Lawyers are investigating unfairly charged early termination fees on cell phones. Consumers have complained that some cell phone companies have charged early termination fees when service was cancelled within 30 days from the start date; consumers have also reported that early termination cell phone fees were charged despite several complaints to their carrier about inadequate service and dropped calls.
Lawyers are investigating Early Termination Fees which were unfairly charged in either of the following two circumstances:
Where service was cancelled within 30 days from when it was started.
Where early termination fees were charged despite several complaints to your carrier about inadequate service and dropped calls.
If you (1) either complained about the quality of wireless service but got no satisfaction, or cancelled the service within 30 days from its start, (2)
were charged an early termination fee, whether or not you actually paid it,
and (3) are ready to do something about it, please fill out the form below.
Wireless telephone carriers have charged early termination penalties despite their failure to supply adequate telephone service. The practice of charging these unfair fees to customers who terminate their unsatisfactory wireless phone service is designed to lock customers into staying with companies that cannot provide satisfactory service.
Cell Phone Early Termination Fees Legal Help
If you (1) were unfairly charged an early termination fee, (2) actually paid the fee, (3) complained about the quality of service but got no satisfaction, and (4) are ready to do something about it, please fill in our form on the right to submit your complaint to a lawyer. California residents are especially invited to respond.
T-mobile continued to charge me monthly for services I no longer have. I have called on several occasions to get my credit card refunded and they have yet to refund my card. They have been lying to me saying it will take 2-6 business day and it has been over a month.
Posted by New York
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I have had work troubles due to dropped calls and delayed messages. I have had relationship problems with my ex girlfriend over dropped calls and delayed messages. My professor at my college called me to inform me of a change of date for our final. I never received this message and missed the final. This caused me tremendous difficulties.
Posted by Texas
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We were sent a Terms & Conditions, detailing ETF, but are now being told that doesn't apply to us since it isn't a Verizon contract, it is an Alltel contract and that we would pay $200 per phone no matter how long we have left on the contract.
Posted by California
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After more than 2 years I requested to cancel my account. They told me I couldn't without paying an early termination fee. I told them that after the first year, I was on a month-to-month. They got nasty and threatened to ruin my credit if I didn't pay, stating that I'd renewed my contract. This is a lie. They sent my account to collections and ruined my credit.
Posted by North Carolina
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I paid $200.00 to Alltel for early termination even though I complained about the service several times.
Posted by Tennessee
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I had been a customer with Sprint for 10 yrs or longer. They made me pay $600 in term fees.
Posted by Illinois
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I will have to pay the $175 fee, even though I have paid for the final month of the contract.
Posted by Utah
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I will be paying $400 of my hard earned cash because they refuse to listen to their customers and in my mind break the contract due to horrible customer service and poor coverage in my area.
Posted by Colorado
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We paid $300 in termination fees even though we didn't owe it because we were buying a house and they said they would report us to the credit bureau. We were afraid it would keep us from getting a mortgage.
Posted by Georgia
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When I told T-Mobile that I was interested in terminating one of two contracts I had with them, they informed me that they would charge me $50 for the unused phone service in order to give me time to find someone to assume the contract. They charged me the $50 each month for 6 months (until January); then, they charged me $200 and terminated the service.
Posted by California
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Sprint is charging me over $600 for early termination fees after I canceled service with them. We had repeated problems and misrepresentations of services over a 14 month period before we finally had to change carriers. We have an elderly father that we need to be able to keep in touch with, and the lack of coverage caused us to lose contact with him many times. Including during a trip to Mexico when they assured me the service would work. We have now canceled service and I am refusing to pay the early termination fee while it is in dispute. They are planning on sending it to collections and affecting my credit. but in this economy it is more important for me to pay my mortgage and fight this.
Posted by New York
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The fee is roughly $168. I've spent about 3-4 hours of total time on the phone discussing this with them. I've made no progress. I've left several messages with management that were never returned. Not once have they provided me with evidence that I knew my service agreement would be extended if I changed my plan, and that I agreed to that. I still haven't paid the fee. It now resides in the management of a collections agency. This is the first time I have EVER let a bill go that overdue. This is a matter of principle, they're simply bullying me with no proof that I actually owe them money.
Posted by California
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A CBeyond rep solicited me door-to-door and talked me into signing up for their services for 1 business phone and 2 personal cell phones.
I changed my mind within 36 hours (before they even set up any services) and notified CBeyond in writing as to that effect. The CBeyond rep said that if I tried to cancel, they would ruin my credit. I then received a bill for $1000 from a collection agency even though I never received any bills from CBeyond.
Potential Damage to my credit. Repeated calls to resolve this issue, and being treated with utter contempt and verbal threats.
Posted by California
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I was charged $100.00 for terminating my contract 3 months early. I explained that I needed to have a better signal in order to work from home. I had given T-Mobile a suffient amount of time to get it right and it wasn't getting any better. I had purchased additional services over the course of 18 months when told that they would improve my signal, but I was misinformed and nothing improved.
Posted by Tennessee
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Billed for texting which I was told was part of my package. The additional cost of a new carrier. Loss of cell phones which had to be replaced. Harrassing telephone calls for 2 months on a daily basis.
