Straight Talk Wireless
reviews and complaints

In trying to find out why my phone was not getting signal, I was told by the representative that their phones only work in the zip code they are registered in.
I specifically asked, "So, if I activated my phone in my town and then drive an hour away to visit my mom in a different zip code, the phone will stop working when I leave my zip code?" The representative replied, "That's correct."
I asked why this was not in the fine print on the paperwork that comes with the phone and was told they didn't have to because when the phone is activated by zip code, it will alert them if your phone model is incompatible with the zip code you are trying to register in.
I asked, "So am I supposed to never leave my zip code then, or do I need to by a different phone for every family member I visit so I'll have signal when I travel?" Response: "That's correct."
Also, according to his supervisor, each model of phone works off of a different tower signal, so one style of phone may work, where another will not.
I was not happy with customer service at all. They were unknowledgeble, rude and no matter what question I asked or how many times I asked for them to explain something, they continued repeating the same thing they had just said. They also kept complaining about "static" in the line and asking me to repeat myself because they couldn't understand me. I had trouble understanding them, but not because of static.
The phones are flimsy and break easily and the customer service is horrible. Basically, I am out 150$ on a phone and one month service that I can't use.
I'm not sure if their return policy is purposely complicated beyond comprehension, or if the people in customer service speak such poor english that it cannot be explained properly, but there is not much hope in getting a refund out of them.

I purchased a Straight talk phone from Walmart three months ago. From day one I have had several dropped calls and very poor reception. I can't hear callers and they can't hear me. Called the company today and they had me reset my phone. I made some calls and sent out some texts to see if the problem had been rectified and it has not. Called the company again today and they said I would have to send my phone to them and I would receive a replacement in two weeks. Two weeks? What am I supposed to do without a phone for two weeks..especially since my business relies on the phone? I spent $100 on the phone and it is a piece of junk...and so is the service. Do not purchase Straight talk. Walmart should pull the phones off their shelves! I am switching back to Virgin Mobile...who has excellent customer service and virtually no dropped calls...and good reception. Just thought I would switch to Straight talk when the Walmart salesperson told me they were on the Verizon network and that I would get excellent reception. What a lie! I am very unhappy with Straight talk and am writing a letter to the President of the company, Mr. Fredrick J. Pollack stating my huge disspaointment. I just wasted a lot of money on a junk phone. Stay away from this company.

I've had this phone for 2 months. They ported my number quite quickly and the service is very reliable. Then, it came time for the phone to refill. They were late by 2 days in refilling it and I was out of messages. I had to call them up for them to refill the minutes on the phone even though I was registered for auto-refill. Then this month, the second month I've had it, I had to call up to change the credit card it was under. When I called, they assured me that the 2 phones on the account would be enrolled in auto-refill under this new credit card. Today, a friend of mine spent 2 hours trying to call my straight talk phone, only for me to find out that I had 0 minutes. When I called, they told me that the phones were not enrolled in auto-refill but the new credit card was on the account. I had specifically asked just a few days earlier if the phones were enrolled in auto-refill under the new card and was assured that they were. I did not have the credit card on me at the time and the only way to get a hold of the person with the credit card was through a straight talk phone with no minutes. They could have added minutes without that but insisted that they needed me to confirm that the card was infact mine. This was ridiculous because I had no way of getting a hold of the person who had the card. Finally, I talked to a supervisor and filed a complaint against the person who screwed it up in the first place. The person with the credit card came back and I was able to update the information, but not after this supervisor used a sales pitch on me to tempt me into getting a plan with more minutes. So, straight talk is zero for two in doing its job at refilling. I find this very unprofessional. The customer service is not great. I do love the actual phone service but if this continues, I will have to quit using it.

I purchased a Straight Talk Phone (Samsung T401G) w/a $45 Straight Talk Activation Card on July 16th from Walmart. I used it one (1) time and it never worked again (The phone would not pick up a signal, no matter where I was, the phone never had any bars). I called Walmart and they told me that I would have to purchase another Straight Talk Phone and then call Straight Talk to transfer the phone number and minutes to the new phone. I've called Straight Talk for 7 straight days, 5 of the days speaking to a person that could barley talk english and still have not got service to my new phone. Each time I called Straight Talk customer service, I would get a different explaination as to what the problem is, but yet, I was assured that the problem would be taken care of and would have service in 24 to 48 hours. I was told to call *22890 after 24 hours and this would get the phone activated. It has been 75 hours now and 4 more calls to Straight Talk and still no service. The cost of Straight Talk might be very cheap, but the rule goes with this company, you get what you pay for. Trust me, do not purchase a Straight Talk Phone, pay a little extra and get a phone that will work.

