Complaint Review: Walmart family mobile no contract

I bought the Walmart Family plan in August of 2012. I took it back the next day because it did not work with my phone, which was a BlackBerry Curve. 

I had an existing T-Mobile plan before I bought the Walmart Family Mobile Plan. T-Mobile overnighted a new SIM card to me to prevent me from losing my phone number - which I had for 10 years. I then switched to their plan because it worked with my BlackBerry Curve.

Walmart Family Mobile then started sending me bills. I called their customer service line to inform them that I took the plan back the next day and got a refund because their SIM card was incompatible with my BlackBerry Curve. They told me that I still had to pay for their service. I told them that I didn't get any service and I was without a phone that entire weekend because I had to wait for the T-Mobile SIM card. 

I had the local Walmart manager call them and they gave her the same argument. She was shocked and offended by them and could not believe how inept they were.

I finally emailed their customer relations center. They described a "buyer's remorse" period. This is the most bizarre policy that I have ever heard of. I was sold a product, which I could not have used if I wanted to because my phone was incompatible with their service, which I never received.

Don't buy this plan and don't do business with them. I took it back, got a refund and then got a bill for a service that I did not receive and never will. 

Here is the email exchange and a picture of my receipt. 


November 23, 2012

RE: Family Mobile Account Number 862943993

Dear William J. McCloskey:

Walmart Family Mobile Powered by T-Mobile (?Family Mobile?) is in receipt of your correspondence regarding the disputed balance.

Please be advised that the Buyer?s Remorse period is not a free trial. You are responsible for all charges that were incurred on the account for the time the service remained active. We regret any confusion regarding this issue.

Your account balance is $28.66, which is past due.  This includes service provided from August 16, 2012 to August 30, 2012. Please submit payment as soon as possible to ensure your canceled account is closed ingood standing by calling the automated system free of charge at the phone number listed below.  Please note that paying with a representative will incur a $5.00 fee. 

If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us at: Family Mobile Customer Relations, PO Box 3220, Albuquerque, NM, 87190.  Our Customer Service department is also available to assist you from 6am- 9pm PST at 877-760-8760.  

Sincerely,
Family Mobile
Michelle Kingston
Customer Relations
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
------ Forwarded Message
 From: William McCloskey 
 Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:53:53 -0500
 To: <customerrelations@familymobile.com>
 Conversation: Account: 862943993
 Subject: Account: 862943993
 
 To Whom It May Concern:
 
 Please cease and desist sending notices for this plan. I took the plan back to Walmart the next day and received a refund because the plan did not work with my T-Mobile BlackBerry. 
 
 T-Mobile advised me to call you to keep the plan active because they overnighted a SIM card for their plan so I could switch the number back to them (see their attached card).
 
 Therefore, I did not receive and service from you (see attached).
  I am disputing this with my credit card as well.
 
 William
 
 ------ End of Forwarded Message

You initially paid $75 up front because that is the one time activation charge for the 3 lines you wanted. Walmart charges $25 dollars per sim card/activation. Roughly a week or two later you start paying the for the prepaid service which is $45 for the first line and $35 for each additional so you should have been billed $115 a month for your first bill so actually your bill was a little less than what it should have been. 

Then when you added another line you had to pay $25 for the sim card/activation for that line and that would bring your bill up to $150 a month for your four lines.

As for taking care of your suspension charge, as long as you have your receipt, then all you have to do is call 611 wait for the bill/account option and select the option that lets you speak with a T-mobile representative.  Walmart employees do not directly resolve issues with your bill. 

As for signal strength in your area they clearly have a coverage map that shows where you should be able to get a T-Mobile signal and how strong it should be.

We paid cash at walmart for the phones on the date it was due. A few days later they turned the phone off. That wwas the only time we go ahold of someone. Walmart customer service either lose the receipt of did not transfer it to the right place. I have my receipt where I paid my bill with date and time on it. But they will not take the extra $20.00 dollars off and it was their fault not mine. And just for the record we all called the 611 abd the 800 numbers and they are all voice controled, no live person to talk to. Even the manager at the store couldn't help us.

You said "apparently walmart lost the receipt " so where is your copy of this cash payment receipt?  You and the store both have no record of it? 

Walmart sold phones, your contract is with TMobile. Press and hold 1 on your phone to call Tmobile.