Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/12/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My daughter signed me up with tello.com two weeks ago. I still cannot make calls 99% of the time. There a brief moment when I can make a call once in a while. Calls to me have also been an issue but mostly calls out. I just got a recorded voice that says your call cannot be completed.I am 84 years old. I had a stroke last May and I fell two weeks ago. I do not have a landline and I am not able to call 911 even right now. I had to go to a neighbors last week to call my daughter. We have tried troubleshooting they have given us and apparently they're tech support was supposed to resolve it last week but it has not been resolved.My daughter has called them multiple times. After several attempts with support she finally asked for supervisor who sent it to technical support. This was all last week. We were promised a **** hour turnaround *****************, a supervisor on Wednesday morning 12/7/22. Case #******** . ***** also offered some sort of refund but we have not heard anything about that.This is a serious issue when I can't even call 911. They are leasing towers from ******** and we had ********/sprint previously and had no issues.Thank you very much ***************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/13/2022

  Dear ********************,

  We apologize for the issues you are experiencing. Please note that we are working on solving the problem and your case was already escalated to our Tech Support team. Also, we will be able to provide a refund for the service purchased, but we will first have to wait and have a resolution for the case.

  We promise to keep you updated and try to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.

   

  *********************************

  Tello.com

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/24/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 11/10/22, I purchased Tello Ulimited plan for $29.63. Than as I was using the service, I noticed the internet connection would drop & I had to put the phone on airplane mode & turn it back off the get connected again. Than I used all my 25g data & decided to call customer service & being told to purchase more data which I did. However, the connection problem persisted. So I called customer service again. And *******. Said, I quote:"are you using a 5g phone. You need to go to phone setting & switch to 4g for your service to work. 5g doesn't work". It clearly states in there website "5G" service. Clearly FALSE ADVERTISING. So I requested a refund for extra data that I've just purchased & not used. After she issued the refund, my service stopped: NO CALL..NO TEXT. I already paid for UNLIMITED service. I had to make yet another call to turn the service I paid for turned back on.Tello need to STOP false advertising with 5G service they do NOT provide.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2022

  Hello ****! We apologize for the situation with the service and the misunderstanding with the minutes and texts.

  By checking your account, we can see that 5G doesnt have the best coverage at the address registered in your account, and that is why we recommend using 4G/LTE for the best experience. You can also check the coverage for the locations from where you want to use the service, on our Coverage map: https://tello.com/coverage.
  Unfortunately, the Data was slowed down because, indeed, at the time you first contacted us you have used up all the high speed Data included in your Plan.
  We can see that the last order you placed with us was refunded in full, and now you still have unlimited minutes, texts and the slow speed Data available for your Tello number. The renewal date was also adjusted until December 21st.
  In case you need high speed Data before that Plan automatically renews, you can renew/change your Plan to include high speed Data, at any time.
  One of our Support team representatives will get in touch with you directly for more details and to provide assistance in case you still experience issues with the service.

  *********************************

  Communication Manager
  

  Tello.com

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/10/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On November 3rd 2022 I purchased 2 sim cards and 2 plans at 19 dollars each for my son and I. These sim cards will not let us connect to any mobile network. We have tried contacting Tello's customer service by email since we have no phone service, but their reply is a canned response with information already available in their troubleshooting pages (which we have tried twice, with no success). I cancelled the plans and asked them to please refund this purchase, as we were not even able to use it. Once again, Tello sends a canned response and within it states that any unused service is forfieted. How is that fair? Their service doesn't work on our phones, nothing was used. I would just appreciate the refund is all.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  Hi *****! We are sorry you experienced these issues.

  Although it may have seemed unnecessary, there are certain troubleshooting steps that we
  need to make sure are completed in order to be able to resolve an
  issue.

  
  Please note that when you decided to request a refund, you
  were advised that the service should be cancelled first to avoid future
  billing and to let us know once it is done, so we can process the
  refund. Our apologies if the answer was confusing.

