GreatCall / Jitterbug
reviews and complaints

So, I recently got my hands on the Great Call Mobile Lively Plus 911 Medical Alert Device and let me tell you, it's not worth the money. I was hoping for a device that would give me peace of mind in case of an emergency, but this thing failed me on every level.

First of all, the emergency services didn't work. I tried to test it out by pressing the emergency button, but nothing happened. I even tried calling customer service to see if they could help me, but they were no help at all. They just kept telling me to try again later.

And don't even get me started on the GPS. It never activated or worked properly. I was hoping that if I ever needed help, the device would be able to pinpoint my location and send help my way. But nope, that didn't happen.

The Fall Detector was another disappointment. It never detected any falls, even when I purposely tried to simulate a fall. I was hoping that if I ever fell and couldn't get up, the device would automatically send for help. But that never happened either.

To top it all off, the customer service was horrible. They were no help at all and just kept giving me the runaround. And now, they're saying that the device is on recall as a defective device. What a waste of money!

Overall, I would not recommend the Great Call Mobile Lively Plus 911 Medical Alert Device. It's a worthless piece of junk that doesn't work and the customer service is terrible. Save your money and look for something else.

I gotta say, I'm really impressed with GreatCall's Lively Mobile medical alert. My mom's been using it for a whole year now and it's been a real lifesaver. She's had to call the help line twice and both times they called me instead of sending an ambulance, which is a huge relief. The thing is super light and she hardly even notices it's there until she needs it. It's just great to know that my mom's got that extra layer of protection and I can rest easy knowing she's safe. Highly recommend GreatCall!

If you're looking for a phone service that's easy to use and affordable, GreatCall might be just what you need. I recently switched to their Lively plan and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed.

First things first, if you're looking to save a little money, here's a tip: when you're signing up for the service, tell the phone rep that your current provider is Consumer Cellular. They probably won't check, but it can help you get your activation fee waived. That's a savings of $34.99 right off the bat.

Another way to save is to mention that you're at a Best Buy store when you're signing up. If you do, they'll waive the $10 shipping and handling fee.

And if you're really looking to save, ask about their open box phones. These are refurbished phones that are 50% off the normal price. For example, the Jitterbug 3 is normally $149.99, but with the open box discount, it's only $74.99.

But let's talk about the service itself. GreatCall's Lively plan is designed specifically for seniors, so it's easy to use and comes with a lot of helpful features. For example, there's a 5Star Urgent Response button that you can press if you need help in an emergency. There's also a medication reminder feature that can help you remember to take your pills on time.

The phone itself is also easy to use. The buttons are big and easy to press, and the screen is bright and clear. The sound quality is good, too.

Overall, I'm really happy with GreatCall's Lively plan. It's affordable, easy to use, and comes with a lot of helpful features. If you're looking for a phone service that's designed for seniors, I'd definitely recommend giving GreatCall a try.

Great Call is a company that specializes in creating phones for seniors, and their most popular product is the Jitterbug phone. This phone is designed with big, easy-to-read numbers and a simple interface that makes it easy for seniors and older adults to use. While it may not have all the features of a smartphone, it can be a great emergency phone for those who don't need all the bells and whistles.

However, with the release of new iPhones and Samsung phones, it's hard to ignore the fact that these devices are also very easy to use. In fact, I think that for most seniors, a smartphone is probably a better choice. The iPhone, in particular, is incredibly intuitive and user-friendly. Plus, if they ever need help, they can always go to their local Apple Store and get assistance from a knowledgeable staff member.

Overall, I think that Great Call's Jitterbug phone is a good option for seniors who want a simple, easy-to-use phone. But if they're willing to learn a little bit more, a smartphone like the iPhone could be an even better choice. Either way, it's important to find a phone that meets their needs and helps them stay connected with their loved ones.

I recently purchased a Jitterbug phone from GreatCall and unfortunately, my experience was not a positive one. The phone itself was difficult to navigate and I found myself struggling to use it properly. After some consideration, I decided to return the phone and requested a return label from GreatCall as they had instructed me to do. However, to my dismay, I never received the return label.

In an effort to return the phone, I decided to send it back to the address that GreatCall had provided me with. I paid $5.00 for shipping and waited patiently for confirmation that my return had been received. After three weeks, I received an email from GreatCall stating that they had no record of my return. I was confused and frustrated, as I had sent the phone back and had confirmation from the US Postal Service that it had been delivered.

