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:06/13/2024

  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.

  Have been a loyal customer for close to a year now without any issues until about a week ago.Last month when I paid my phone bill i inquired about possibly lowering my monthly bill because i simply wasnt using that much talk text and data I was paying for. Tried lowering my bill a month before and was told i would have to pay the higher rate then and next month being the last i simply told the customer service person that they had lowered my bill after paying the previous month. That person told me I had to pay the higher amount again first and i mentioned that is what I was told the month before. Apparently the person never logged in the agreement we had made so i asked to speak with a supervisor and she said i could not and was hung up on. Called back and basically the same treatment. Now i have no phone service. I am an American Patriot ????who loves his country my whole family some who have fought and died for our freedom. Pure talk has foreign people answering their phones and i have a hard time understanding them to start with. Now, Im not sure why they dont have anyone else to speak with besides bill collectors but PURE TALK doesnt seem too pure to their country. Ill give them another shot at making themselves aware of their issues if it doesnt take too awful long. Cant go much longer than 48hours seeing I do need a phone to speak with my daughter,so will see what happens. Jgarland 06/13/24

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/17/2024

  Dear ******************,
  
  We're sorry to hear about your experience with downgrading your monthly plan. We understand the frustration of encountering issues during this process, and we sincerely apologize if our service fell short of your expectations.
  
  We reviewed your account and noticed that when you contacted **************** on June 6th, 2024, to downgrade your plan, however, there was a past-due balance. Our representative explained that you would need to settle the outstanding payment before processing the downgrade, which would then take effect the following month.
  
  Unfortunately, we haven't received a payment since then, which led to service disconnection on June 12th, 2024.
  
  To reconnect your service and proceed with the downgrade you requested, please call **************** at ************** from an alternate phone and submit a payment. Once the payment is settled, we can then process the downgrade for the next billing cycle.
  
  We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/17/2024

   
  Complaint: 21848306
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/17/2024

  Never answered my complaint if they had they would not have answered me back that way. I said in my letter that I requested a reduction a month prior and should have been accepted for the month of June 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/01/2024

  Dear ******************,
  
  We confirm receipt of your service payment for the June billing cycle. As your account is active and in good standing, you have the option to downgrade your service plan.
  
  You can choose to make the plan change effective immediately or schedule it for the next billing cycle.  Please note that prorated refunds are not available when downgrading during a billing cycle.
  
  There are two convenient ways to downgrade your service plan:
  - Log in to your Account Portal and select the "Plan" tab.
  - Call our **************** team at **************.
  
  We appreciate your business and value you as a PureTalk customer.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  
  ********************** Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/28/2024

  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.

  I called to switch my service from one phone to another and the first customer service person said tech support needed to do that and transferred me, and he said he could so he went through set up and my phone needed an update and said to remove *** and then call back, which I did, he was very nice. Called back and got ***** who was short and RUDE and said she couldnt, asked for a supervisor, waited 35 minutes and she said one would call back. One called back, set up it to switch once I hung up... OF COURSE now it didnt work... funny the first time I set up a phone it worked no problem. Supervisor was very nice but how ironic it would not work. JUST WOW. Now I have no phone and have to drive to my brothers to call back. This is RIDICULOUS!!!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/31/2024

  
  
  Dear **************,
  
  We understand your frustration and are sorry to hear we couldn't activate your new phone during your initial call. Our goal is to provide one-call resolutions with minimal transfers. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience this has caused you.
  
  We have reviewed your account and see that the agents and supervisor you spoke with advised that we cannot generate a new eSIM for your new phone while you are calling from the line being transferred. On 05/28/24,you contacted us again and your new eSIM was generated. The agent you spoke with verified that the eSIM was properly installed and all features were functioning.
  
  If you need further assistance, please email us using the Contact Form at **********************************************. We're also available on social media sites ********* Instagram, and X ********* for a live chat.
  
  
  Kind regards,
  
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/17/2024

  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.