Posted by Arizona
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I am using my cell phone for business and continue to drop calls at least 3 - 5 times a day. I would like to cancel my service but TMobile is telling me that their policy only allows them to cut the early termination fees in half, $100 for each member of the family plan. The contract is signed by only one person, can they charge for all family members individually?
Posted by New York
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I was getting NO reception in my new home OR at my new office, and had no choice but to switch to another company. This fee is unwarranted, and in my opinion, fraudulent in the way the took it.
Posted by Texas
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They initially refused to release me from the early termination fees, then said they would split the difference with me and ONLY CHARGE ME $180.00. I actually thought this was as good as I would be able to get, but when I went to settle up with them they told me that the charges would be $500.00 . I said I would not pay that, but that I would pay as agreed between us the $180.00 amount we had reached.
Posted by District of Columbia
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I had to pay $150 for cancellation of the service and excessive surcharges when I used the phone succesfully, even though I had a national plan.
Posted by North Carolina
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Had to pay $150 to Clearwire for early termination because they did not offer service to where I was moving. The service had intermittent availability and was unreliable. Packing slip was sent to spam and was not received. Had to pay $16 for shipping. I was not told of the two year contract at the time of sale.
Posted by Florida
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I called ATT numerous times about the dropped calls and they changed my SIM card and I still received dropped calls. When I complained the last time the woman told me she would take care of it and then I received a $500 bill in the mail.
Posted by California
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Due to the poor service I need to change to a carrier where I will not drop calls. I'm loosing business from all the dropped calls and if I change service I will owe $175 per line for an early termination fee. I have called the customer support line more than 20 times and had my phones looked at and exchanged 4 times with no improvement.
Posted by California
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I purchased a T-mobile Dash in March 2007. In 17 months, I had to get a replacement phone at least 3 times. The issues with the phone are well documented and I was told to "just get used to it". I finally could not even turn my phone on (which was another replacement phone) and was told that they could do nothing. I find it ridiculous that T-mobile has been completely negligent in owning the responsibility for the phones they sell. They blamed everything on HTC the manufacturer or Microsoft for not providing the proper patches for the Windows programs. I was on the phone with them for 2.5 hours on more than one occasion. I missed several important phone calls due to the phone not even working properly. They would not change my phone and told me that I would have to sign up for another 2 year plan if I wanted another type of phone. The last phone agent I spoke with said that since I had so many replacements, I was eligible for a phone replacement to another brand. However, no one ever informed me of this and I find that T-mobile does not offer information freely to their customers.
Posted by Massachusetts
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We were induced into signing a two year agreement when the representative of T-Mobile assured us that we would be able to use our cell phones in our home. We addressed this problem with the company in the first days of the agreement as we experienced a high level of dropped calls when at home. They cited "technical difficulties" that would soon be resolved. Nine months later, and well after the 14 day rescission period, the problems persist. We have not yet canceled our service, but have put the company on notice that when we cancel service we will pursue remedies (legal and regulatory) if they assess an early termination fee -- as they have indicated they will.
Posted by British Columbia
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Rogers charging outrageous charges after numerous complaints for both cell phone and air card charges.
Posted by Tennessee
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When I signed with Verizon I was explained that I could add my children to my plan for only $9.95 per line, which equaled to my line plus two. When I spoke to a representative, they explained that if I terminate those two lines I would have to pay $175 each for early termination.
Posted by Missouri
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Loss of time arguing with sprint. Sprint expects me to pay $200 per line to terminate contract.
Posted by California
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I have been billed their $175 termination fee as well as 1 months service which I told them I would not pay because I could not use my phone at all.
Posted by Florida
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Had phone shut off 1 week after contract terminated. Was told that I had previously extended my contract (though it even stated my contract end date on my online account page) over the phone. Which I did not. The damage will be to credit score that I have been building up.
Posted by Virginia
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Sprint deducted $200 from my checking account through the autopay agreement we had in place for paying cell phone invoices. This occurred after I had already spoken with two customer representatives that said that my contract had already expired. I switched to Verizon because I was unhappy with Sprint's coverage and then was hit with the fees.
Posted by Georgia
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I have had my phone number for over 4 years and use it to conduct business. My phones have been disconnected because I refuse to pay $600 in addition to the service charges. The contract states that the fee is waived if there is no service, but they are telling me there are "3 bars" of service at my address. This is not the only account with T-Mobile that has had problems at this address. Another set of phones was actually cancelled due to this clause in the contract.
Posted by Texas
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I miss calls, both work and personal. I have spent hours going to Sprint stores and also on the phone (only to be disconnected). As someone who has a home office, communication is vital and I have been forced to pay for a land line now. There is no satisfaction and they refuse to budge, telling me that according to a computer screen my service appears fine. I could go on.
Posted by Washington
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When our son went to Alaska when in military service, we chose service provider because they covered area. After a year of poor service I canceled service and was charged $400. It stressed us out, had to come up with $ to pay & threatened with poor credit report if not paid.
