Alltel Consumer Reviews - Page 6

NORTH CAROLINA -- After being with Alltel for a little over two years, the screen on the 2nd phone purchased through them went white. I took the phone into the store showed the problem. When I asked her what caused, she said the phone just does that sometimes. The lady said, "OK" and went and got a new phone. Never saying what she was doing, she replaced the phone and then told me she could not get the phone numbers and pictures off the phone due to their machine being down.

When I asked her if I could bring the phone back when the machine was fixed, she told me the phone was now property of Alltel and I could not leave the store with it. When I asked her if I could speak with a manager, I was told no one could override it and it was "policy".

I went home and called customer service asking to speak to a manager. The person told me she was an account manager. I explained the problem and she called the store manager who told her the same thing the person in the store did. What is the point of calling customer service if they can't do anything. Does each store run itself? Needless to say, I am switching cell phone providers. Do NOT sign up with Alltel and all their "love".

OHIO -- We have been Alltel Customers for 8yrs, and have never really had any issues with them. On Dec. 4th my cell phone was stolen by a student where I work. I texted the person a few times trying to figure out who had my phone, I told her she had till 7 to return it to my desk or I would just have it shut off. Well 7pm came so I called Alltel and had my line suspended. I called my number and yes it was disconnected, I got the standard Alltel message.

Imagine my surprise a few days later when I find out that my cell phone is turned on again. I go online and find that the student has sent over 2000 text in 2 days! I call Alltel and they inform me that I called them at 7:30 to have it suspended and then called again at 7:59 to have it turned back on. I am NOT an idiot. I would not do something like that. But there is NOTHING they can do. I ask about the phone calls to them being "recorded" of course they are, but that is for "training purposes only".

I'd sure like to know how the heck that phone got turned back on (there is no way possible the student knows my last 4 number of my social). So here it is, 17 days till Christmas and I am expected to pay an additional $380 on my cell phone. Are they just trying to squeeze some extra money out of me before Verizon takes over?

Had two year contract with $500 deposit, six months into it I'm deployed to Iraq and placed my account on hold and paid last bill. In Kuwait, I got online and checked the account and everything looked good. Six months into deployment I get letter from Alltel saying my account has been closed and I have a bill for -220~. I inquire and I'm told I was charged $45 in December when I placed my account on hold end of September. Then because I didn't pay a bill I wasn't aware of in a month it should have been on hold they canceled my account and deducted an early termination fee from my deposit in addition to what I can only determine is a error billing.

The kicker is that when I attempted to resolve the issue I was seemingly talking to outsourced employees in India with little English knowledge. They went around my questions and didn't acknowledge my logic on how it didn't make sense for me to be billed months after placing account on hold. They informed me they would send me a refund as it was listed as a credit with their company. Obviously getting half of my deposit is not acceptable.. But after nearly a year since receiving my account closure notice, I still have not received any of my money. As it stands now I have been defrauded out of my entire deposit.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA -- I called and spoke with a customer service rep. on Tuesday July 8, 2008 and I ordered a prepaid cell phone for my 9-year old daughter because she was going out of town with her father for the first time during the summer. The representative advised me she could guarantee I would receive the phone within 2 business days. My daughter was leaving on Monday July 14, 2008. So I had to reiterate with the representative, even making sure there was not a back order on the particular phone. The rep. Aaron advised me know I would have it by Thursday July 10, 2008.

When I got home the phone was not there. I called customer service, they gave me a tracking number. When I tracked the information, I learned that the phone would not arrive until the 14th and the time could not be promised. Awful.

I called Alltel customer service having to wait and go through voice prompts for 23 minutes to then get incompetent reps. who could not help, and even did not know or claim to have a corporate number or address, phone number or email that I could address my complaint. I could have easily have gone into a local Alltel store to get the same thing. What a mistake I made by not doing so. I think Alltel should not have phone service access via phone or online they suck.

I also have been screwed by Alltel's billing department. They ruined my credit. My phone bill was supposed to be just $70/month, but it turned out to be $300/month because they apparently don't know how to count minutes. Whenever I got my bill I counted my minutes to make sure it wasn't a mistake I was making and it wasn't. Turned out they were charging me for my anytime minutes.

