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:07/02/2024

  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.

  We joined AMAC and they advertise for pure talk, we decided to switch from ******* over to them. We spoke on the phone, ordered 2 galaxy A25 phones and a 2 yr membership for the price of ******, May 1st. The gentleman was very reassuring that there will be customer service to help set up the phones when we receive them. Phones came, tried to call over weekend, they were closed. Tried to figure out how to change them over and we could not. We called early the next week, to let them know it was to difficult for us, and that we would like to cancel and ship them back. They said no problem, it usually takes 7 to 10 days to get your refund. We shipped them back, hadn't heard anything, we called on May 28th, they said they never received them. We called **** they sent us proof of delivery with a signature. We called Pure Talk back after a few minutes on hold the woman said yes we have them, your refund will take 7 to 10 business days, refund numbers 2867973, 2867965. A few days later a woman called, saying she was from Pure Talk and that the phones were not in the box. This is after almost 2 and a half weeks of being in their possession that they are now saying there are no phones in the box. They told us to contact **** which we had and Pure Talk denied **** access to info and inspection of the package . We spoke with several people and a supervisor who said he would look into this. We asked if there was someone else we can speak with and they gave us a disconnected number, ************. Today I went online to pay my bills and see Pure Talk has taken an additional 412. 28 out of my account without any notification or consent. I just don't understand how this possible, sick over this. Extremely disappointing, feeling we got robbed out our hard earned money.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/12/2024

  
  Dear ********************,
  
  We understand your frustration regarding the recent return of your devices. We sincerely apologize for the delay and any inconvenience this has caused you.
  
  Unfortunately, since a pre-paid return label was not included with the devices, we are unable to directly assist with your *** claim. However, we will be emailing you a photograph of the empty box we received. You may use this photo as supporting documentation when filing your claim with ***.
  
  Please note that as the devices were not returned and service was not activated within 30 days of receipt, the remaining subsidy balance became due on July 1st, 2024.
  
  If you have any further questions or require additional information, please don't hesitate to contact our *************************** at **************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/02/2024

  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.

  I have tried phoning their customer service and emailing they just leave you on hold and the email wont send. I have spent an 1 hour and 30 minutes on several phone call attempts in the last 4 days to get assistance with my account.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  Dear **************,
  
  We sincerely apologize that you were unable to connect with a **************** representative. We understand the frustration this may have caused, and we value your time and patience.
  
  We can confirm that your line ending in 7455 was ported out to another carrier on 7/19/24.
  
  If you have any additional questions or concerns,contact our **************** department at ************.
  
  Regards,
  
  PureTalk ****************
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/28/2024

  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 June 17th, 2024, my husband and I decided we could save money by switching phone services from Lively to a new company, Puretalk. So we called and were quoted a better price, so we agreed. We received the phones on June 20th. I was able to get my ******* A15 up and running. However, my husband could not get his flip phone to work. We called tech support and got my son (who has 15 years of cell phone experience ) to help. We walked through, taking the sim card from my phone and his *** card to mine. The *** card was okay; the phone had a problem. We were told to mail the phone back. My husband was very disturbed about not having a phone for a long time, so he told them he just wanted the money back for the phone that did not work, and his phone number sent back to Lively. He was told he could not get anything back until we paid for the broken phone because they thought we had broken it. Later that day, we received the broken phone back. I called and asked to speak to a supervisor but was told they would call back, but they have not called back yet. We did nothing to break that phone. We followed the instructions of their tech support. This was a brand-new phone, and we paid for insurance for the phone. Shouldn't it be covered by the manufacturer or the insurance? We only want a credit back to our credit card and phone number released. We would be glad to send them the phone back. They told us we had 14 days to change our minds, but they said they would not honor that since we broke the phone. My husband will soon be 91 years old, and I am 70. They sent me an installment sale agreement and told us ******* gave an electronic signature, which he did not. I opened the email, but it got to us after we got the phones.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2024

  Dear ********************, 
  
  We are sincerely sorry to learn about the difficulties you and your husband have experienced with his Schok Classic flip phone. Upon reviewing your return request, we discovered that the returned phone has a damaged SIM card tray. While we understand troubleshooting efforts may have led to this issue, unfortunately, PureTalk is unable to process refunds for damaged devices. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. For your reference, the phone has been returned to you via ***** with tracking number 276385736604. 
  
  We recommend contacting Schok directly to explore replacement or repair options under their 1-year manufacturer warranty.Additionally, your husband has a phone protection plan through Allstate, and a claim can be filed at ***********************************************;
  
  To transfer his phone number to a new carrier,kindly contact PureTalk's **************** team at       ************** to settle the remaining financing balance.
  