Posted by Michigan
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A family member had somehow gained access to my account, and had a total of 5 phone lines added to the account. After finding out what had been done, I notified the wireless company of the problem. I was trying to get all the lines cancelled, but the company said the will not cancel any of the lines until I paid a $200 fee for each phone line I wanted cancelled (Which cost $1000 total).
Posted by California
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Sprint has sent me to collections due to two early termination fees that have been assessed to my two cell phones. They are charging me over $200/piece for each phone. I have been a customer for about 7 years, but according to them I have only been a customer since 2007. I haven't signed a contract other then my original contract about 7 years ago, which according to them gives them full rein on extending/renewing my contract without me signing anything.
Posted by California
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I was sold by the T-Mobile sales rep on the new feature of using their phone on my wireless router in my home & not accruing minutes. It took almost 2 weeks to establish the router connection, which offered poor service. Several calls to tech support who admitted it's a problem of theirs & the all the bugs aren't worked out. Calls break up & drop where service through your router is not dependable. When I finally cancelled, they charged a $400 termination for my 2 lines.
Posted by Washington
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T-Mobile charges us for every text message that comes in or goes out from one of our phones, however they provide no mechanism for turning this feature off or blocking unwanted text messages. We have contacted them several times about this issue, and all they have done each time is credit our account with specific number of complimentary text messages. However, no refund was offered for the unwanted text messages we were already charged for. If we cancel our service, they have stated that we will be charged an early termination fee for each phone on our plan still under contract.
Posted by Florida
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I signed my original contract in July 2003. I've experienced several years of bad customer service, high fees, and the cell phone gives me very poor reception in my home. I just want to use another service provider at this point.
Posted by Georgia
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I frequently experience dropped calls, garbled voice communications, and other strange anomalies while in and around my new home in Atlanta, GA. After a few rounds of phone calls with customer service, and one closed service ticket, Tmobile states that I will just have to live with the bad service. The result of the closed service ticket was "The area shows weak coverage, and we have no intention of increasing the service in that area for at least the next year."
Posted by Texas
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I refused to pay early termination fees on service I wasn't being provided. Verizon Wireless has filed a negative credit report on me, which at that time was excellent. They are now harassing me with Collection Agencies calling my work.
Posted by California
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My wife and I needed to get new phone service as our kids school does not get Verizon reception but does get AT&T. I cancelled my phone after my no-penalty date and my wife's phone 4 days before her cancellation date. She/we are getting charged $175 by Verizon for 'exporting' her phone number to AT&T four days before the end of her contract. I thought Verizon couldn't do this as of Dec. 2007....
Posted by Arizona
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My wife and I called in to T-mobile to find out about terminating our service. They told me in November, 2007 that I had until January 25, 2008. I called in to T-mobile again January 4, 2008 to verify that my contract term would expire on al phones by January, 25, 2008. I ported over my phones on January 28th, 2008 and they still billed me for early termination on one of the three lines. I called to explain and they said they would only charge me half of the termination fee for that line. I think they may have made the mistake becuase two phone numbers were very similiar (they always made errors when talking to them about the lines because the last four digits are the same on two lines). I have fought with them on other issues in past and lost so I thought that I would be better off taking the deal of saving $100 (paying $121). It is not fair that I have to pay this fee when the fault is in their poor records and incompetence. I feel like I have been bullied to pay this unfair bill or have my credit ruined.
Posted by California
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Continually opens new account numbers without my authorization and continues billing on multiple account numbers for the same phone number. Also, have spent hours equalling days on the phone and have gone to their stores numerous times to speak with managers and customer service.
Posted by Florida
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We made multiple complaints that neither my wife's or my own phone would work in or near our home over the course of two years. We switched to Alltel and Sprint sent us a bill for $400 early termination. Also on the bill they said it was my 8th year anniversary of being with Sprint.
Posted by Other, CN
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I was told by Tmobile by phone and in written email that as long as I prove my foreign residency status the $200 ETF would be waived. I sent prooof of my rental agreement by mail and a copy of a utility bill by email while in China. My brother constantly received calls from Tmobile, I kept in contact by email and asked them to stop harassing my brother. My account was transferred or sold to a debt collector. I had no choice but to pay or suffer a bad credit score.
Posted by Minnesota
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Sprint has billed me for charges I have not incurred. Billed me for roaming when I pay for no roaming and I have called monthly to try and remedy this and now they say that during a bill dispute I voluntarily renewed my contract for 2 more years. I did not and have been counting the days for the contract to be over.
Posted by Illinois
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They admitted that there was none, but still took $350 from my checking account (through auto-bill pay) and said that they would refund it in a month. I told them that they should not have taken it in the first place (to which they responded that "it's just how our system works") and should not have the right to hold onto $350 of my money for a month without just cause. But they will not relent.
Posted by Texas
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Sprint CS agreed to terminate our contract without early termination fees because we could not get service at our ranch in Morgan, Tx. They also raised the fees for our text messaging. We have received several bills that include a $1200 early termination fee. I have spent countless hours on the phone with CS trying to resolve this issue. When I finally got in touch with a rep in the collections department to review the notes she agreed that we should not have been charged the fee. She told me she could not remove it, but CS could and transferred me. CS said since it was in collections they couldn't remove the charges that the collections department would have to, I asked the rep to stay on the line with me and we were disconnected during the transfer. I called back several times and no one seems to be aware of the conversation.