  When I set up service with Pure talk to help my niece until she could get a job, I chose Pure Talk as was told I would have FULL access to the account since I am the one paying and is in my name. I explained to the agent I lived in ******* and my niece in **** , and would not physically have the phone-I was assured I would be able to check it and have access to the account. However, ********************** changed the security requirement to the phone I did not have, and I was never notified of all the duplicate, possible fraudulent and unauthorized charges. I was regularly notified of her password changes, which was harmless, so I was unaware of the policy change, which they could have sent me?Due to my husbands health issues I did not have time to review my credit card statements as I would like, and noted extra charges but could not access the acct. I asked my niece to investigate **** but she never did, instead more charges were added. I could not reach her to check on anything nor did she update the account with her credit card as I requested. I tried to resolve with Pure Talk, but they refused to help since they did not honor the original agreement. Again, I had no idea so much was being charged due to Pure Talk change which they failed to inform me contributing to compromise of my account and credit card resulting in almost $400 of unauthorized/duplicate charges.Pure Talk will NOT honor their agreement of my access or plan agreed, this is a disgrace as I AM THE CUSTOMER, a disabled veteran and they are allowing me to have excess charges and will not do anything. I now had to cancel my card and spend hours I don't have and try to resolve with my credit card company to dispute these charges -I would not have to do this is Pure Talk would honor their agreement or properly inform me. Please help me get my money back and encourage this company to honor their word and the customer, not the thief.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/24/2024

  Dear ****************, 
  
  We understand the frustration of unauthorized charges and being locked out of your account. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.
  
  We have reviewed your account and see that you spoke with our Loss Prevention team regarding this matter. Your account access has been fully restored. You can log in now at ****************************************************. To prevent future issues, we recommend updating your PIN and payment card on file.
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our *************************** at **************.
  
  Kind regards, 
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/10/2024

  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.

  April 29th 2024 phone service. Pure talk was not able to switch my old service straight talk to their service because straight talk was not an option on their format when trying to switch over. I paid *****. I ordered unlimited talk text and data plus 20gb hot spot. I have called several times only to be put on hold for over an hour on three different occasions. I sent email only to be told that I could not email them anymore and to call the numbers that I had already tried to call before and put on hold or redirected to be out on hold for over an hour.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Dear ***************,
  
  We understand you encountered difficulties activating your service. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this caused, including the wait time you experienced while contacting Customer Service.
  
  We're happy to inform you that your refund request for your order has been approved and processed to your payment card on June 12th, 2024. Please allow 3-5 business days for the refund to reflect on your bank statement.
  
  Should you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our Support Team. We are available through our contact form at **********************************************.
  And, we offer live chat support via ********* Instagram, and X (Twitter).
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/06/2024

  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.

  Purchase Pure talk Service with new ******* phone. Delivered and charged April 7th $53.00 Started a process to transfer my phone # which was delayed and obstructed by PT TOTAL LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. I CALLED ************ AT LEAST 20 TIMES SINCE THEN TO GET CS HELP TO CORRECT THE BLOCKAGE BETWEEN TMOBILE AND PURE TALK. EVERY SINGLE CALL AS A ************ WAIT TO GET A CS PERSON, I TALKED TO ONE ASKED FOR A SUPERVISOR AND NEVER RECIVED A RETURN CAL. TODAY 5/6 I WAS CHARGED $211.68. I CALLED AND WAITED ANOTHER 20 ****** TO GET A VERY RUDE CS PERSON WHO SAID MY ACCOUNT WAS CANCELLED BECAUSE I FAILED TO MAKE THE TRANFSER WITHIN 30 DAYS. NO EMAILS, NO VOICEMAILS NO CALLS TO INFORM ME. SHAME FULL

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/10/2024

  Dear **********************,
  
  We're sorry to hear about your experience with PureTalk. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience you have been caused.
  
  After reviewing your account, we confirm two refunds were processed on May 7, 2024. A refund of $53.00 was for your initial order, and the second refund of $211.68 was for the ******* Galaxy A15 device subsidy.
  
  Your account is now closed, and no future payments will occur.  The ******* Galaxy A15 device is yours to keep.  We appreciate your feedback and have shared this information with our leadership team for their review.
  