When I contacted GreatCall to inquire about the status of my return, I was met with resistance. The representative I spoke with refused to accept the tracking number provided by the US Postal Service and questioned the validity of the address I had sent the phone to. I spent two weeks going back and forth with GreatCall, feeling like I was getting the runaround and making no progress towards a resolution.

In the end, I decided to take matters into my own hands and contacted Citibank to dispute the charge. To my relief, they were able to resolve the issue and remove the charge from my account the very next day. While I was grateful for Citibank's assistance, I was disappointed in the way that GreatCall had handled the situation. It felt like they were intentionally making it difficult for me to return the phone and get a refund.

In my opinion, GreatCall is not a trustworthy company and I would caution others against doing business with them. Their lack of customer service and unwillingness to work with me to resolve the issue left a bad taste in my mouth. I believe that they are scammers and would advise anyone considering purchasing a phone from them to think twice.

This phone is not the best. I bought it brand new at Best Buy, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a piece of junk. Greatcall replaced it with a used phone that was even worse than the original one. The coverage is not great, it's just poor to fair. They said it was provided by Verizon, but my Verizon cell phone has a much stronger signal than the Greatcall phone. The battery was replaced twice, but the phone still won't ring. It will only sound with a missed call tone, but no ringing. The "phone" also has a massive delay when you try to do anything.

The representatives at Greatcall are friendly at first, but when you cancel, they turn rude and short-tempered. They hang up without even saying goodbye. So, I say goodbye to Greatcall. It's not so great after all. I'm guessing that the poor website was designed by the same person who designed the phone.

Overall, I would not recommend Greatcall to anyone. The phone is not reliable, the coverage is poor, and the customer service is lacking. It's a shame because I was really hoping for a better experience.

I got a GreatCall cell phone with their 5-star emergency service and it's my only phone. But two weeks ago, my phone stopped working and I was in a bit of a pickle. I went to their website and filled out their email form for customer service, but I didn't get any response. I was getting frustrated, so I decided to buy a new phone. But when I tried to activate it, I found out that existing customers can't activate a new phone on their website - you have to call them. How are you supposed to do that if your only phone isn't working? It was a real head-scratcher.

After a lot of hassle, I finally got the phone activated, but now I've had no service for two days. Again, no way to call them. I've emailed them twice with no response whatsoever. It's like they don't care about their customers at all. I'm really disappointed with their customer service. I mean, what's the point of having a phone if you can't use it when you need it the most? It's just not right.

I'm seriously considering switching to another phone service ASAP. I just wish I had seen all the bad reviews online for this company before I ever got involved with them. It's a real shame because I really liked their 5-star emergency service, but if they can't even provide basic customer service, then what's the point? I hope they can improve their service in the future because I wouldn't want anyone else to go through what I did.

I recently purchased the Jitterbug phone from GreatCall and I was pretty pleased with it. I had been using a blackberry for years and was ready for a change. However, I did have a few issues with the salesperson who sold me the phone. They didn't explain everything clearly and my bill ended up being more than double what I was originally told.

For example, I was told that the "First month free" offer only applied to the health button and not to everything else. Additionally, I was under the impression that the plan I chose included unlimited data, but it turned out that it didn't. I was pretty disappointed about that.

Another issue was that the salesperson assumed that my usage on the Jitterbug would be the same as it was on my blackberry, but that wasn't the case. My usage went way over right away and I wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't received an email about my first month's bill.

Overall, I ended up canceling my service with GreatCall and went back to my trusty blackberry. I did send the Jitterbug phone back and I'm currently waiting for my refund. I hope this review helps anyone who is considering purchasing a Jitterbug phone from GreatCall. Just make sure you ask lots of questions and get all the details before you sign up!

11/20/2022

Im Peter Piscitello Im at 1807 Imperial Palm Dr.Largo Fl .my cell # is [protected] I purchased a Jitterbug Smart 3. I have been having trouble with this phone since the get go first Transferring data and now since last night I have been getting adds for cleaning phones apps the temperature and other stupidest things with out any way to stop this garbage on my cell I am a SBA loan office who relies on his phone to connect with my clients .I do not have a 2nd phone I do not know why I would need a 2nd phone if the !ST ONE IS A RELIABLE PRODUCT Their should be no need for a 2nd cell.I have spoken to 3 or 4 customer service reps who can either not hear me or said they cannot not help me without a 2nd phone Im in Florida i traveled about 60 miles this morning to meet clients how the HELL CAN I GET a 2nd phone. I had a Android J V 7 and the reps were able to log onto my cell WITHOUT A 2ND phone .One piece of garbage is enough ,IF I Sound ANGRY I am i have not been able to clear my cell to talk to clients today I ma losing business do to the lack of consideration by your customer service REPS. If I treated my clients this way I would be out of work .Im ready to send it back but the Supervisor never answered the phone call.