Posted by Georgia
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Verizon Wireless has charged me $355.00 to port my three family phones over to AT&T, although I have had the phones four years. Verizon will not send me any paperwork to defend themselves, but say that I changed my price plan on July 31, 2006.
Posted by Florida
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On or about March 15, 2002, I subscribed to Nextel for service of 3 phones. The term of contract was 1 year initial service term followed my month to month service. There was an early cancellation fee that applied IF the contract was cancelled within the first year.
On or about December 20, 2004, I cancelled my service with Nextel because they were failing to provide me with service. In most of the areas that I worked in I could not get a signal. In my office I could not get a signal and often missed calls from clients and in one case lost a $1000 contract with another investigation agency, because I was unavailable through Nextel.
The Nextel representative informed me that there would be a $200 per phone charge for canceling early. I insisted to the rep that I would not agree to that.
Nextel has continued to refer this account to various collection agencies. My attorneys and I have written the agencies and credit bureaus without results.
My Credit has been damaged and I have paid higher cost to insurance companies and other services as a result.
Posted by Virginia
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AT&T charged $175 early termination fee PLUS tax. I questioned tax on a penalty and was told sorry, it was government and state tax and they didn't have a choice.
Not happy with this answer I contacted VA State Senator Mark Herring who is currently investigating. I did get one update from him saying his carrier did not charge tax on the early termination fee. So now I am wondering a) is it really a government imposed tax and b) if not, where is the money going?
Ideally I would see this as a class action lawsuit as I'm sure many are being subject to this "tax". I do have statements available.
Posted by Texas
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I've been charged a restocking fee as they claim ($505.36) for a refurbished replacement phone I mailed back in and have proof they received it. I've tried to terminate my services with them due to this issue but they have basically threatened me with the cancellation fee.
Posted by Colorado
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We terminated our family plan with AT&T 2 days early by mistake. They are charging us $600. We were trying to talk to them about the issue, were told that someone would get back to us. Then they sent us to a collection agency. $600
Posted by Florida
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I renewed my contract in July 2006 with the understanding of a rebate. Alltel Lake City FL and the Rebate company lost my barcodes, paperwork and gave me the wrong rebate letter. After 6months of questions and customer service inquiries, it was determined that the manager of Altell Lake City should cover the rebate. Refused. I terminated service early; after which I recieved a rebate check and they are charging me 353.04 for balance and collection fees.
Posted by Minnesota
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I recently switched from Sprint to T-mobile after 5 years with Sprint. I honored my 2 year contract and more with Sprint and was going month to month. In February of 2006, after upgrading my plan, Sprint put me on a new 2 year contract without my knowledge. In December of 2007, I purchased a new plan through T-Mobile and dropped Sprint. I recently received a bill from Sprint with $150 early term fee. I never agreed to a new contract. If I did, I would not have switched my plan until February of this year had I known.
Posted by New York
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The Sprint PCS website showed me a contract end date of September 18th, 2007. I cancelled my contract on October 29th, 2007, then received an early termination fee bill for $200. I've spent hours of my time on the phone with them over the last few months and was told that it would be reversed, only to keep getting harrassing phone calls and inconsiderate service.
Posted by California
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Loss of clientelle, less business, stress, numerous hours spent on phone and in stores dealing with this issue. Mainly out business and source of income was affected. We work in real estate so you can imagine the necessity of cell phones in that industry.
Posted by California
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After being a customer for over three years with very predictable usage patterns, a customer service rep. of t-mobile changed my coverage plan from $149/mo (5000 min) to $29/mo (300 min). Immediately, the first month after this change I got hit with massive overage charges. When I complained to them, they said I extended the agreement by one year on the day the service plan change was made (without my specific approval) and then they threatened to send it to collections unless I paid them almost $600 in penalties.
Posted by Missouri
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I had 2 cellphones with them. One phone was constantly being replaced, waiting for replacement, they charged reconnection fee and extended contract. It needed replaced 3 times. I finally said I didn't want there services for this phone and was charged $150.00 early because of terminating 3 months before contract. This jacked my bill up to where I couldn't afford it and had no choice but to terminate the other, adding another $150.00 fee with only 2 months left on contract. I paid some of the fees.
Posted by Missouri
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T-Mobile will not let me leave without the $200 early termination fee, and I was almost done! Everyone lies when I call customer service and no one has a clue. I am stuck, with bills getting as high as $600 to tell me I need to keep upgrading....I never made some of those calls! I am trapped and want out and far away from T-Mobile.
Posted by Washington
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I was provided terrible customer service and I have documented phone bills showing numerous dropped calls every day for months on end. I was not provided with a signed contract as I have repeatedly requested. I am planning to pay the $400 early termination fee.
Posted by Virginia
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I had Verizon Wireless and it never worked at my apartment. I spent a lot of time there, because...I lived there. And I couldn't use my phone there. I called and called. I went to the Verizon Store where I was talked to like a 3rd grader and was asked to leave the store after I became angry about it. Eventually I switched to Sprint to get a phone that worked in my apartment. Verizon charged me the termination fee. I requested that it be waived, but it wasnt. They eventually charged it off as bad debt and reported it to the credit bureaus. So now I've been denied credit because of it.
