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:08/23/2024

  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.

  I am still waiting on a refund. Pure talk was not able to port my phone number. Called company on 8/14/24 and requested a refund since I couldn't use their service. To date, I have not received my refund.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/29/2024

  Dear **************,
  
  PureTalk apologizes for the inconvenience you experienced waiting on your port and, refund request.
  
  We have confirmed your refund was posted to your payment card on 08/21/24. The refund can take 3-5 business days to appear on your statement.
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns,please contact our *************************** at **************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/22/2024

  Type:Delivery 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 need to cancel my order I haven't received a response from pure talk if I can talk an agent directly with an extension to call to cancel my order, I just don't literally have time to be on hold for an hour on the phone to cancel my order, I work 12 hours a day just to keep with inflation, and I just don't have time to wait on the phone, I asked if I could mail a letter canceling my order and got no response, so my questions were not answered. by the way my email under my order is ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2024

  Dear ************,
  
  We sincerely apologize for the longer-than-usual wait time you encountered when reaching our **************** team. We understand that this can be frustrating, and we appreciate your patience.
  
  To assist you with your cancellation request as efficiently as possible, we will be sending you a direct email. This will require verification of the account holder's name, address, PIN, and phone number.
  
  For your convenience, you can easily locate this information by logging in to your account at www.puretalk.com/account/login and navigating to the Profile tab.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/22/2024

  Type:Billing 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 previously disputed this directly with ***********************. It has been more than two years since that dispute was filed directly with the company. They failed to respond to that dispute and are now in violation of the fair credit reporting act.Pure talk claims that I purchased a phone from them, which is not the case. I brought the iPhone to talk from ******* wireless. I then switched within several months from pure talk to another carrier, and they immediately sent threatening messages that I owe them for the cost of a phone that I brought to them I disputed this and they submitted this to a credit reporting agency and collections company called ***********************. I disputed directly with ***** and provided them the receipt for which I had bought the phone which was not Through pure talk. Pure talk has sensed locked my phone and reported that I have stolen. It has persisted two years after the initial dispute to file this on my credit report and continue to send me harassing Male correspondence after two years from the initial dispute. Those pure talk and *********************** are in violation of federal law.Based on pure talks, unethical business practices, and their reviews through the Better Business Bureau and various websites such as ****** if I do not have a response that removes this from my credit account with an apology within the next 30 days, I will begin to write reviews online that will describe the horrendous business practices of this company.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2024

  
  Dear ******************,
  
  We understand that the ongoing issue with your phone has been frustrating, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
  
  Weve reviewed your account and confirmed that you purchased an iPhone 13 Pro 256GB in Graphite from PureTalk on January 21, 2022,under a 24-month financing agreement. We have resent a copy of your order confirmation to your email on file.
  
  When you ported your phone number to a new carrier on July 28, 2023, the financing agreement was terminated. Per the terms of the agreement, you are required to pay off the remaining balance in full.
  
  Unfortunately, we haven't received a payment for the outstanding balance. Due to this, the phone's status has been reported to *********************** Collections. To resolve this matter, please contact *********************** at ************ to make a payment and remove the blacklist status from your phone.
  
  For any further questions or concerns, please dont hesitate to contact our *************************** at **************.
  
  We apologize again for any inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your understanding.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/26/2024

   
  Complaint: 22177099
  
  I am rejecting this response because I have attached the purchase receipt for my phone from ******* Wireless, which was purchased prior to switching to PureTalk. I already provided this information to *********************** and they ceased contacting me. Now that I have disputed the charge on a separate credit reporting agency, PureTalk has decided to commence with the harrassment.

   

  Again, this was previously disputed and no further action was taken by PureTalk or ***********************, this falls under the **** negligence clause. I disputed the account directly with ***********************, AND with a credit reporting agency. There was no response, and the reporting agency removed the account. Later, this was added to a separate agency and when removal was requested, the company began harassing me again.

   

  I will proceed with exposing this company for its unethical practices should this not be completely removed, the phone IMEI unlocked and a written apology issued by both PureTalk and ***********************.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/16/2024

  Dear ******************,
  
  We understand your concern regarding your phone.Our Loss Prevention team is actively investigating this matter. This has taken longer than expected and we apologize for the inconvenience and frustration that you have experience. We will provide you with an update as soon as possible.
  
