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As I mentioned a while back, I am in the process of switching cell carriers. The interesting thing is that, despite repeated letters, notices and even commercials, I've seen no change whatsoever. Perhaps I'll make it all the way to my one-year anniversary date prior to having to actually use a Suncom plan.
I don't really have anything against Suncom, other than the fact that they have only regional plans and their only data offering appears to be $0.02 per KB for data (no unlimited plan). Both of those are pretty much killers for me actually using a Suncom plan. Yet I'm open to the possibility.
So with that, I looked at their claim of honesty. Specifically "We promise to give you all the information you need to make the decision that's right for you.". I'd provide a link, but their built-in timeout feature prevents me from linking directly there. Anyway, this is on a plan detail page.
Strange, then, that on that page I also see " If you make calls using a credit card or take advantage of Suncom At Your Service directory assistance you will incur an additional monthly charge on your bill." (what, no detail about the amount of the charge?), as well as "If you consistently use above the average monthly minutes compared with other customers in your area, we may move you to a different plan or end your agreement." Neither claim seems especially specific to me.
Now don't get me wrong - they may very well be more up-front than many carriers. But I don't know that I'd go all the way to say that they will tell me everything I need to know. Another question that comes to mind is that of national plans. I have one. They don't. How will that work? What about unlimited data plans (or at least block purchase at a reduced rate)? Or maybe even anything about roaming? All draw a blank at the site.
Comments (58)
SunCom is a regional based company, hence no national plan offerings are available. You can select roaming options for nationwide coverage that will give you the benefit of T-Mobile and Cingular wireless, both large GSM carriers. When you select the $3 preferred roam rate, each minute, flat rate is .10 - great if you travel little out of the two state region.
If you travel extensively, SunCom is not for you and does not want to be. They are a regional carrier dedicated to servicing their customers who use their phone primarily in the two state region.
As for Truth in Wireless, it's the best thing to happen in the wireless industry and while the information shared does not hold your hand and guide you step by step, remember that you are grown and can:
1) Ask questions at the SunCom store or at the Care number
2) Read more about features of SunCom
Also, a National GPRS plan does exist. $40 per month gets you UNLIMITED data on *ANY* network. Great deals. Always, shop around...but I'm satisfied, totally with SunCom!
Posted by airgate | March 3, 2005 1:34 PM
I absolutely dispise SUNCOM. I have been waiting on the phone for over 3 1/2 hours to get to someone about my problem. This doesn't include what I have been through for the past couple of weeks. THEY ARE THE MOST UNPROFESSIONAL PEOPLE THAT I HAVE EVER COME UP AGAINST. THE COULD CARE LESS ABOUT YOU AS A PAYING CUSTOMER. THEY CERTAINLY AREN'T INTERESTED IN HELPING YOU. And if you can believe this one... THERE IS NO WAY THEY ARE GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR.
AFTER ALL... THEY ARE ALWAYS WITH OTHER CUSTOMERS. THEIR POINT! AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED THEIR SERVICE STINKS. THE SO-CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE IS A JOKE. THEY HAVE NO CONCERN ABOUT THEIR PAYING CUSTOMERS. I AM SO SICK OF BEING FORCED TO LISTEN TO HARRY CONNICK, JR. TALKING ABOUT SUNCOM'S WONDERFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE. HOW THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS FIRST; HOW THEY ARE SO HELPFUL IN CARING ABOUT YOUR NEED AND PROBLEMS. WHAT A BUNCH OF LIARS!!!
Posted by SWT | March 11, 2005 7:18 PM
SUNCOM HAS A GOOD SERVICE PLAN BUT THEY ARE THE HARDEST COMPANY TO GET YOUR PHONE PROBLEMS RESOLVED.
I've had 2 of my phones that don't even work half of the time and I have tried for almost a year to get them to help me but it's like nobody really cares.
Keep in mind I have 8 phones with them but they act like they could care less. Can't wait until my contracts are up, I've had all I can stand dealing with them.