Posted by Oregon
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T-Mobile sympathized with my reception problems, but when asked to waive the early termination fee, I was told that I was in a good coverage area so they couldn't waive the fee. It doesn't make sense to sympathize with the customer and in the next sentence basically call them a liar by stating they are in a good coverage area. Another member in my household had his termination fees on 2 lines waived by T-Mobile for the same reasons I am stating. He was told that our home is on the opposite side of the tower. To me this shows preferential treatment along with the ridiculousness of the charge.
Posted by California
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I have been charged an early termination fee after being told by Sprint/Nextel employees that my contract had expired. I refuse to pay the fee and I am currently being harassed by a collection agency to which Sprint/Nextel turned over my account.
Posted by Florida
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I signed with Verizon Wireless on 11/10/2005. My bills were always paid on time. My contract ended 11/10/2007 and the bill was paid through that date. I terminated the service 11/5/2007 and was charged a $175 fee.
Posted by California
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I was charged an early termination fee, I moved from that address Sprint had on file so I did not know about this unjust fee until it went to collection recently. Now I owe an obscene $225 in fees, my credit score has dropped, causing higher aprs and me being denied loans of credit.
Posted by Georgia
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Sprint is charging me for a full month of service when I ended my contract with them on September 28th or 29th. I had my phone number ported over on that date and they said I have to pay for an entire billing cycle. However, they would not let me cancel my service six days earlier without a contract cancellation fee. They are forcing you to pay for service you do not receive. If that is the case you contract should be in sync with your billing cycle.
Posted by Georgia
on
After 4 months I am still fighting Verizon about this. When I returned the equipment to one of their retail stores, the clerk scanned the bar code and took the equipment back. I asked for a receipt but he told me I wouldn't receive a receipt, but scanning in the equipment back in would cancel the contract. I didn't believe him so after a few minutes he gave his card and told me to call me if I had any problems. Well, needless to say, I've had problems. They now say they have no record of me returning the equipment and they've charged me $175. I've given them every number I can find for the phone that was returned - and they still say they can't find anything. I don't feel this should be my problem. I did what I was supposed to do and I'm still being charged.
Posted by Massachusetts
on
I have been a customer for more than 5 years, first with Nextel, now Sprint. I assumed I was no longer under contract with Sprint once my initial contract expired, and purposely never renewed my contract whenever I was presented with the option. Last summer, my son lost his phone and purchased a new one. Apparently this purchase triggered a contract when he accepted a rebate for the new phone. Now, he has a job with a company that is paying for his phone, and when he switched his number we were hit with the charge. I still have two phones with Sprint, but don't want to continue with their service.
Posted by Virginia
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Saw an ad on TV for 3000 anytime minutes. Called to switch plans. They switched me but when I received my bill it was still wrong, I called them again and they said they fixed it. The third month and it was still not fixed. I called again and now I was told that my phone does not support this plan that I would have to buy a new phone. I was now MAD because I had $500 in phone charges and now I was slapped with a $150 early termination fee on top of that because I cancelled and refused to pay the bill.
I am now at a collection agency who has reported to my credit INCORRECTLY as to the terms and start date of the account so it shows like it is a brand new account that I am late on. I tried to fix it with them, but all I keep getting is "If I change your credit report are you going to pay the balance?". That is a quote and a THREAT. They are very condescending. They will NOT fix my credit.
Both of the creditor issues are a violation of the FDCA.
Posted by Maryland
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I had Cingular which is now AT&T and was never happy with the service. I was also charged inordinate fees each month. I complained pretty much on a weekly basis to their customer service with more phone calls being placed once I received yet another bill with unexplained charges -- which happened every month. I terminated service at the time I thought my contract should have been over because I didn't want to be charged fees. They claim my contract date extends another year past the time I thought. I returned the phones and accessories via Fed Ex which I was told by their collections staff would waive the termination fees. They've still charged me fees and penalties totaling over $800. I've written letters, argued over the phone, etc. to no avail. This matter is now in collections.
Posted by Idaho
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T- Mobile has continually arbitrarily billed me for things such as kilobites on internet text messages overseas calls. dual hot spot account. they now state I must only contact them in writting. I wish to sue them. Also I am being billed for text messages from telemarketers whom I cannot stop nor contact via T- mobile nor through a return phone call T-mobile states it is my problem.
Posted by Tennessee
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I switched my provider after being with Sprint for almost 10 years. I complained about the cell phone I had and then I bought another. There was no talk of a contract or one signed. My contract with Sprint ended years ago. I was only on month to month. I also did not change my plan. However, they put me in a contract that they did not tell me about and I did not know until I terminated. When I asked for them to send me a copy of the contract they became very rude. I also tried to pay my bill over the phone and they would not take anything but the full payment, which included the E.T fee. They would not let me pay the $81.00 that I did owe on my last bill. Shortly after, they sent it to a collection agency. I also tried to pay them what I owed but they would not let me. Furthermore, they yelled at me and tried to use intimidation tactics for me to pay something I did not owe. I have not paid them and I have filed with the BBC just for my own records. They have reported my credit although they can still not explain to me why I was charged with no valid contract.
