US cellular new LG tablet rip off

[cookiedough]

WE got suckered into getting one supposed for FREE black friday deal Nov. 25th with my wifes new phone thur us cellular store.    Sales guy said would manipulate the data plan to save us the cost of the $300 tablet.  Well, got first bill recently online and reviewed.  Is two 10 dollar charges for 30 months totaling 600 bucks for a 300 dollar tablet, one for access fee, the other for data plan usage.  I said over phone today at the store (different sales guy) we told the guy on Nov. 25th we would cancel the data plan in 2-3 months having to have it on there then what?  He said at time of sale no problems can do that after 2-3 months no penalty.  LIAR-called today will be about 280 dollar termination fee (300-10-10 per month)  if we do it like we wanted to.  I said that is NOT what he told us in the store when got it said the data plan discount would manipulate the cost of the tablet being 252 off vs. 300 retail cost, NO MORE in charges simple and easy enough.

Well, if he was upfront telling us early cancellation fee if do it 2-3 months into it getting rid of it with our cell phone data plan just using home wi-fi like we wanted to and told him vs. stating NO penalty plus not telling us NOT one but two 10 dollar fees for 30 months then being 600 tablet NOT 300 retail cost, we would NEVER have done it.

Going in on Saturday to speak with store mgr. on the scam con artist salesman who tricked us into doing it.  Who would pay 600 in 30 months for a 300 tablet saving 252 only off data plan cost?

If not willing to knock off 10 bucks for remaining 28 month term on top of waiving 280 cancellation fee,  going to wrap that tablet around the sales mgr. head and calling my credit card company disputing the charges with us cellular and might even get rid of all 4 cell phones entirely will NOT be taken advantage of.      I can live without a cell phone and data plan,  but the 2 kids cannot, will see what happens on Saturday.   

[six2go #152]

"but the 2 kids cannot,".

Oh yes they can.

[Gavin_Sons]

I have a couple of those tablets through verizon. Both were free with purchase and contracts on new phones.  Of course there was a 10 dollar per month fee on them for 2 years. Just canceled both of them since they never leave the house.

[cookiedough]

I have a couple of those tablets through verizon. Both were free with purchase and contracts on new phones.  Of course there was a 10 dollar per month fee on them for 2 years. Just canceled both of them since they never leave the house.

exactly,  I could deal with 10 per month fee for 30 months being 300 bucks since he manipulated the data plan 21 off for 12 months being 252 bucks, but there is another 10 bucks per 30 months also being another 300 bucks on our first bill.  I asked to cancel it over the phone and without getting the store mgr. involved being out and NEVER told upfront,  there will be another 280 cancellation fee (300-10-10) fee as well.  I was livid, but decided not to yell  at the other in store sales guy over the phone, since was lied to by the original salesman upfront.   

We were told  that day Nov. 25th, 300 over 30 months at 10 per month and the data plan discount manipulated will take care of MOST of that,  NOT another 300 dollars over 30 months - can you say RIP OFF NOT free at all.  who would spend 600 over 30 months saving 252 bucks, still is over the price of the supposedly FREE 300 tablet.   No one in their right mind would get a tablet NOT needed supposedly for free costing 600 bucks over 30 months only saving 252 of that 600.  If the tablet is free, why would it cost over 30 months 348 bucks (600-252 savings) which is 48 dollars over the full retail cost of 300?    What a crock of B.S. being lied to upfront.   

[Bighead]

"but the 2 kids cannot,".

Oh yes they can.

  I wish we could go back to the days before ANY cellphones. Oh how the snowflakes would melt

[old2soon]

Net 10. $35.00 month unlimited. THAT'S al I pay-Period. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is! Thanks fer the heads up on the tablet "deal".  RIDE SAFE.

[cookiedough]

some deal,  paying 348 bucks or so net on a 300 dollar LG tablet when they told us it was almost basically free.   Free for them...

