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Buyer Beware - Straight Talk Unlimited
Complaint
Review by epicenter on 2013-01-06
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A good number of Straight Talk customers reported to Newsbeat Epicenter a variety of horror stories in conjunction with this cellular company. So Newsbeat Epicenter ordered the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim/Gingerbread 2.3 and the Samsung Galaxy Precedent Gingerbread 2.3 from the Wal-Mart website to experiment with. First of all the Android 2.3 is pretty amazing plus there are over 600,000 apps you may be interested in with many of them free of charge and others mighty low cost.
However, boxed, these Straight Talk handsets claim unlimited talk, text and data. As it turns out the talk and text have been unlimited with the Unlimited $45 load card. However, during our experiment our data slowed down to nearly nothing on both handsets in 3 week period of time. And when our techs called Straight Talk they claimed we used too much data so they drastically cut our speed way down. Straight Talk provided that the data is not at all unlimited as they claim. Well they refused to give us back our surfing speed and we were told we would not get back to normal until we renewed our so-called "Unlimited" service the next month. So we did renew and our surfing speed went back to normal for a few hours then both handsets were deactivated because we used too much data in 12 hours or less. One handset was reactivated yet we were warned about data abuse. The other handset was locked down entirely and we were told that phone could never be activated again by Straight Talk nor any other cellular company.
By the way they charged us $45 plus tax ($53.08) yet deactivated our service about 12 hours later. We are seeking a chargeback of that money but have not received it as of yet. And we will not be receiving our money back for the expensive handset they locked down.
So buyer beware! There is a catch to the Straight Talk "unlimited" data.
However, boxed, these Straight Talk handsets claim unlimited talk, text and data. As it turns out the talk and text have been unlimited with the Unlimited $45 load card. However, during our experiment our data slowed down to nearly nothing on both handsets in 3 week period of time. And when our techs called Straight Talk they claimed we used too much data so they drastically cut our speed way down. Straight Talk provided that the data is not at all unlimited as they claim. Well they refused to give us back our surfing speed and we were told we would not get back to normal until we renewed our so-called "Unlimited" service the next month. So we did renew and our surfing speed went back to normal for a few hours then both handsets were deactivated because we used too much data in 12 hours or less. One handset was reactivated yet we were warned about data abuse. The other handset was locked down entirely and we were told that phone could never be activated again by Straight Talk nor any other cellular company.
By the way they charged us $45 plus tax ($53.08) yet deactivated our service about 12 hours later. We are seeking a chargeback of that money but have not received it as of yet. And we will not be receiving our money back for the expensive handset they locked down.
So buyer beware! There is a catch to the Straight Talk "unlimited" data.
Comments:
Posted by BobSF on 2013-01-07:
From Straight Talk's website "... the excessive and/or improper use of Straight Talk service. Straight Talk reserves the right to limit or reduce data throughput speeds or the amount of data transferred,...". I think most 'unlimited' plans with other vendors have the same warning.
Posted by tnchuck100 on 2013-01-07:
If, in fact, as BobSF points out, Straight Talk's website clearly says they "reserve the right to restrict" you. This makes their claim of "unlimited" deceptive, false and misleading advertising. Only corporate America is allowed to do this freely without consequences.
Posted by Suzy on 2013-01-08:
@BobSF, neither Verizon nor Sprint seems to have this problem from my experience. My son was with Sprint's unlimited plan and not only was it truly unlimited but they didn't slow down speeds as others did. He is now with Verizon's unlimited plan, the one that they discontinued for new or upgrading subscribers who do not pay full price for their plans and so far he has had no complaints of their restricting data or slowing his speed and I know he uses a lot of data. Straight Talk's claim of unlimited while still reserving the right of restricting use or slowing speeds because of use is as the other poster said, misleading and false advertising and just plain isn't right.
Posted by Nonyour on 2013-01-08:
Someone is calling claiming to be straight talk saying that they will limit my unlimited calling texting ect....Really,So why do they call it unlimited calling blah blah blah ? You could barely understand as so much staic but, can got the messege it wa a 800 number 800-989-1506 I am going to read my little book that came with my phone...So,is it straight talk dumping my calls ?strange things are going on withthe straight talk phone as blocking my text and not send,calls are droped,as talking on the phone a ring of another phone will come on are they or someone tapping into my phone.slowing down my phone,talking a long ttime to connect,back ground noise as as talking you will hear a beep and then hearing yourself talk as repeating what you said.AS TALKING to a person as we talk the person answering machine come on we're like WTF.A contining busy single of the other party when trying to call when it does go through it wasn't busy as When I call it again when I get a busy single I use my home phone to call leaving the cell go on with the busy sound..on the other in I ring the persons home phone ask them to call their cell phone while I wait its no sound or dial tone.websites will just blink off and back to start again....
Posted by kwe4 on 2013-02-05:
I see many law suites in the near future.
Posted by John on 2013-02-11:
This is why Pageplus cellular is the best deal going. You can bring your own phone Like I did (Ebay purchased HTC Incredible 2) and you can use your data any way you want on the best, most extensive network in the country.
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