  Our team is committed to providing a positive customer experience, and we apologize if we fell short in this instance. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions.
  
  Kind regards, 
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/28/2024

  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.

  Hello. Sorry for the length of this complaint but very involved! For the benefit of Puretalk, they may access all background information on their internal Ticket # *******. In short: I had set up a new account with ********************** back on 12/2023. At the time of setup, we were told one of the phones we had could easily be added to their network (that was determined by their back end technical folks, NOT CS. We confirmed that before going forward with the new account). We purchased one phone and would connect with the other. However: when we tried to access the network with that phone, it was no good-would not connect. We were forced to then get a new phone, which would have been FREE when the original acct was set up. I went through several CS calls. One person said, "YES we can still add as a free phone". Another acct # was set up by her for the purchase but was assured the phone would be added to the FIRST acct at no charge. These phones have been in use for over 6 months without a problem. Then on 6/27/24 the phone ending in xxx2734 STOPPED connecting and was BLOCKED. I was told there was a $96.66 charge due, that the phone was NOT FREE. Too many calls back and forth on this problem (over 2 hours) to get someone to notate and try to FIX the problem yesterday. Meanwhile I could NOT get anyone LIVE today to check the results. We have cell phones for ACCESS! Therefore, I paid the $96.66 as a hostage and now ask for a REFUND or $96.66 CREDIT to our active account. ********************** service was fine, but this phone's cost is ridiculous and must be repaid; it was to be NO CHARGE. This happened since I was NOT given the correct info on the original Acct order. I have paid for service no problem for 7 months. By the way: I was with my last carrier ******* for over 17 years! I want to give you a second chance and will continue with Puretalk if we get this refund or credit issued to acct ending *******. Thank you in advance for a careful and considerate review.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2024

  
  Dear **********************, 
  
  We sincerely apologize for the confusion and inconvenience you experienced with our free ******* A14 promotion. We understand your frustration and want to assure you that we are committed to providing clear communication and a positive customer experience.
  
  To clarify the terms of the free phone offer, it requires activation of a new line of service, porting of an existing phone number, and service activation within 30 days of purchase. Since the phone was not linked to your existing number, the sales agreement was unfortunately voided, and the remaining balance went to collections. The phone was subsequently blacklisted and blocked from network use.
  
  We have thoroughly reviewed your case (Ticket #*******) and confirmed receipt of your payment. We are pleased to inform you that the blacklist status has been removed on July 2nd, 2024. You should now be able to utilize your phone and service plan without any further issues.
  
  Furthermore, to acknowledge the trouble you encountered, we have applied a credit of $100 to your account. This credit will be automatically applied to your upcoming service charges.
  
  We value your business and apologize again for any frustration this situation may have caused. Should you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our *************************** at ************. 
  
  Kind regards, 
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/08/2024

  Hello BBB and Pure Talk.  I want to make sure this $100.00 credit is handled properly.  POINT 1: YES I did make the payment of  $96.66 back on Friday June 28th.  Please remember that I had to discover this "BLACKLIST STATUS" on my own when the phone went dead! I decided to pay and then appeal to you for a credit through BBB. However: it took until July 2nd for service to start again.  I had several extremely LONG calls to your CS on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  No one could locate the payment receipt (although I received it the same time you did, on Friday afternoon from ***********************).  It was 2 hours Friday, 2 hours Saturday and then 1 hour Sunday.  Once I explained my never ending set of calls Monday (another 1 1/2 hours), a CS Supervisor called me back for the hours spent on the phone without resolution. She understood and made sure the payment receipt was received by her via email (****************** 2619) and assured me she got it, would apply this correctly and get service on by Tuesday.  For the severe delay and number of calls (about 6-7 hours for all days Friday through Monday), she applied a $50 credit towards our account.  POINT 2: I DO NOT yet see the $100 credit you are offering to resolve the "Free Phone" matter.  I will accept the $100, provided that it is ANOTHER credit and separate from the $50 courtesy already offered & applied for the hours spent resolving and finding the receipt to release the "BLACK LIST STATUS".  Please confirm in writing we have $50 (already credited) and another $100 for the phone issue to follow.  I did not want someone to see the $50 credit and get confused with the Phone credit. Lastly: I have been a Pure Talk customer since December, so that is 7 months of paid service without issues.  I'm thus confused why I was never contacted for the phone issue before any "BLACK LIST STATUS" took effect.  If any message was left on my V-mail I would have received it and would have responded promptly.  I mention this to suggest that customers SHOULD NOT have to wait hours on the phone for a resolution.  But of course it is just a suggestion and that's up to you.  In conclusion, please confirm the $100 Phone credit is additional to the $50 CS courtesy credit for inordinate CS hours on the phone.  I will accept that.  Thank you and I wait for your reply. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/27/2024

  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.

