of me and read the routing number and bank account number from it. I thought a number was read back to me incorrectly, so I corrected it and whoever I talked to indicated they had it. I have a confirmation number. This month, my bill was reflecting last month's charge as a late charge. When I called to say I believed a mistake was made, I was told that my bank wouldn't pay because they were given an incorrect number. THIS WAS BECAUSE OF A US CELLULAR EMPLOYEE'S ERROR....NOT MINE. Today I was told I could not pay in full by giving my bank's routing number and checking account number.....it would have to be on my debit card "to be sure the funds were there." And if that erroneous "late charge" weren't paid in full, it could result in my service being shut off. I DON'T LIKE TO PAY WITH CARDS. I HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR A VERY LONG TIME, HAVE ALWAYS PAID MY BILLS, AND WAS MADE TO FEEL LIKE A DEADBEAT TODAY. I was not allowed to know the incorrect number that was apparently given to my bank so that I could discuss it with the bank, nor could I talk to whoever I talked to at US Cell that last time. It was either my debit card number or nothing. I'll be sending a check for the full amount in today's mail. If my service is discontinued before this is all processed, of course, I'll be going to another carrier. Until today, I have always been satisfied with US Cell.....but today has definitely left a bad taste in my mouth!! I believe there should be enough courtesy to allow a customer to talk to whoever made the error on their account, or to be able to resolve what incorrect number was entered so that it could be made clear that it must have sounded similar over the phone and the "late charge" should have been corrected so that a payment in full could have been made from my checking account over the phone so that everything was taken care of without the threat of discontinued service.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2014/03/19) */
March 19, 2014
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: [redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611

Re: Complaint Number: XXXXXXXX
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number: ...

XXXXXXXXX
Dear [redacted]:
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. We are in receipt of Ms. [redacted]'s complaint in which she stated that she had cancelled her account in order to lower her bills. Ms. [redacted] explained that she was paid up through March 15th, 2014 at the time she cancelled on March 4th, 2014 and she is unhappy with time frame in which she will receive her refund the days she did not have service. Ms. [redacted] advised that we know the usage and can see there are not overages and feels we are blatantly making it difficult for her to receive her refund.
Ms.[redacted], we are very disappointed to see that we have lost Ms. [redacted] as a customer. We truly appreciated the time that she spent as a US Cellular Customer and I am even more disappointed in hearing that Ms. [redacted] is leaving the company with a complaint. Ms.[redacted] we apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] has had regarding the refund process and I would be [redacted] to provide her with additional information that she [redacted] find helpful.
Ms.[redacted], in review of Ms. [redacted]'s account I see that her bill cycle runs from the 16th of one month until the 15th of the next. Along with Ms. [redacted] there are a large number of other customers in her area that also have bill cycles that run from the 16th of one month until the 15th of the next month. When the bills are calculated this is done in large batches. This would mean that even in situations where a customer would cancel the service for an account that individual bill is not pulled and calculated that day but would still be done at the end of the cycle. This also allows for any delayed billing to be reported. Delayed billing is due to delayed reporting by other carriers, some wireless usage including voice, texting, international and data used while outside a USCC market [redacted] be billed in months subsequent to Customer's actual usage. For these reasons Ms.[redacted], on the date that Ms. [redacted] cancelled, we actually did not know is she would have a final credit or if there would be overages or additional charges. In addition to this, when a customer pays by check or credit card a refund process for any reason would not begin until twenty days after the payment is made. This allows for us to assure that funds have cleared both the customer's financial institution and the merchant bank.
Ms.[redacted], we are not withholding Ms. [redacted]'s money or trying to make this process difficult. It is never our intention to make any business dealing with US Cellular feel like a hassle. Generally speaking, when any account is closed and a credit is remaining on the account, this credit is distributed back to the customer in the same way of the last payment after 60 days (or two billing cycles) have passed. This balance is held in order to cover any delayed charges that [redacted] be reported into the account. When Ms. [redacted] receives her Revised Final Statement showing a credit balance we ask that she please contact our Financial Services Department at X-XXX-XXX-XXXX to request the refund.
Sincerely,
[redacted] J.
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 17, 2014/03/24) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
It is now 6 business days since the 16th (stated printing day of new bill) from my original response from them and I am still unable to see the final bill online. I have paperless billing. I was told I would be able to see it and then know if a credit is stated. Also, my account has never had any overages as we had 1500 minutes that were never used anywhere near that, EACH phone had unlimited texting and 5 gig each of data which we never got to 4 gigs on. If I do not have access to the bill this week I will be contacting the Revdex.com again. However, as far as US cellular is concerned, I will be making it my goal to get people to switch carriers and am going to start a blog to get the word out about how bad a company they have become.
I am to get a credit of $94.19 (I would have attached a screenshot of the bill with credit if it was available to do on this system). I called in and they at first told me that it [redacted] not go thru because she did not see final bill. Then she said it will take 2-3 weeks to return to the credit card that they had no problem charging immediately. You may hear from me in 2-3 weeks if I do not get it and this is total BS to have to wait when they can charge it within minutes.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 20, 2014/03/26) */
March 26, 2014
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: [redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL XXXXX

