U.S. Cellular Company Charges for Overages False Proration Offers No Solution Ripoff Tulsa Oklahoma
Here is my original complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau:
I am writing because I am in a dispute with U.S. Cellular. I originally signed an agreement with them on July 28, 2005. The package that I signed up for was the 800 anytime minutes with unlimited night and weekend minutes (in the local calling area), unlimited incoming calls (in the local calling area), and an additional line. I was told that I would be given a cellular telephone number in my local calling area. I was given the numbers 618-447-XXXX and 618-447-XXXX. The numbers that I was issued were not local calling area and were charged as toll calls to anyone that called me. One person in particular received additional charges in an approximate excess of $120.00. The company has a 30 day satisfaction guarantee policy. I tried the phones from July 28, 2005 until August 12, 2005 (within the 30 day trial period). My first billing cycle ended on August 3, 2005 and my second ended on September 3, 2005. I received my final bill from U.S. Cellular on September 12, 2005 (for the entire trial period). The total for this bill was $198.37, with roughly $90.00 in airtime overage charges (225 minutes over). I knew this seemed peculiar, so I added up the minutes myself. I came up with a total of 478 anytime minutes out of a total of 800 anytime minutes. Now I was certain that the overage charges were a mistake. I then called U.S. Cellular to protest the charges. I spoke with Lauren who told me that my minutes had been prorated and that instead of having 800 minutes (which I was certain that I had and hadn't been told otherwise upon canceling the agreement), I only had 216 minutes. This forced my account to go over by 200+ minutes. I explained to Lauren that I hadn't been notified that my minutes would be prorated and that they unfairly put my account into a position of overage. She only reconfirmed the policy and apologized for it. She offered no further assistance. Being a customer with U.S. Cellular has been nothing more than a game of deception, and I feel that they should credit my account for the incorrect overages and reimburse those who called me from their landline phones, thinking they were making a local call (due to their deception).
U.S. Cellular may seem like a reputable company, but don't be fooled. I have been with other companies to understand what a prorate is: they allow you to use the full advantages of the service (meaning all of the minutes) for the amount of time that you use it. U.S. Cellular, on the other hand, feels that it was justified for them to charge me the amount required for the number of days I used the service, but offer me less minutes. This forced my account into a state of overage. I feel that this is U.S. Cellular's way to recoup money from people who cancel within the 30 day trial period. Since they can't charge for an early termination fee, they charge outrageously high overages when you end you service in the middle of a billing cycle.
Elise
Swansea, Illinois
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Danny
Chicago,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Common sense...
#2UPDATE Employee
Mon, August 28, 2006
When a customer signs up with a plan...lets say the 800 minutes plan, the store and your contract should tell you the date your month ends. For example, if your month ends on the 1st, that
means that your month of service goes from the 1st of one month to the 1st of the following month. Now, if you obtain your plan on the 15th, then it makes sense that the company will not give you the full 800 minutes because your contract is beginning in the middle of the month...that's common sense. You will always get the prorated minutes, so you have to be careful. Most ppl don't bother to ask, get their phone and proceed to call everyone in the world and rack up minutes. It's just a matter of asking...
Now, as with every company there is no way they can give you every possible scenario of what can happen with your accnt...it would take you days to hear every single one. So companies rely on customers to ask every question you can so things are clear...otherwise you will learn things as issues come up. Yes companies should be obligated to tell a customer everything, but again that can take hours and hours...most of us walk into the cell phone place and want to be out of there in 15 minutes to show off our phones. Also, we as customers use the "they didn't tell me" excuse to try and get things to go our way....let's be truthful, it's not always fair to use that excuse. I have been a US Cellular customer and I assumed the proration when I got my contract...it seemed like common sense to me. Of course I asked while at the store to be clear.
Remember this....any changes you make to your account, always do it effective on the last day of your monthly cycle to avoid any proration...if youre not sure, ask!