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:08/11/2024

  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.

  pure Talk took retro payment in order to change due date. The due date was never changed and the amount was never adjusted which resulted in over charge. The wrong account information was entered by the company which is now not allowing me to access the online portal. Now customer service just gives the same default answers and we cant get anything resolved.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2024

  Dear ******************,
   
   We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration caused by your experience with PureTalk. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we understand that your recent interactions have fallen short of our standards.
  
   We've carefully reviewed your account and understand that you requested a bill date change on May 19th. Unfortunately,due to a lack of response to our follow-up on May 23rd to finalize the change and collect the prorated payment, the update couldnt be processed.
  
   We apologize for any difficulty you encountered when verifying your account PIN with our customer service team. To resolve this issue promptly, weve escalated your account to our ************************** for immediate attention. A dedicated agent will contact you shortly to assist with PIN verification and address your bill date change request.
  
   Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this matter. We appreciate the opportunity to regain your trust.
   
   Kind regards,
  
   PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal) 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/10/2024

  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.

  Pure talk didn't work as expected and the customer service was terrible waiting over a hour and having to hang up no one has time to wait a hour for service I want a refund I have already switched back to ATT

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2024

  Dear ****************,
  
  We understand the importance of a smooth transition to T-Mobile 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 T-Mobile.
  
  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)

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2024

  Dear ****************,
   
   We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the extended wait time. We understand how frustrating this must have been, and we appreciate your patience.
  
  Weve issued a refund of $39.32 to your payment card. Please allow 3-5 business days for the refund to appear on your statement.
  
   If you have any questions or concerns,please dont hesitate to contact our **************** team at **************.
   
   Kind regards,
  
   PureTalk Customer Support 
  
  Cc: ********************** (via Zendesk Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/10/2024

  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.

  We switched cell service to Puretalk and every month we are having to call in with service issues. Right away my husbands phone which is a pure talk phone, would not work with the sim they provided. He travels for work and was without a working phone for two days. We tried everything they said multiple times to get his voicemail to work, as he was getting in trouble at work over it. Customers and co-workers need to be able to contact him and leave a message if hes not available. They would have him reset it, it would work for a couple days, then not work again. Most recently his facetime wont work. He cannot receive or make facetime calls and when you have a family and are gone for a week or more, facetime with kids at bed is important. We asked to speak with managers multiple times and were told customers are not allowed to talk to managers. We FINALLY refused to talk to anyone but a supervisor one call because they tell you they will send a message to a manager and then call you back, but they never call. When we spoke with the manager she also took our complaints, as well as our request to be let out of this service plan and we were told she would call us back. She never did.Her name is **** and her extention given is 2415. that promise was made June 20th. today is Augues 10th. I am currently on the phone with them and have been on hold for over an hour. The hold time is part of why we dont call as often as the issues occure. We asked if we could give the phone back and just go our seperate ways and they refuse. They said we had to ask for that within the first 14 days.. the whole first 14 days were spent with thir IT trying to assure us they had it fixed. Now as i sit on hold, the hold meessage is saying we actually had 30 days.. They are horrible. We should have stayed with ATT

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/15/2024

  Dear Ms. ********************** sincerely apologize for the service disruptions your husband has experienced and the frustration this has caused you both. We understand how upsetting it is to encounter difficulties, especially when dealing with customer support.
  
  Weve applied a $50 credit to your PureTalk account to express our sincere regret for what you experienced. Additionally,weve escalated your case and a Technical Support agent will contact you directly to continue troubleshooting the device. You can expect to hear from them at the designated time.
  
  Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this issue. Please dont hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions or concerns.
   
   Kind regards,
  
  
   PureTalk Customer Support 
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/15/2024

   
  Complaint: 22122629
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I would cancel my service today and go to another company if you would take this defective phone back. You are making us pay it off even though it has not worked properly since day one. Its your policy to not take phones back even if they are broken Im told. Thats bad business and $50 is not suitable to resolve this. You need to take the broken phone and let us walk away to a better provider. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/23/2024

  Dear Ms. ********************** apologize for any inconvenience caused by the recent voicemail issue with your iPhone 15 Pro Max.
  
  Our Technical Support team has confirmed that a signal was sent to your device on August 16. As a troubleshooting step, please attempt a device restart: power off your iPhone for 1-2 minutes, then power it back on and test the voicemail functionality.
  
  If the issue persists, we may need to assign a new eSIM to your device. Please contact our **************************** at ************** from an alternate device for assistance.
  
  Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to resolve this matter. 
   
   Kind regards,
  
   PureTalk Customer Support 
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 22122629
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  we have already done all of that. We have reset multiple times. Had several esims, reset voicemail multiple times. Take back your lemon phone and let us walk away
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/30/2024

  Dear Ms. **************************** you are outside our 14-day return policy and do not qualify for a replacement or refund.
  