Posted by vernon | March 12, 2005 1:18 PM
I agree with most comments, there are some good, some bad, the most recent issue is about the truth in wireless. I guess that does not apply to me, when I receive my bill, there are so many taxes and fees added to it, its crazy. I think this makes the statement that Harry Connick jr makes totally untrue! So how can I believe a company that makes false statement??
Posted by Steve | March 22, 2005 10:26 PM
My Suncom phone gets no signal inside my house. I have to go outside to get a signal from the tower that is less than 1 mile away.
I was told by one of their customer service reps that the only way they can guarantee a signal in my house is to put a tower in my house. I suppose I should have said OK, when can you do that?
As for Harry Connick, would he say the same thing if he wasn't being paid? I doubt it.
Posted by Bob | April 27, 2005 10:03 PM
UNTRUTH IN WIRELESS
While at work a few days ago someone called on my cell phone (burning my minutes)claiming to be from SunCom. She asked for my social security number so that she could complete my transfer from my current carrier to SunCom. I told her that I hadn't decided whether to go with SunCom or not because my cell phone does not work in my house. She then began to threaten my credit if I didn't change to SunCom. I called SunCom to complain and to get my minutes refunded. The customer disservice agent told me that she's had a lot of complaints from people in my area but that no one calls from SunCom. She then connected me with my current carrier. The current carrier told me to call management. I decided at that moment to pay the $175.00 cancellation fee and go with Verizon.
Posted by Janice | May 2, 2005 11:05 PM
I can not get anyone at suncom customer service to understand my problem, they flipped my rates on one of my lines from a $10.00 a month extra line. I purchased a camera phone and was told it would go up to $15.00 a month. Now my bill for that line is $45.00 a month. They talk in circles. If it would have changed that much much I would not have purchased the phone, I was not told. They don't even agree I had a phone for $10.00 a month before the new phone. They often run these specials to draw you into getting more lines. I have talked to 9 people in 2 hours, they just pass me around and at the end there was absolutely nothing solved.
Another problem Cingular keeps coming up on my cell phone in my local range and I'm being billed for roaming charges. They told me to turn my phone off and then turn it back on. I don't think about that when my child is calling me, I don't always look at phone, and why should I have to when I'm in my local area. I need advice, and help. I hate Suncom, I feel I'm talking to the wall.
Posted by Theresa | May 15, 2005 7:10 PM
I have had my cell phones for two months. Mine is supposed to be $39.00 and my wifes phone an additional $20.00. My first bill was $266.77 which I paid because they used the word "Prorate" a million times I didnt even know what to think. Last month me and my wife turned off the phones for the entire month. Ok, my bill this time will be $59.00, No No, it came in $90.10. I sent three emails and they will not respond. I asked why the over charge, I asked total cost and procedure to terminate now, and I asked for contact info for somebody higher in the Suncom Chain. No answer yet. I am sure they will ignore me until I pay it.
Posted by John | May 17, 2005 1:09 PM
We've only had our phones since the end of April and we started hating Suncom within the first week! Service stinks, they DO talk in circles and they DON'T CARE! We have also spent hours on the phone trying to get help. We feel like we don't have cell phones at all. We can't use them in the house or the office. We have not gotten our first invoice yet and I am positive we will not want to see it. We miss Verizon too!
Posted by Sandy & Phil | May 18, 2005 11:57 AM
I have had all of the problems shown in the previous comments only my hold time since last Thursday has been in excess of 6 hours. I have a PalomOne Treo 600 and HAD with a national family plan with data with AT&T. SunCom has been unable to get me connected to the Internet (therefore no company email).
I am completely disgusted. I am trying to decide whether to go with their "local" plan and for go the data or cancel and buy another Treo for $600+. I have considered paying to unlock my old Treo ( which I still have-but they are calling to get it back) and go with Cingular.