  
  We have now refunded your purchases in full (SIM cards included), and you should have the money back in a few next business days.

  Please let us know if you need assistance with anything else.

  Tello

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/03/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have two Tello phones, one 5G the other 4G. This week, beginning Monday and still continuing, ******** (the network Tello uses) has been performing "modernization" (per ************* another cellular service I use that also uses ********) and data speeds at my home are too slow to use. I called 14 times Monday, each time I was hung-up on, disconnected, or lied to; I have exchanged numerous emails and it is the same. It is impossible to reach someone in the ****; this morning I called the ******* number listed here, including the contact listed here, and they refused to help. I have proven the problem to Tello representatives with speed test screenshots and pictures of network construction and they refuse to acknowledge the problem. Instead, they have been rude and dishonest; one "supervisor" I spoke with *** well be the worst customer service representative I have ever dealt with. Apparently, Tello in the **** provides no oversight at all.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2022

  Dear customer,

  We understand how frustrating it can be to have unstable services, as well as calling in trying to get an explanation for its interruptions.
  However, it is necessary for us to gather specific information from your account, devices, and lines in order to properly assist you in solving a certain issue.
  
  It is also a mandatory procedure, for you to follow our user verification process when you call our customer service line, and answer any pertinent questions so we can safely determine it is you calling for anything related to your account/number, not a fraudster.
  
  Unfortunately, no matter how efficient our team may be, no matter the location around the globe, you have not provided us with the required details to do what we must.
  
  We have listened to your recordings, read your emails, and have not been able to find any relevant information for either our customer service or technical support teams to open an investigation with.
  
  The screenshots were helpful, they give us an idea that the issue is present, but it is not enough for us to determine what is the cause.
  At this point, we kindly ask you to understand that we are not able to see the same as you are. Allow us to be clear, in order to be able to remotely locate the origin of the issue, we will definitely require your cooperation.
  
  
  Please respond to our technicians' emails and requirements at your earliest convenience.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/31/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I first signed up for service with Tello last year. After reading Tello's webpage on family plans, which advertises "One family, one account, multiple savings" and "No extra cost per line" I bought a second phone and added a line so that my wife and I could both have a phone. I soon discovered that I am paying for two lines. Tello's response is that "No extra cost per line" really means there is no activation fee for additional lines. I wasn't charged an activation fee when I signed up.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2022

  Hello *****!

  Family Plans treat each line individually. Adding an extra line to your account comes with no extra fee (as in administration fees, extra fees). However, the new line needs to be set up with its own plan, its own device, and its own number, and the billing date for each line in your family account is set according to the day each plan is activated.
  This information is clearly stated on the website, on the checkout and in our Help Center.
  Checking our logs, we can see that you contacted our Support Team in September, before setting up your new line, and you were provided with the steps to follow. The steps also explained that you need to configure the plan for each new line. 
  Moreover, on the Checkout page, before finalizing the order for the new line, you can see the total amount you will be charged for that particular order on a monthly basis.

  We apologize for the inconvenience, but we do not consider we mislead you in any way.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/03/2022

   
  Complaint: 18338789
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I indeed contacted Tello in September, asking about adding a second line. My recollection is that I wanted to know if there was an additional charge (I don't have a copy of my inquiry because I used Tello's online form to ask the question). I do have Tello's response, which does not address the question of additional charges. I want to again point out that the page "explaining" family plans says there are savings, and that there are no extra charges. In fact, there are no savings. Tello says there is not activation fee for additional lines, but there isn't one for the first line either. The language used to promote family plans plainly intends to suggest the additional lines are offered at not additional charge. That is false advertising. Asking Tello for clarification did not help.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2022

  Hi *****,

  Again, we apologize for the misunderstanding.That was not our intention.

