Smart Cellular review: False promises, withheld devices & police report filed (roc-33150-25-0123-04)

I sent two devices to Smart Cellular for trade-in — both were accepted, yet the company refused to make payment or return my property.
Devices & Order Numbers:
iPhone 16 Pro Max 256 GB – Order No. SC56591
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 – Order No. SC56594
Despite fulfilling all requirements, including providing valid ID multiple times, Smart Cellular repeatedly broke their own Terms & Conditions and misled me throughout.
Between 8–13 October 2025, I received a series of contradictory, unprofessional, and false statements from their staff:
Shelly (8 Oct) – Promised the returns team would begin “immediately” once order numbers were provided. No return was initiated.
Jake (9 Oct) – Promised an “ASAP” return after I confirmed my address — nothing was sent.
Richard (9 Oct) – Demanded five additional documents (proof of address, ID, proof of purchase, contract status, ownership), none of which are required by their published T&Cs.
Jake (10 Oct) – Claimed my iPhone 16 Pro Max “had already been dispatched” — completely false, as no dispatch occurred.
Arthur (10 Oct) – Threatened to “keep or destroy” my devices unless I sent extra ownership documents — an unlawful and unethical statement.
Aeron (call on 10 Oct 15:53) – Apologised and personally promised to resolve the issue by Mon 13 Oct (14:00–15:00) with full payment or return + compensation. He never called back, and nothing was done.
Even after these broken promises, Smart Cellular still refused to refund my £20.50 postage costs, claiming returns are only refunded if devices are “accepted” — despite both already being accepted and verified.
Their behaviour clearly violates their own Terms & Conditions and the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
After exhausting all communication channels, I issued a formal complaint and gave them 48 hours to resolve the matter. They failed to do so.
This case has now been reported to Warwickshire Police under reference ROC-33150-25-0123-04 for investigation into unlawful retention of goods.
This entire experience has been time-consuming, distressing, and unacceptable.
Smart Cellular’s staff have shown no accountability and no willingness to resolve what should have been a simple transaction.
Their promises are inconsistent, their customer service is evasive, and they have failed to honour their own written commitments.