Posted by Herb | May 18, 2005 1:18 PM
If you want a Microsoft-based phone, I would highly suggest you go with Cingular and get the Audiovox SMT5600. Not as cool a form factor as the Motorola MPx220 but a much better phone in all respects and arguably the best MS Smartphone available.
Posted by sirshannon | May 25, 2005 7:52 AM
I have the Audiovox SMT5600, though mine is from AT&T - which is why I'm dealing with Suncom now, since we (subscribers, that is) were traded to Suncom so that the merger would be approved.
The issue at the moment is getting off of Suncom, a process which I think is going well. I should know shortly if this will work or not - rather, I know it will work, but I should know shortly if this will work without having to pay a fee or not.
That said, I don't know if I will stick with the Audiovox. For that matter, I don't know that I'll even get a "smartphone". Sure, the coolness factor is there, but in the end, I use my phone for phone-related stuff.
The Windows Mobile platform has potential, but all I can do with it now other than phone functions is surf the Internet. Something which I really don't do that often. I also like having my contacts there (with sync to Outlook/Exchange), but even that isn't an end-all, as most phones have some form of Sync capability. We'll see how it goes.
Posted by Chad Everett | May 25, 2005 9:24 AM
I spent over an hour on the phone getting transferred to 3 techs who tried, but could not get wireless data xfer working on the treo 600. Their website is useless. The phones and sims were swapped out by suncom to work on their network.
Here is what they suggested, maybe it will work for someone else, we focused on the iNet (ignore the funky characters):
Please refer to these instructions for Treo feature set up.
iNet for Treo:
Select <Prefs>
Click drop down box in upper right hand corner
Select <Network>
Select <Service:>, select new, for name enter “iNetâ€ÂÂÂÂ
Select <Connection:>, select <GPRS>
Select <User Name:>,leave blank, select <OK>
Select <Password:>, leave blank, select <OK>
Select <APN:>, enter “mobileinternetâ€ÂÂÂÂ
Press <Home>
Select <Web>
Press <menu>
Select home page, have customer enter: http://mobileinternet
Select <Preferences...>
Select <Advanced>
Select <Set Proxy>
Select <Use Proxy>
Enter “66.150.237.195†under Proxy Server:
Enter “8080: under Port:
Select <OK>
Select <OK>
iNotes Plus for Treo:
Select <Prefs>
Press <menu>
Select <Options>â€ÂÂÂÂ
Select <Network>
Select <Service>, select <New>
Select <Service:>, enter “iNotes Plusâ€ÂÂÂÂ
Select <Connection:>, select <GPRS>
Select <User Name:>, select <OK>
Select <Password:>, select <OK>
Select <APN:>, enter “mmsâ€ÂÂÂÂ
Press <Home>
Select <MMS>
Press <menu>
Select <Options>
Select <Preferences...>
Select <Connection Settings: - Custom>
Select <Edit...>, select<Yes>
Select <MMS Gateway Address:>, enter “66.150.33.115â€ÂÂÂÂ
Select <MMSC URL:>, enter “http://mms.suncom.net:8088/mmsâ€ÂÂÂÂ
Select <MMSC Port Number:>, enter “9201â€ÂÂÂÂ
Under <Network Profile:> select <Custom>, select <iNotes Plus> from the pull down list
Select <OK>
i-link for Treo <Customer must have i-link on account>
>From Home screen, select the Prefs application (Preferences)
>From the drop down menu in the upper right and corner, select Network
Press the Menu button and select New
Type in iLink on the Services line
>From the Connection drop down menu, select GPRS
Leave Username and Password blank
Touch APN box to enter in “internet†as the APN, then click OK
Select Connect at the bottom of the screen to set configuration
Press the Home button to return to Home screen
>From now on, the customer will just need to launch the Web application in order to browse
11. Make sure that use proxy is not checked to use i-link feature with Treo, to check this: go to web, press menu, select options, select preferences, select advanced, select set proxy, uncheck use proxy
Posted by Bobaghanouj | June 1, 2005 1:52 PM
Overheard in the Cingular store on Park Rd while getting my SIM card:
Guy #1 as Guy #2 was leaving: "Have a nice day"
Guy #2: "Oh, I will. I'm a SunCom customer, so I'm going to have a great day in about 2 hours when this is switched over."