  We sincerely thank you for your patience and cooperation.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support 
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/17/2024

  The response says they are still researching the issue. I have provided the purchase receipt from ******* that negates in full their claim that i purchased the phone from PureTalk. In fact, I received a notice the other day from PureTalk that the phone they reference was never activated.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2024

  Dear Mr. ******************** reviewing our records, we have confirmed the iPhone 13 Pro with IMEI *************** was purchased directly from ***** by PureTalk. We have included a copy of the Apple Purchase order and the Financial Agreement for your review
  
  Unfortunately, due to an outstanding contract balance, the device has been blacklisted by PureTalk and sent to Collections with the ******************************. We are unable to blacklist devices purchased from third-party sources, which also confirms the device was purchased by PureTalk. 
  
  To resolve the issue, we recommend contacting ****** ***** directly at ************** to address the collection matter. Please note that PureTalk has provided evidence to support the claim that PureTalk purchased the device directly from *****. At this time, the device is in collections status and remains blacklisted. Once the outstanding balance is paid in full, we will remove the blacklist status.
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our **************** team at **************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)
  
  Attachments:
  Apple Purchase Order (below)
  Financial Agreement (via email attachment)

   

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/30/2024

   
  Complaint: 22177099
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This information has been previously refuted by the receipt of the phone by ******** With the documentation I have provided, along with the statement from ******* that the phone is paid in full, with no IMEI lock from them, this company appears to be in violation of the *****
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/21/2024

  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.

  Could not get their promised service after hours of waiting for help. Finally quit and they told me I could not get a refund as advertised and won't release my phone number back to my original company.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/23/2024

  Dear ******************,
  
  We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced with our service. We understand that this can be frustrating, and we appreciate your patience.
  
  We've reviewed your account and confirmed that your refund of $14.88 was processed on August 20, 2024. Please allow 3-5 business days for the refund to reflect on your statement.
  
  We haven't received a port-out request for your phone number. To initiate the porting process, please contact your new carrier and provide them with your account information.
  
  If you require further assistance with the porting process, you can also contact our ****************** directly at ************.Please note that the account holder must be present on the call to authorize the release of your number.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/19/2024

  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 contacted Pure talk to switch cell phone services. I bought service for $20. My cell phone that I had was not compatible. When it wasn't compatible I talked to the customer service again and they suggested to close that account and open another one. So they closed that account I purchased another account for $20 I bought a cell phone I called them back and the cell phone I bought was not compatible. Now anytime I call them it's at least an hour to an hour and a half for someone to respond. So I've been without a cell phone since the first of August. They were supposed to refund me and I can't get a refund from these people so they owe me $40 maybe you can get it from them I called them this morning because I had a pending deposit for $15 from them then this morning when I look at it it's not there anymore I didn't get anything. I called my bank nothing was there. I called Pure talk and explained what was going on. The lady was questioning like I was untruthful. It'll do they know I have the emails I have to bank statements and all of that so. And then they try to tell me that I can't have the straight $20 back because they charge for the shipping the sim card. That wasn't told to me when I bought the service. So they want to charge $5 for the shipping of that SIM card. So both accounts cost me a total of $40 and they keep telling me three to five business days well they're they're not correct in any way shape or form and I'm done with dealing with them every time I call I'm on hold for at least an hour to an hour and 45 minutes I called three times in one day the battery on my phone died it's ridiculous.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/20/2024

  Dear Ms. ***************** apologize for the inconvenience you experienced while trying to activate your service. We understand the frustration this can cause,and we want to assure you that we're committed to providing a seamless customer experience.
  
  To rectify the situation, we have issued a full refund for both of your plans, totaling $40.00. The first refund was processed on August 16th, and the second was completed on August 21st. Additionally, we have refunded the shipping costs for both orders, which were processed on August 22nd.
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact our **************** team at **************. We're here to assist you in any way possible.
  
  Thank you for your patience and understanding.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Bureau)

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/23/2024

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/19/2024

  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 spent 3 hours on hold last week for an issue with my phone service. I just spent my 30 minute lunch on hold today and every fifteen minutes their line goes blank without communication. I literally cant even cancel my services with them they wont let me. Seeing that this is the nature of my call and I am out of time I just have to let the bill run delinquent in order to get my phone Shut off.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/23/2024

  
   Dear ******************,
  
  We sincerely apologize for the extended wait time you experienced reaching Customer Service.
  
  To expedite the cancellation process, we will be reaching out to you directly via email with further instructions.  During this process, you will be required to verify some account information for security purposes. This information includes your account holder's name,address, PIN, and phone number.
  