  By simply typing "family plan" in our *********** (https://tello.com/help_center) you will receive among other questions this one: "Q: How does billing work on a family plan? A: Each line in your account has its own plan which will have its own individual billing date and payment method.
  You can change or restart a plan anytime and this will reset the billing date but bear in mind that we will not provide refunds (partial or otherwise) for canceled, repurchased, or updated plans. We try to group your recurring charges into as few invoices as possible for plans with the same billing date."

  Moreover,  on the Family Plans page we have the info "Start from $5/per line" and "The billing date for each line in your family account is set according to the day each plan is activated." which are clear indications each line has its own pricing.

  We apologize for the inconvenience, and we promise to reconsider the usage of 'no extra cost' as we understand that was the trigger for the misunderstanding.

  Thank you for your understanding!
  

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2022

   
  Complaint: 18338789
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  It is not enough to offer to simply reconsider making the claim of "no extra cost." That is simply false, and must be discarded. And that is NOT the only trigger for misleading customers. The other is the statement, "One family, one account, multiple savings". There are no savings associated with adding lines. That, too, is false. The advertising language is intended to mislead, not inform.
  

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/30/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I sign up for new Tello phone service today, using my friends referral link. Based on Tellos referral policy, my friend and myself each should receive $10 credit. However, when I called Tello customer service, I was told that they didnt see the $10 referral credit. It doesnt make any sense.I request Tello to apply the $10 referral credit to my account as well as to my friends account. My Tello phone number is ************. My friends Tello phone number is ************.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2022

  Hello ***!

  We checked your account and could see that the referral code was not entered and accepted online at the time the account was opened.
  That is the reason why the Tello Dollars were not awarded to either of the accounts.
  However, our Support team added the Tello Dollars manually, as a one-time courtesy, after your friend contacted us directly.
  You can find the Tello Dollars in your online account, under the "Referral Program" section."

  Please let us know if we can help with anything else,

  Tello

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/30/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ive had this phone since August noticed that this phone is obviously tapped through the Sim card all of my accounts through ****** and everything has been hacked into some games that Ive play hacked into some of them or removed also noticed that this phone shut down on me completely today after I played about $100,000 in games I do know that its unable to be unlocked I contacted Tello they had no way to resolve I do know they dont offer any type of insurance they dont have any knowledge of any of their phones because this one is a ******** six and it is actually disabled some form way it comes on and off but it does not work as far as touchscreen would like for them to replace this phone the screen is cracked on it but it didnt work overall the phone needs repair theyre unable to do so I have not had this phone five months good it is shut down it was sold to me as a refurbished but it is not Ive noticed that last week there were different pictures and things that I didnt even know were in there from someone else that pre-owned it obviously so theres some sort of hacking going on through this account I dont know but this phone was actually just reset and not refurbished would like a replacement phone so that I can use my Sim card because it has my apps on it I want to believe but Ive noticed that none of my email or anything that Ive been signed into his email me and when I called the phone it wont even allow me to answer it would like a new phone please!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/01/2022

  Hello ****!

  By checking our logs we can see that you haven't reported any physical damage with the device when you received it, nor any information stored from someone else being stored on your device.

  We can assure you that our devices, new and refurbished, are thoroughly checked before they are sold, to make sure everything is working fine.

  We can also see that every time you contacted our Support Team you were offered professional and accurate assistance. Also, one of our Supervisors provided you with a discount coupon, in case you would like to purchase another device from us.

  Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide a replacement because the device was purchased in July and it is out of warranty.

  However, we recommend taking the device to a repair shop to help you with the reported issue.