Posted by sirshannon | June 7, 2005 8:58 AM
Thats is not true I have a SunCom Nation wide plan
Posted by Shawn | June 14, 2005 4:48 PM
Actually, Shawn, if you look at the SunCom website, you will see (at least as of this writing) no plans are offered that include nationwide coverage. As I have mentioned elsewhere, you can get nationwide plans, but not if you go by what is available on the web site. So in a sense both are true - the plans are not (readily) available, but they apparently can be had with some effort. Luckily, I'm no longer a post-At&T, quasi-Cingular almost-SunCom customer, so I don't have to worry about it.
Posted by Chad Everett | June 14, 2005 5:01 PM
well suncom does offer national plas at this time as well as unlimited data plans that change in cost based upon you usage so that your not paying more for something your not using...and well if you have a national plan now with your carrier and they were bought by suncom well its been said that by law suncom has to provide you with the same service...i to am in the same boat as you and have had no problems at all with my servive and kept my same plan and they gave me a new phone free without extending my contract...so i think you should go to your local store and get some more accurate info
Posted by noel | June 16, 2005 2:53 PM
I echo every comment on this chat board about the terrible customer service provided by SunCom. Their phone hold times are unbelievably long and their customer service reps are not interested in helping the customer. I even had one of the customer service reps hang up on me (after holding for over 30 minutes). Glad to now be a Verizon customer.
Posted by GS | June 17, 2005 3:54 PM
SunCom is atrocious. Their customer service reps are trained to have attitude because it's a lot easier than providing information. I've had a an account specialist hang up on me too because he was tired after working an 8 hour day. Poor guy (not).
We had ATT because of international roaming, and then were shuttled to SunCom - which claimed to have international roaming, but it never worked and each time I called customer service, I got a different answer. Yes we have International roaming, no we don't, yes we do but not in Europe, What's international roaming...on and on and on. The whole experience sucked. Their network sucks, their service sucks and their marketing sucks. I only have 2 more sucking weeks with them. If I could get out of my contract faster I would...any suggestions?
Posted by eeek | July 19, 2005 10:03 PM
Want to take bets on how long Suncom will stay in business? Hate the fact that my contract with AT&T was signed over to them. We should have a say in whether or not we want to continue with Suncom. When I voiced my displeasure I was told that they would charge me $175.00 per phone (I have 4) to cancel our contract! The Attorney General Office and the Better Business Bureau should look into this practice. My voice mail on all phones suddenly stopped working this week. Last night we spent 48 mintues on "eternal hold" waiting for assistance, until we finally gave us. I absolutely hate Suncom. On the hour that my contract expires I will be switching carriers. I cannot imagine how a business with their lack of integrity can survive. Everyone who is unhappy with Suncom needs to write, scream, be heard so that they step up to the plate.
Posted by Dee | July 26, 2005 11:37 AM
Where is Harry when you need him? SunCom has THE worst service ever! My calls are "dropped" on the average 70% of the time. Do not call the customer service department,unless you have a few hours to be on hold, then they are no help to a paying customer anyway.. SunCom sucks Harry!
Posted by Denise | July 27, 2005 9:01 PM
I, too, am a disgruntled, switched over, shuttled over, screwed over former AT&T now a SunCom customer. I'm not sure how this will end, but rest assured, I'll never recommend SunCom for anything other than failure. To my knowledge, they have no redeeming quality!
