Complaint Review: Assurance Wireless

I am elderly, disabled, living in low income housing and the free government cell phone service "Assurance Wireless" is denying me my right to get a different cellphone from another govenment provider. I do not have a phone in my apartment (landline or ceellular) I use Skype on my computer but Skype does not allow you to make 911 emergency calls. I live alone in a handicapped apartment and if an emergency arises I have not had a phone to use since January 12, 2014. I have servere back problems, need a knee repalcement, have heart disease and have kidney disease and if I fall I have no way of summoning emergency personnel. I would welcome a pro bono attorney to file a restraining order against this company for continuing to deny my right to goverment service from another provider. I also believe because of the numerous complaints against this company a class action suit would be warranted.

Please check the internet yourself for the number of complaints (this is a partial listing) against this nation-wide company:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/directory/assurance-wireless

complaintnow.com/Assurance-Wireless-Complaints/complaint/business/Business_ID/display/154439

freegovernmentcellphones.net/reviews/assurance-wireless

lunch.com/Reviews/d/Assurance_Wireless-1451536.html

I had Assurance wireless for a little more than a year. At the time I qualified I was living in South Carolina. I moved to Massachusetts at the end of August 2013. Prior to my move Assurance sent me an annual re-certification letter for to fill out so I could contniue to have service. I filled it out and scratched out my SC address and put in my temporary Massacusetts as my new address.

Sometime in September I received a forwarded letter from SC. Assurance was sending me a new Massachusetts application with my incorrect SC address on the application and the envelope was addressed to my old SC address.

I filled out the application with a notation to please change my address as they were still sending mail to SC.

What ensued was my making a series of phone calls to their customer service department attmpting to get my addresses synchronized. I don't remember how many times I called but it was frustrating. Sometimes I called and was told my address was "all set" other times I wass told I would have to recerify because my addresses were mixed up. Sometime in October I received a notice that a new cellphone for my account was sent to SC. It took from August to December 18 and a number of phhone calls to finally get Assurance to correct my address.

I was waiting for an opening into HUD low income senior housing and moved to Eashampton, MA October 18,2013. Approximately sometime in December I was receiving text messages stating that I needed to recertify otherwise my phone would be shut off. I ended up recertifying a total of six times from September to February 2014.

I was assured in December my account was "all set" they had received my application and supporting documents. I decided to change from the free 250 monthly plan to the $5 per month plan to add an additional 250 minutes to my monthly account. I already had $5 in my account in case I went over the minutes so this $5 was used for December. I suddenly began getting text messages stating my phone was going to be shut off for non-certification I was receiving these messages approximately 2 - 3 times a week. I chose not to top up my account January 1 because I was afraid my phone would be shut off. I again called customer service I don't remember the results of that call. Now I was getting text messages stating that I needed to top up my account or recertify in order to keep my service. I assumed they had received one of my many applications and all I had to do was top up my account.I sent them $10 on January 10. No where on line did my account indicate the $10 I sent them. And, my account was charged $11.33 instead of the amount of $10 which I authorized. When I called customer service they told me they sent a text message stating my phone would be going over to the ten cents per minute plan for my non-recertification.

I contacted the BBB in Kansas and we are still going back and forth with Assurance. Their stance has not changed they want to keep my $11.33 (despite my only authorizing $10 which I believed were for two months advance minutes) they claim it is for minutes I used.

My online account does not show any minutes used. It still shows a zero balance and there is no record anywhere of minutes used or my payment to them except in my bank account.

I believe the numerous phone calls I made to try to rectify this situation is their fault. Had they found one of my many applications and changed my address as I repeatedly requested this would have never happened. (Please note many of the consmer complaints against this company is due to their poor customer service and many mistakes made by this company.)

In my complaint to the BBB I asked that I be removed from their customer list immediately which their represative claimed she did so in February. I still cannot apply for a SafeLink free Government phone as they claim I have an application "still pending " with another provider.

I would like an investigation done into this company and I think the public should know of the deceitful business practices the poor and the elderly are being subjected to. Surely, the taxpayers paying for this service need to know that elders are not getting money reurned (see the list of complaints) and poor and elderly are going without phone service because of the non-existant record-keeping and poor cusomer service of this company.

Please read the proof enclosed of poor customer service: two letters I received from Assurance wireless seventy (70) days after my phone has been shut off. They are warning me they will shut off my service because I haven't used it for more than 60 days and, they sent another application (apparently one of my six applications was denied despite my beibg income eligible, receive food stamps, am in low income housing and am disabled. )

I am entreating you to please look into this matter... this is affecting the poor and the elderly across the entire USA. Taxpayers are not getting their money's worth and the elderly and poor are getting ripped off.

Thank you,