They totally disregarded the after 9 pm/free minutes thing. And yes that was the agreement in my plan. I finally got tired of dealing with it every month and had to turn off my phone service because I couldn't afford it. Now they are saying I owe them $1500 for my last bill and disconnection fee. I hate to tell them but they are not seeing 1 cent out my wallet!!!

PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA -- You poor people...having your wireless company being bought out by Verizon! If your contract is expiring RUN LIKE HELL! You will experience multiple billing errors on your bills, poor customer service (just call the Nazi's in the NY headquarters.) Check out SPRINT June 16, 2008 when they roll out new rate plans (to be among the cheapest and best) which will include texting etc. Yes, being a customer of Nextel and Sprint for many years I can say the customer service lacked in the past but they are really improving.

They have bent over backwards to keep me and several others I know. Their broadband cards are the fastest I've seen yet. It's truly worth a look and I don't think you will be disappointed. Trust me, it can't be any worse than dealing with these scheming Nazi's I've dealt within the past (Verizon) with land line and cell phone. RUN LIKE HELL! FAIR WARNING!

I switched wireless providers in March, dropping my Alltel service. I spoke to a customer service representative on March 31 to disconnect. She noted that the new billing cycle kicked in on March 28 but that she would get those days waived. Come to May, and here arrives a bill from Alltel for the full month, despite said disconnection. I spoke to a different customer service representative a few moments ago who said Alltel's policy is not to prorate a bill if you disconnect during a billing cycle. So if you disconnect one day into the new billing cycle, you're on the hook for the entire month.

Finally after some threatening to contact the BBB, Alltel agreed to prorate the bill, acting like they were doing me a favor. Bear in mind the bill shows that I had ZERO usage. So clearly it was disconnected. But I'm still in the position of having to pay about $10 just to get away. Nice work if you can get it. I suppose I should have switched 2 years ago when they botched my mailing address, making it so I wasn't receiving their bills in the first place.

WISCONSIN -- Alltel has been charging me for things like Ringaza, Trivia Alert and Game Alert. They have been charging me $9.99 a month for each of these. I don't even know what they are. I have spoken with numerous customer service agents who say I went online and ordered these services. What a lie! Alltel gives these companies our cell phone numbers and then does their billing. Of course, they're getting paid for all of it. I contacted the Better Business Bureau and they contacted Alltel. Finally Alltel agreed to give back my money. All I can say is WATCH YOUR BILL!

TAMPA, FLORIDA -- I was told by the sales representative that I had 15 day period to evaluate service, no charges if I cancel service. I cancelled with 10 days, returned all my equipment. Instantly they credited me for the cost of the equipment but then I received phone bill for $575.00. They charged cancellation fee, pro-rated the number of minutes I used the phone (1200 minutes per month w/ free nights and weekend) and charged based @ 35 cents a minute over charges since my billing cycle ended 2 days after I bought the phone. After fighting tooth and nail with them they dropped the charges to $172.

I was told by manager it was an over zealous sales person and she would make sure it didn't happen again. 2 days ago I asked a friend to act like a new customer that was undecided. The sales person told her she could evaluate phone for 15 days with NO charge if she returned it within the 15 days. RIP OFF... why isn't the FCC doing something about this...

My issue started 3 months ago when I noticed City Taxes on my bill. After researching I'd been paying City Tax for nearly a year on my account. We have no city taxes where I live. When I talked to Customer Service, they said the computer calculates the Taxes and they cannot be adjusted. I called back a month later and talked to yet another CS who said I needed to have my City Administrator draft an exemption letter and send to Corporate. (Really -- come on -- we're not exempt, WE DO NOT HAVE CITY TAXES.) I did end up speaking with the City Attorney (who was furious) and wanted copies of my bills.

Oh yes -- while I'm doing this -- I refuse to pay for service and so our service is interrupted. Today I phoned CS again -- talked to 6 people, "they are all very sorry". Customer Service, Financial Services, back and forth for 45 minutes. The way they left it, they're not doing anything. I'm not paying and another provider is happy to have our business AllTel had for 14 years. Too bad for them!