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Almost a year ago I purchased from the Assurance website a Samsung Galaxy A10e cellphone. A few months ago, it sustained water damage. Because it was still covered under a warrantee, I was eligible to have a replacement phone sent to me. Unfortunately, there was quite a delay in getting the phone because it was on BACKORDER. I was also sent a phone of less quality than the previous one I had PURCHASED. Within just a few weeks the Schok Volt SV55 Model SV55216 stopped functioning while connected to its charging cord! I Googled the phone and found only a single ad at eBay selling it for 39.95. It was not even fully charged when it ceased to function. I called customer service only to struggle with the deplorable condition of their phone connection on calls to more than one Assurance agent. Adding to my frustration, they frequently placed me on hold. After all that, they ended up sending me the exact same cellphone with a prepaid envelope to send back the Schok Volt which had no damage whatsoever. After a few short weeks the new Schok Volt completely stopped functioning while I was on a phone call! When I called Assurance from a different phone, I had to call more than once just to get through. After identifying myself with their poor excuse for a voice recognition system, the agent I finally reached asked me for even more information to identify me and to access my account! I was instructed to attempt to change the battery of the cellphone. I already knew that the battery was not REMOVABLE and had a warning that any attempt to remove it could result in injury as well as to void the warrantee. I had to inform the agent of this because he obviously did not know which model phone I had in my possession. I stated that if they intended to send me the same lousy phone that had failed twice, I would find a way of filing my complaint with the appropriate agency overseeing their performance as a company under contract with the Federal Government to provide this service. I was connected to a supervisor who then asked for the same information I had already been asked to provide in order to access my account. I was assured that priority would be assigned to my replacement order and that I was not going to be sent the same model phone. This will be the third phone I am now forced to wait for, who-knows-how-long!
Desired outcome: Assurance Wireless has yet to come up with a selection of better quality phones we can purchase to avoid all the problems associated with their standard range of cheap phones!
the schock sv55 are xrappy phones then the Assurance keep letting things like travel go and g21news to pop up at randomwhen you go to search for something it is very very frustratung what would happen if I was trying to call 911 and g21 newa pops up and intereferes with the call it has on numerous occaisions kicked off calls and other searches as well Ridiculous! I am a severely handicapped 68 yo if something like that happens my family wukk see ro it that they get sued ro hell and back
I also had quite a few junk phones from Assurance Wireless, and have filed two reports to the FCC. After speaking with FCC reps, I recognized their frustration in dealing with AW, and was told the FCC no longer has governmental authorization to do anything about AW, who is a subsidiary of T-MOBILE; money 💰 is power, and these culprits somehow wormed their way into a government contract, as the Lifeline program is a federal program(contacted the CA Lifeline Program; they did nothing but defer to the FCC) utilizing tax revenue to feed an unscrupulous telecommunications company due to the " Constituency Reciprocation" format utilized by U.S. politicos. This political"God Bless you, me, and us three" mentality has caused Political Swaying, Corruption, and negates a Government
or the People, and by the People. I recently contacted the U.S. Attorney General 's office regarding this matter, and emailed a report about AW, their junk phones, outsourced phone reps who do not understand English so I have to keep repeating myself, and how this effects the quality of life for those on fixed income; no response whatsoever from the AG's office! This is a GREVIOUS TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE FOR THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED THAT APPARENTLY HAS BEEN IGNORED FOR YEARS!
I asked my roommate what phone he had, I had never heard of it before so I looked it up and stumbled across this lovely page.
I'll be honest, he has had his gov phone for over a year, bit yes it's his second gov phone, last one quit and wouldn't charge. Thing is though, he has multiple times had more than enough to buy a quality phone with a plan, heck you can get 3 phones and a plan for the price of 1 sometimes from popular providers. But he spends the money on stupid stuff, like going to the casino, or clothes he will hardly ever wear and doesn't need. stuff like that. Then, boom he's broke again.
I really don't understand why people with government phones can't see why it's total crap, I mean the oversight is the U.S. Government, who over pays for everything. I know I was a Military Contractor for over a year, till I got a better job in the Private sector. Companies take the average price and literally multiply it by 3 and the gov pays it.
why no accountability, if you don't get it yet, here you go. does the U.S. Gov look very accountable to you? no, they're not. and as long as they keep getting paid to be horrible criminals that can't do anything well accept lie and embezzle, then nothing will change. Look at the owners of Schok, they're millionaires, tied to government links. THEY DONT EVEN MAKE THE PHONES. Duhhhh! it's a government scam on the people. If you weren't supplied free stuff, you'd find a way to get one. I don't care if your disabled, so am I. Theres tons of ways to make money, lots of which you can do from home. But most people I've found out, are lazy, and have a victim complex. You're not poor because you're African, Latino, Asian or white as snow, no you're not don't be stupid. You choose to use that as an excuse, because building wealth is difficult yes the system is designed to keep poor people poor, and I hate that because I know a lot of very good and productive people who are having a very hard time getting out of that trap. But it does happen, and you can do it too if motivated right. You got to want it like you don't want to poop your pants. ser
Had this same problem with the Schok Volt SV55 myself. Called customer service, and together we followed the recommended steps to get the phone working &/or confirm it wasn't working. Was able to get a replacement SV55 and successfully transferred the account. However, within a week, this new one "died", too.