Peter Piscitello

I purchased a new Jitterbug Smartphone for my elderly mother on 10/27/22. We activated the phone and collected the required information needed to port her old number to the new phone. When we called Lively, it took 3 calls to finally find a customer service representative willing to complete the paperwork to port the number over. (One of them said it was 20 minutes until closing time.) As of 11/1/22, the old number has still not ported to the new phone. My mother is paying for 2 phones because she has to keep the old line active until the number has been ported over. After several calls to Lively, we have received at least a half dozen excuses why the number has not been transferred. None of the agents is willing to research the issue or try to find a resolution. They simply resort to rudeness, bullying and intimidation to get the elderly customer to just accept shoddy service. This is the worst customer service I have ever encountered.

We did verify with the old carrier that everything was done on their end and they are just waiting on Lively to complete the process on their end.

phone will not turn on

I just got off the phone with a truly nasty great call Representative. Her name is Diane. She was so rude for absolutely no reason. Flat-out refused to help me unless I had a password. Did not give me any other options knowing that my father is 95 years old and couldn't remember a password to save his life. Rude for no reason. Unacceptable. So if you want any kind of good customer service I would stay away from this company. Horrible horrible horrible.

I ordered phone for dad on 8-11-21. Kristina asked if I wanted old #. Yes and I gave it to her. 8-19-21, I started setting it up. Realized something was wrong when I couldn't transfer info. It had a different #. I called and asked why I didn't have # I asked for. I was informed quite rudely I needed old phone acct#, pin, and dad's SSN. Why you need SSN to get a phone makes no sense to start with. When ordering phone not one word was said about needing all that. After finding all info, again I called and gave info to Tristan. Then he tells me he needs last 4 of SIM card. Something else I hadn't been told. He read info back and said it would be changed in 3 business days. I asked for confirmation #. He didn't have one, but assured me it was taken care of. 8-24-21 still not changed. Called again, talked to Kyle or Carl. He tells me I gave wrong pin. 7211 was not correct. I said no it's not. That's last 4 of SIM card. Tristan gave wrong pin, not me! Asked why no one called or texted telling me that. He didn't know. Takes all info again and says it will get done this time. 8-25-21, nothings changed, except I can't call out and when calling his phone it says it's not a working #. His other phone has been turned off. Now he has no phone at all. I call again and talk to Valerie. She tries to tell me everything was taken care of 8-19-21. I tell her whole story. How I talked to someone night before and on for for 30 minutes while order being sent again. She then decides she has to talk to my dad. I explain he's 96, can barely hear, and won't understand what she's saying. She says I'm not authorized to talk to them just because I paid for and ordered phone. I told her I've called at least 4 other times without a problem. I finally got 96 year old dad on phone. He couldn't hear her or understand what she was saying. Think it finally sunk in. She said turn phone off. She'd reset it and could turn on in 30 minutes. Turned off waited 1 1/2 hours to turn on. Still not working. Called again. Was told it was recently reset. Give it time. It is now early morning 8-26-21. Staying with dad because he has no way to reach someone in case of emergency. I have spent hours on the phone being given the runaround by everyone. Worst customer service I've ever experienced. I'm at the end of my rope trying to be patient! I didn't pay for this phone to have no service. No one in customer service seems to have a clue what's going on. I thought my request was pretty simple. Old phone # and working phone. This is beyond frustrating! Acct # 4151136. Number it came with [protected]. The number I requested transferred [protected]. Appreciate any help possible. Email [protected]@sbcglobal.net.

Two (2) payments were charged to my bank account for May 2021 payment. The bank statement is below, showing identical withdrawals. A refund is requested in the amount of $60.47.