Re: Complaint Number: XXXXXXXX
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number: XXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms.[redacted],
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. I am in receipt of Ms. [redacted]'s complaint regarding the ability to see her statement online reflecting her credit balance. She would like to see this bill to ensure that our system does reflect this credit. She also would like to know why it takes so long to process her refund.
I'm sorry to hear about Ms. [redacted]'s concerns about U.S. Cellular and not being able to view her account online. I can ensure Ms. [redacted] that her bill does reflect a credit balance of $94.19 at this time. It [redacted] take some time to be able to view bills online, however we will be more than [redacted] to do free bill reprint for Ms. [redacted] or if she would like to see her bill quicker she [redacted] stop by one of our retail locations.
Ms. [redacted] has been a customer of ours since 2007 and as we stated in our previous correspondences we are not trying to keep her refund or make it difficult for her. Again we have repeatedly informed her of our processes and polices that is applicable for every one of our customers. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, however Ms. [redacted] can be sure we will refund her once her Final Bill has printed.
We respectably ask that this case be closed as of now we have addressed Ms. [redacted]'s concerns many times to the best of our ability. If she has any questions or concerns regarding her refund status she [redacted] contact our Customer Service Department at (XXX)XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular

I have never had more trouble with a cell phone plan or any kind of service in my life. I am paying 200$ a month sometimes more for ONE CELLPHONE PLAN. That is ridiculous and more than my car payment. I also NEVER have signal. I'm in the middle of town right now writing this and I have 2 bars. My phone also dies when it gets to 30% it just shuts off. I'm locked I. A contact for another year and cannot afford this crap. I pay way too much money for the worst service of my life. I've called and talked to customer service repeatedly and ask them why my bill is so high. I was quoted a bill of 119 a month and it's NEVER been below 160. Ever. All I was told is they weren't sure where the charges came from they apologized and said there was nothing they could do. I called bawling because I need my phone for work and couldn't pay my 300 bill and I was told there's nothing they could do and they couldn't tell me why it was so much. I'm so disappointed and I feel trapped in this contract and I'm getting cheated. I don't understand how a business can treat people this way and sleep at night. I'm telling everyone I know and I know a lot of people, to steer clear of us cellular. $200 for one person and one phone line is just sad who do you people think you are. Racking in your millions while I can't pay my bills or put gas in my car to make it to my minimum wage job so I can work 40 hrs to pay for one phone. You should be ashamed.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2014/05/21) */
[redacted] 21, 2014
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: [redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611

Re: Complaint Number: [redacted]
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number: ...

XXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms. [redacted]
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. We are in receipt of Ms. [redacted] complaint regarding a double bill received causing her bill to be over $800.00. I understand that getting an accurate bill is a high priority, especially when managing your finances, I'd be more than [redacted] to review the account information for a resolution.
In review of the account, I see that Ms. [redacted] service was suspended for non-payment on April 11th. The bills are sent to Ms. [redacted] billing address in paper format. The bill for $375.34 was mailed on March 14th to be paid by April 3rd, because the payment was not received by this date the account was suspended. On April 11th, Ms. [redacted] talked to a Financial Services representative that was able to restore the account by taking a payment for $100.00 and extending the $275.34 to April 25th. We always encourage our customers to setup a payment plan in the event that they are unable to pay by the due date to avoid interruption of service as well as restore from suspend fees. In Ms. [redacted] case, I see that we have agreed to waive the fees as a one-time courtesy totaling $134.40 in credits.
As far as Ms. [redacted] being double billed is no billing error, it is in conjunction with the suspension on the account. When the April bill was due to generate the account was in a suspension status causing her to only be billed for one day of usage, from April 10th through the 11th. We are unable to bill for the full month because she did not have service active at the moment and we do not know how long the service would remain suspended; so when the [redacted] bill printed, we continued the charges from the date of restoration plus her regular month in advance. Since Ms. [redacted] was suspended for only a few hours on the 11th, the [redacted] bill is basically for a full two months of service.
After the adjustments have been made Ms. [redacted] corrected balance is $694.57 due by June 4th. Should she need additional time, she [redacted] contact our Financial Services department at XXX-XXX-XXXX so we can work out an arrangement. If Ms. [redacted] has additional questions regarding this correspondence, she [redacted] contact our Customer Service Department at (XXX)XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2014/04/30) */
April 30, 2014
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: [redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611

Re: Complaint Number: XXXXXXXX
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number:...

XXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms. [redacted]
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. We have received Ms. [redacted]'s complaint. Ms. [redacted] stated she purchased a LG Wine III in January 2014. The phone stopped working when she left the 48 state area. When she tried to return the phone, she was informed that the return policy is only up to 15 days when she was told the return policy is up to 30 days. Ms. [redacted] then switched her mobile number to her previous device, and asked to have the contract voided since her device was not working. She was informed the contract will not be voided. She stated when she attempted to have the device fixed, she was informed this is not possible because she is disputing the payment for the phone with her credit card provider. A $20 fee has been added to bill for a return charge. Ms. [redacted] would like a refund for both the LG Wine III for $162.38 and the return fee for $20. She will return the LG Wine III so that her contract can be voided.
I am sorry to hear that Ms. [redacted]'s phone did not work when she went on vacation. We understand how important it is to have access to a working device in all possible locations. I appreciate the opportunity to address this complaint and I will be more than [redacted] to provide information that [redacted] be helpful.
Our records show Ms. [redacted] paid $162.35 for a LG Wine III on January 16, 2014. We did not have any interactions with her until March 13, 2014 where we received an email requesting an address change. Three days later on March 16, 2014 I see Ms. [redacted] switched her number back to her previous device which took place in a retail store. I see Ms. [redacted] had an interaction with the same retail associate on both March 24th and the 25th but unfortunately I cannot see the details of the conversation our associate had with Ms. [redacted].
On April 3, 2014 our Payment Control Department noted the account with the following information: "Cardholder disputed the payment of $162.35 made on January 16, 2014 for the LG Wine III with credit card provider. A credit of $162.35 was issued to the credit card account for this payment and a $20 returned fee was charged to the U.S. Cellular account".
The next day on April 4, 2014 an authorized user spoke with one of our retail associates about the power issues with the LG Wine III. The authorized user requested the manager of that location to check if it is possible to have the early termination fee waived and the two year contract voided. The authorized user was informed the manager was not on site at that moment, and the authorized user stated they will call our Customer Service Department about this matter.
On April 8, 2014 we responded to an email Ms. [redacted] sent our Customer Resolution Support Department. She explained the device is defective by powering off at random moments, and she has to remove the battery to turn it back on. She also mentioned that she has been trying to return the phone for three weeks. She mentioned that she is disputing the payment for the phone with her credit card provider, and she has activated her previous device. Finally she stated that she feels that if the LG Wine III is not active and not working, the two year contract should be null and void. We informed Ms. [redacted] about our 15 return policy which switched from 30 days to 15 days on June 1, 2012. Next, we informed her about our troubleshooting process and of LG's one year manufacturer warranty policy if the phone is found to be defective without any kind of physical damage. Finally we explained that the two year contract cannot be waived because we sold the phone at a discounted price instead of the full retail price. The two year contract is required to receive the device at a discount.
Ms. [redacted] replied to this email expressing her dissatisfaction that we are unable to remove the two year contract for a device that she cannot use. In our response we explained the manufacturer warranty policy, and what steps she needs to take to get the phone repaired. We also made it clear that this process can only be taken if there is no damage to the device.
On April 25, 2014 Ms. [redacted] called to speak with our Financial Services Department about the bill. Our Customer Service Associate explained that the $182.35 that is past due is the charged for the device that was backed out and the $20 return fee. At this time, there is still a past due balance of $182.35
I would like to inform Ms. [redacted] that we have already processed a refund of $162.35 on April 2, 2014 because she disputed the charge with her credit card provider. Therefore the charge of $162.35 and the return fee of $20 are valid charges. The $20 return fee is applicable because U.S. Cellular must cover this fee whenever a customer's payment is backed out for a disputed charge that is reversed or a dishonored check. We will not be able to accept a return for the LG Wine III because Ms. [redacted] is outside of her 15 days to return the device. Her warranty on the LG Wine III is valid for one year from January 16, 2014. Once our retail associates have determined there has not been any damage to the device, we will send the device to the manufacturer (LG). The defect will either be fixed or the device will be replaced. Since Ms. [redacted] is unable to return the device, we want to assist her in getting the device she initially paid for fixed. I hope she understands the options available to her. Have a wonderful day.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12, 2014/04/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I tried to go into the store before March 13th, but I am sorry that I didn\'t keep better notes regarding this issue. I have been a loyal customer and have always been treated great, I didn\'t think there was a need to keep track of every time I stepped foot into the store, what time I was there and who I spoke with.
I left on vacation for the entire month of February and returned to the country on March 8th. I expected that with a new phone and contract, that I didn\'t need to worry about issues like these. If I had expected or known this would happen, I would have waited until I returned from vacation.
Before I even disputed the charge of the phone, I took the phone back to the store and let them know there was an issue. The service department would not even look at the phone. They said in order for them to look at the phone, they would have to submit a work order, send me a phone via Fedex and once I received that phone, I could bring my phone back in, switch the service over to the phone I received via Fedex, then they could send my phone to be looked at, not that it would be fixed.
I\'m still a very unhappy customer! They are willing to do whatever they can to get NEW customers but they are unwilling to help with any loyal customers. As far as I am concerned, this is still a valid issue. They had many chances to fix the problem before it got to this point. It takes going to a government agency to get them to do anything. That is very poor customer service.

Final Business Response /* (4000, 18, 2014/05/08) */
[redacted] 8, 2014
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: [redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL XXXXX

Re: Complaint Number:[redacted]
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number: XXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms. [redacted]
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular(r) in reference to the above account. We are in receipt of Ms. [redacted]'s reply. Ms. [redacted] stated that she should not have had to go through the Revdex.com to get her phone fixed. She also stated that numerous chances were given to resolve this matter. Because this has been going on for 3 1/2 months, she has decided to choose another cellular service provider. Ms. [redacted] states that she has been a loyal customer for over 20 years and many of her family are customers as well. Ms. [redacted] says that she hopes that U.S. Cellular(r) concerns itself with their existing customer and not just trying to get new customers. In regards to her phone that was not working, she stated that the new cell phone carrier sent the device to the manufacturer for repair.
Ms. [redacted] I understand Ms. [redacted]'s frustration regarding the steps she has taken to get this matter resolved. I am very sorry to learn that we were not able to resolve this matter in a suitable timeframe and as such have lost Ms. [redacted] as a loyal customer.
I apologize that we were not able to give Ms. [redacted] the exact outcome that she expected. However, we do want Ms. [redacted] to know that we truly appreciated her business over the years. Should Ms. [redacted] have additional questions, she [redacted] contact our Customer Service Department at (XXX)XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular(r)
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 16, 2014/05/05) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I should not have to go through this much stuff and through the Revdex.com to get my phone fixed. They have had numerous chances to fix this. Since this has been an going issue for 3-1/2 months, we have decided to go with another cellular service. US Cellular will no longer be receiving my service as well as the other 20 plus phone lines that will be canceled due to this issue. I have been a loyal customer for over 20 years and all of my family in 3 other states around the midwest as well. I hope they see this and start worrying about their existing customer, not just trying to get new customers. As far as my phone getting fixed. I realize it is locked by US Cellular, but our new cell phone carrier was kind enough to send it in after talking to their customer service department and explaining to them what has happened. It doesn't cost anything to them as it would not have for US Cellular either as they send numerous phones back to the manufacturer. Once we get our phone back we can donate to it to worthy cause for another person to use if they choose with US Cellular.