Service worked fine for exactly 14 days - then "no service' today. Spent 45 minutes on house phone with "tech support' - what a joke. He tried going thru his script of options to no avail. Couldn't get the phone to work. I said "seems like a satelite issue or cell tower issue", phone works fine other than "no service". He can't fix, his supervisor can't fix. Gives me a case # and tells me to call back tomorrow to talk to the other department who has the "tools to fix" what he can't fix today. "No there's noone in that department on Sundays." So, I guess I'll be going back to the regular more expensive but dependable service of a regular cell phone contract with a national provider because Straight Talk SUCKS!

Well, about 2 months ago I bought a Straight Talk cell phone! After' a few wks. the phone started going out. The internet wouldn't work. I had just bought $45.00 worth of unlimited minutes as I do every month.
I couldn't even talk on my phone . I had to come up with another 80.00 to buy a brand new one. Needless to say the other$45.oo was history. I can't afford to lose out on money like that, I have 3 kids
one being disabled! So I actually need all the money I can keep! I had spoken to this little old woman
about my problem and she said that Straight Talk Company are VERY good trustworthy people.
She said that they would reimburse my 50.00 that's with tax and all!
All I had to do is be upfront with them and be honest!
All I want is my minute money cuz last month I was out that 50.00. Someone PLEASE help me!
I have to have my phone cuz my daughter has spina bifida! I pray someone is listening and feels compassion!
PLease let me know ASAP!

Thank You,
Ms. Jacquelyn D. Garrison
Feel free to call: [protected]
Hohenwald, TN 38462

i hope you saw my last comments about youre complains...i just want to let you know that everyone is human, everyone wants to have a job and provide a better life to theyre family there is no need to tell crappy things about the customer care center! they do what they were asign to do!...unfortunatley everyone has to do what theyre boss tell u to do!

now my suggestions!
add youre min on the expiration date ASK THE TIME TO DO IT BEFORE THE TIME OTHERWISE URE PHONE WILL BE DISCONECTED AND THERE IS NO WAY TO HAVE THE NUMBER BACK!

remember that when you have problems to make and received calls or maybe text or signal dial
*22890 *22891 and *22801!

LG 200c doesnt provide picture messages! ive got one of does phones! and i didnt knew that i was unable to use the picture messages!

i recomend samsung! its one of the better options that they have i have one of does now!
and just remember u are not the only one whos calling customer cervice and if u have issue with the phone dont call them from ure cellphone otherwise u will need to call them from a different line and u just waste ure time! and if u will call them from ure cellphone dial *611 because if u dial the 1877 number u will be charge!

Straight talk wont let me activate my phone without a airtime card but I don't have one. I bought a service card a they told me that they activated my phone but when I tried to check and make sure they did it said "were sorry but you must activate your phone for more service."

I have bought and returned 6 phones from straighttalk. The phone itself are cheap for the minutes and its hard to get another phone else where because my credit, so that is why I chose to put up with them, but I am so done with the aggravation. Every time I get a phone from them, it either shuts off while I'm talking, or it will not let me call out or receive calls. It will work fine sometime, then all of a sudden it will start acting up. When I call technical support, they sometime fix the problem, but then sometime they don't. I have to keep calling them, half the time I do not understand anything they are saying, or they admit they don't know what to do about my phone and admit they don't understand it themselves. I really think these phones should be taken off the shelves because this company is a rip off. You waste your money on the service cards because when your phone don't work most the time, they do not credit you for the days you missed out on it. And you can not return your cards even when your card dont go through onto your phone. This service sucksssss

Oh my god these people are straight up idiots. We called and spent over an hour to simply change our online password which by the way is not available at their website. We asked to speak to supervisors and was transferred back to the call queue instead of to a supervisor and low and behold I was charged for the minutes too! I filed a better business bureau complaint and I suggest anyone who has issues with them do the same. Perhaps they'll then hire americans or at least someone who has english for a first language and perhaps will then give decent customer service. An hour off my phone to call customer service to not even get help? Pfft.