MAY 25 2021
www.GreatCall.com lively.com CA Date 05/24/1 2 4814 Card 6063Merchant Category Code: 4814/Recurring Withdrawal Debit Card - VISA CHECK CARD
Amount: negative sixty dollars and forty seven cents- $60.47

MAY 25 2021
www.GreatCall.com lively.com CA Date 05/24/5 2 4814 Card 6063Merchant Category Code: 4814/Recurring Withdrawal Debit Card - VISA CHECK CARD
Amount: negative sixty dollars and forty seven cents- $60.47

Please respond via e-mail as to action taken: [protected]@yahoo.com

A few days ago my Smart Phone 2 went to Start, as if I hadn't been using it for appr. 2 years.
I called, spent over an hour and half on phone with Rebecca. Finally she hooked it up with email, Google.
II did not have this before and I do not like it. I take photographs and forward, I cannot unless person has google.
I get messages from Facebook on front page, I don't want.
Before this mess I could text, phone, take photos, forward. That is what I bought the phone for. Period
Next day with Jeneille, started over, got disconnected after about a half hour.
Went to Facebook, had correspondence there and just spent time again, accomplished nothing!
I am frustrated, unhappy and tired.
Would I recommend your phone?
Rita Seger

I cancelled my account with them March 3rd 2020. I was advised by phone that everything was paid current and there was no other charges. End of April 2020 I started receiving bills asking for balance owed. I called again in May and they said I still owed for April. I asked for copies of previous statements so I could match it to what my bank auto pays. I was told it would take 2 weeks for that department to email me this.
Every month I receive a bill for the same amount and never received anything in my email. September 2020 I received a letter stating if I do not respond in 30 days they will assume the debt is valid. I contacted the number and spoke with a representative named Maria. I told her I am disputing the bill. I requested the statement s again and was told two weeks again to email. It is now October and I am still receiving bill and no email was ever received.

My son in upstate N.Y. was told I was not available to purchase minutes.
I was unable to talk to my daughter who lives in Germany..A tenant Virginia I live with My niece a lawyer who lives in VA I purchased

I purchase 1000 minutes when I purchased thee phone.

Please fix this.
I am contemplating getting rid of this one.

Sincerely
Erika Neblung

I went to my Auto Dealership (Dan Hecht Chevy-Toyota Dealership, Effingham, IL, and showed the problem to Jeff Mitchell) on 6/11/2020 as I could not get my contacts on the Jitterbug phone to transfer to my car phone. I went to the salesperson that sold me many cars and he always gets the numbers to transfer! The only contacts that will transfer are Lively by GreatCall and Call 5*. Today, 6/12/2020, I called for assistance - [protected] and I told them the contact numbers will not transfer to car phone and was told they can't help I have to go to car dealership - duh - I told them I did! I need to know why the contacts won't copy except the two manufactured names - after that it quits connecting. The company needs to investigate this problem.

My service was cancelled and I returned all of their equipment within their time frame I never recieved the refund of $102.29 that paid for the phone which was purchased on 10/21/19. They acknowleged the receipt of the phones and said they would process the refund on 11/14/19. It is now 12/27/19. I ran a complaint through my bank and still the complaint was not resolved. This company is operating under fraudelent terms.

The new Great Call and Best Buy's Medial Alert Emergency alert device is nothing but a fake perpetrated by the two companies Great Call and its parent company Best Buy have been selling and advertising how great this device is for us the disabled and ill.

As we have now been told after over 18 complaints that is not working, GC finally admitted that it is on recall as it is a deeply defective device and has not worked since day one. Both companies have tried to manipulate there way into an excuse to con the people who need a emergency device were all subjected to the fraud and lies of Great Call and Best Buy.

Great Call has been selling the New Mobile Lively Plus as a Medical Emergency device, only problem is it is on a Public Safety Recall, it is all a defective failed device.

When i saw the Ads by John Walsh on TV, i knew he was lying as well as both the companies who own this phony device, Great Call and Best Buy. The device is sold under false pretenses as being able to:
Water Proof-FALSE
GPS-FALSE
Fall Detection-FALSE
911 Operator-FALSE

Nothing works and it is all a scam and con to sell to the elderly and disabled

I was all set to order thr Jittrebug phone, and when I asked the customer representative "can I add minutes" His response was: "It is very pricey, I believe. It is something like.35 a minute, but I am not sure. You are the first person to ever ask me that question"

Are you kidding me? Who wouldn't think to ask a question like that? The man, Robet, said he'd worked for 2 years and never had been asked that question.