One time is a coincidence. Two times is a pattern. Sooo, I went on the line and did the Google thing, and wha'dya know? Found a YouTube video explaining exactly what to do! It ends up doing a full factory reset, so you'll have to reinstall apps, contacts, and stuff (unless you previously backed up your Google account). Here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewRRhYC7gUs
(On a side note: Customer service was very polite and helpful. Yes, there was a lot of being on hold, and the total call time was nearly 35 minutes. And, I had to call back the next day to ensure the account was successfully transferred to the new phone.
So, while on hold, I played solitaire on my old out-of-service phone. You could read a book or watch some streaming or play a video game while on hold. But, hey, it's a free phone and free cell phone service. Be grateful. And, good luck!)
My battery went out of mine too. It wouldn't power on. I took it apart and unplugged the battery plugged it into the wall and it powered on fine. Then plugged the battery back in while it was on and it charges fine and works fine but I can't shut it down or I'll have to repeat the process.
My mom has exactly the same situation. Literaly identical to what has been mentioned in this complaint... It's clear that Schok volt sv55 is a defective phone. I think Assurance Wireless needs to be sued in a class action lawsuit in this regard.
I have the exact same problems with phone schock volt sv55 and the assurance staff. Now I think I should just pay for a commercial phone plan and phone. I'm sitting here phoneless and probably getting another schock volt sent to me with the same problem.
I hope you get a new high quality phone but you may need to leave Assurance Wireless and switch to a company you feel more comfortable with.
Switch to AirTalk Wireless they Wil still let you have a nice free phone just by switching. They have the best phones 5G for free.
Except most of their free phones only work on 4g lte network
Me too. Same situation totally. I'm on my 22 School phone. Everytime I try and explain my issue I'm informed once again that since that person has me on the line to not worry their going to fix my issue. And of course my issue still has not been resolved. I've had previous reps tell me that they even know these phones are horrible and can in cases be dangerous. I'm constantly being told that the warehouse sends whatever they want apparently. So no matter new or existing customers were all subjected to crappy phones as long as Assurance Wireless can get whatever they get from the government for this program
Being what it is, a federal program, you can go through the FCC. They will respond to you and keep you up to date via E-mail and force Assuance to contact you and fix the problem to your satisfaction or they'll make them.
I how ever didn't realize that the Schok 55 was going to turn out to have the same problems the UMX had. So good luck.
Todd
Same exact issue and I'm still waiting. Really bad communication breakdown. And almost always guaranteed to be told wrong info
Me too. This phone Is a nightmare
I've been going crazy trying to pair my handsfree devices to this phone! I swear it sees everything else in the building, but not my earbuds, headphones, or Motorcycle Helmet Comms.
My sister is going through pretty much the same thing. These have to be the sorriest phones ever put together. Her phone just stopped charging! When she looked at the port on the phone where the charger plugs in, it was a royal mess. She doesn't know much about phones so all she did with the phone was use it and charge it. It looks like the 'port' had almost fallen apart. If that happens just by plugging and unplugging the cord from the port...everyone with these phones will be phoneless before too long. So sorry you all are having so many issues. She has only had her phone a few months too. I have an iPhone and have had the same phone for 3 years with not one issue, ever. I know it's a "government" phone but come on, if the government can spend money to "research a shrimp on a treadmill", they can certainly invest in much better phones...SERIOUSLY!
I am also having trouble with charging, The second phone arrived 6/29/23 and worked till today and now it will not charge.
My dad has had 5 Schok phones ,even paid for 1 , there dangerous, the charge gets so hot it burned the table , also they go to blue screen and will not cut on . Then 1 battery got so hot it melted the back .
There going to kill someone with this problem phone because they are very unsafe and then there going to get a law firm after them .
I've been going through similar problems with the shock phone . Battery constantly drains while not in use . It takes forever to charge where phone gets warm and also says 100% charged when it's only on 90% . Light keeps going off so I can't use number pad when pushing a number for right connection is impossible . Than I can't heat the person on other end and I have to keep twisting phone in my hand till they come back . Not to mention I'm on my 7th phone within 2 months . Than they keep asking me for money for shipping to send a new phone when phone is under warranty . WHAT?
Everything you've just explained, actually happened to me...I'm looking to unlock my sim online free so I it can go into another phone better quality...
How do you unlock the sim? This is my lifeline
Jesus! Why don't people use GOOGLE to ask questions?
Your language is completely unnecessary, as is your attitude. Isn't this a discussion board? So where do you get off being so "better than thou" when someone asks a question? When I try to Google for a question, I invariably get pages and pages of "answers" that have nothing to do with my question. Right now, I'm trying to Google to find out how to stop my Schok flip phone from duplicating my entire contact list--which it has done three times. I get pages and pages telling me how to remove a duplicate contact--which I've done dozens of times already (each contact on my list, every time the phone has duplicated my whole list. People whose answer to everything is "just Google" need to butt out.
I had the same problem with the shock phone I hate them I'm waiting on my replacement phone now it's been longer then they said it would be.