Posted by Karen | August 11, 2005 11:28 PM
I too am a disgruntled Suncom X user but, I am still being billed a $200 charge for a phone that I returned to their service center. It appears that the post office nor the operations center here locally is unable to find the phone. I am currently sitting on hold and have been for over 30 mins to a customer service representative who stated there are no supervisors there working today. Wouldn't top management be happy to know they have rep's working with no supervision? They don't give a rip about the customer and they deserve to go belly up! Their CEO Mr. Michael E. Kalogris needs to take heed and listen to their customer complaints, they definately DON'T GET IT!!
Posted by Nancy | September 17, 2005 12:19 PM
I made the mistake of signing with AT&T too. My problems started in the very begining. I went in with my sister on an account and my husband pitched a fit because my sister is not good with money and he didn't want his credit messed up. The next day I took them back to the booth and said I wanted to return them. The "customer service" rep talked me into keeping them and said the accounts would be severed. (repeatedly I said my name could not be on her account anywhere) She assured me it wouldn't. A month later my husband decided he wanted a phone too. We went to another booth and got him one and I found out that my sister was still on my account! They said they would sever it and said they did. I didn't get a bill for 2 months so I called them. They had put the Malls address as the billing address! And she is still on my account! They said they would sever it. And they wanted $10 to send me a copy! They send me a bill and I payed it. She is still on my account.
SunCom buys my account.They tell me to go to the store to handle it, so we go. The store gave me a number to call. I call it and am put on hold for over an hour. Then they tell me I have to handle it in the store! Then I don't get a bill for 3 months. They call me and want their money. The woman told me that even though I didn't get a bill, I know that I have one and should know that I need to pay it! They had my account on hold. I got the bill and they have a late charge on it!! IT'S THEIR FAULT I DIDN'T GET IT!!! My sister is still on the account.
I get pressure in my chest everytime I see or hear SunCom or AT&T!!! All I want is to get out of my contract without a fee.
Posted by Malissa | September 21, 2005 4:48 PM
I happen to work for suncom. As reps we generally find the fault lies with an ignorant and lazy public. Read your contract people. Read your brochure. As consumers the responsibility lies with you to make an informed decision when signing 1-2 years of your life away into a contract for service. We get sick and tired of having you come into our stores whining, crying, and acting as though the world is ending because you you (a) didnt listen when your plan was explained to you (b)didnt bother to actually read the terms and conditions of your contract (c)bought a phone for your "life long friend" who swore they would pay their bill and didnt, so now you you have a cancellation fee (d)didnt realize that your 16 year old daughter could type 1000 text messages in a month (e) whats the point, I could go on but you get the idea. Its your responsibility to ensure you have the right plan for your needs. While we try, we still dont have the ability to read minds or see the future. Are there customer service issues? Sure there are, same as anywhere else. I dont know that Ive read one post here that could not have been avoided if the person took the proper measures to ensure they had the plan, billing, address for billing, responsible party assigned, network, or features that they needed. People get a grip. When it all boils down its just a phone...no really I swear...its just a phone.
Posted by Gary | September 22, 2005 11:36 PM
Gary, that's an interesting perspective, and I can certainly understand your thinking. But it seems that you missed (at least) my initial post on the subject.
Namely, SunCom says they provide all the information, and at least at the time of the writing, they didn't. Moreover, I chronicled my difficulties with the transition - a transition I didn't select - quite accurately. It was much more difficult than it should have been.
That doesn't mean all customer service reps are bad - but it does seem to indicate a rather prevalent condition across the company.