Posted by Oklahoma
on
I got a wireless internet card from t-mobile for my laptop. When I received this data card it never worked right. After numerous phone calls to T-mobile's tech support we came to the conclusion that the card was defective. T-mobile shipped me a new data card and gave instructions for me to ship the defective card to them. T-mobile provided the shipping labels and told me that I was to return the card to them within 10 days. I put the defective card in the box provided by T-mobile attached the label T-mobile provided and sent it UPS just as the label read. T-mobile claimed to never have received the card and has charged me with a $199.00 restocking fee. I called T-mobile numerous times and they refuse to give me the tracking number off of the UPS label that I sent the card back too. They provided this label and are telling me that they never received the card and UPS shows no proof of the package ever being picked up. I asked them to give me the tracking number off of the label that they sent to me and they refuse. I sent that card back and I am now getting railroaded. Please help.
Posted by Illinois
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I have repeatedly complained to service reps., submitted over 7 service tickets, and ATT refuses to acknowledge there is a problem. I want to quit but they say I'll have to pay the early cancellation fee. I told them they breached the contract by not giving me service, they said they'd send me to collection.
Posted by New Jersey
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I have a PDA phone that automatically is set to retrieve information from the internet. Verizon Wireless is charging me $1200 for this data usage even though I have a unlimited data plan. They are refusing to credit. Before I was going there I specifically asked them about this and they said it is not an issue because the data service will not work. They did activate my phone roaming and I did use my phone for talking purposes and also had a bill of $250 that I am not disputing.
Posted by California
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I had to make several unsatisfactory calls to Verizon customer service with no accommodation for my time or a waiver or reduction to the ETF. I have spent 10+ hrs in conversations with Verizon with no results or satisfaction.
Posted by California
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On Oct 1 2007, Sprint raised international long distance rates and SMS rates. They denied that this was a material change to the contract. I cancelled, and they charged me a $400 early termination fee (2 lines x $200).
Posted by Georgia
on
I received a bill for $475 for early termination fee for an account I opened in August 2003. I went in to update my phones in December 2005 after getting a notice I was due for a free upgrade. I thought since I was an exisiting customer and the only change made to my account was to upgrade my phones that my contract date would be August 2005. When I upgraded I was not told my date of service was resetting to August, nor that I would have a $175 fee PER line to cancel. I do not feel this charge is reasonable. Additionally, I have asked Verizon to at least prorate the bill as I do not have the money to pay it - I have become disabled and my husband has been looking for a job for over 18 months due to a layoff.
Posted by New York
on
$175 early termination fee plus several hundred dollars in late fees. The company also threatened to send me to collections after 30 days to ruin my credit rating.
Posted by New York
on
I orderded a new phone from sprint.com. I payed for it with my credit card. Over the next two days, not only was my credit card charged, but they also charged my sprint cell phone account putting my account over the spending limit of $125. And to boot, they charged my cell phone bill twice. So in total I was charged three times for a phone that I never even received. Also, one of the stipulations of the purchase price of the phone was that I had to renew a new two year contract which I had thirty days to cancel to avoid cancellation fees. As of yesterday, sprint still said I owed $150 cancellation fee, even though today is still less than thirty days since I orderded the phone and they say I owe for the equipment that I never received. This is the worst customer service I have ever seen in my life, and I work in customer service. Something needs to be done about this company.
Posted by Florida
on
While we were in Costa Rica, we were charged $2 a minute for every voice mail that was left by our friends, regardless if we checked our voice mail or not. Our bill came up to $400. When we came back we were told the only way we would not be charged is if our cell phone was off the entire time and that their web site has it in the fine print. Please help,
Posted by Colorado
on
An extra $10 per month charge plus taxes above advertised rate for more than 4 years.
Harassment from Sprint and three collection agencies related to refusal to pay one of two cancellation fees (@ over $200 each) charged to one account.
I have also just received the first notice of a negative item on my credit report -- the first mark on my otherwise squeaky clean, well-established credit rating.
Posted by Texas
on
Due to NO service in my home and surrounding area I cancelled the service. We were told we would have service in our area and also have nationwide night's and weekends service at no additional fee and we didn't. We informed the salesperson the phones would need service all over the Texas area for business. There was no service in East Texas and most of the Texas area we needed service. Recently I spoke with a very rude collection person and told them I would agree to pay a portion of the $680 if they would stop calling and bothering me. I sent this along with a letter stating if they cashed this check I would consider this as accepting my offer and this would be closed as paid in full. They are still calling me.
Posted by North Carolina
on
I called Verizon on 9/6/07 to determine that my plan was up on 9/13/07 and asked if I would be responsible for anything additional if I changed my plan. I changed my plan on 9-7-07 to ATT and took my number, little did I know that meant I was leaving my contract 5 days early and Verizon charged me a FULL $175 early termination fee, even after I called and explained what happened. I have since turned the company into BBB and wrote letters to customer svs and CEO of Verizon.