  Tello

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/01/2022

   
  Complaint: 18335316
  
  I am rejecting this response because: When I contacted your department for your business they were very reluctant about giving me information I didnt know that when I spoke to the individual woman she gave me the runaround indicated to me that the manager was in a meeting and I couldnt hear from anyone then we were disconnected after the fact that she took upon herself to reset my phone without my knowledge if you go online to ******* it will distinctively tell you that when you reset your device you clear out everything this individual cleared out over $100,000 worth of games that Ive been playing on that farm when they did so and also the individual that I finally spoke to act like they just did not understand me along with the same individual that reset my phone that the phone kept indicating that the phone screen was locked  so obviously whoever has been tapping my phone through your company has shut the phone down because they know that I realize that overall that phone was not refurbished I noticed that when I was driving for Uber the phone number popped up as somebody else name when I finally decided to use it I also noticed that there is a picture in there of a guy also the same individual play games because they have pictures of games as well  I found out that this phone was not a refurbished phone overall obviously theres some sort of cover-up because whoever it is this type in the phone obviously noticed it for whatever reason I do know that you all need to replace this phone it doesnt matter whether or not if its supposedly out of warranty or not you all are supposed to give a warranty on a device by law in the state of ********* An implied warranty of merchantability is a guarantee by a seller that any product being sold is free of defects and is functional. An implied warranty of fitness is a guarantee by a seller that a product is designed to be used as advertised. Implied warranties are automatically mandated by state law and are usually limited to 4 years.An important federal regulation relating to warranties is the ************************* Warranty Act. This Act requires sellers and manufacturers of consumer goods to clearly delineate the bounds of express warranties and to expressly state the requirements for maintaining warranty coverage. In addition, sellers must also disclose whether warranties are "full" or "limited". Offering limited warranties allows sellers to limit an implied warranty to the duration of the express warranty. I look to you to make sure you do the right thing and replaced the cellular device due to compromise! Everything that I expressed to you is true to the best of my knowledge.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2022

  Hello ****! 
  Unfortunately, we will not be able to replace the device that was purchased in July because it is out of warranty. Moreover you never specified that you are experiencing issues with the device during the warranty period. All our devices have a 30-day warranty and you can also find this information in our Terms & Conditions. 
  We recommend taking the device to a repair shop to see exactly what the issue might be and provide you with assistance.
  If you still want to use a different device, you can bring your own, if you have another Tello GSM compatible and unlocked phone or you can purchase a device from us, using the coupon provided by the Supervisor who attended your call on October 30th.
  We can assure you that we do not have access to your device and therefore, we cannot block it, access any details, or delete any information from it. The only action we performed for your number was to reset the Tello services, but this action does not affect the stored information on your device, or your installed Apps. 
  As regards the caller name, if you see it is wrongly displayed, we can definitely help you and reset it to default (Wireless caller).

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/03/2022

   
  Complaint: 18335316
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Your company reset my device which knocked all of my information out with all of my apps without informing me that he and she were doing so. im glad that you would like to risk your whole entire business because of this because Im going to make sure just because you dont want to give me a phone anywhere between $60-$100 and Im paying service for to you you believe that youre supposed to keep me from having a device Im not paying to take my phone to get it repaired thats gonna cost me way more than the phone is actually worth and you know it! Overall Im glad that you think that youre supposed to treat a customer that has worked for the government to sell and give away phones for free and which I know for a fact although I work in anyone else does work they can get a free phone check it out and I will be letting everyone know this because of businesses like you  that rip people off to keep them from going forward in life no I do know that all of those three Assurant lines and Q link all of them they give a free phone to people that work as well long as they can provide a certain amount of income of course and believe it or not although a lot of these people have businesses which I can tell just like you you must be on a fixed income because you wont even let someone thats telling you truth  get a device replacement they truly do deserve its really sad that you would rather risk your business then to do the right thing! And of course by doing this I wont be needing any of my services I will be needing my money back for the payment that I made because Im unable to use the services because the phone is locked so if you can just either give me my money back for my services I pay for for this month and discontinue the services and or continue the services and send me my phone because its gonna cost you a more in the long run!
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2022

   
  Complaint: 18335316
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Tell us negligent for having my phone cut off I would like a refund on all of my monthly services including the compromise cellular device that I purchased! And also I have updated my phone number I did respond to this for some reason its not in your system ! My new phone number ************
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2022

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID .********, , and find that Mediation is necessary.

  Regards,

  *************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/23/2022

  Dear ********************,

  We accept the mediation.