The company took money off my card, couldnt activate my phone and cost me alot of money and time. I still havent got no money back from them they stold. When I contact them they act like they cant hear me. They speak little english. To make it worse I bought the phone at walmart and the dont even make a effort to care or handle business correctly after all the money I have spent there.

Straight talk, you lied to me!

I did go buy min for my phone {for the month of june} days in advance because I have learned to trust no one! But I also had it in mind that this was more than likely going to be the last time I buy min for my phone. I did not want to lose my phone number {before I could find another phone co} so I added min to my phone on the 28th {which was not due until the 29th} to make sure that I wasnt going to have issues. Lol, notice the 29th was my load date, it took you 3-4 days to get my phone working.

I have been very easy going and understanding wanting nothing but only what I paid for. Their automated message said they record calls for quality assurances, so I told them to go back and listen to every call I made to straight talk.

I have Straight Talk because it is cheap and half what I paid per month with my Blackberry for an unlimited plan.
HOWEVER...after today I am so disgusted with this company...
I called and waited 49 minutes, called back waited 23 minutes, waited for 5 minutes and was mysteriously disconnected, waited 32 minutes, waited 10 and was disconnected...AT LEAST TWO HOURS ON THE PHONE...
when I FINALLY reached someone I was very polite and reasonable explaining what happened. She did not acknowledge anything I said and was rude in asking if I wanted service or not. I asked to speak with a supervisor and she said fine, go ahead and wait on the line again, and hung up on me. the next person I spoke with took my credit card information and hung up on me as well, without reactivating my phone or getting me a phone number of someone I could speak with about this complaint. As I type this I am waiting on hold, at 14 minutes and counting, because my phone is still not on. While this happens, anyone that tries to call me right now is denied and I look like I can't pay my bill, when I am actually ready and willing to, but cant get through to the representatives. So disappointed in this service.

Phone no.: xxx-xxx-xxx
Serial no.: xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx

To whom it concerns:

I called your customer service department this morning (5/10) at 11:00am. I spoke to a customer service representative (did not get his name, but he was heavily accented) to update my credit card information and to purchase new airtime for my phone (current service expired at midnight on 5/10/10). I spent a considerable amount of time on the phone with this customer service rep (23 minutes) while he was supposedly updating my credit card information and assisting me with logging in to my online account. since I had 12 hours left of my current airtime, he suggested that I wait until approximately 11:00pm, then log into my account at straighttalk, and proceed to purchase the new airtime, so there would be no interruption of service; so I could utilize the remaining time on my previous service card. upon logging into my account, I found that the customer service rep had not updated my credit card information, and by that time the customer service department had closed (he also failed to mention that they closed at 10pm) and I was unable to purchase airtime, thereby resulting in the interruption of my telephone service. he mentioned that if there was a service interruption, that there was no guarantee that I would retain my current phone number.

As far as I am concerned, this is totally unacceptable and shoddy customer service. what was the point of spending 23 minutes on the phone to ensure that my credit card information was validated and updated, when in fact he failed to do so? this has created a huge inconvenience for me, and I will take my business to another service provider if this issue is not resolved to my satisfaction. I will call your "customer service" department again first thing in the morning to resolve this issue, and I fully expect to retain my current phone number, since my lapse in coverage was totally through the negligence of your customer service rep and through no fault of my own.

Doris c.

Paid for LG phone and unlimited plan. 2 weeks later phone is not working. It keeps cutting on and off. Everytime I press send on incoming call, phone cuts off and then back on. Everytime I key in number to call, and then press send, phone cuts off and then back on. Have paid for service that I'm not receiving. This has been going on for 4 days now. Again, I already paid $45 for monthly unlimited.

Very disappointed. Unreliable phone service and horrendous customer support. I use the 30-day plan and refill it on my own. I've never come close to using all my minutes, but I frequently get messages telling me I'm out of minutes, even though my 30 days are not expired and their website indicates I have hours left in my account. Calls to the toll-free number nearly always result the message "Due to uncommonly high call volume, we can't take your call" message. Straight Talk would be a great bargain if they delivered on what they advertise, but they don't.