Keep waiting I have had 35 of these worthless [censored] telephones only to be lied to on a continual basis one of these SHOK VOLT SV 55 phones EXPLODED IN MY LIVING ROOM,it was not hooked up to any charger it just EXPLODED burning my floor amf sending Molton shards of glass and melted plastic all over the room the smoke was so bad I had to leave the house and these sorry [censored] see.t me another one ASSURANCE WIRELESS IS THE MOST WORTHLESS COMPANY ON EARTH
Was wondering what the replacement phone that they said they would be sending you? I just had to call them for the 8th time this year for them to tell me oh if you just pay shipping and handling blah blah blah…. Finally I was told I would be receiving “their absolute best phone they have” and am wondering which one they are now sending out? First it would cut off and wouldn’t power back on then it totally stopped charging at all the schok phone so two days ago I charged it to 100 % and went into my doctors appointment and cut it off and still haven’t been able to power it back up. Absolutely the worst phone I have ever owned!
Me too I've had 18 of these pieces of [censored]. All to be told they can't control what the warehouse sends out
Omg..I literally just had to call for another replacement phone, I received a schok to begin with and it stopped charging so they replaced it with a umx. It also was a pos and stopped charging as well..I had to pay for a replacement pos which just happened to be a schok. I pd $46.00 and all the hassle of resetting up a phone and access etc..less than a month ...I have had it less than a month and what do you know, today it just stopped charging...wonder what crap I will get this time..I like their service , free Hotspot etc., but these phones are a joke and with no options for the purchase of a decent one...idk..gonna have to switch services I think...what good is any service if you can't use it because of substandard phones...truly frustrating..
There's a website you can go to to buy a phone but that's a freaking joke too. No phones on there for less than a $100. If I could really do that I damn sure wouldn't be with Assurance Wireless
I want to switch they refuse to give methe information thatineed to do it assurance wireless is a criminal organization the ceo needs to be putin prisonfor his crimes against the poor
they get those cheap asas phones from overseas that has built in malware so oue personal info is easily gotten...The services are free but if it creates havoc in our personal live it is Pure BS! My older brother gave me an extra reg service phone that he had anpd for first 3 months with Consumer Cellular to get me started so that I have a reliable phone and service to be sure I am always safe in case of a medical emergency! the SchokSV55 has shut itself off in the middle of night numrtous times even with a full charge..with gigh risk of heart attacks or debilitating falls because I am L side partial paralysis this is rge [censored] they sending out yet even after 12+ yrs veing with Assurance wireless they keep saying they only have Schokk and UMX which is pure BS because someone else apploed for first time a couple of yrs ago that I knew pweonall and they sent him a MOTO G
I’m 99.9% sure that you were sent another POS Schok phone. I have received 4 of them. Everytime I’ve called and complained I’ve been promised an upgraded phone. I’ve probably spent over six hours on the phone with different agents, asking me to verify the same information over and over, and then being transferred to their supervisor, who fed me some more BS about an upgrade, and claiming I am first on the list for an upgrade. All lies…. and then I get another Schok phone in the mail. So, here’s the deal. Those agents and the supervisors can’t do a thing for any of the customers in regards to an upgrade. They have no idea what kind of phone they have in stock. They have no control over whether you’re upgraded or not they can put in a little note that does absolutely nothing on their computer and send it over to the warehouse who I’m sure absolutely ignores it. That’s the truth and that’s just how it is. The agents and supervisors will lie to you to make you happy in that moment and ask you to leave them good feedback before you end the call. The reality is they have no control over giving you a better phone. They seriously suck!
"Mega Dittos"
It's not the quality of a Samsung S-10 but it's a decent phone. I'm writing this message right now using one. I've had zero issues with mine. Mine recharges quite quickly and has pretty good battery life. Idk what else to say?
Assurance wireless is definitely defrauding the government and tax payer dollars. They need to be thoroughly audited and shut down and have a reputable company take over this safety net offered to the people. All their phones are made for like toddlers to play with and I keep getting like 3 times a month that my service was refilled. How many monthly bill are there?
They've gone to hell since being taken over by TMobile. I've been on board since they started in 09. I'm one of their oldest customers. But yes sir they made me upgrade my old original Kyocera flip phone that I dropped a million times smashed in the mud had a back cracked case but worked like the best damn phone ever built.
These schok phones are pure freaking junk and customer service has gotten crappy . They actually promised me a moto but after 12 phones, I'm still getting the same damn schok [censored]. Dropped calls, incomplete , straight to voicemail etc. Nothing works and I haven't been able to talk to a English speaking person that can comprehend the words they're probably reading off a page. I've even talked to agents who say " excuse me just a second" and then yell at their kids to get the damn dog off the table. Originally these guys were kick [censored] but past few years t mobile bought it and destroyed it.
I have the same freaking problems with my government t mobile assurance phone that I started having with my reg. T mobile high end phone.
Me too won't stay charged. 2nd going on 3 now hoping I'll get better phone if not I'll change company
Just a junk phone. Takes hours and hours to charge. I've had mine charged overnight, only to wake up and it had gone up 4% . And yes original cord and box. Terrible phone. !
I hear that. Mine takes 2 days . All three that I've hand out of schok
How did u purchase from a online store that doesn't sell phones? Just curious. Maybe it was legit at one point, idk.
Some of them start ok but they all wind up junking. They're in a warehouse they just grap one.
The good phones are few and far between
It started with TMobile take of assurance. Most every schok will have problems or develop them in a year or less time. . And if you comprehend what you read and knew the government phone you don't buy your phone from online store.
