I started an account with US cellular for my father and myself about two years ago on a two year contract with a phone for each of us on a family plan. I also purchased insurance from radio shack (where i bought the plan) for $40 or $60 a phone. When my phone broke a couple months into the contract I sent it in to be repaired at radio shack and it took 6 weeks to get it back. A loaner phone was available for only two weeks of this time. I paid my whole bill even though I was down to one phone for a month or so.
With only 6 months left on the contract both phones were not charging properly on either house charger or my car charger, apparently a problem with this model. I called us cellular stores in my area and none had a loaner phone available. I called customer care and was told that it was my responsibility to have a working phone on the account, that they weren't obligated to provide a loaner phone, and that it was my fault for choosing a poor insurance program that takes a month and a half to replace a phone.
I offered to purchase a phone from them and they said it would cost over $100 a phone if i did not extend my contract. I told them I would no longer pay my bill if I was unable to use the service. They kept charging me for several months after that conversation and now I'm in collections with close to a $400 bill. I believe that I was treated unfairly, I'm very angry that I was offered a low end phone at over $100 each (company probably pays teenage girls in china $1 a day to make them) and most of all I am very ashamed of myself for doing business with this company in the first place.
Also, please research the other party before signing a paper or shaking a hand. What will happen to me now, I believe that paying this bill is morally the wrong thing to do, will I be taken to court? Thrown in jail? Any info on what will happen next is appreciated. I'm already in stage 2 of collections.
0 comments