Posted by Florida
on
I cancelled my Sprint account Aug. 07 after multiple problems with cellphone. 5 trips to 2 different Sprint stores. They said they couldn't order me a new phone, as an order had already been filed. No such order was ever filed, and no-one can find a record of it. They refused to replace the phone in-house, as it had "water damage." I am disabled and walk with a prosthetic leg. I don't go anywhere near the water.
Finally, after nearly 3 weeks with no cellphone (I live alone and it is my only means of communication), I terminated my account and transferred to T-Mobile.
Today (Sept 17) I receive a $200 bill for early cancellation. I contact Sprint, and they tell me that a minor change to my account and a credit last October extended my contract to Oct 2008. At NO time was I told that my contract was being extended, and had I known, I would have canceled my account right then.
The broken cellphone that started all this was nearly $250 out of pocket, and lasted barely a year before freezing up. Now they expect me to pay another $200 in order to get functioning cell service? The way I see it, they owe me $200.
Posted by California
on
Forced to endure letters and phone calls from collection agencies for the termination fees. We were also forced to endure the poor credit rating due to the collection. The cell phone company refused to work with us to explain their $425 fee, which still is unexplained. We paid a cancelation fee to try to repair our credit - $150.00
Posted by California
on
Signed and agreed to a 2 year contract with Verizon, paid for approx. 800 plus min extra monthly we were not using because business slowed down, called Verizon to roll over minutes but they changed our plan from the 3,000 to the 2,000 min plan - both parties, being my husband and myself, not fully aware that by not signing a new contract, Verizon had added an additional 1 year from the date we had called in for advise, and this changed our original contract.
All our records indicated the contract up in June 25th, 2007 (2 years after we had agreed upon and signed) We fullfilled our 2 year agreement, my husband had purchased a Trio phone that needed a simm chip, Verizon does not offer service for this phone, we needed the phone for an international business trip and had no other option but to sign up with another phone company, once again, not being made fully aware that we were going to get zapped with this early termination fee.
I tried to check my account online to pay my final bill, the bill I had received showed an amount of $448.79 and no explanation of charges. I could not log on to my account. Verizon had cancelled my online privledges.
Whew!! I have been on the phone trying to sort things out with Verizon and the only "HELP" they could come up with was, bring your business back to us and we will waive the charge, what about cancelling a contract we are fully aware of with the new carrier?? Verizon did not care.
Posted by Ohio
on
$150 in early termination fees. I spoke with a sprint representative days after cancelling and they stated Sprint had a credit on my account for $32. I did recieve a check in the mail. The day after recieveing the check I recieved the bill for $150 in early termination fees. The Sprint representative made it clear everything with my account was in good standing and I would recieve the credit in the mail.
Posted by California
on
I am self employed and run my business out of my home. On 05/20/07 my Verizon land line went down for five days. All I had was my cell phone to conduct business. In those five days, I had approximately 50 dropped calls out of 50. I cancelled my service, or lack thereof, and now they are trying to charge me an early termination fee. I have claimed they cannot charge me a fee to cancel a service that does not exsist.
Posted by Missouri
on
I left Sprint Wireless, because of poor service and lousy customer service which at times was non existant. I got my 200.00 deposit back but they charged me an early termination fee when I picked up service with Verizon. I got tired of Sprint's excuses and gave up on them. This was my very first cell phone in my entire life. All these cell phone companies are a racket and deserve to be regulated by the government. They need to do something and quick!!!
Posted by Texas
on
Charged a $200 early termination fee from TMobile despite numerous complaints about no service. Since moving into my new home on Jan 31, 2007, I have had problems with receiving and making phone calls, as well as receiving emails in a timely manner on my Blackberry Pearl cell phone. To attempt to remedy the issue I had my SIM card replaced, handset replaced, and was told that TMobile had sent a technician to survey my area. Even though the service map showed "Good" service in my area, TMobile claimed that they needed to build a new cell phone tower, and that sometime in 180 days a new tower would be built. During the entire time period, friends and family who visited my home were able to make and receive calls with no problems from other carriers such as ATT.
Posted by Virginia
on
I have been Sprint customer for over 3 years from 2003 to April, 2007. I moved from Chicago to Virginia in April 2007. Actually my first 2year contract finished and I dropped minuite so automatically it started new 2year contract. So far I have been using old scrathed phone for almost 4yrs. When I was in Chicago it was no problem in fact the service was wonderful at my home or any other inside of building. But Since moving I had difficulty of using my cell phone at my home and work place. My new boss aasked to have new cell phone but because of contract I hesitated. I complained twice but nothing is changed so I decided to stop because of their poor svc. I called them I quit my contract because of your poor svc so I don't have any right to pay termination fee. But Sprint company ask to collector to call my office and it is anoying and my boss complain that it is disturbing business.
Posted by Kentucky
on
We were in contract w/ Cingular. T-Mobile lied to us, told us we were out of contract, sold us their product, now we have a $429 bill w/ Cingular for early termination. We've been through hell with T-mobile. They finally gave us credit on our bill but would not give us cash to pay Cingular. The T-Mobile Kios we dealt with is very shady, they lied to us, gave us the run around for so long that we couldn't go back to Cingular and now we are stuck with T-Mobile and a $429 bill w/ Cingular. T-Mobile really ripped us off in a big way. The way that Kios does business, they should be shut down. Even getting to upper management was almost impossible and took almost 2 months to do.