  Please let us know what comes next and what is required from us to do.

  --

  *********************************

  Communications Manager

  Tello

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/20/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The initial date of transaction was 6/8/2022, which started my new account with Tello. I was switching carriers, & was switching to Tello Mobile. Due to previous carrier holding my 10 yr old telephone # hostage during this time, and the following phone issues, I was without phone service for almost 6 weeks between both carriers. Tello told me that my current phone at that time was compatible, so I only ordered their SIM card. *** didn't work in my phone and had to order a new phone (NUU X6 Plus). It turned out to be defective, & there was no replacement phone per Tello's tech support rep who tried for over an hour to get the phone active. Said to send it back, & they would send me a label. Had to wait until phone was received before refund could be issued, which was understandable.Ordered new phone (TCL A30) & had to purchase a new SIM card (first one was FREE). Rep that helped also refunded initial $21.36 plan charge since phone wasn't working. Received this phone on 7/13/22. It worked, but noticed alarm clock didn't work consistently, so I had to use old phone as a back up, & then eventually had to only use my old phone. I didn't care, since Tello's *************** were much better than old carrier (Net10).Last Friday (10/14/22), I noticed my phone wouldn't charge. I tried different USB chargers and cords, and it didn't work. I used those same items to charge old phone, and it charged. So I purchased a new battery on 10/15/22, and received it on Sunday (10/16/22), and it wouldn't charge. I reset the phone, and lost wedding video's in the process, and it still didn't work. So it wasn't the battery, it was the phone. I then contacted Tello via email, and haven't received a final response. I've attached the threaded conversations, and my account history.Tello, overall, is a good company, but to not replace this *********** after 2 problematic phone purchases is wrong. As of yet, I've not received a final response. I need my phone!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2022

  
  October 21, 2022
  
  Dear customer,
  We're sorry for the inconvenience. Our sole purpose is to provide affordable, quality services to our customers. 
  We looked closely at your situation and decided to make an exception, take the phone back and refund you the amount. Unfortunately, at this point we are facing some technical issues generating return labels, but we are working to fix it. As soon as our system works properly, we will send you the return label as promised. 
  Please note this was also explained in our latest email that we sent on 10/19, when we advised that the return is possible, and we will send you the label as soon as it will be available.
  We apologize for the inconvenience once again and hope youll accept our resolution.
  Thank you for your understanding!
  
  Kind regards,
  *********************************
  Communication Manager
  Tello LLC
  4780 *******************
  Suite A 236
  ******* ** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/21/2022

   
  Complaint: 18252804
  
  I am rejecting this response because I never received said email about a return label.  Also, no need to send a return label, I'll send it back if they just provide a return address, and then I can receive my refund for another telephone.  If they can do that, then this issue is resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/24/2022

  Dear customer,

  The email we referenced was sent on 10/19/2022 and it contained the same info as we provided earlier:
  "We will accept a return and will provide you a return label once it is available."
  
  Generally, we do not recommend customers to use their own labels because we need the tracking number, and we can't reimburse the shipping costs. However, if you are not willing to wait and you assume the fact that you need to cover the shipping cost, then you can use the following address for return and send ** the tracking number:

  *******************
  1150 ************
  Suite 500
  *********, **
  37211-3168

  Please let ** know what you decide.

  Nevertheless, we promise we'll get back to you as soon as we can provide you a return label.

  *********************************
  
  
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/24/2022

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  I can not wait until you are able to provide a label, as I need a working phone ASAP, just like you need one, so I will accept responsibility for returning the phone.  I will ship phone on tomorrow, which will require a signature upon receipt, and will provide you with the tracking #.  As an office manager & inventory control, I do this for a living, so there shouldn't be any problems, unless you guys create them.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/18/2022