  Orderd on 6/20 and charged me $62 for 5 lines is been a week since i ordered and my order still has not shipped When i called they Refused to ship my order unless I gave them my ID Refusing to ship my sim cards or give me my phone service Refusing to cancel demanding I return the sim cards they never shipped to them I required to ask for a partial refund subject to approval they are a f****** scam dispute and make sure to also block so they can never bill me again ************ is a scam Please refund me and give me back my money and dont **** me

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2024

  Dear ****************,
  
  Thank you for contacting PureTalk. We understand your frustration regarding the recent request for additional documentation from our Loss Prevention team. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
  
  We take account security very seriously, and these measures are sometimes necessary to verify account ownership.
  
  After reviewing your account, we're happy to inform you that a full refund of $62.39 was processed on June 28th, 2024.Please allow 5-7 business days for the funds to reflect in your original payment method.
  
  We value your feedback and hope that in the future, PureTalk can meet your wireless needs.
  
  Should you have any further questions or require assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Customer Support team at ************** or through our Contact Form at **********************************************.
  
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/25/2024

  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.

  Recently, I contacted this business in regards to a veterans discount; the representative then informed me that I would have to set up a password. I said no that I was blind and wanted to wait for a caregiver to help me set up a password and the representative insisted that I must set one up immediately and that I could not wait for assistance. When I called the following day and attempted to access my account, I was told that I could not without the pin or password. I explained what happened the day before in regards to the pin or password and they informed me that they could not help me access the account without the pin or password. The next time that I called, the option that applied to me was option #5 which i pushed and then shortly got hung-up on. I went through this process twice and got the same result each time. The last person that I spoke to at Pure Talk, I informed them that I received the worst customer service that I have ever experienced in my 62 years on this rock or planet!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/01/2024

  Dear ****************,
  
  Thank you for contacting us regarding your recent experience with PureTalk. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you've encountered.
  
  Our review of the call confirms that you were advised to create an account PIN.Account PINs are a vital security measure that protects your account from unauthorized access, acting as an additional layer of security beyond passwords.
  
  We understand your phone number was successfully ported to your new carrier on June 28th. As a result, your PureTalk account is now closed, and no further charges will be incurred. Your refund request is currently processing, please allow 5-7 business days for the request to process. 
  
  We appreciate your feedback and value your business. While we regret your decision to switch carriers, we hope to serve you better in the future, should your wireless needs change.
  
  Should you have any further questions or require assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us at ************** or through our Contact Form at **********************************************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/24/2024

  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 spoke with PureTalk in late May 2024 to purchase service. I explained at the time that I would like to transfer my existing three lines from ******* and be able to use my three existing iPhones. Also, I explained that one of the lines has an existing Apple Watch with ***************** To ensure that I would have no issues, I explained that two are iPhone 8s and that one is an iPhone 14. The Apple Watch is a Series 3 with **************** and is paired with one of the iPhone 8s. I was assured by the person I spoke with that PureTalk would fully support this and that switching over to PureTalk would be simple for these devices. I received *** cards for all three iPhones about a week later. Since I was already into the next month of service with ******** I waited about 3 weeks to activate PureTalk from the time I received the *** cards. It took 3 calls and over 2 hours to get the iPhones fully transferred over. After that, I tried to get the Apple Watch transferred. The person on the line told me that PureTalk does NOT support cellular service for an Apple Watch series 3 paired with an iPhone 8. At this point, I am stuck! Cancelling my service with PureTalk and going back to ******* is going to be crazy expensive since they charge all of the set up fees. I asked the PureTalk rep for options. She said that I would have to purchase a new iPhone and Apple Watch. I explained that this is not an option since that will also cost a lot of money. I asked to speak to a Supervisor. That is not an option. The person that I was speaking with said that they were sorry that I received bad information (from PureTalk) and that they would offer a $5.00 credit on my next bill. PureTalk has made NO good faith effort to correct this. I consider PureTalk to be deceptive and not willing to do anything to help correct this situation.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/26/2024

  
  Dear ************,
  
  We apologize for the inconvenience you've experienced with your Apple Watch Series 3 on the PureTalk network. Unfortunately,this model is incompatible due to limitations in accepting the latest software updates required for our service.
  