  You may view our return policy at ****************************************************. To file a claim for your phone through your Allstate Protection Plan, you may visit *************************************
  .
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/09/2024

  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 recently upgraded to a new iPhone and successfully ported my current phone number without any issues. Subsequently, I purchased an unlocked iPhone from Amazon, which is compatible with all carriers. The settings confirm that there are no SIM card restrictions. I paid online to add a new number and provided the necessary information for the iPhone to activate with an eSIM. My checking account was charged, and I received both an email and a text message indicating that the service request was in process. However, I never received a prompt on my iPhone 12 and am still unable to set up cellular service.I contacted the customer service department at exactly 8:00 AM EST and was immediately informed of unusually high call volumes. Despite the customer service line opening at 8:00 AM EST, I was on hold for 45 minutes. When I finally spoke with a representative, I explained that I had paid to add a new line and that my iPhone 12 would not activate. The representative seemed confused and mistakenly thought that the upgrade I had paid for was not activated, mixing up information between the two phones. I clarified that I was trying to add a new line for the iPhone 12. She admitted to misunderstanding me but was unable to activate my phone.She provided me with the tech support line *************). I was on hold for one hour and seven minutes before someone answered. The representative initially spoke to me in Spanish. When I informed her that I did not speak Spanish, she apologized and placed me back in the queue. I do not have hours to spend on hold. Despite being charged $35 for this new line, my billing has already been updated to reflect a new line that will not activate. I am confident that the wrong EID and IMEI numbers are associated with my iPhone 12.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/15/2024

  Dear ******************,
   
  We understand how frustrating it is to experience delays when activating a new phone. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the long wait times and any issues you've encountered.
  
   We've confirmed that an eSIM has been generated for your new device. To expedite a resolution, a dedicated support agent will contact you shortly to assist with the activation process. We appreciate your patience and assure you that we are committed to getting your phone up and running as quickly as possible.
   
   Kind regards,
  
   PureTalk Customer Support  
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/07/2024

  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 have had pure talk since November of 23. On 7/17/2024 my wife's phone stopped working. Instead of showing 5 g, it shows SOS.I have called puretalk several times and waited an hour at least every time. All they came up with is the phone was locked by att. So I went to att , three different stores before I finally got the phone unlocked for sure. Called back to puretalk and waited an hour again. Went through the whole ordeal again. At this point my wife has not had her phone working for three weeks!!!! I am on the phone again now. And have waited a total of 2 1/2 hours . I talked with customer service and now am waiting on tech support. The last time we had tech support on the phone they insulted my wife. The guy was asking for a number from the phone. He said read off three numbers at a time and he would repeat them back.Well he could not do it and got frustrated and told her to put me on the phone. So I got on the phone and started repeating the number and my wife was mad and frustrated and said ' oh my god', well he heard her and hung up!!!!Very unprofessional!!!!!Now here I am waiting again!!I have been on the phone waiting for tech support for over an hour.I was waiting 50 minutes for customer service. I love the phone service I get and so did my wife until this happened.I'm ready to go to another carrier. They better hire more support.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/15/2024

  Dear Mr. ************** We apologize for the service disruptions your wife has encountered. We understand the frustration caused by this inconvenience and the delay in reaching our Technical Support team. Please accept our sincerest apologies.
  
  Our records indicate that a Technical Support agent assessed the issue and determined that a replacement SIM card is required. A new SIM card was ordered on August 7, 2024. Upon receipt, kindly contact our *************************** at ************** to activate the new SIM.
   
   Kind regards,
  
   PureTalk Customer Support 
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/05/2024

  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 was planning on porting my cell phone number but prior to the port, realized it was the same carrier i currently have which does not work at my residence. This is a business number. I called to halt the port prior to completion. I was never on their service or SIM card. But, have spent hours on hold and when finally got connected the young lady, *******, was less than helpful and would not put my request through and refused to transfer me to a supervisor for further assistance.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  Dear ****************,
  
  We apologize for any inconvenience caused by your recent experience with PureTalk. Our primary goal is to deliver exceptional customer service, and its clear we fell short of that standard.
  
  We have reviewed your account and confirmed the cancellation of your port request for line ending in 4200. Your order has been canceled, and a refund has been initiated. Please allow up to 14 business days for the refund to be processed.
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns,please do not hesitate to contact our *************************** at **************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  
  ************************* (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/04/2024

  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.