I was thinking the same. I also find the complaints about the phone to be untrue. It charges quickly and has good battery life. The wifi sharing works great. I use it with my Samsung Galaxy tablet all the time. I think some people want a lot for a little or nothing and love to complain.
Well goody for you because the majority of us HAVE A LOT of problems with these great A. W. phones; Junk, junk, junk!
Make a pic of a letter with any of these garbage phones given by assurance and send it to your boss and maybe the next day you will be fired because your boss will not see legible the words and numbers on the letter. I have told the CSR once again that the letter pics are not legible and please send me any other garbage at last to make reasonable legible pics; They have sent me 3 garbages; Today I received the schok, I m going to keep the previous garbage (another even without name) and I will turn the new one. But if you are thinking to change company, do not lose your time, all garbage companies giving free service from the government are the same trash.
I agree. My SCHOK is plagued with problems. Half the time callers can't hear me. Screen goes in and out when you are answering numerical prompts. Very life threatening for someone needing emergency responders or doctors. Bad phone. Junk at best
My mom literally got this junk phone last week and it takes minutes for her to send and receive text. For someone with severe health problems that's not acceptable. It takes 10 hours to charge because it says slow charging. It is a terrible phone that should have never been manufactured.
After waiting 5 weeks they sent me the exact same replacement phone that I told them I did not want it's a piece of crap. When I tell you I have spent no less than 2 hours on the phone with these people I'm not exaggerating. I'm going to go to T-Mobile and see if I can buy a decent phone. Beyond disgusted. They advertise all these different phones on their site and yet you can't request the phone you want. Is there any such thing as a decent government phone service plan. Forgot to mention that they charge me over $40 for this horrible phone. They said that the phone that I currently have was out of warranty. Just a deplorable company. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Same exact thing happened here. $ 40 dollars for the piece of [censored]. They sent me a replacement, was same thing. The Fillipino female answering service Lied to me. Tried to tell me it was the Phone Towers. Bunch of Crap.
While on the Phone, the other party you are talking to disappears and you have to have them repeat it,and are lucky if you hear it a 2nd time. Screen fades out when texting. And Brightness Button always drops from 100% to 0. Constantly.
I went thru the same exact ordeal, except I was charged $70! Finally got my money back after like 3 weeks, 14 phone calls enduring hours of hard to understand customer service reps. This is a frustrating, and hard to understand company. What business does not know their inventory? Or allow customers to purchase an upgraded phone? They advertise all of these nice phones, but I've never ever gotten any thing close to a decent phone. The online store? Please. It's a farce totally. It doesn't exist except in name only. I know they have to be raking Govt. $ in, yet it seems like a seat of your pants, bare bones, barely legal provider. Aren't these places ever audited? I just don't get it. And their isn't anything else better to switch to. They could do so much better for sure.
Yep! That's what mine does.🤨
They will not let you buy a phone for the government plan.
They will let you buy another replacement if your warranty is up but, you have to keep sending the thing back a million times before they change the brand.
They all have the problems you have they're junk.
You'd think the government would demand better phones and they do. If you're coming across the border illegally.
I not blowing [censored] either. I know a bunch of illegals that got free phones on the border. They get the Motos we get this [censored].
I have all the same problems. After #4 was activated it started all over again
With the same problems. Heard all the excuses in broken English hard to understand how they think and speak.
I am so done.
They told me to go on https://shopq1.assurancewireless.com/shop/
To buy a new phone and they will connect it to the govt program. But look at the prices of them! Four times what they actually cost just because they work for assurance wireless only! This is my lifeline!@
this is what tmobiles terms were under acp with assurance wireless... got a couple websites that your complaints might actually be heard. My recent correspondence with asw has been far from helpful, informative, professional or informational. Here it has been like pulling teeth just to get a straight answer from any of them any time i have called period. so i lost my phone when the uber driver hit the brakes unaware that my phone had slipped under the front seat. just my luck the ride was scheduled through my health plan so contacting driver was nonexistant. so i called asw to order replacement phone and was given three different tracking numbers none were correct. my initial order was nov. 18 th. so i figured 3 - 5 business days from then..now here it is dec. 2nd and found out they finally shipped it yersterday (supposedly) and get this...u already know it was a shock volt sv55. agreed tmobiles takeover of asw totally blew it.. why even bother..
Assurance wireless is deplorable in their actions. They have sent me the shock sv65 three times now. Even though they promised me a Motorola g. They lied. That's what they do. They agitate you, by telling you they understand. If you understand my problem would be resolved. Clearly you don't understand. Your company sucks. Your phone sucks. You're defrauding the United States government. And making a mockery of our system. These phones are intended to give low income people, comfortable and useful phone and internet. That it definitely is not. I understand, is what they say all the time on the phone while you're trying to see customer assistance. They are utterly useless. And I hope somebody high up in the government places a serious fine and injunction on Assurance wireless. Taking the profit they've made from them. As punitive damages. They should be slammed and fined.
A class action law suit needs to be filed against these people. Thats the only way this will be stopped. They obviously dont care nor have any insentive to provide quality service.
Exactly same thing has happened to me since August. The 1st phone was great but the replacement was a School SV55. I paid 43.00 for off my Visa. I'll be talking and other person disappears. I have to have them repeat when they come back on.
