Beverly of Broken Arrow, OK, writes:
I was surprised to read another complaint on this site that is very similar to mine. I have a SW Bell account in which the service has not worked for months. I have taken the phone in and exchanged it several times, and have called the customer service number numerous times to try to straighten the situation out. The problem: unless I am in the heart of Tulsa (I live just outside of the city), the service will not work. Not just bad reception. It won't work at all. It will not connect. I cannot send or receive calls. I've had this problem since the summer.

When I signed up for service, I made a point of asking the sales rep if this (using the phone where I live - which is not a remote location, right outside of the city metro) would be a problem and was told it definitely would not be. I started service in Dec. - not the best service, but acceptable - until this summer when it stopped working at all. I have been paying for no service for months. I finally (in Oct.) wrote SWB and said I would pay for the current month (Oct.), but that since they weren't providing me service and hadn't been for months, even after I made an extremely diligent effort to work with them, they had broken our contract and I wasn't going to continue to pay for a service I wasn't receiving. They absolutely ignored my letter. I received no response on the complaint.

On Nov. 14, I received a late payment notice saying my service would be cut (I received it one week after the deadline for service to be cut) and a notice saying my service (which was nonexistent anyway) had been cut -- both on the same day. Again, I received the warning and the notice ON THE SAME DAY. The warning was sent one week late. And I did pay for October - how past due can I be?

So, I called again (the calling process has always been terrible, long waits, problems with their own phone system-it cuts you off as often as you get through (I've been cut off three times while trying to talk to a rep, which means you start the process and wait all over again, etc.) The rep I got started each sentence trying to placate me with a scripted "I understand your concern ma'am" and then basically told me they had no responsibility to provide me with any service (I was dumbfounded at this and I am not exaggerating his claims), that whether I have service or not, the only person obligated under the contract was me in paying - even if I continue to have no service whatsoever. He actually said (no exaggeration) "Ma'am, it says in the contract the service is bad!" We ended the conversation with me saying I wasn't going to deal with him and requesting the name and address of the head of customer relations. He would only give me the first name (wouldn't give a last name) of a woman who I think is just his direct supervisor (when I asked her title, he just said, "Well, she's um, a manager."), and her address. He refused to give me any direction or assistance in trying to help resolve the complaint.

Basically, through the whole conversation, he treated me like I was someone who just wants to get out of paying her bills. I am definitely not. I pay my bills. I do believe I have the right not to have to pay month after month for a non-existent service. I will never use this company again, and believe other consumers should be aware of the problems with SWB Wireless.

I am a busy professional and this has cost me a great deal of time. In addition, my parents were traveling once, really needed to reach me and couldn't get the phone to work. I needed to reach another family member while on the road and couldn't get the phone to work. This has become a safety issue as I got the phone primarily for use in emergencies and situations where there was an important need for immediate communication.

Joyce of Wichita, KS, writes:

I've been trying to call SWB at their 1-800-331-0500 phone # for hours/days and never get anyone. My phone does NOT work (and hasn't worked properly for some time) and yet they still expect me to pay the monthly bill.

Somehow my phone was "cloned" and they racked up a huge bill in my name. The calls that are under investigation could never have been made from my phone becasue it (the battery) doesn't hold a charge for any longer than about one minute (if that long)!

They are billing me for a phone that doesn't work and for phone calls that I never made. After reporting the problem they just said that my phone could not have been clonned and they said that there is nothing wrong with the battery.

I don't know about that but I do know that I didn't make the phone calls because even if my phone did work I don't even recognize any of the numbers! I have been very upset about this and it has made me very depressed and angry! I have refused to pay the bill and will probably be sued or pursued by a collection agency. I have perfect credit and I hope this does not affect it.

Pam of Liberal, KS, writes:

In December last year my husband purchased a cell phone from South Western Bell Mobility for my Christmas present.  He repeatedly asked the sales representative if this phone was covered all over the United States. He explained that in his line of work we move a good bit and he did not want to be stuck with a two year contract if the phone could not be used elsewhere.  

Naturally, the salesman said it could be accessed all over the United States.  They have towers everywhere.  He thought the salesman was telling the truth and he signed the contract which was for two years for the FREE phone.      

In June 1999, he was transferred to Goodland, KS and now there wasn't any access for my phone unless I wanted to pay long distant charges to use it.    Since then, we moved to Liberal KS and I can not use the cell phone again, unless I want to pay long distance charges.  I am even talking about calling next door.    

We contacted SWBM in Mo. and asked what could be done about the problem and they told us we could have our service transferred and to call SWBM in Kansas City, Ks.  We did that and they told us that they did not have towers in our area and basically all my cell phone calls would route to Kansas City or Witchta and they would still be long distance.      

I asked it I could have their cheapest rate since I was bound to a contract and there was nothing they would do about it but keep billing me.  I was told no because a contract was signed.    I did not pay the bill for two months and finally they turned the phone off.  I caught up with the bill but I am still paying on a service that was falsely presented to my husband.  

I have another year to pay on this contract and since we will not have the service restored they are now billing me for the full amount that remains on the contract.    I have Bell service in my home, and don't understand why I can not have cell service at the rates I was paying in Mo.  SWBM said they are not afilliated with Southwester Bell, yet, I get advertisement in my regular phone bill for SWBM.  Could you please let me know what to do and how can consumers in the future be aware of the misrepresentations of cell phone companies.

I felt that paying almost $300 this coming year for services that can not be rendered is unacceptable.  If I was to use this phone, it surely would cost me much more than this.

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