Heads will roll on Saturday if the store mgr. does not agree to what we were told upfront basically cancelling the 10 bucks per mth for 30 months NO cancellation fee.  Then, that other 300 (10 per month for 30 months) will be ALMOST offset by the 252 reduction in data plan over 12 months he gave us as we were told originally.   

[3fan4life]

I got a free LG tablet from AT&T in Dec 2015.

24 month contract with a $10/month line charge.

I guess that technically that's paying for the tablet but it's no different than the line fees for each phone.

I've found that I use the tablet much more than my laptop or my netbook, it travels really well on the Valk too.

[art]

I got a new flip phone for $25 and it's a go phone that I pay $10 a month for.

[cookiedough]

I got a free LG tablet from AT&T in Dec 2015.

24 month contract with a $10/month line charge.

I guess that technically that's paying for the tablet but it's no different than the line fees for each phone.

I've found that I use the tablet much more than my laptop or my netbook, it travels really well on the Valk too.

I could deal with 240 charge like what they did charge us 300 offset by the 252 reduction in the data plan NOTHING ELSE like he said it would be, but we now see after first bill another 10 dollar fee for 30 months called an 'access fee'  whis is B.S. NEVER told upfront.  Who in their right mind would pay 600 bucks for a NOT free 300 dollar tablet, plus on our bill a $25 activation fee + $60 extra we never were told about for the LG tablet keyboard/case that came with it? 

[cookiedough]

I got a new flip phone for $25 and it's a go phone that I pay $10 a month for.

flip phones are I think, in my opinion, going to be obsolete, or for sure near obsolete,  in a few more years.  Our data phone plan with us cellular actually went down 5 bucks per month me switching 5-6 months ago from my 5-6 year old LG flip phone to a basic Moto G smartphone. 

I think my smartphone is like 45-50 bucks per month total in fees on our family data plan having 4 smartphones on the plan is still over 200 bucks a month..   

[cookiedough]

gotta love it:  finally got a hold of the store mgr. and he said he will see how to change or delete our 30 month committment no data plan for our tablet keeping it just as home wi-fi like we wanted to do in the first place and get back to us on MOnday, might have to go higher up he said to get this done.  Or,  he said he will make it work somehow with us to return the tablet giving some of our 130 bucks we already spent on it back.  I told him between 60 and 100 back of the 127 we paid should be fine even though the salesman was dishonest and not upright.

I guess though when it rains, it pours.  Yesterday wanted to switch back to dish from direectv since direectv is raising rates 6 per month will NOT stand for it come Jan. 22nd.  dish installer yesterday pointed our pole mounted dish outside SW vs. SE him not knowing that SW does not allow HD local programming and was unable to do SE since new smaller dish will be too close to house hitting vinyl siding will not work and the installer never knew that either.  Put service call in ASAP after he left realizing NO HD in local programming thus 480 definition and the SD stations are 20 inch size vs. 40 inch full screen all cropped.  Tech came today knew ASAP has to be SE facing dish but has to dig another hole in frozen WI ground and did not have eqmt.  So,  has to come back on Thursday to dig 3-4 hours a hole 3 feet deep in frozen ground - good luck with that!!!!!!!!!!!  I am calling dish requesting 100 credit on my bill for installers being idiots wasting one days pay not at work,  some of that 100 credit being the 52.75 dish charged me for the upgraded hopper 3 receiver, plus not cancelling direectv for 1 more week costing me 20 more bucks or so,  since not 100% sure he can even dig a hole in frozen 10 degree temps 3 feet down this thursday since is all CLAY dirt and like concrete to dig thru.  I told tech I want him back not someone else since he said he just dug 5 pole mounts past few weeks and NOT fun taking 3 hours per hole to dig 3 feet down.  ON top of all this now having to watch TV in 480p blurry picture 1/2 sized for 1 more week not full 1080p,  the telephone company who partners with dish set me up receiving top 250 NOT as requested top 200 costing me 10 bucks more plus tax per month which I have to get back on Monday as well with my idiot telephone company who screwed up as well.  