The Assurance wireless Filipino girl sent me another phone and I FedEx the other back.
She told me that the next phone would be an upgrade and better phone. Liar. Same damn School SV55 phone and does same problem. They try to say it's trees intereference.
Or towers. Bunch of crap.
These are refurbish crap. I offered to buy a phone of my choice and they said I can't do that.
Anyone know where I can report them ?
Assurance wireless sucks! A horrible company all the way around. The customer service acts ignorant & lies constantly. None of them are on the same page at all. One tells one thing the next asks same questions & tells something different. Oh yeah, did I mention that they lie constantly?! Crappy phones that don't work as they should. Tax payers are getting ripped off badly. We need to drop assurance wireless asap! Waste of money! Terrible company bottom line. I hope our government reads this & takes action. Assurance Wireless get a clue & do your customers right or go out of business. I've never dealt with a worse business than Assurance! That's the God's honest truth!
Damn. This is happening to a lot of people it seems. Not just me. All of them Schok sv55s like me. They got me to spend over 70$ to upgrade to the same phone. Wtf is going on? They got to be making a killing, why can't we even get a moderately decent phone? Idk. Something don't smell right...ya dig?
I love my moto pure g.. it didn't cost one cent and free every month.. it was brand new when I got it.. customer service is always so nice. The problem must be you...
I think you probably work for asw. Quit it.
2 things,first off the only way they are going to get better is by all of us leaving this deplorable company.The only way they listen is if we hurt them in their pocket books because right now we are showing them they can treat us like crap and not do anything to fix it and we will just keep letting them get away with it.Take your business elsewhere to a company that wants your business and is happy they have you.I know they are few and far between but they are out there and if enough of us do that then the rest of these crappy corporations might just start changing their shady ways but until that happens they will continue to screw us over and treat us unfairly
I also had the Motorola Moto G Pure (Moxee) which I really liked, and it worked well until it didn't. After a few months, it stopped charging; tried numerous charging cables but it would not charge. Apparently it was still under warranty, so Assurance sent me the Schok Volt SV55 which is smaller than the Motorola and which I wasn't too happy with when I opened the box. The quality seems cheap. I had purchased a wallet case for the Motorola and this Schok doesn't fit so I'll have to buy another case. Initially it wouldn't charge when I plugged it directly into my power strip. Then I used the adapter the phone came with, and it started charging. I'm not too hopeful with this Schok, taking into account the horrible reviews it's gotten. If it dies on me, I'll just return it and go elsewhere. I'm surprised a company as T-Mobile allows this to continue. I will not play games with Assurance, nor will I pay for another phone, as I've read others have done. I don't need the headaches; I just need a phone.
I think we should all get together and contact government. They've gotten 2months payments and I still don't have my phone replaced. I'm sorry for all that have went through this.
Yes u r so right all get together will be a excellent move.
If you can afford to buy a phone, why are you dealing with free phones intended for lower income consumers?
I just filed a complaint against you on here for defending assurance wireless.
The fcc,thats the main one federal communications, I'M going to complain about them tomorrow.these phones are defective.they also have malware stealing your data for china.this company is in Delaware,Im sure it's quid pro joes friends offing the commie crap phones for them.
I had a Moto G Pure and it worked fine before it was stolen; this time I wound up with a Schok and what I see on this board confirms my suspicions it's junk. Thinking of switching to another company.
regardless of who is intended to recieve the phone they should work properly..PERIOD!
Totally in agreement with you! I have been dealing with phone issues with Assurance Wireless ever since T-Mobile bought the company & made me switch to a “T-mobile” chip phone. Over the last year plus, I have had countless hours (total hours is in days of time, like 100’s of hours!) speaking to reps trying to get an android phone that works with talk, text as stated. Nothing more, nothing less. I have been sent approx. 8 umx phones, a wiko3, a shock volt55… every single one is a problem! I have done everything possible to reset, await tower signal fixes etc. but it is not in my control. It is T-Mobile’s responsibility to honor their government contract, for which they are being paid for monthly with tax dollars! It’s a disgrace, has totally inconvenienced my ability to hear from loved ones, doctors etc. I am on disability. And, I have yet to have my issue resolved! The phone reps can say or promise anything yet there is a total disconnect with the warehouse! No excuses T-Mobile corporate executives! You hide behind these phone reps treating us as we are invisible…you are a disgrace as you freely take govt money and do not care to provide the terms of service you state under Assurance Wireless. Right now, I was sent the Shock volt & upon activation I could not communicate on test calls that day due to speaker issues (blurry, unclear)… I had to again have the old wiko3 reactivated just so I had a chance to have a partially broken phone! I had been told months ago by the engineers of AW that the company needed to send me a phone with the ability in settings to make wifi calling! Never happened! No Samsung, nor Moto G nor any known brand that I had been told I would receive ever came! So, I am supposedly am on a list to get a proper phone according to the rep. yet she even knew the hurdles I faced were common, difficult or unlikely to be resolved no matter what she wrote in her notes on my account! I told her a class-action lawsuit hopefully will happen & I will gladly join it! I have been with AW when it was owned by Sprint & Virgin Mobile, over a decade! I loved my service. T-Mobile owners have treated us as disposable invisible pawns to make money on the lifeline program. Shame on those who can actually make the correct changes! The emotional toll, psychological stress and even physically having to be out in the cold trying to get the/a AW free phone to “work” is just criminal! I do hope T-Mobile is held accountable! I even missed calls from doctors during prep for surgery & have plenty of other examples. And, yes, I have documented many calls/ph info. So, as I wait for the rep’s requesting of a Samsung, Motorola phone as she agreed my case was something that should be resolved esp. with the amount of info documented & my years of being a “loyal customer”, I am using again on a reactivated phone that they are aware of for months has had connection, usage and clarity issues… And, I have even been to a T-Mobile store, left polite complaint messages with my number, had numerous reps say they documented my complaints etc. With all the money wasted by sending me 10 approx phones & reps admitting they are aware of numerous customers having issues using the phones once the Sprint to T-Mobile company change/ phone & phone chip change plus the time involved, you would think AW would address & resolve my issue completely. All I want is what they stated on their Lifeline Service Program. I think a year plus is more than patient, its disgraceful on their part & seems fraudulent, as a long-term member. And, yet, I am still waiting for a functioning lifeline phone that provides what they have clearly stated.