October 21, 2015
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: Revdex.com Customer Relations Advocate
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611
Re: Complaint Number: [redacted]
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number*...

[redacted]
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. I am in receipt of Ms. [redacted] complaint in which she details the changes she made with service providers, the time she spent in the store to reactivate her service, the different answers she received related to keeping her old plan and waiving the ETF's, the contact she made with U.S. Cellular to remove the ETF's, payments that have not properly been applied to her account and her account being turned over to a collection agency. Ms. [redacted] requests that U.S. Cellular update her credit report, waive all ETF's and a refund of excess money owed to her within 30 days. Further, Ms. [redacted] requests that we compensate her for lost wages, late fees and interest if it takes beyond 30 days.
My name is [redacted] and I appreciate the opportunity to review Ms. [redacted] complaint. We would like to sincerely apologize to Ms. [redacted] for the frustration she has experienced. It is never our intention to cause our customers angst, especially to the point of cancelation. I hope to provide information Ms. [redacted] will find helpful.
On September 3, 2013 Ms. [redacted] upgraded both of her phones with a two-year agreement. At that time U.S. Cellular had recently undergone a complete billing system change. Unfortunately, many changes took much longer than normal during this time period and we are truly sorry the process to upgrade Ms. [redacted] phones took hours.
On January 18, 2015 one of Ms. [redacted] lines was ported to another service provider followed by the second line on January 23, 2015. Because the two-year agreement was broken, Ms. [redacted] was assessed an ETF that latter appeared on her bill dated: 2/6/15.
On February 1, 2015 Ms. [redacted] contacted our Customer Service Department to discuss the process of returning to U.S. Cellular. She was advised to visit the store to begin the process of restarting her account. During this interaction we incorrectly advised Ms. [redacted] that she would be able to keep the same retired plan, Family Premium Plus, she had prior to porting her numbers out.
On February 2, 2015 Ms. [redacted] visited our store on [redacted] and worked with our Sales Associate, [redacted] was unable to reinstate Ms. [redacted] account with the retired plan and she contacted our Customer Relations Department. [redacted] from our Customer Relations Department advised [redacted] we would be unable to reinstate the retired plan. [redacted] then spoke with Ms. [redacted] to let her know we would be unable to activate her old plan. According to our notations, [redacted] told Ms. [redacted] in order to return to U.S. Cellular she would need to activate on a new plan with a two-year agreement. Further, she would be eligible for new phones as of July 3, 2015 and she should contact U.S. Cellular once she received the billed ETF's to have them removed. Ms. [redacted] left the store with our 1GB Shared Connect Plan and two temporary numbers that were used until her numbers were ported back to U.S. Cellular. On February 4, 2015 Ms. [redacted] called our Customer Service Department to change from her temporary numbers to her ported-in numbers.
Prior to porting her numbers, Ms. [redacted] had a bill dated: 1/6/15 that showed a balance of $312.75 due 1/31/15; this included $94.72 in past due charges and $213.08 in current charges. We received a $100 payment on 1/21/15 leaving a balance of $212.75. After porting her numbers out and back in, a bill dated 2/6/15 showed a balance of $736.51 due 3/4/15; this included $212.75 in past due charges and $523.76 in current charges of which $458.60 was ETF charges. On 2/18/15 we received a payment of $100. A bill dated 3/6/15 showed a balance of $784.26 due 3/31/15; this included $636.51 in past due charges and $147.75 in current charges. We received a $100 payment on 3/19/15 and a $200 payment on 3/30/15 leaving a balance of $484.26.
We do not have any documented interactions with Ms. [redacted] between February 4th and April 6th. On April 6th Ms. [redacted] contacted our Customer Service Department about her balance. We discovered the ETF's had not yet been removed and a request was submitted to remove the ETF charges from her bill. This request was completed on April 7th when a credit of $458.60 was applied to Ms. [redacted] account. We also received a payment of $200 on April 7th leaving a credit balance of $174.34 on the account.
On April 12th, we received a port-out request for both of Ms. [redacted] numbers. We were truly saddened to see this. Also on this date, the bill dated: 4/6/15 posted and the account had a credit balance of $36.98. Two ETF's were generated on the bill dated: 5/6/15 because the two-year agreement required for the 1GB Shared Connect Plan Ms. [redacted] selected when she returned to U.S. Cellular was not fulfilled. The final balance was $493.98 due 5/31/15. There were no late fees added to this balance. We do not have any documented interactions with Ms. [redacted] beyond April 11th when she called for her account number.
On September 11th we turned over the balance of $493.98 to a collection agency. U.S. Cellular does not directly report to the credit bureaus. We require the collection agencies we work with to wait a minimum of 30 days to report unpaid balances to the credit bureaus. We want to provide our customers every opportunity to ask questions and pay off their balances before their credit is impacted.
On October 1st we received a request from the collection agency Ms. [redacted] account had been placed with to provide bill reprints and a copy of Ms. [redacted] contract. On October 14th the collection agency returned Ms. [redacted] account to U.S. Cellular because they received a cease and desist request from her.
At this time the balance owed to U.S. Cellular is $493.98. We kindly ask that Ms. [redacted] remit payment to U.S. Cellular to clear this balance. Upon Ms. [redacted] request, we would be happy to mail a copy of the two-year service agreement she signed on February 2nd that led to the ETF's that make up her balance.
We want to encourage Ms. [redacted] to make sure her payment to U.S. Cellular has posted by December 4th, 2015 at 5pm Central Time. Payments can be made over the phone, in store or via mail. We would certainly hate to see this happen, but if Ms. [redacted] is unable to remit payment her account will be turned over to an outside collection agency.
We are truly sorry for the frustration Ms. [redacted] has encountered. We want to reassure Ms. [redacted] her current balance of $493.98 is valid and all erroneous charges were removed from her account on April 7th. Should Ms. [redacted] have additional questions or want to make a payment, she may contact our Customer Service Department at [redacted] We are available daily from 6am-11pm Central Time.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular(r)