I swear if one more idiotic thing happens on what should be simple things to do,  I am tossing out all 4 smartphones as well as TV all together and live in the stone age!    Not too happy with US Cellular and Dish network right about now as well as my telephone/internet provider not doing their job setting me up with correct dish programming top 200 vs. top 250 costing 10 more bucks per month am NOT going to pay.    I even requested today a brick ground mount as temporary today while the dish installer was out here and he did not have the eqmt. to do that even needing ONE brick and some concrete threaded inserts to do a ground level temporarily small tripod mount for 1 week since want HD FULL SCREEN TV as is required to do on new dish install FREE HD and is NOT.  Right now my locals are 20 inch size vs. full screen 40 inch size and 480p being blurry wording somewhat almost as bad as an old black and white rabbit ear antenna back in the 70s.      I guess gotta watch the packer game today in blurry 1/2 sized screen unless ZOOM picture making it even blurier and cutting off the heads of some players on TV, that alone should be worth a 100 dollar bill credit?  

Also,  my opinion is FREE install means FREE install, and dish charges 52.75 for their new eqmt. being the hopper 3 having 16 tuners which is OVERKILL for sure only needing say  5 tuners tops for 2 tv's in the house.  Unfortunately, I was told the free eqmt. hopper 2 only has 3-4 tuners and if wanting to record 2-3 tv shows at same time while watching live TV on both TVs, it cannot be done with the hopper 2 which is free.  

[3fan4life]

I switched from Dish to DTV in 2008 when we bought a new TV and Dish wouldn't let me have an HD receiver that wasn't a DVR.

Recently, I've had a few arguments with DTV over their crappy customer service.

I was in Sam's Club and one of the guys selling DTV approached me, I told him that I had DTV and that he really didn't want to hear my opinion of them.

I also told him that I didn't appreciate the fact that new customers got a huge break in the price and loyal customers got screwed.

He told me to call DTV and ask for the the Loyalty Department then voice my complaints and threaten to quit them if they don't do something about it.

A couple of months later I needed another HD receiver and when I called DTV they were going to charge me $100 for it.

I remembered what the guy at Sam's Club told me and asked to be transferred to the Loyalty Department.

The end result was that I got a new whole home DVR system for free and they are taking $25 a month off of my bill for the next 24 months.

So, it might be worth your while to give them a call and speak with the Loyalty Department.

Especially if your chief complaint is the bill.   

 

[cookiedough]

I switched from Dish to DTV in 2008 when we bought a new TV and Dish wouldn't let me have an HD receiver that wasn't a DVR.

Recently, I've had a few arguments with DTV over their crappy customer service.

I was in Sam's Club and one of the guys selling DTV approached me, I told him that I had DTV and that he really didn't want to hear my opinion of them.

I also told him that I didn't appreciate the fact that new customers got a huge break in the price and loyal customers got screwed.

He told me to call DTV and ask for the the Loyalty Department then voice my complaints and threaten to quit them if they don't do something about it.

A couple of months later I needed another HD receiver and when I called DTV they were going to charge me $100 for it.

I remembered what the guy at Sam's Club told me and asked to be transferred to the Loyalty Department.

The end result was that I got a new whole home DVR system for free and they are taking $25 a month off of my bill for the next 24 months.

So, it might be worth your while to give them a call and speak with the Loyalty Department.

Especially if your chief complaint is the bill.   

 

Been doing that for years with dish and directtv asking for loyalty/cancellation dept..  I have gotten as much as 35 dollars off for 12 months and my neighbor also if wanting to keep as customer got 25 dollars off for 24 more months.  Now, you cannot tell me they are NOT making a killing on paying customers if they can do 25 bucks off for 2 full years when the bill is normally say around 90-100 bucks per month being a 25% reduction in the bill about?