Posted by Chad Everett | September 23, 2005 6:07 AM
Looks like Gary's attitude is proof of all those customer service complaints. Another plus for Suncom they have an excellent training program for their representatives. Seems that he also reads what he wants either that or he is as stupid as the rest of us unsatisfied customers. Not all complaints were directed at the customer service reps and some people didnt choose Suncom willingly. Please explain to me where it is written in my contract that my phone wont work inside my home and why if I am standing in my yard presumeably a Suncom service area why am I on a Cingular signal or No Access or SOS only appears on my phone. My contract is supposed to cover South & North Carolina and parts of Virginia and Georgia. Yet the reps response was "if youre on a Cingular signal then your roaming" I understand Suncom has a limited service area but come on! Dropped calls are another major annoyance. Forget about trying to pay your bill at the service centers you need to feed it into a kiosk, the person behind the counter cant accept your payment but they can sell you a phone, and dont dare not to get a receipt for that cash because than there isnt any recourse because they can only generate a duplicate receipt in a seven day period dont show up on day eight. Dont call customer service cause their under the impression that the kiosks can be read for every transaction that has ever occurred on that machine. Financial services response is "nothing we can do we dont know how the stores account for their transactions or how the machines are configured." Yet it is adveristed on the web site that these stores are there to serve you. I wonder just how much they are paying Harry are his record sales that bad?
Posted by Rose | October 1, 2005 6:16 PM
Rose I thought you went down with the Titanic. Anyway, thank you for basically making my point for me. As I stated few people actually listen to what reps tell you. Rose for instance has elected to maintain a plan set up for TDMA even though she has chosen to go on the GSM network. Rose Im pretty sure by now it has been explained to you multiple times why being on Cingular would cost you roaming. Its not that I have an attitude, its that Im frustrated by people just like you who fail to understand or listen. You will sit back however and expect the world to be handed to you. Get a grip. The kiosk for payment taking is maybe the best thing to happen in a store for both the customer and the rep. Im sure however by your comments that just like your plan, bill, and phone the kiosk proves to be a challenge for you. Rose...as for a signal in your home, will you please provide for all of the name of a carrier that can ensure you a signal in your home? Thanks Rose, for everything.
Posted by Gary | October 5, 2005 3:00 PM
Hi Gary -
First, while I have no problem with you presenting your side of things, please try and keep it from getting personal, as that doesn't help anyone.
Second, Jack went down with the Titanic. Rose had a long and fruitful life (or so the story goes).
Finally, as another example of incompetence, I still haven't received my check from AT&T or Cingular or whoever is supposed to be sending it.
I get permission from SunCom to drop my account because the phone doesn't work on their network, and I do so, and then AT&T/Cingular botches the whole thing by debiting my checking account for the full amount, and then I have to wait (going on three months) to get my money back that they should not have taken in the first place.
Now, I completely realize that the check itself isn't SunCom's issue. But as a gesture of customer service, they should be the ones trying to track it down, not me. That's just wrong. I'm now an Alltel customer, and while I don't know that I can recommend them any more than the others, I really haven't had too many problems.
Posted by Chad Everett | October 5, 2005 6:30 PM
My niece and I share a plan. We can be riding in the same car next to each other, or sitting front seat to backseat using the exact same type of phone and one of us will be in roaming while the other will be in Suncom.(Both phones have the same configurations.) We constantly have problems with poor reception and calls being dropped. It is not unusual to make a call - while standing in one place - with four bars showing and go to no service in the middle of the conversation.
The customer disservice department is habitually rude and condescending, and representatives have hung up on us on multiple occasions.
We are now being billed for international calls - first they say I made the calls then that she made them - when neither of have any need or reason to call internationally. The calls are apparently to British Columbia. They say we have to dispute the charges in writing, but will not give us the address to send the dispute to stating that it is somewhere on the bill - just another way of giving wonderful customer disservice.
In addition to all that, we verbally agreed to a one-year contract and have had several verifications that it was indeed for one-year. Now that we are in the process of canceling the contract they are saying Oh NO, you have a two-year contract and we will charge you if you cancel. And by the way, do you have the name of the person(s) who told you the contract was only for one year????
I will never use Suncom again, and am advising anybody that asks me to avoid them like the plague.
Posted by melva | October 11, 2005 9:43 AM
I also have had an atrocious experience with the so called Suncom Company. In 2002 I signed up with Suncom, as well as My sister and a friend of mine. In order to do so, I had to put down a deposit. I understood, I had bad credit. Now Suncom is trying to tell me that they have never offered service in the state of Iowa. That's funny, I've never lived outside of the state of Iowa. Neither have my sister or any other people that I know who used to have Suncom. What kind of scam are they tring to pull? They don't want to give a deposit back on a plan that was bought out by AT&T, so now they want to pretend they never gave service in the first place? Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.