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/01/16) */
January 16, 2015
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: [redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611

Re: Complaint Number: XXXXXXXX
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number: ...

XXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms.[redacted]
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. I am in receipt of Ms. [redacted]'s complaint, I understand that she is frustrated regarding her experience with porting in her [redacted] number to U.S. Cellular, and that she would like a credit for the two weeks when she was having to carry two phones due to the porting delays.
Ms.[redacted] I am extremely sorry for the experience Ms. [redacted] had in starting her service with us. I have reviewed her account and it does appear, for whatever reason, that [redacted] was reluctant to allow the port to be completed. This is very unusual as most ports are complete within a few hours, usually 24 hours is the maximum it would take to process. Ms. [redacted]'s did take over two weeks. We share in her frustration, when a valid port request is presented to another carrier, as it was for Ms. [redacted], the other carrier is supposed to release the number in a timely fashion. This did not happen. We apologize for the inconvenience this caused.
As a result, I have credited Ms. [redacted] for 1/2 month worth of service. Even though we were not preventing the request from completing, I feel that is fair due to the experience Ms. [redacted] had. I do show that the port did finalize on January 15th, so this problem should now be resolved. I also show that Ms. [redacted] called and spoke with us earlier today, January 16th, and we advised her of this. If she encounters any further problems, we ask that she call us immediately so that we can fix any issues. The credit I have issued totals $48.82 after tax, which is 1/2 of her $90 monthly cost. Her current balance is now $118.49, which is due on January 26th.
Ms.[redacted] I am quite concerned that Ms. [redacted] states that [redacted] is saying they will not cancel her service until January 28th. As part of the porting process, service should be cancelled as soon as the port completes. I would suggest that Ms. [redacted] pursues that matter further with [redacted], as they would in essence be billing her for service they will not be able to provide.
Again, my apologies for Ms. [redacted]'s poor experience, we hope that she will be quite satisfied with the service going forward. If she has any further questions or concerns, she [redacted] call us at 611 from her U.S. Cellular phone or at (XXX) XXX-XXXX from any other phone.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular

November 19th,
2015Revdex.com of ChicagoAttention: Revdex.com Customer
Relations Advocate330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006 Chicago, IL 60611Re: Complaint Number: [redacted]Customer’s Name:  Rachel [redacted]U.S. Cellular Account
Number: ...

N/AThank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the
above complaint. We are in receipt of Ms.
[redacted] correspondence. In Ms.
[redacted] complaint, she states that US Cellular did a hard inquiry on her
credit rating on March 11th, 2014. She feels as this was not
authorized and is considered fraudulent. Ms. [redacted] further states that on
several occasions she tried to write letters and make calls to demand to have
the unauthorized fraudulent inquiry removed and the requests have been
unanswered.We have reviewed Ms.
[redacted] concerns. We can certainly understand any alarm that Ms.
Bernhardt may have had if she has a credit inquiry from U.S. Cellular show up
on her credit report and does not understand how.   Generally speaking, a credit
inquiry is only ran if a perspective customer wishes to obtain U.S. Cellular
service either in store, online, or via our Telesales department over the
phone.  If Ms. [redacted] feels that a
credit inquiry was made without her authorization, she would need to file a
dispute with the credit bureau that is supplying the information and we would
be able to follow the proper credit inquiry dispute protocol at that time.  Unfortunately due to the legality of this
type of request, it is not something that can be solved with a phone call or a
Revdex.com complaint.Please advise Ms. [redacted] of our request for her to follow the standard credit inquiry dispute and
we would love to further assist her with this request. We apologize for any inconvenience
this may have caused and look forward to receiving the credit bureau dispute so
that we may proceed in researching this matter further. Sincerely,Shannon
CCustomer
Resolution SupportU.S.
Cellular®

