Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/20/2025

  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 5/28/25 I took my laptop to Cellular Accessories and asked them if they could upgrade my operating system from Windows 7 to 11. They said yes, if your laptop is able to run it and if I left it with them their tech would check to verify if it was able to or not. They quoted me a price of $80 ($50 labor + ~$30 windows key). Later that evening I received a call from a man and he left a voicemail stating that he had checked it and that it was capable of running Windows 11. I called CA on Tuesday 5/29 to authorize the ** upgrade and was told I would have to pay in advance. First issue: When I arrived to pay they said it would be $105+tax vs the $80 I was quoted. Wednesday evening I received a call from them telling me that when they upgraded it to windows 10 it went fine, but when they tried to install Windows 11 it crashed the system. They wanted to know if it was okay to just give me Windows 10 or revert back to 7. In hopes I could open my yahoo mail again, I said go ahead w/Win10. Friday 5/2 they called and said it was ready. Upon arrival they said they were crediting me $20 for the cheaper windows key. When I opened up the laptop my startup ******************* were gone! I asked where are my programs, my data? They said they didnt know and could ask the tech but he wasnt there at present and they would have him call me. I opened it up again in the car and realized EVERYTHING was gone!! I went back in and told them that they had wiped my data and I wanted my backup file! They refuse to have the tech call me & explain what he did and why he didnt create a backup. The manager claims that they are not responsible for my data -that this is what happens when you upgrade the operating system. All of my programs were actually downloaded so I lost not only all of my documents, **************** files, but also my **************** and Publisher & other programs. They werent even going to provide me with a receipt but I made them let me take a picture of it.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/20/2025

  The customer came in and ask for a quote to install Windows 11 on a very old laptop, she was advised that their is a big chance that the laptop will not run Windows 11 due to hardware requirements needed. She wanted a quote for the install and ask us to please try the install anyway. ********* does not have an update from Windows 7 to Windows 11, therefore the only option is a reformat and a fresh install. This process erases everything on the hard drive. The customer was advised before we attempted anything that at best it was a 50/50 chance of the Windows 11 working. She ask us to proceed. We did and the laptop did not meet requirements for the Windows 11 install. Windows 10 was compatible for her model laptop. We contacted the customer and she said Windows 10 was fine. We completed the Windows 10 install, which was a little cheaper than the Windows 11 quote. The customer never ask for a data backup when dropping off her laptop. We did exactly what she requested. She confirmed with us a total of three times that she wanted us to attempt the Windows 11 install. The customer is upset because she knows we did exactly what she requested, we would have been happy to explain what happens when you do a fresh install of a operating system but when she came in she was very specific as to her request. It is an unfortunate situation because she didn't have an understanding of her request. We would have been happy to try and assist her with downloading or re-installing whatever software she had before but she never ask, she instead came in the store threatening to sue us and just saying very ugly things. We are still willing to help her but she would need to change the way she acting and understand she got exactly what she requested. We go above and beyond for our customers and always have. If you have any further requests from us please just let us know.

  Thank you

  Cellular Accessories

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/02/2025

  I never saw the message stating that the business had replied until I got this message. This company flat out lied about all of this! I specifically asked them if it was capable of the upgrade and they said they would check to verify if it was or not. They called me and said it was able to run windows 11. Never once did they say or caution that it wasnt until they crashed it trying to do so. They did ask if it was okay to do windows 10 but never once said anything about erasing everything.  
  They never offer receipts and are very careful not to leave voicemails with any details. If you investigate further you will find many other customers who have been messed around by them. Every professional computer tech makes backup files when working on upgrades and clearing viruses, etc. 

  Business Response

  Date: 06/10/2025

  At this point I don't feel like anything we do will satisfy the customer. I still stand by everything I originally said. She was informed upfront that it was a 50/50 chance of Windows 11 working and it would be a fresh install of Windows, and she said she would like to try. A fresh install is just as the wording suggests, it is a completely fresh install of the new operating system. If updating was possible it would have been able to be completed in a standard Windows update and would not have been needed to be taken to a business to have this done. I still stand by what I said, she got exactly what she requested, whether or not she had a full understanding of her request remains to be seen. If she would have just brought laptop in for a diagnosis to be determined what we could have done, this probably could have been avoided, but she came in wanting a quote on a Windows 11 install, so we gave her a quote and she agreed. She got exactly what she requested. I also want to mention she said any computer shop would make backups even if working on viruses. I just want to clarify that no computer shop makes backups if a computer has a suspected virus because you would then possibly backup the virus on the backup itself, only to re-install the virus from the backup. The customer is mad, and that is unfortunate, but I also know that she spoke with a couple different employees and I have spoke to both of them and they say the same thing about her being specific at what she requested. I also want to add that we do this type of work on a daily basis and we are the largest cell phone / repair store in the state of ********* and we did not get that status by doing people the wrong way. We take great pride in our business and the way our customers are treated. We have monthly employee meetings just to go over things that we can improve or change to make the business even better. We are a small family owned store but we strive to run it like a corporation, where every customer is extremely important, and this is how we have become so successful. 

  Thank You

  Cellular Accessories