  If you have additional questions or concerns,we're happy to assist you! Please contact us at **************. We can also be reached using our Contact Form at ********************************************************;
  
  
  Kind regards, 
  
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/29/2024

  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 tried to switch cell phone service to PureTalk on April 19, 2024. Service had been ordered and the *** cards delivered. I called PureTalk, they asked make and model of phones. I reported an iPhone 6s Plus and an iPhone 8 were being used. I was assured compatibility and transfer would be immediate. Things became complicated then the *** hung up on me. Apparently her shift was ending nd she had a date. I called again. Was told my old carrier had to release the numbers. I called the old carrier. They confirmed the numbers were released, that the new carrier had to activate the ***. Note: One *** card successfully activated, one did not. I called PureTalk again, I was told my phone was too old or I was out of range. I took the phone to Best Buy to see if they could help. I was told it's a carrier issue. I went to Phone Zonel ooking for a refurbished phone; selected a phone, to be sure it would work we put the *** card from my non-working phone to the new phone. The new phone did not/could not read the **** number. Conclusion; bad ***. I called to request a new ***. The PureTalk *** would not even talk to me because the address that I recited to her was not the exact address in her system... the same address several other ***s accepted, the same address they sent the *** cards to, in the first place. At this point I was done. We went and got new service from another provider. The **** came in the mail. PureTalk will not release the phone numbers because they have decided my zip code is not accurate. I logged on to my PureTalk account and confirmed in my profile the zip is correct. I believe they are now creating problems to hold up the port out process. This has cost me a weeks worth of work and as such anticipated work.They need to be penalized as this bad behavior is systemic. Clearly endorsed by senior management. There is no accountability. just propaganda, repeated over and over again while on hole.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/31/2024

  
  Dear **********************,
  
  We understand your frustration and apologize for any inconvenience caused by your recent experience with PureTalk. Our goal is to provide exceptional customer service, so we value your feedback.
  
  To ensure full functionality, PureTalk currently supports iPhone models 6s and newer running iOS 15.8.2 or later. Additionally, the phone needs to be network unlocked. For your security, verifying your full address is required when calling ***************** This helps prevent unauthorized account changes. Our records show your phone numbers were successfully released to your new carrier on April 26, 2024.
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns, you may contact our *************************** at ************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/17/2024

  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.

  Not only did this company ROBBED ME for my money but played nothing but waiting and straight run around games with me every single time I would call customer service even spoke with manager and he even went on to assuring me I would receive my refund and never got it back i told them I would not pay for no service I did not use and as well as to close the account cause I didnt want their service whatsoever and till this day its still not closed and still trying to charge me for their ?? of a service!!!!! I wouldnt recommend them without a doubt COMPANY ARE LIARS HAS ?? WAYS OF MANAGING THINGS AND POOR CUSTOMERS SERVICE !!! BEWARE YOUR BETTER OF GOING WITH DIFFERENT SERVICE COMPANY !!!!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/23/2024

  Dear ******************,
  
  We're sorry to hear about your experience with PureTalk thus far. Please accept our apologies if you received anything other than an optimal customer service experience, as this is our top priority.
  
  We have reviewed your account and see that your initial refund request on 12/29/23 was denied as your service was still active.Your service was disconnected on 01/05/24. We have refunded your last payment on 04/18/24. Please allow 3-5 business days for the refund to appear on your statement.
  
   If you have any further questions or concerns, you may contact our *************************** at ************.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/15/2024

  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.

  My complaint has to do with Pure Talks lack of customer service and technical support with respect to the activation process. I attempted to become a customer on 3/22/24. They signed me up with an account number xxxx 5266 and said that they would send a sim card within 5-7 business day. That time period came and went. A few days later I did receive a sim card via ****** Common sense would dictate that if the card were being sent by an overnight carrier then the company would not wait wait until after the promised 7 day deliver. After two lengthy calls on 4/1/24 and 4/13/24 they could not work thru the issues of getting me activated. During that second conversation I was told that a supervisor would call me within four hours. I never received that call. Apparently, a good deal of complaints to the BBB indicate that this is not a company that can live up to it's claim "We believe in providing the best service possible".