  We understand your frustration and sincerely apologize. As a token of our appreciation for your feedback, we've added a complimentary month of service to your account. This one-time credit of $108.27 will be applied to your next billing cycle on July 23, 2024.
  
  If you're interested in upgrading to a newer Apple Watch or iPhone, we offer various financing options to make the purchase easier. You can explore these options by logging into your Account Portal under "Upgrades" or contacting our *************************** at **************.
  
  We value your feedback and have shared it with our leadership team for further review.
  
  Should you have any further questions or require assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at ************** or through our Contact Form at **********************************************. Additionally,
  We are available via email or direct message on Facebook,Instagram, and ******* (if you follow us).
  
  Kind regards,
  
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/24/2024

  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 signed up for pure talk 3 months ago and was pretty happy with the service. They were not able to Port my number immediately. So I had to wait for that 30-day contract to cancel. I reupped with them two weeks ago. Something is completely different. The data speed is virtually not even one megabyte per second on upload or download. I've documented this. The phone doesn't work half the time. And I can only get 4G on my 5G phone. So that tells me my phone's not completely compatible. Nobody has ever mentioned this before. I've been trying to call customer service for 4 days now. You get put on hold and you sit for hours and hours and nobody comes to the phone. Biggest mistake I've ever made.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/25/2024

  Dear ************,
  
  We apologize for the inconvenience you've encountered with your PureTalk service since activation. We understand the importance of reliable service and regret any frustration this may have caused.
  
  After reviewing your account, we see that troubleshooting was performed with our Technical Support team on June 19, 2024.If the provided solutions do not resolve the issue, we'd be happy to assist you further.
  
  To expedite troubleshooting, could you please provide us with an alternate phone number and a preferred day and time to reach you directly?
  
  Should you have any further questions or concerns,our Technical Support team is available at **************.  You can also reach us via email at **********************************************, or by direct message on ********* Instagram, and ******* (if you follow us).
  
  
  Thank you for your patience and cooperation. We value your business as a PureTalk customer.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  ********************** Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/22/2024

  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.

  My primary phone number ************ is a iphone 14 Pro. It was blacklisted by ******** This was done in error. The imei of the phone is ********* ****** 1. I started receiving odd messages from ******* on April 11th. I am not a ******* customer. ******* made a mistake and entered the wrong imei and blacklisted my phone as stolen on April 12th. I am a pure talk customer and not a ******* customer. ********************** will not excalate this matter. And ******* will not help me because I am not a customer. I purchased this phone from Apple. I have the original receipt. One of the pre talk technical support individuals accused me of being a thief. I did not steal this phone. I just need it removed from the "black list". I like the Pure Talk pricing but as it stands right now I cant take this phone to any carrier. ******* is the company at fault but I am a pure talk customer. Can you please help me as I am battling Stage IV cancer and all my doctors have my number that does not work!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/25/2024

  Dear ************, 
  
  PureTalk has received the above-referenced complaint filed with the BBB. We understand it's frustrating to have a blacklisted phone. While PureTalk can't directly remove a ******* blacklist since we didn't sell you the phone, we're happy to help you get it resolved.
  
  We recommend contacting Apple as they might be able to intervene with ******* on your behalf, especially if the phone is still under warranty. Their number is ************.
  
  
  
  
  Kind regards, 
  
  PureTalk Customer Support 
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/19/2024

  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.

  Inexplicably, this carrier totally and completely denied my access to my data plan. This morning I had two interviews within 30 minutes of one another, one over video call. So I opted to drive to the location of the in person interview and simply do the video interview while waiting for the in person interview however, half way between my home and both of those time sensitive engagements, my data simply stopped working. I could still make calls, however, and upon checking when I returned home, my bill was paid, and there was no explanation for the lack of service. No notification of an outage I am outraged!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/24/2024

  Dear ****************,
  
  We sincerely apologize that you were unable to access your mobile data service. On June 19, 2024, AT&T experienced a network outage that impacted PureTalk customers, and we understand this caused disruption. We are committed to keeping you informed and regret that you did not receive a notification during the outage.
  
  The good news is that the outage has been fully resolved, and mobile data service has been restored. If you are still experiencing issues, a simple device restart may help. Please power off your device for two minutes and then turn it back on.
  
  Should you require further assistance, our Support Team is available through our contact form at ********************************************** and on social media sites ********* Instagram, and X ********* for live chat. You may also contact our **************************** directly at ************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: **********************