Me:….An often outspoken American Citizen
Assurance Wireless..is an Exceptional Company
The only thing they Fail at
...is installing a VPN...or ..Anti.. Spyware...Anti.. Malware..on the ißued phone's,.for a trial period..
THE REASON...A GREAT COMPANY'S.. DOESN'T..DO THIS...
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I feel for you i have the same crappy phones here in California you can files complaint with California utility commission and they have to answer the to FCC or local representative in your state and government that's why they have a job to represent the people if enough people complain they will get off there butts and do something
I could have written your letter myself! A. W. has gone downhill fast! Junk, junk and more junk phones! In 2 years I had 18 replacement phones and that's no lie! The list if troubles goes on. Even right out of the box they don't work or have a defect somewhere. I don't expect a $1000 phone but what they send is totally UNEXCEPTIONABLE!
When is the FCC going to pull the contract with Assurance?
I've almost always had crappy free phones from assurance wireless. I decided to upgrade to a galaxy a10e for $200 dollars within months of my purchase they said I could no longer use it because they only accept 5G phones. Luckily they replaced it with a galaxy s10+ but unfortunately I dropped it and it didnt have tempered glass. My fault. I no longer had a phone so I called and asked them for a new one. I paid $40 and they sent me a worthless UMX phone, it broke within a week. Just wouldnt charge. I called again and they sent me another UMX phone which also broke within a week. These phones were about as useful as they were broken anyways. Again, I called and returned, just to get a Schok Volt. I dont recieve calls, my calls have next to never gone through, every message I have to resend several times for it to go through. Just pure garbage. I dont even want to waste my time to call because they'll just send me the same thing. The kicker is I still have my $200 galaxy a10e but they wont let me use it cause it's "not 5G" but all these phones they send aren't either they barely get signal at all. I'm sorry to everyone else dealing with this. I wish all our complaints would actually do something :/
Assurance Wireless get your sh-t together, this might be a "free" service but our tax money pays for it. We deserve something reliable.
I don't know what state you have service here in California with assurance wireless since their part of TMobile your phone should be 4G.lte TMobile uses 5G
The only way the Schok Volt SV55 long distance calls is pair it with a car phone. Assurance Wireless has no clue how to fix it.
I have been with assurance wireless for almost 20 years.
The schok phone is not their best phone but, it's also NOT their phone.
True sometimes you have to hang up on a few people to FINALLY get a person that understands but, the whole TRUTH of the matter is,
They became crap when they were taken over by T Mobile.
Before T Mobile I had my flip phone . It was dropped in water , ran over in the mud, and you name it. It was a Kyocera.
Since then , I got forced into umx, umx, umx, and now schok.
No problem for almost 20. So, lay the blame where it belongs. T mobile!