My issue is with the NEW install with dish and all that went down screwed up still not fixed after 2nd service call in 2nd day now today now having to wait for 3rd service call to get HD local channels on Thursday.  I called dish today after yet another 1 hour on phone, am going to get what I want and deserve as per contract was an insult of first 50 credit they offered and told them 80 bucks off or shove their eqmt.   She went back for 2nd time to her mgr. and came back and agreed.  Trust me, I am out more than 80 bucks on their multiple screw ups is really over 100 bucks easily.  Now,  3rd installer in less than 1 week hope he can dig a 3 foot hole in frozen WI ground to install a pole mount in the ground after waiting for diggers hotline to mark my yard which is NOT needed but required by law since I know nothing is there in that 1 foot over area from my other pole.  She also said if the install does not work this Thursday,  they will waive the cancellation fee to go back to directv which I still am paying for NOT using and not even hooked up anymore, since not sure the dish install will work or not. 

thinking of calling up directtv and cancelling now so in case the dish install on thursday does not work, will I get directv with new cheaper rates as a new customer again 1 week later after being with them for over 2 years????????????  Good question????

[hubcapsc]

I think my smartphone is like 45-50 bucks per month total in fees on our family data plan having 4 smartphones on the plan is still over 200 bucks a month..

Dang... I've got three flip phones with ATT for $96... still too much,
but works pays $30 a month towards it 'cause I use mine as my work
phone...

-Mike "one for me, one my wife and one for my aunt..."

[cookiedough]

I think my smartphone is like 45-50 bucks per month total in fees on our family data plan having 4 smartphones on the plan is still over 200 bucks a month..

Dang... I've got three flip phones with ATT for $96... still too much,
but works pays $30 a month towards it 'cause I use mine as my work
phone...

-Mike "one for me, one my wife and one for my aunt..."

Yah, I know, say our 240 bucks for 4 smartphones on a shared 10gb data plan per month is NUTS.  Please tell that to my wife and 2 kids who think smartphones are a MUST to have cannot live without, that and shopping for clothes they do not need, do NOT even get me started them thinking money grows on trees...   

I just switched insurance companies to save near 200 bucks every 6 months to help compensate for all the other crap they buy not needed...  as well since added my 16 year old onto our policy since other insurance company we had went up over 250 bucks just adding him to 3 vehicles.   

[Robert]

My plan is 140 total with taxes and everything a month for 2 smart phones with 10 gb data and rollover data and unlimited calling so really we never run out since we are on wifi most of the time. Smart phones as compared to regular phones like maybe your flip phone require a data plan that is usually 30 a month extra. I can add anyone for 15 a month more onto my plan.

Nothing is free, even at ATT a cell phone plan still charges you each month a bit more to buy the phone through them and finance it. This means if you walk out the door with a phone unless its a bottom of the line phone you will pay for it on your plan. Just look at the new plans the say if you own your phone what it would be. I purchase my phones outright and so I can go to any carrier and dont have it added into the plan.

Once you are done paying for the equipment I dont believe these plans ever revert back to a plan that you just have service on like mine. You actually have to change plans. Nice bump for the cell companies if I'm correct. I always look at the plans since they do change and you can usually save money even if you have not paid off the equipment by changing plans.

[Gavin_Sons]

Erase all those phone bills and get yourself an Obama phone 

[baldo]

Erase all those phone bills and get yourself an Obama phone 

You mean a Reagan phone, don't you?

http://www.obamaphone.com/started-obama-phone-program

http://www.obamaphone.com/what-is-the-obama-phone

http://humanevents.com/2012/10/07/origin-of-obama-phone-was-1984-with-goal-of-service-to-low-income-americans/

Just trying to help.....

[..]

I bought an LG smart phone from Total Wireless $45. The service uses the Verizon system.

$34.52 a month for unlimited text and talk and 5GB of data.

NO CONTRACT and a discount for monthly auto pay.

I get service where some with "a real carrier" don't.

Keep the same number but you do have to enter all your contacts manually.

[Robert]

Pretty disgusting really, especially since the requirement to find a job has been taken away which is one of the excuses to own a cell phone to look for a job. So free food, free housing, free kids, free phone a spending supplement and the middle class paying for pretty much the lion share of it. Plus at 135 to 150 percent of poverty level (which I believe is not 23k but 31k) makes it around 50k you can get a phone. Also the new CRA regulations in 1995 required banks to demonstrate that they were making mortgage loans to undeserved communities, which inevitably included borrowers whose credit standing did not qualify them for a conventional mortgage loan.


