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I purchased a Straight Talk smart phone for my daughter and set up auto-refill to pay for the unlimited data plan.

Three weeks ago, the data service was shut off. My daughter called them to report the Internet was inaccessible, but gave up after being transferred through several foreign representatives whose command of English was so poor she couldn't understand them. She still had phone service, so she assumed they would fix the data when her service refilled.

Straight Talk sent me a notice that they were processing the credit card payment on January 21st, and notice that they had refilled the service on January 25th. My credit card statement reports the charge went through on January 23rd. However, the phone was deactivated on the 23rd.

When I called to find out why the phone wasn't working, they said it had been shut off due to "excessive data use". When I asked how somebody could use too much data on an unlimited plan, they refused to explain and said they had to question the user about her data use. I explained that would be difficult, considering she couldn't use the phone, and was told the phone would not be turned back on until she called them and they hung up on me.

So, it was obvious that they had arbitrarily turned off her data service, with no notice to anyone, and then drafted money for the next month of service, knowing that they were not going to provide service. I think that's called FRAUD.

Their customer service is absolutely horrible. Every time you call, you are transferred from one representative to another and none of them speak English well enough to carry on any semblance of a functional conversation. Frankly, I suspect this is an offshore company hiding behind a Miami address. Every person I have spoken to (bar none) talks in heavily accented Indian.

I am currently filing complaints with the FCC, the Florida State Attorney Generals Offices and the Florida Public Utilities Commission. I would recommend nobody dealing with this company.

Location: York, Pennsylvania

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Guest

I hate hate and hate straight talk they rob you alive.

Guest

I just had this same problem I just turned my phone on 2 days ago and now its all of the sudden saying that I have used almost 3 gigabytes of data that's not even possible and I barely use my phone and he was trying to say was my fault why my internet was running up talking about my apps we're updating on my mobile data but even if that's so I shouldn't have ran up to 3 gigabytes in 2 days I wish I can tell a whole variety of people that Straight Talk is a scam talking about unlimited data

Guest

Me and grandma purchased 2 streight talk phones.we are experiencing every little thung that could go wrong.first we pay for unlimited data and we always get a warning for data.the phones 411 sucks its a scam the phones over heat. When i have full batt i will unplug it and i come back in about 5 minutes and it has50% batt i highly reccomend that yiu dont get streight talk

Guest

Yep they got me,, I was locked in Verizon unlimited service and was thinking I could save with straight talk unlimited and now I see they sure can lie, they tell you that you have 2.5G high speed then cut you back, Well I only have 300MB with slow speeds .

On speed test I get download 0.45 and upload 0.48

They own us all for the lie that they tell.

Maryland...

Guest

you are 100 % right. . Jes, we nit able to transfer yuor numare" is my gripe with Haji Sheiks

:p

Guest

What a joke! I called up and got through to the customer service in Guatamala (6 times of me asking him where he was located, and he kept saying that the headquarters was in Miami), and he told me the unlimited data is only if I use it in my house on my wi-fi. I asked him how I can use the GPS in my family room - he kept saying "in paragraph 6 & 7 it says unlimited data" but "does not say the data connection is provided by (them)"

Guest

I had the EXACT same thing happen to me and they also told me that I used too much data that I would have to purchase another service card to start my services... now granted that I had refilled my plan only 2 weeks before so I ask how is it possible to ALL UNLIMITED data in two weeks.

Nowell Bmm

I threw the phone away and fought with trac phone via the bbb for a month and finally finally got my money back for the month of service I got screwed out of. I too have gone to spring and millions of mb later, still not cut off or slowed down.

Straight talk is one of the biggest scams I've ever seen. Grr

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Nowell Bmm

wait so now no more data execution :D please tell me how i can get your results :'c

Guest

Straight talks unlimited data is bullsh!t I had them for about 6mo. I work shift work 12hr with quite a bit of downtime so I would watch netflix and youtube quite often on my phone, they cancelled my PHONE for using to much data, no tethering just an android phone.

the only way to continue using there service would me to buy another phone. Straight talk=Scam read the fine print.

Switched to Sprint, unlimited data no slow slow downs on my speeds. Yea I pay more but at least there advertising is honest.

Guest

REPORT Them to the better business bureau because that is false advertising

Guest

:( same *** thing just happened to me with my straight talk phone. How in the *** are you going to advertize UNLIMITED SERVICE then say your using to much data so im cutting you off.

I guess ill have to switch to someone that isnt into false advertizing. so pissed. And im not racist but THIS IS AMERICA AND HERE WE SPEAK ENGLISH!

GIVE ME SOMEONE THAT SPEAKS AND SOUNDS ENGLISH NOT INDIAN. and im sorry they DO NOT so from the philippines at all.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-659196

Americans are not English my dude. If you're looking for english yourebin the erong hemisphere.

Guest

Tracfone owns Straight talk. And yes the support people are in the Philippines and you're wasting your time talking to them about almost any issue.

They can be pretty rude and surly. I simply wrote to the CEO of Tracfone and got an exec assistant to handle the issues. Problem solved until now and now I have to find out why I can't get on the internet.

I rarely use my phone and I check email and look up a store or restaurant occasionally. It's looking for like a class action law suit is the only solution.

Nowell Bmm
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-644275

Anyone have any experience with class action lawsuits or know who to turn to to get one started?

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Nowell Bmm

Call your local county court house in small claims. Ask then how things would work if you are not in Florida.

Ask if judgement is given to you can they garnish or tap into straight talk account with a court order. If so file pro-se or without an attorney.

Nowell Bmm

I have never tethered nor have I done continuous streaming. The unlimited plan that I pay for says if the internet usage becomes burdensome.

What is burdensome? I just refilled my service yesterday and today they flag my account and shut off my data. No warning. I called in to tech support to find out why my data wasn't working.

Even the tech support person said no one knows the limit of the unlimited data. Refused for over an hour to transfer me to a supervisor. Then when they transfer you to the "department" that explains the reason for no data, its a recording of the tos. Then I find out that because they flagged my account a couple of hours AFTER they took the money out of my account for the refill, I have to go without internet for the rest of the month.

No refund, no supervisor, just no no no. Wtf kind of scam are they running??? I for one am filing a complaint and am going to speak to a lawyer. False advertising, theft, scam, anything I can possibly get them for.

I paid for services not being rendered.

Not gonna take it lying down. :(

Guest

I have worked in the IT industry for the last 17 years, and there is one correction I would like to point out i the OP's post, ST's customer service is based to Philippines, not India.

Indian outsourcing has become more upscale, the typical Indian corporation is only accepting more complex projects and are no longer interested in handling customer service calls. Indian companies are now outsourcing these kind of more mundane tasks to Philippines. So the accent you were hearing was Philippino accent.

Back to the topic, my data service has been disconnected for last 1 week.

I called them yesterday and they kept repeating same thing about points 6 & 7 on the service contract. I raised *** and practically verbally abused the Philippino on the other side.

I went up to his manager but the lady couldn't do anything, she couldn't even tell me what amount of data I had used. I think this company in Miami has off-shored this task to Philippines to avoid scrutiny and they know that Philippians will take any verbal abuse from Americans.

Anyhoo, they finally gave me a US number, 800 867**** that I am supposed to call only on weekdays. Assuming this is the correct number, I will give these guys a verbal lashing.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-642979

That is same number for "problem customer" for net10! :)

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-784103

net ten is part of tracfone! which to say is part of straight talk..whish parents company is Trac fone..see the round a round as yet>>

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