Totally in agreement with you! I have been dealing with phone issues with Assurance Wireless ever since T-Mobile bought the company & made me switch to a “T-mobile” chip phone. Over the last year plus, I have had countless hours (total hours is in days of time, like 100’s of hours!) speaking to reps trying to get an android phone that works with talk, text as stated. Nothing more, nothing less. I have been sent approx. 8 umx phones, a wiko3, a shock volt55… every single one is a problem! I have done everything possible to reset, await tower signal fixes etc. but it is not in my control. It is T-Mobile’s responsibility to honor their government contract, for which they are being paid for monthly with tax dollars! It’s a disgrace, has totally inconvenienced my ability to hear from loved ones, doctors etc. I am on disability. And, I have yet to have my issue resolved! The phone reps can say or promise anything yet there is a total disconnect with the warehouse! No excuses T-Mobile corporate executives! You hide behind these phone reps treating us as we are invisible…you are a disgrace as you freely take govt money and do not care to provide the terms of service you state under Assurance Wireless. Right now, I was sent the Shock volt & upon activation I could not communicate on test calls that day due to speaker issues (blurry, unclear)… I had to again have the old wiko3 reactivated just so I had a chance to have a partially broken phone! I had been told months ago by the engineers of AW that the company needed to send me a phone with the ability in settings to make wifi calling! Never happened! No Samsung, nor Moto G nor any known brand that I had been told I would receive ever came! So, I am supposedly am on a list to get a proper phone according to the rep. yet she even knew the hurdles I faced were common, difficult or unlikely to be resolved no matter what she wrote in her notes on my account! I told her a class-action lawsuit hopefully will happen & I will gladly join it! I have been with AW when it was owned by Sprint & Virgin Mobile, over a decade! I loved my service. T-Mobile owners have treated us as disposable invisible pawns to make money on the lifeline program. Shame on those who can actually make the correct changes! The emotional toll, psychological stress and even physically having to be out in the cold trying to get the/a AW free phone to “work” is just criminal! I do hope T-Mobile is held accountable! I even missed calls from doctors during prep for surgery & have plenty of other examples. And, yes, I have documented many calls/ph info. So, as I wait for the rep’s requesting of a Samsung, Motorola phone as she agreed my case was something that should be resolved esp. with the amount of info documented & my years of being a “loyal customer”, I am using again on a reactivated phone that they are aware of for months has had connection, usage and clarity issues… And, I have even been to a T-Mobile store, left polite complaint messages with my number, had numerous reps say they documented my complaints etc. With all the money wasted by sending me 10 approx phones & reps admitting they are aware of numerous customers having issues using the phones once the Sprint to T-Mobile company change/ phone & phone chip change plus the time involved, you would think AW would address & resolve my issue completely. All I want is what they stated on their Lifeline Service Program. I think a year plus is more than patient, its disgraceful on their part & seems fraudulent, as a long-term member. And, yet, I am still waiting for a functioning lifeline phone that provides what they have clearly stated.
Me over 10 years! Totally agree! T- Mobile, as Assurance Wireless’s parent company stop 🛑 disregarding your AWLifeline Customers! Provide us with the Lifeline service you agreed to provide & continue to advertise under your plan as the US government contracted you/ pays you for each of us to have this service & plan fully functional! Class action lawsuit? You don’t seem to give a damn about any of us nor your own reps overseas who have to answer all these angry, upset customers too! I don’t hold them accountable. I hold the corporate heads responsible as it comes from the top down! And, you hide behind your overseas reps but legally, ethically and morally you ARE causing distress, pain & suffering by not having a functional phone & system in place! Treat us with some respect, like you wish to be treated & provide functional phones & services! And, if you can’t, then stop 🛑 participating in the “free” US government lifeline program!
Do you care T-Mobile? Actions are louder than words!
The best way to get back at these companies is to take your business elsewhere.The only way they will listen is to take their money away from them by taking your business elsewhere.If enough people leave then they will start to listen as they are as greedy as the rest of them and only care about how much profit they make.Its the only way to make any company pay attention plus there are companies out there who would love your business and be happy you are with them unlike TMobile and also assurance.Go where you feel like your being treated fairly and leave if you feel like your not.When we stay with crappy companies like this it teaches them that they can treat you any way they want and you'll just put up with it.Show them you won't tolerate it and they will start to change but only if they have to
Tmpbile has a LOT of issues true but those phone mentioned are also crap phones!
I Have The Same Phone & It Sucks Big Time Too. Text 8 1 2 4 1 0 9 2 1 3 Edward
I am having the exact same issue with assurance wireless. They are the worst of worst companies EEEEVER! they should have their licenses pulled. My started with the UMX phone, i had two of them with the same issues and then was sent the Schok Volt, after i was PROMISED that i would be sent an upgraded 5G phone, a Samsung Galaxy, instead this damn p.o.s Schok Volt, after waiting 6 weeks for a phone. It already has issues and I've only had it a half of a day. I called their parent company t-mobile corporate and they even had issues with assurance wireless customer service. Every time I've called, I've been put on hold for incredible amounts of time and 90% of those times, I'm disconnected. Assurance doesn't have a direct corporate line to call either, though i don't think i would get anywhere with them either. I think they tell you what you want to hear, just to get you off the line or give a bunch of random excuses. Every week that I've spoke to them, it's a different excuse. There has to be someone you can call to fix this problem. I want the 5G Samsung Galaxy i was promised. The phones they send are horrible and what's the point of having service if you can't use it because of the poorest quality phones they send someone. It's called lifeline for a reason and god forbid, if your life actually has to depend on this service.
Also with my shock phone I have a restraining order and it's a very serious one and I have just gotten headed I've been in a domestic violence shelter for two and a half years I just got my place and I went to call 911 the other night and they couldn't even hear me on the piece of crap because it doesn't work I try to tell them that they said take it off the speaker I don't have it on speaker Mom it's just a piece of junk I don't drop it in the water I don't fall down and let it roll down outside or anything I keep it in the house just for that reason having to call 911 because of my restraining order and the person trying to get in my front door okay so do you think that wasn't scary for me so basically now since I don't have $40 they told me to keep the phone and are refusing. To give me I said can you give me one that's worse than this that I can hold and somebody can hear me so I can call 911 and I explained they don't care and then suddenly get hung up on if any of them smoke any English that would be great number one and number two if we didn't have to repeat our security questions and info 345 times with all these different people when the recording place and we answer it on there that should be enough they should have our info already just when we gave it when they forwarded to the real person it is beyond frustrating.
you all know that the Shock phone and its service are completely FREE!...Can someone please name another country that offers this? Also.. Metro PCS and Cricket offer phones and plans with the ACP.