  You can easily access this information through your secure online portal at www.puretalk.com/account/login.  Sign in and navigate to the "Profile" tab.
  
  We appreciate your understanding and look forward to assisting you further.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  
  ************************* (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2024

  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.

  I recently have a Carrier Voicemail message in my voicemail. I cant seem to get the messages and my old password doesnt seem to work. I have tried countless times to reach them to no avail. I have had some recent health concerns and couldnt get the voice mails. I am a veteran/retiree and have had no issues with this service until now. It may be easy to fix, but please just contact me or answer my call in a timely manner!!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2024

  Dear **************,
  
  We understand your frustration in reaching a **************** representative. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.
  
  If you're unable to access your voicemail using your current passcode, a reset may be necessary. You can conveniently reset it through our secure account portal at ****************************************************.
  Simply sign in, navigate to the "Plan"tab, and select "Reset Voicemail."
  
  In some instances, your device might still display "Carrier Voicemail." To resolve this, access your phone's Settings > Phone and locate "Live Voicemail" (or a similar option). Toggle this setting off, then restart your phone.
  
  Should you have further questions or require additional assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our **************************** at **************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/15/2024

  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.

  Same issue for a month. PureTalk is holding my business cell phone number hostage and will not release it. I canceled a port request to them 2 days after requesting it and they have never released my number. My service with my previous carrier is impacted negatively.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/30/2024

   Dear ****************,
  
  We have confirmed your transfer request was canceled on 07/25/24. As the transfer was never activated in our system, we do not have access to your phone number. We recommend contacting your other carrier directly for further assistance regarding your phone number. They should be able to provide you with any information or next steps related to your request.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/12/2024

  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.

  On August 9, 2024, I started the process of switching my phone carriers and having my number ported to the new one the company that I am with now trying to drop is Pure talk mobile and they are refusing to release my phone number to the new carrier, which is ******** I have tried the last four days on the phone at ******** with their reps and ******** pure talk will still not release my number. They say that someone else a year ago try to take that number and it was denied, but they say since somebody tried theres nothing that they can do so theyre holding my phone number hostage.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/15/2024

  Dear ****************,
  
  We apologize for the inconvenience youre experiencing with porting your phone number to PureTalk. Our records indicate that multiple porting requests were submitted by ******* for your line ending in 1501. To resolve this issue, please contact ******* to remove these requests and resubmit the porting request with ********.
  
  To proceed with the port, please have your PureTalk account number, PIN, account holder's name, and billing address ready.Once ******** confirms the port request, we will be able to complete the transfer.
  
  Should you require further assistance, our ****************** can be reached at ************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  ************************* (via ******************** Portal)

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/15/2024

   
  Complaint: 22130543
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I have been in contact with ******** Ive been in contact with AT&T Been in contact with other cell company, I can manage to get a hold of and no one has tried to port my number so that is an incorrect response. Thank you.
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2024

  Dear ****************,
  
  We understand the importance of a smooth transition to ******** and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you've encountered while porting your phone number.
  
  Our records indicate that multiple porting requests were submitted from ******** To ensure a successful transfer, please contact ******* and request the cancellation of any outstanding porting requests on their end. Once these are cleared, you can proceed with resubmitting your port request with ********.
  
  To facilitate a swift process, please have the following information readily available:
  PureTalk Account Number
  Account PIN
  Account Holder Name
  Billing Address
  
  You can easily locate this information by logging into your PureTalk account portal at ************************************** and navigating to the "Profile" tab.
  
  For further assistance or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our dedicated ****************** directly at ************. Our team is committed to ensuring a seamless transition and will be happy to guide you through the
  
  Thank you for your patience and understanding.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Service
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/16/2024

   
  Complaint: 22130543
  
  I am rejecting this response because: as I have told you before I have contacted ******* and they have no such record

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/12/2024

  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.

  Called up to sign up for cell service have not been able to activate, called over 10;times , no way to reach customer service waited hours on phone no way to contact customer service to cancel. Dont want a company that you cant contact .ecxept for sales they pick up when called. Tried to email them that does not work says chapters are missing. Want my $14.00 refunded and my account cancelled. Thank you ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2024

  Dear ********************,
  
  We apologize for the inconvenience you've experienced trying to activate your service. We understand how frustrating it can be to encounter long wait times, and we value your patience.
  
  We've reviewed your account and confirmed that your refund of $14.00 was approved and processed on August 14, 2024. You should see the refund reflected on your payment card statement within 3-5 business days.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)