The fact is, he didn't have any information whatsoever, only prices. For $49.99 + tax, I could have unlimited min., trext, data etc. Well, great balls a fire, I ger all that with Cricket for $40, so I am bettre off with Cricket.

Goodbye Jittrebug, you are not going to last long with such prices and uninformefd people.

Purchased a Jitterbug phone for elderly man in 2008, when I called today 6/24/14 to cancel representative was extremely rude and argumentative about cancellation. My father-in-law just will not use the phone, service is very poor in his area and he has used the phone for a total of one minute in six years. She argued that I should keep it for him for an emergency. She finally told me that she was going to "let me" put the phone in the glove compartment for an emergency. I assumed my service was cancelled as I requested. She kept repeating that he really needed a phone if he was driving. In an attempt to end the call I asked if service had been cancelled, she told me "NO" because I wanted to put it in the glove compartment. When I told her I absolutely positively wanted to cancel service she then went into a sales presentation about a safety device they had also. I asked to speak to a supervisor and got no better treatment from her. I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY AGAIN.

I signed up for the services of the company GreatCall. After a month I decided to cancel my subscription, and I called the customer services. The representative told me that he cancelled it, but this company continued to charge me. I sent them emails and called, and they started to threaten me. Please leave comments and share your views about this company. Thanks.

I received a replacement for an old (3 years) Jitterbug. The new Jitterbug Plus won't activate in my house nor my father's house. He decided to go with the 5Star device instead. Meanwhile, customer service says I should have sent the new phone back in 30 days for refund. I tried 5 times to get it activated. So I am shipping the thing back with no refund for it or for 4 months of no service. I guess I should have wasted more hours calling every day. They claim I never talked to Tech. Support, but I know I did at least once. Very frustating, because I can't even donate the phone, since no one else supports it or would sign up for an account to activate a defective phone. I cannot recommend the Jitterbug, since it is so expensive to start with and they make you pay for replacements "that may just not activate in your area".

They are new company with button unit I can push ANYWHERE and get help. Problem is their unit is NOT Sealed or waterproof.
In my case I was sitting at my computer in FLORIDA - temperature 86 degrees and high humidity. My unit around my neck started calling 911. I had to explain 4 or 5 times that I had not called. Then unit sputtered dead. Unit came back on and called Great Call - told them I had not made call. I then called Technical.
I have dates, times and all GreatCall personnel I have communicated with but will leave that out for now. The Technician basically treated me like an IDIOT when I told him what the unit did. He said that defect ONLY happened when unit was dipped in water. I had the unit only 2 days and had not showered yet this day and since I am in wheelchair I had not gone swimming or surfing, etc. ( I am 72 year old retired businessman) Technician stated they had NEVER had a case of "perspiration" setting off the unit. I told him that Electrical Engineering was my forte in college and the unit is not air-tight or waterproof. Thus defective!
He stated I should send it in, they check it and if water damaged I would be charged for a replacement unit.
That is $69.95 - which I can afford. However, when I KNOW the perspiration HAD to do it - I will spend what time and money I care to to let people know they may have a unit that is around their neck that is defective and thus they could die from no way to get help.
I haver chose to keep the "evidence" per my counsel as it woulld disappear I believe if I sent it in.
Really wish had not happened as I do think their Concept is Fantastic --- just stopped short of using their brains to look ahead to potential problems. They WILL waterproof it as otherwise they are selling and promoting a defective product -- which is FRAUD.

Defective cell phone sent; complaint made and wanted camera to work as advertised. Upgrade to a more expensive cell phone that did not work at all. Told that there were problems with the phone. Erased all messages, including court evidence. "I'm sorry". Never fixed after 18 contacts. Finally cancelled and now they refuse to reimburse. AARP sponsors: what a laugh!

Jitterbug worked fine until great call took over, phone would not roll back our minutes so every month we had to call and get manaul reset. This worked for about six months. Always a computer problem. Last month was told that we need to update both of our phones at 100.00 dollars a pop. Everyone that you talk to now doesn`t know anything about their phone or system. I switch to consumer cellar, get twice the minutes more phone choices and the people know what they are talking about.
Oh! One more thing, it took over 9 days and numerous phone calls to have my number ported over. Less than24hrs for antone else. Everytime I question this it was either a
Computer error or the wrong password. Beware! They are not jitterbug!