Horrible Contract Wireless Experience Affected My Credit Score

My first cell was nextel. No reception where I lived, so I took it back. They talked me into an antenna booster...this was during the two week trial period. It still did not work. So, I came back again. Then they said sorry, I owed them $400 to get out of the contract. I noted that I had already been by w/in the two weeks. They did not care. I assume the phone was resold. I wanted nothing else to do with them.



They had a collection agency call and put a nasty blurb on my credit rating. This was resold 3x to keep it on the credit bureaus. I refused to pay for a service and a phone I could not use. It eventually went away after 8 years (not on the credit bureaus)...and a number change = no more calls.


Then, I dared to try a Sprint phone....no reception...took it back the next day...no contract. Now their collection agency (since they bought Nextel) keeps calling us. In a nutshell, no reception, never sign a contract, or they will hound you down for ten years. She says she will call all day and send us mail. For a phone I tried to use over 10 years ago, could not get reception, took back....and nothing has improved since. Buyer beware!!!

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Jun 21, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Prepaid Wireless Avoids Collections
by: PrepaidWirelessGuy

Wow, what an awful experience! I've heard similar stories on a not-so-infrequent basis, unfortunately. Wireless companies are notorious for having billing disputes with customers, and they do ultimately send them to collections.


It's really sad because even when they're 100% in the wrong, and as customers we refuse to give in due to money and even more so due to principle, WE ultimately lose out. I've even heard of people who won't pay a $50 bill they're disputing. However, and sadly, the customer ends up losing out in the long run, because whether it's a $50 charge or a $500 charge, the collection show up on a consumer credit report, and loans for cars, homes, etc. can costs thousands upon thousands upon tens of thousands of dollars more simply due to a $50 collection.


At the end of the day I always recommend that friends and family just pay it, and dispute it with the BBB (Better Business Bureau), FCC, or other relevant organization after the fact. The money lost is hardly ever worthwhile in the long run. Sucking it up, though, is truly really difficult of course, but well worthwhile in the long run.

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