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Tello account: ************ Senior citizen I purchased from you on June 16, 2020, I paid $229.58 *********************. One (1) year & 9 months later Tello migrated from Sprint to ******** April 30, 2022. My Tello purchased, paid off phone failed to migrate, became sim locked to Sprint during migration process. Tello is Sprint Legacy account so only Sprint can unlock. I contacted Tello over 24 times via (8) web contacts, 2 physical taxi visits to ******** stores. (9) phone calls to contacts Sprint. (14) ************** mobile representatives called Tello via 3 ways (present to verify my Tello account), for UICC SIM UNLOCKING cell phone. 2 first calls to Tello, representatives verify account, transferred call to manager, who reported there were no solution. Tellos solution was their offer of $390.00 representing my 50% portion for new replacement phone which I rejected, and insisted Sprint is willing to unlock my sim but Tello blocked their process with no access. Sprint's reported glitch was SIM UICC authentication error, phones identity ************ ** Stylo phone IMEI# number is currently attached to a their current and active member Alfo M prior to my purchase date. Plainly the phone does not belong to me and is still registered to ******, only he has rights to request and verify my phone for Sim unlock. Eleven (11) additional contacts upon verifying my account Tello placed ********** on hold until hung-up, upon last Manager **************************** refused to assist.This is questionable transaction to sell a product linked to another person, where the product cannot be verified or authenticated. During my purchase Tello representative assured me ** STYLO 4 was a brand new phone, not re-manufactured, not pre-owned or registered to another. New owner is not the owner, but paid the price like new product. I am asking for refund my purchase $229.53+ $120.00 = $349.53 or accept Tellos offer of $390.00 but funded to my current card on file.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/19/2022

  Dear *****,

  This case was checked by our team and unfortunately, as we mentioned to
  you before, we can not do anything else. We are not able to unlock or
  lock a device. Also, note that when you purchased the phone, even on the
  invoice and in the site the device was sold as a refurbished device,
  not a new one.
  
  We did offer the 50% refund for a device, but not $390. If you decide to
  buy a phone from us, we will refund 50% of the cost, however, regarding
  unlock the device, there is nothing else we can do from our end.

  Tello.com

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/10/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased Tello's $10 unlimited talk and text plan. I am no longer able to talk and text. I'm on automatic renewal which occurs in 10 days. The website states: Tello Mobiles ready-made plans include unlimited talk and text. They each also allow you to turn your smartphone into a hotspot with free tethering. I notified Tello of the inability to talk and text and got this response:You have run our mobile data LTE balance.Unlimited data plan offers 25GB 4G LTE/5G. Unlimited 2G data on all plans after you've used your 4G LTE/5G balance.Without DATA LTE balance you will not be able to send or receive picture messages.We wish to inform you that Multimedia Messages (MMS) will not work over Wi-Fi as they need a mobile data connection to be sent or received.If you wish to be able to send MMS using Tello, we kindly advise you to upgrade your plan so that it includes Data, as well.Having to purchase more data is not unlimited text and data for the $10 plan.It seems very deceptive.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2022

  
  To the attention of: 
  ***********************************
  
  
  
  October 11, 2022
  
  Dear customer,
  We're sorry for the inconvenience. Our sole purpose is to provide affordable, quality services to our customers. 
  First of all we would like to inform you that the email reply you received from our Customer Support was strictly related to MMS, since it was not clear then that you can no longer make or receive calls. Running out of Data balance does not affect calling and regular texting services. We apologize for the misunderstanding!
  To make things clear, all our plans include the mobile Hotspot feature at no extra charge. The data you use via Hotspot just pulls from your monthly Data balance. All you need is a hotspot-capable phone. When your 4G/5G data plan balance runs out, throttling is automatically enabled and hotspot automatically disabled. 
  Moreover, one of our agents will get in touch with you to verify what we can do to help. We will refund the last order, as a courtesy since it was not very clearly explained at that point how our services work. 
  We apologize for the inconvenience once again and hope youll accept our resolution.
  Thank you for your understanding!
  
  Kind regards,
  *********************************
  Communication Manager
  Tello LLC
  4780 ***********************************************
  Suite A 236
  ******* ** *****