  Will not give refund after merch was returned has not cancelled specific phone line after requested. Prevented from porting phone number that has had for a number of years. I have spent over 6 hours on the phone since receiving a phone that did not work. I was lied to about the phone/eSIM and had to return phone. I did so in the allowed time. was supposed to receive refund to my card within 5 days. has not happened it is now 11 days. they put a note on my account that says I received a partial refund...my bank account does not reflect this. I asked to speak to supervisor on 8/2 after almost 2 hrs on phone. I finally received a call from someone (shouldn't be a supervisor or be in customer service) over 55 hrs later and at 6:30pm on a Sunday after ticket requested immediate call. missed call and I called back. after holding for 18 min someone picked up, placed on hold again then transferred for someone to be rude (which caused me to return in kind) and hung up on me right as customer service was closing for the day so I would not be able to ask for someone higher up and to make a complaint. This company does not care to make things right. Over 6 hours on the phone and no resolution.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

   Dear **************,
  
  We apologize for any inconvenience regarding your recent device return and refund. Our primary goal is to provide exceptional customer service, and we regret falling short of that standard.
  
  We have verified your account and confirmed that a refund of $67.94 was issued to your payment card on August 1, 2024. The transaction ID is *********************************-470C88255549. Please allow 3-5 business days for the refund to reflect on your statement. If you have not received the refund by then, please contact your bank for further assistance.
  
  Your request to disconnect the line ending in 1255 was processed on August 4, 2024, as per your instructions.
  
  Should you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our *************************** at **************.
  
  Kind regards,
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/30/2024

  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 want to be contacted by this company to get my money back. I don't have time to go through dates right now. This company took my money, screwed everything up, and now i can't get ahold of customer service. This is the WORST company I've ever dealt with.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/07/2024

  Dear ******************,
  
  We sincerely apologize for the unsatisfactory customer service experience you recently had with PureTalk. We value your feedback and are committed to promptly resolving this issue.
  
  We attempted to reach you by phone on August 7,2024, at approximately 2:20 PM EST to discuss your concerns further. However,we were unable to connect. Additionally, an email has been sent to request a convenient time and phone number to reach you directly.
  
  If you are considering transferring your phone number to a new carrier, please note that you will need to initiate a port request with them directly. To facilitate this process, you can find your PureTalk account number, PIN, account holder name, and billing address on file by logging in to your online portal at www.puretalk.com/account/login. Once logged in, navigate to the "Profile" tab.
  
  Upon receiving and verifying the port request from your new carrier, we will promptly release your phone number for transfer.Following the completion of the port, we will be happy to submit your refund request, if applicable.
  
  We understand that this process may seem cumbersome, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused. We are dedicated to providing a positive and efficient customer experience, and your feedback allows us to identify areas for improvement.
  
  Kind regards,
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/29/2024

  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 became a PureTalk customer a year ago on a "Switch to ********************** and get free phones" deal. The two phones they sent failed within months- cameras stopped working, keyboard issues. The $79.99 deductible for the repair plan was more expensive than replacing the phones.I've spent countless hours on hold, and being intentionally disconnected, with "customer service" who is holding me hostage for a $190 subsidy (for 30 months of service). I have scoured my correspondence and don't see that I ever agreed to such a ridiculous fee. I've asked for the documentation and they've yet to provide it.I'm my hours of conversation with PureTalk I've had numerous mixed messages ranging from "we're in the process of porting your number", to "you have 19 months remailing on your contract" to "you owe us $190 for a subsidy" At this time they've been unable to provide me any documentation supporting their claim, and I have no correspondence by email or paper mail that supports that contact.The only email received is attached, showing the original order summary with a $606.98 discount. the $15 shipping and $96 that I paid. I've paid roughly $85/mth ever since for my service plan. I only want to be released from this obligation to I can move my numbers to another, more reputable, provider.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/02/2024

  Dear ********************,
  We understand your frustration and apologize if our service fell short of your expectations. At PureTalk, we strive to provide exceptional customer care.
  
  We've emailed a copy of your conditional sale agreements and eSign documents to your inbox for your reference. These can also be accessed through your online account at www.puretalk.com/account/login
  under the "Plan" tab.
  
  If you cancel service before the 30-month agreement is complete, there is a remaining subsidy balance for each phone. To pay this balance, please contact our **************** team directly at **************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  ************************* (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/29/2024

  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.

  Contacted PureTalk for cell service. Over the course of about 1 1/2 hours they could't get my phone to work on their service. Rep said he would initiate a refund. He also said "they might approve it". They advertise a 100% money back guarantee in the first 30 days. I don't know why they will not refund me because they couldn't get my phone to work. I went to another carrier and they got my phone working in about 4 minutes. There is no reason why they should hold my money. Very dishonest company especially when they claim a 100% money back guarantee in the first 30 days.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/02/2024

  Dear **************,
  
  We apologize for the trouble you experienced while trying to activate your PureTalk service. We understand how frustrating this must have been.
  
  To resolve this issue, weve processed a full refund of $22.46 to your payment card on 07/30/24. Please allow 3-5 business days for your bank to process the refund and post it to your statement.
  
  If you have any questions about the refund or would like to explore other options, our **************** team is available to assist you at **************. Thank you for your understanding.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/02/2024

   
  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,
  
  ***********************