you get a decent phone and good service with everything unlimited and they take 30.00 dollars a month off your bill which leaves you with ONLY paying the difference of 30 a month. You could get the free plan and phone that has 5gb of data but thats not good enough right? we deserve unlimited data. [censored] that.. appreciate what your given or go out and do something about it. Where there is a will there is a way. I've been to many other countries where there are not grocery stores on every corner full of food, not even a quarter of what we have even with the shelves half empty. No Variety, no gas stations with .89 cent drinks that are outrageous in size. But we complains about our free phones, and the fact that the agent has an accent. Name a place or business that hasn't struggled with labor shortage the last 2 years? People don't want to work but the guy or girl over in that country would jump at the opportunity to work in a building with AC and lunch breaks instead of sweat shops. Don't blame the government, don't blame the companies, wonder why some people are middle class, have what they need and live ok decent lives. It's because they didn;t make an excuse this morning and for the last 3 years why they cant go to work. you would be surprised what type of somewhat decent lifestyle you could live for only 35-40k a year if you actually budgeted and lived within our means. But the moment we get Money, or a few extra bucks we want to hit the malls and buy shoes we cant afford, to make ourselves feel better when if we tried humility and gratefulness we would realize its all junk and doesn't matter. Work, save your money, live within your means, practice generosity, patience and be content where you are, because you wont stay there long if you practice these things and grow emotionally and financially.
Who the hell are you to JUDGE ANYONE A-HOLE. You have no idea what anyone or what's happened to them, such as a car accident that disabled them because they were hit by an uninsured. There's many reasons why people are on this program, because of medical, spousal abuse, etc and no one needs your foul hateful nasty comments. Not everyone is living just to live off the system. Mofo
Regardless of all that if a company is offering a service that service should work!
Thank you on your comment that person better hope and pray that their personal and financial lives don't take dump.believe me carma is a [censored]
Your comment devolved into a rant. Fact is, free or not this service no longer provides the basic Lifeline program that it was designed to provide. Dropped calls, incompletable communications due to fixable systemic failings is serious. The program was named Lifeline for a reason.
I think we should all box these cheap , useless phones up & send them to the attorney general's office.
My new schok phone does same thing .it spebdsbmorebtimebon charger...when you can get it to even come 9n then irlt helps or get used.this phone 8s basicly useless .if need it ? To bad battery died and want charge.this is by far worse phone ever.its going to get people killed because they cant use it when needed .that's 6if doesnt over heat and explode or cause fire and kill them first.;and customer support? Good luck calling them your phone will die before get an answer
I have a shock phone as well and it doesn't hold a charge the cord gets extremely hot no matter where I plug it in it takes over seven and a half hours to charge then whether I use it or not the battery is drained within 2 hours and half the time I don't even touch the phone it gets now the phone is getting hot I had to call them the other day I've called 5 days in a row for them to accidentally keep hanging up on me and saying man I can't hear you and I said that's why I'm trying to tell you I need a new phone if I they said now that I have to pay $40 for another phone because a warranty expired that's not my problem I didn't ask for this piece of crap or the one before that or the one before that and just because you're on a program that's low income doesn't mean we need to be treated and talk to you like trash so every time now when I call them the phone accidentally they hang up on me 5 days in a row yeah that's not an accident in my book so I finally instead of having manners and being polite I told them exactly where to go and believe me it wasn't very nice so now when they hear me on the phone when I give my name and stuff and you should do it once you know but you get transferred to two or three people?
This is my 4th "free government" cellphone via Lifeline/Assurance Wireless. They are all a complete waste of time. I am disabled and need the phone for urgent situations. Just got the Schok Volt sv55 last week (after my previous phone lasted a few weeks). The Schok gets hot quickly. Error texts keep blocking my actual list of contacts. It says, "Free Msg: Unable to send message-Message blocking is active" when I did NOT block the incoming or outgoing texts/person.
The phone has lousy service. You can't hear incoming calls & people can't hear you. I call Assurance via my landline and the connection is TERRIBLE, you can't understand these people and they send you a worse phone each time! Meanwhile you're waiting for your "free" cellphone so you could go to your doctors and urgent places.
Ever since Lifeline switched to Assurance Wireless, it's been TERRIBLE! This hot Schok Volt (great name) wasn't even worth setting up. We all should notify Assurance Wireless on the BBB list of fraudulent services. The government should know about it. Lifeline should be ashamed of doing this to their most needy customers.
10th phone! Completely agree! Every since T-Mobile takeover… terrible, not functioning phones/service. On disability too. Been horrible experience for over a year now! Really!
T-Mobile is the AW parent company. When owned by VM, Sprint etc. the AW program was really good! Phones worked & functioned well, signal at my home was fine, any issues addressed promptly… what did T-Mobile do to this AW Lifeline Program?! Trashed it. Reps word/ comments hold no weight as they have “no contact” or “control” over phones supplied when issues arise… no corporate contact number. Their own reps know phones and service are an issue & have told me so apologetically yet still no change because they can’t make it happen although they sincerely want to help. Engineers from AW told me that I should request phone with wifi calling ability over 6m ago after troubleshooting… still has not happened! Been noted countless times over the 100’s of hours I have spent calling AW. Disgraceful. Seems needs investigators by government, since tax dollars being given for each plan to T-mobile & BBB involvement would help.