Posted by Oregon
on
When complaining about both my service and the fact that I have to pay for unwanted text messages (a feature that I do not use, and can not decline a text message - I end up paying for it anyway) the company was unwilling to resolve this issue. They stated there was nothing they could do. Since they offered me no options, I told them that I wished to cancel my service because they would not work with me. They threatened me with a 250 dollar termination fee. In the end I have to stick it out and pay for spam text messages.
Posted by Ohio
on
I signed up for Sprint PCS service in Feb 07, and added a phone in March of 07. The service was poor at best in our area. The only reason I switched to Sprint was my employer switched and we received a substantial discount. I complained numerous times to Sprint about dropped calls and poor quality. I either spent very long times on hold just to get shuffeled back and forth or I would get dropped from call ques. I got fed up and switched back to Cingular and was hit with 2 $175 ETF fees. Then Sprint started calling me telling me if I would have "told them I was unhappy, they would have waived my ETF fees". I feel like I cannot win for loosing.
Posted by Massachusetts
on
We are now in collection and it is reflecting on our credit report although we have been disputing this charge for months. We tried in vain to solve the lack of service issue before cancelling our service because we knew it would be an issue. We complained countless times and even left our phones for repairs at a service center. The problem was never solved and now Verizon is claiming they have no record of us ever complaining about the issue.
Posted by California
on
I complained the entire year about wrongful billing practices and unsatisfactory service. So, I inquired about the completion date of my contract and on the date I was told my obligation was over, I cancelled. I subsequently received bills that Verizon would not reverse and over the past several years this charge has popped up on my credit reports which I continually dispute. I continue to fight Verizon who no longer will address this issue because they have turned it over to collection agencies.
Posted by South Carolina
on
5 years with sprint and have recent dates and contacts at Sprint who confirmed contract end date. Verified again that contract over when canceling. One month later sent $550 fee for 3 canceled lines. Called to question and told that I was correct and would be sent to manager to approve. Then denied and told I must pay or would report on my credit.
Posted by Michigan
on
I signed a contract not without the knowledge of knowing I was doing so. I am on a fixed income and I fell behind almost immediately due to activation fees that I was not made aware of. I specifically pointed out to the sales rep that I had never had a cell phone and he would have to explain the details. He neglected to tell me all of these things. I have already paid approximately $400 for under 2 months of service and my current bill will stand at over $1000 after deactivation charges. All of that for 2 months of service.
Posted by Missouri
on
My last bill with Sprint that I knew of only was around 100.00, but now that is well over 600.00 and they are reporting a credit consumer agency. I got my 200.00 deposit back from Sprint. These fees are awful and I don't know how they are getting away with it? They have very, very poor customer service so I switched to Verizon Wireless, and get better customer service. Sprint people are rude also.
Posted by Virginia
on
Recently Cingular has discontinued TDMA cell services for exisiting customers. In order to keep your current number and not loose service you MUST purchase a new GSM phone. I purchased a refurbised GSM phone so I would not have to sign a two year agreement. Afterwards they told me it did not matter. This is not the problem. The issue is when you change they take away your current rate plan and force you to sign a new two year contract. This is breach of contract and allows them to really stick it to their customers. I had a great plan and got nights and weekends free. My existing contract was up over 6 months ago and I was using my exisitng contract with no limitations. I had also invested over $600 in special "in Vehicle" hands free units to use with my phone due to the new laws in VA about talking on a cell phone while driving. These are now useless to me. Along with the fact that I have lost my old number (I went to a prepaid carrier because I will not sign another 2 yr agreement). This is unfair to TDMA cell customers. We should not have to be penalized because they want to upgrade their equipment. Why should I have to pay and sign another 2 year agreement and also pay contract fees for termination???
Posted by New York
on
I left my job back in Jan 2007. The company which had paid for the equipment and my cell phone bill to that point allowed me to move the number, but held onto the equipment. To move the Cingular "business" account to my personal Verizon account, Cingular required that I first open a "personal" Account. In opening the personal account, I did not sign up for a monthly service plan or take any equipment. The same day I moved my "personal" cell phone number to my Verizon account. Cingular is now trying to collect a $175 termination fee plus another $100 in late fees.
Posted by California
on
I canceled the service when I determined that I was being charged for text messages and that there was no unlimited text message plan available. I was told by the service representative that text messages were unlimited. I discovered after charges to my bill that text messages were only unlimited if you text another verizon customer. I have suffered damages to my credit and not been able to use my verizon plan combined with my Onstar plan in my vehicle. It would have been more convenient to share the minutes between my mobile plan and my car phone, but instead I purchase the minutes separately. Anyway, if there is a class action lawsuit or any type of lawsuit regarding cell phone company's early termination fees, please add me to the roster. :)
Posted by Colorado
on
I have spent several hours on hold, talked with countless representives and even have had promises to rectify the overages...and still get sent a $800 cell phone bill. The worst part is even if I pay this and want to leave for reasons of lack of service, I will have to pay an additional $400 for 3 lines on cancellation.
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