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I called the 1-888-[redacted] number,  and spoke to a [redacted], she informed me that this is a business account, and that I would have to be transferred to the "Business Services".  She transferred me to them and I spoke to "[redacted]".  [redacted] informed me that the only options that I have to cancel service is to pay the following:
On the two hot spots a "Termination Fee" of 62.00 each or a total of $ 124.00
On the ([redacted]-[redacted] line a "Termination Fee" of 145.00
On line ([redacted]-[redacted] A phone buy out of $ 388.80
On line ([redacted]-[redacted] A phone buy out of  $ 495.00
On line ([redacted]-[redacted] A phone buy out of $ 449.28.
Thus the total to cancel the service that I do not receive is $ 1,602.08.
I do not understand that US Cellular is advertising that I receive the "Best Service" and they are not providing that.  My service is almost nill, yet they want to charge Termination Fees, when it is not my fault that they do not have service in my area that they promote that they have. U.S. Cellular is  misrepresenting their product,  and should offer to void all termination fees, if another provider can have the service in the area.  It is not my fault that the "tower has been changed directions to accommodate more customers " and I am left in the cold with almost no service. 
I feel like I have been shafted in regards to the service, and no help from US Cellular in providing the service that "I used to have from them".  If they cannot provide adequate service, then they need to point that out in the maps of the areas that they say they have service. they also need to be truthful to customers if the towers are changed in directions and the service area has been compromised.
They also should provide the customers that the service is limited some options in regards to getting out of the non-existent service.
 
 
I have been a loyal customer quite a few years, and yet U.S. Cellular is not offering to make up to me any help in the service is[redacted]s.  Ii would like a actual fix to my problem or for
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2014/07/14) */
July 14, 2014
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: [redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611

Re: Complaint Number: XXXXXXXX
Customer's Name:[redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number:...

XXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms. [redacted]
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. I am in receipt of Ms. [redacted] complaint, and I would be more than [redacted] to address this matter.
In her complaint, Ms.[redacted] stated that she purchased a prepaid phone from us, as we advised her that she would receive service in her home area. When she returned home, she realized that she had no service and could not make any calls and her phone was not receiving calls. She is elderly and suffers from many physical and mental ailments and she does not have transportation of her own, so her phone is extremely important. She has two people that assist with errands and other things and she sent one of them into our retail location to try and resolve the issues she was having with her device. We were unable to assist because Ms.[redacted] had to be in-store as well. She was not able to get a new phone or a loaner device so she cancelled her services with us and was without a phone for 12 days. She needs her device for emergencies, and feels as if we made no effort to resolve her issues. This situation has caused her great mental anguish, emotional distress and financial burden. She would like to be reimbursed for the money she spent on gas to get to and from our retail locations, as well as a full refund for her services.
I truly regret to learn that Ms.[redacted] was without a working phone for over a week. I know the importance of having service at all times, especially with medical issues, and I sincerely apologize for experience Ms.[redacted] has had with us. I have reviewed her account, and I see that Ms.[redacted] established an account with us on June 30, 2014. With the address she provided us, our coverage map shows that she would receive coverage. We never establish an account if we have the knowledge that a customer resides outside of our home area, as we cannot guarantee reception on a partner carrier's towers.
On July 02, 2014 we spoke with someone regarding the customer's service issues who stated they were Ms.[redacted], but they were unable to provide the proper PIN on her account for verification, so we walked the caller through basic troubleshooting steps to increase their signal strength. Please let the customer know that we do not allow unauthorized parties to handle her account solely for the protection of her personal information. We do provide our customers with courtesy loaners in store if they have a damaged device. It is definitely not our intention to inconvenience the customer by this, and I am truly sorry if it did. Our customers have the option to add authorized users to their accounts, which basically gives the authorized party access to do most things on the account, as well as receive any account specific information. I show no authorized users added, so we were only able to discuss the account with the owner, Ms.[redacted].
On July 08, 2014 one of our supervisors spoke with an unauthorized party, we were unable to reach the customer to authorize the caller, so we gave them the number to Technical Support, and advised them to have Ms.[redacted] call in to troubleshoot.
On July 09, 2014 Ms.[redacted] cancelled her account due to reception issues. Because we know our coverage locator is not always 100% accurate, we allow a 15 day window where the customer can return their device and cancel without any fees if they are not satisfied with their services. So, on July 10, 2014 we refunded the full $70.00 that Ms.[redacted] had paid for her device as well as her month in advance of services. We are truly sorry for the inconvenience and undue stress this matter has caused the customer.
Should Ms.[redacted] have additional questions, she [redacted] contact our Customer Service Department at (XXX)XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2014/09/22) */
September 22, 2014
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: Ms.[redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL XXXXX

Re: Complaint Number: XXXXXXXX
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account...