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/17/2024

  Dear ****************,
  
  We are sincerely sorry to hear about the delays you've experienced with your SIM card shipment and service activation. We understand the frustration this must have caused, and we deeply apologize for not meeting your expectations.
  
  We are particularly disappointed to learn that you did not receive a call back from a member of our leadership team as requested.We take such matters seriously and will be investigating this further.
  
  We see that your service was disconnected on April 15, 2024. While our support teams are always happy to assist you over the phone, we're also available through our contact form at ********************************************** and on social media sites ********* Instagram, and X ********* for live chat. You can also contact **************** at ************.
  
  Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other questions or concerns.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  
  Cc: ********************** (via ******************** Portal)

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/08/2024

  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.

  When I switched to pure talk my phone has someone elses name on the caller ID. It has caused anxiety and problems because certain businesses wont return my calls because they dont recognize the name on caller ID. I have called every option there is to resolve this issue. They keep giving me different numbers to call . I need help fixing this problem please .

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/08/2024

  AT&T has confirmed that the matter involves Pure Talk services. Transferring complaint to be addressed by Pure Talk.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/10/2024

  Dear **************, 
  
  We regret to hear about your experience with PureTalk thus far. Please accept our sincere apologies if you received anything other than an optimal customer service experience, as this is our top priority.
  
   At this time, we are unable to change the Caller ID display. The Caller ID display should reflect as "Wireless Caller" and your mobile number. If the incorrect Caller ID value is reflected, please power cycle your device at least once a day and according to AT&T database updates, the Caller ID should update within 2 weeks.
  
  If you have additional questions or concerns,please let us know. Our Support Team is available through our Contact Form at ********************************************** and on social media sites ********* Instagram, and X ********* for a live chat.
  
  Thank you for your feedback, as it always helps us improve the PureTalk experience.
  
  Kind regards, 
  
  PureTalk Customer Support 
  
  
  Cc: ********************** ( via ******************** Portal)
  

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/08/2024

  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 just joined PureTalk after being with ******* for over 20 years and regret this decision based on your false advertisement. I paid over $300 for a watch with *** and Cellular that worked fine with them but does not work with PureTalk as advertised. At no time when I was signing up and I asked about the iWatch did anyone say there were specific models of the *** + Cellular watch that would not work, ONLY that it had to have *** + Cellular. Nor does it say that anywhere on your website. However, when I just spoke to ******* (ID ***** he was extremely rude and said that my watch was not one of the models listed that is compatible. I asked how he knew and he said he had that information on his end. When I asked where it was on the website, he told me ******** 'iwatch puretalk'. Again though, there was nothing listed about specific iWatch models that would or would not work. When I shared this information was not readily available and upset for your company's false advertisement, he told me I was being difficult. What kind of customer service representative calls the customer difficult? Perhaps your staff needs training as ******* never treated me that way nor would they because they do not falsely advertise. If tech support has a list of specific models, why doesn't Puretalk list out the models that DO NOT work. I now have a contract for one year and am extremely angry because I will not be able to use my watch as easy as I did with my previous provider due to their lack of transparency and false advertising. Front and center you advertise you can bring your own device, but how come with when you check your Cell Phones, you don't have that option for iWatch? I was asked to submit a review to ******* which I did and disclosed this information. This description is now too long so please see attachment for response. I would like a replacement of my watch with an iWatch that actually works with PureTalk *** + Cellular.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/14/2024

  Dear ********************, 
  
  We're sorry to hear about your experience with PureTalk thus far. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience this has caused and receiving anything other than an optimal customer service experience.
  
  Apple Watches must use the latest software update to connect to our service. This is specified on our website at **********************************************************. The latest watchOS is 10. Unfortunately, the Apple Watch Series 3 does not support watchOS 10.
  
  You may also view the models compatible with watchOS 10 at **************************************. We have applied a $33.04 credit to your PureTalk account for the inconvenience.
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns,you may contact our *************************** at ************.
  
  Kind regards, 
  
  
  PureTalk Customer Support
  
  ************************* (via ******************** portal)