The program is not at all difficult to qualify for. The precise eligibility requirements vary from state to state, but income within 135 percent to 150 percent of the official poverty level (currently $23,000 for a family of four) is generally required. Those who are already enrolled in a variety of welfare programs, including the increasingly ubiquitous food stamp program, automatically qualify for cell phone subsidies. Everyone else funds the program through a surcharge on their monthly cell phone bill.

[..]

NOT MY WORDS

The program is called LifeLine, but in popular culture, most people likely know it as “Obama phone,” which sprouted from a misconception that LifeLine was started under President Barack Obama.

In fact, phones handed out through the LifeLine program should be more accurately called “Reagan phones” since President Ronald Reagan started the LifeLine program in 1985. It was expanded in 2005 to include prepaid cell phones as they began to replace landline phones for many households.


LifeLine is not funded through taxes. Telephone companies contribute a percentage of their revenues to the federal Universal Service Fund. However, each company typically passes the cost onto its customers in the form of a fee on their phone bills, so it still comes out of consumers’ pockets.

[cookiedough]

besides a basic phone having to add minutes to a prepaid card,  only cell phone provider that works consistently where I live is us cellular.  I have tried verizon, the other biggie in my area,  and it drops way too many phone calls.  60 bucks or say for a smartphone per month x 4 in our house is tad bit pricey for shared 10gb line per month, but kids and wife gotta have a smartphone, especially kids being glued to it all day long. 

My daughter 2 years ago when age 16 was the LAST one in her class to not get a basic phone, oh well, get over it....

[cookiedough]

took tablet back today and store mgr. had no time for me, just told me to leave it there and he will refund the entire amount I put on it as if nothing happened when he gets time to review my account like he promised me he would do this weekend when I talked to him on the phone last Friday.  He best be right but will not know until after Jan. 15th when my new bill comes out.  If not,  then I can suspend credit card payment and fight us cellular with my c.c. company.  I have had to do that 2x's on unethical and dishonest repairs/sales so at least I have a recourse.

Now to get my dish tv squared away on thursday for 3rd service call for me being new customer to get my locals in HD not SD with 1/2 picture shown.  I already contacted dish and they are crediting me back 53 bucks price of dish receiver which is suppose to be FREE installation and eqmt. (except this new hopper 3 apparently) and throwing in a voice activated remote control worth 30 bucks.  All will be for NOT if the 3rd installer cannot dig a 3 foot hole for a pole mount in frozen ground on thursday.   Last recourse is keep directtv since I put my account on suspense for 30 days so I can always switch back if it does not get done right this thursday with dish installer.   I made dish on the phone allow me to cancel the 2 year contract committment if 3rd attempt does not work with no early termination fees since told them if do not meet my demands, shove their eqmt. and get it OUT NOW.

I know people mess up or lie to make a sale, but not a blatant lie will not fly with me ever.  First installer of dish should have known better and even dish tech support did not know that a SW facing dish does not pick up local channels in HD, only SD, dish must be facing SE to do that.  I would think ANY dish installer should have know that easily like the 2nd guy did right away.  

update on dish install:  3rd guy from same company came today.  2 prior IDIOTS both this saturday and sunday installed a 3 L&B on the dish needed a 2 L&B at the end of the round dish facing more south than SE allowing pole mount to work not hitting my house with round dish, along with new wiring,  works as it should now with local channels now full screen in HD, not SD (std def.).   Going to give it a few days to make sure no issues, but then going to call up their company and inform them of the 2 prior IDIOTS not knowing how to do a basic install should have taken 2 hours to do last saturday vs. now 10+ hours wasting everyones time, mostly mine.   Hard to find good help I guess?  There is probably a reason on why dish/directtv installers only last 1 year or so tops since both past weekend only been employed there 6 months while this guy same company there 1 year now having more knowledge.