Number: XXXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms.[redacted]
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. I am in receipt of Ms. [redacted]'s concerns regarding her U.S. Cellular refund that is due her. Ms. [redacted] states that she began the process in [redacted] trying to obtain a refund that was due. She states that she has been given multiple reasons why the refund had not arrived including wrong addresses as well as time expectations that have obviously not been met.
Ms.[redacted]I can fully understand Ms. [redacted]'s frustration from not receiving her refund in a timely manner. Given many different answers over this period of time certainly gives the impression that we are reluctant to refund Ms. [redacted] what is rightfully hers.
I have reviewed Ms. [redacted]'s account and can provide the following information. When Ms. [redacted] began her quest we were told that the check would be processed within 3 to 4 weeks and that was the original information given to Ms. [redacted]. After that time frame, Ms. [redacted] again called and then was told the check had been issued but we could not give an exact date when it would arrive. On August 27 Ms. [redacted] visited with one of our associates on social media and was advised that we would research her concern. It was then on September 15, through the research of our social media associate, that we discovered the check had been sent to the incorrect address. We immediately went to work to correct the problem. Our Financial Services Department did not have a correct address for Ms. [redacted] in their system, even though her account was showing a correct address.
Ms.[redacted]when any check has been issued, even if sent to the incorrect address, we issue a "stop payment" on the check. We then have to have clearance from our financial department that the original check had indeed not been cashed. We then resubmit a new check to the correct address. As you can imagine this unfortunately, adds even more time to the waiting process.
I am not offering the above information as an excuse but rather for information only. Ms.[redacted]I want to apologize to Ms. [redacted] as this process has taken both longer than we desired and longer than she deserved. Ms. [redacted] stated that she does not believe the information that we have given her and believes that if we wait long enough she will give up. I assure you Ms.[redacted]we want to keep our financial records up to date and in order with timely refunds as just as much as Ms. [redacted] wants her refund. It is not our intention to have any customers wait longer than the normal process time.
I am pleased to report that we processed a check to Ms. [redacted] on September 19 to the correct address on the account in the amount of $70.25. Ms. [redacted], if not already, should be receiving that check in a matter of days. Ms. [redacted] is requesting interest earned on the money owed for the last four months. Since her account is closed and the check has already been issued, we cannot credit her account and so a credit for interest is not possible.
I again, apologize for the inconvenience that this had caused Ms. [redacted]. I want to thank her for her business with us and wish her continued success with her new cellular provider. Should Ms. [redacted] have additional questions, they [redacted] contact our Customer Service Department at (XXX)XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12, 2014/09/23) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I find it unbelievable that even tho my address was verified by USCellular representatives in EVERY personal contact made by me over the past several months that it was not until the DAY they received notice that I had filed a complaint with the Revdex.com were they able to finally "correct" the address and issue a refund check. Timing is too convenient to be mere coincidence. I also find it rather convenient on their part that they would wait until 5 days after said check was issued to report it as such, and then claim that because the check has been issued they cannot address the other issues of reimbursement(s) I posed in the initial complain.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2014/09/25) */
September 25, 2014
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention:[redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL XXXXX

Re: Complaint Number: [redacted]
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number: XXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms.[redacted],
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. We are in receipt of Ms. [redacted]'s rebuttal to our previous response, in which she expresses her suspicions about our motives in taking so long to issue a refund check.
Ms.[redacted]once again we extend our deepest apologies for the amount of time it has taken to get Ms. [redacted]'s refund to her. I would like to personally reassure her that there were no underhanded motives at play here, and that we were not just waiting in the hope that she would just give up. We normally get refunds sent out much sooner, and once again we apologize deeply for all of the issues and complications we have had trying to get Ms. [redacted]'s refund to her. We take great pride in our customer service and there are no excuses for having taken so long in this case.
Since the refund check was reissued on 9/19/14, Ms. [redacted] should receive it within the next few days, if she hasn't already. I genuinely hope that she has received it by now.
Should Ms. [redacted] have any additional questions or concerns, she [redacted] contact our Customer Service Department at (XXX)XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular

February 12, 2016


size="3"> Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention: Revdex.com Customer Relations Advocate
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611
                                       
Re: Complaint Number: [redacted]
Customer’s Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular® Account Number: [redacted]


Dear Revdex.com Customer Relations Advocate,

Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. I have reviewed Ms. [redacted]’s complaint and will be happy to see how I may be of assistance in this situation.

Here at U.S. Cellular we strive to provide all of our customers with an exceptional [redacted] experience. So, I was saddened to learn of the trouble that Ms. [redacted] and her fiancé had been having while using mobile data in the Chicago area. I know how important it is to stay connected to high-speed data so I can definitely see how this situation may have caused them some frustration. I will be happy to review Ms. [redacted]’s account to see how this problem may be addressed most effectively.

Since starting service with us it appears that Ms. [redacted]’s fiancé has been experiencing throttling of his data speeds. This would be directly related to the data roaming terms of service found on our Customer Service Agreements. These terms state that during each billing cycle, a customer will use no more than 400 MB of high-speed data while roaming in unlicensed U.S. Cellular markets. If they use more than this 400 MB they will be throttled down to 1x speed. If this were to develop into a pattern, their account could possibly be cancelled by us for violating these terms. The customer’s signature on the C.S.A. serves as an agreement between us that at least 50% of their monthly data usage will occur in U.S. Cellular’s licensed markets. Since Ms. [redacted]’s fiancé works in Chicago, which is not a licensed market for U.S. Cellular, he has been exceeding this 400 MB monthly data  roaming limit; therefore his data throughput speed has been getting throttled. And, as outlined in the terms above, this is a normal consequence of our data roaming agreement.

In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she states that when she was setting up her service with us on 10/24/15 in the [redacted] Park Store she told them that her fiancé worked in Chicago and that he would consistently have a need for large amounts of 4 G data since he frequently uses his smartphone as a mobile hotspot. She states that our response to this was “no problem.”

After performing [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]) that set this account up for Ms. [redacted]. After an in-depth discussion with him I ascertained that he is well aware of the limitations that would accompany consistently high data usage in Chicago. And due to the fact that [redacted] Park is in proximity to Chicago, he himself has recently experienced data throttling on his own, personal U.S. Cellular phone while visiting friends there. He assured me that if a potential customer were to mention the need for large amounts of data while in Chicago it would definitely trigger him to discuss the data roaming terms of service with them. I have to say that I ended this call with a strong feeling of assurance that he is well aware of the headaches that this type of data usage would cause and that he would definitely stop to advise his customers of this if it were mentioned.

I think we can all admit that establishing new [redacted] service can be a confusing, and sometimes overwhelming process. We are presented with a barrage of information, numbers and figures are thrown around, we get distracted by shiny new electronic gadgets, and quite honestly, it’s pretty easy to just get bored with the whole process. All of these variables tend to compound what is already a fairly complicated process. We try to make it as effortless as possible for our customers but at times we can fall short of that goal. 

I do not feel it advantageous at this point to embark into a discussion of who-said-what during the establishment of this account. I think it best if we all just admit that a misunderstanding has taken place and instead exert our time and energy into reaching a resolution that is favorable to all parties involved.

In Ms. [redacted]’s settlement request she mentions that she would like for us to either:
Take back the phones, allow them out of their contracts, and give them their phone umbers
Or
Allow her to buy the phones at a good price and unlock them for use with another provider.

Since I received Ms. [redacted]’s Revdex.com Complaint she has paid off the balances for both of the [redacted] Installment Contract’s on her account. The fact that she has now purchased these devices makes the application of either of her suggestions somewhat problematic. If Ms. [redacted] would like to lend some clarification to her desired settlement to this situation I will be happy to respond accordingly.

I sincerely appreciate the time that Ms. [redacted] has already invested into this matter and would once more like to apologize for any inconvenience or frustration that this may have caused her. Should Ms. [redacted] have additional questions or should she need immediate assistance, she may contact our Customer Service Department at ([redacted].

Sincerely,
[redacted] D.
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2014/08/27) */
August 27, 2014
Revdex.com of Chicago
Attention:[redacted]
330 N Wabash Avenue Suite 2006
Chicago, IL 60611

Re: Complaint Number: XXXXXXXX
Customer's Name: [redacted]
U.S. Cellular Account Number:...

XXXXXXXXX
Dear Ms.[redacted]
Thank you for contacting U.S. Cellular in reference to the above account. I am in receipt of Ms. [redacted] complaint, and I will be more than [redacted] to address her concerns.
In her complaint, Ms. [redacted] states that she bought a U.S. Cellular phone at Walmart, as she wanted a plan with no contact, including unlimited minutes, messaging and data. After purchasing the device, her services were not active for 3 days, and she had to spend approximately 20 hours on hold. Once activated, she was given a plan that was $10.00 more per month than the one she had originally chosen, and the plan does not include unlimited internet as she had thought. She explained to us that we established her services with the wrong plan, only to be informed that we were unable to change it. Ms. [redacted] believes this is false advertisement and extortion. She would like her plan to be corrected and reimbursement for the extra $10.00 per month she has been paying for a plan that she did not choose.
First, I would like to sincerely apologize for the extensive amount of time that the customer was placed on hold. I can imagine the extreme frustration and inconvenience the customer was caused while on the phone with our Customer Service attempting to activate her services for 20 hours. I know the customer's time is valuable, and that the situation she described is unacceptable and not our expectation.
To better understand my response, I will provide a quick explanation of our prepaid services. We have our internal prepaid services, which are offered in our U.S. Cellular retail locations, as well as over the phone and on our website. We also offer uPrepaid plans which are sold through Walmart.
When the customer's account was established on August 21, 2013, she wished to keep her existing telephone number. With uPrepaid accounts, we only have a specific set of approved telephone numbers available to activate, and are unable to use a customer's current postpaid number, or port in telephone numbers from another company. Because of this, we started the customer's account as internal prepaid. This restricted the customer from choosing uPrepaid plans advertised in Walmart (the $40.00 unlimited everything plan she referenced). Instead, we added an unlimited minute and messaging plan including 1GB of data for $50.00 per month. The customer did contact us several times and inquired why she did not have the $40.00 unlimited plan that she had originally chosen and we explained the situation. On multiple occasions we advised the customer that we were able to convert her account to uPrepaid and add the plan that she desired, however she would need to change her telephone number. The customer did not wish to do so, and she continued her services with the $50.00 unlimited minutes and messaging plan including 1GB of data.
I am truly sorry for the misunderstanding and frustration this situation has caused the customer. Ms. [redacted] is still welcome to visit one of our corporate locations to switch her account over to uPrepaid if she is willing to take a new number, however I should add that she would no longer be eligible for the $40.00 unlimited everything plan. This plan is only for basic devices, and on August 25, 2014 Ms. [redacted] upgraded her device to a Moto G, which is a smartphone. She will be eligible for the uPrepaid unlimited minute and messaging plan including 2GB of data for $50.00 per month. Her monthly cost would not decrease, but she would have an extra GB of data. If the customer would like to keep her number, we do have an internal prepaid plan available that offers unlimited minutes and messaging, as well as unlimited data for $50.00 per month. Please know that on this unlimited data plan, the customer would receive 500MB of high speed service, and after she reaches that allotment her data speed will be slowed down. To take advantage of this offer, the customer would need to call into our Prepaid Customer Service Department at the number provided below. This change can only take place on her balance expiration date, which is on the 24th.
Should Ms. [redacted] have additional questions, she [redacted] contact our Customer Service Department at (XXX)XXX-XXXX.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Customer Resolution Support
U.S. Cellular