Posted by Sarah Lorenz | October 11, 2005 8:45 PM
Hi Sarah - I actually went through this in the opposite direction, when the promised "no early cancellation fee" was levied by AT&T. Three months later, I'm still waiting for the refund of the erroneous charge.
But I did find out on Monday that even though I had no account (no service, I mean), the account was still transferred from AT&T to Suncom, so Suncom has the balance that I'm trying to get.
I don't know that this will help, but it might. You may just need to talk with the right folks at AT&T to get things going. I called a number for the "Wireless Care Center" (or something similar), which was 866-345-1132.
Even though they couldn't help me directly, they were very helpful, and passed me through to the right place (first, another location in Cingular, then on to Suncom). You may want to try them, if you haven't already.
Posted by Chad Everett | October 12, 2005 8:43 AM
Sorry to upset you but SunCom actually has NEVER had service in Iowa. They have service in NC, SC, parts of TN, GA and VA. If you live in Iowa, your service definitely is not with SunCom.
Posted by Michelle | November 23, 2005 1:36 AM
LIARS IN WIRELESS
All they tell you about is your rate is all inclusive even your taxes. Wow! Great! what if you would have told us about the extra charges I will have to pay like $3.00 every month to get my usage details??? No one charges for details....but what I get after calling the Supervisor is..."DID YOU ASK IF WE WILL BE CHARGING FOR DETAILS WHILE SIGNING UP?" Yes....my mistake!!!
Is there a way of getting out of my contract now? Help!
Posted by RS in Charlotte | February 11, 2006 11:13 AM
I have been with SunCom for about a year and a half and personally I do not have a problem with the service, it has actually been pretty good for me. Especially, when they messed up when I changed my service plan and I didn't have a phone bill for a while (they screwed up somehow and credited my account $1200...WOW! Right?!?). My only complaint(s), is the fact that there are not a lot of options when it comes to purchasing new phones. SunCom does not have very many options and if you do want a good phone, you have to pay an arm and a leg. Even the older model phones cost over $100 (unless you sign up for some service plan agreement). All the "perks" for the new customers but none for the already existing faithful customer(s).
Posted by Keyauna | February 20, 2006 7:14 AM
I previously had the unlimited plan with suncom but since last week friday (March 17), I receive a phone call from suncom stating that I used to many minutes on my unplan in the last three months! I thought the unlimited plan was unlimited I guess suncom has there own definiton for unlimited. They said that i used 7,000 minutes per month and that is abusive to the system and they are in business to make money. I feel that I got the unplan becuase they said it was unlimited but they state that anyone who uses more than 5,000 minutes per month is doing some illegal activity. I guess me being a single mother college student commuter is illegal and I need not talk on the phone so much. But what I really wanted to know is why couldn;t they tell me this in advance before just telling me that they were cancelling my line. My phone is my life and suncom is wrong! You can call me at 843-557-3960; yes I will help picket the suncom office in north charleston!
Posted by editor@geecheeone.com | March 21, 2006 2:20 PM
I purchased the HIPTOP 2 cell phone from suncom and ever since I have had this phone I have been charged under false pretenses that I was buying ringtones and games from suncom that they would only cost me $2.00 and when I purchased them they charged me on my bill the 2.00 charge and also a roaming data usage that is about $20+ dollars extra.for each download recieved. The phone has many problems and I have told suncom about these problems many times but they refuse to do anything about it. They refuse to credit me back for the data usage. I asked suncom if they took off the $20 extra charge on my phone for the internet would my phone work ok they said it would but when I turned off the feature to save me the money all my addresses and phone directory was deleated from my phone. Suncom said this add on is just a extra feature. and this feature dont have to be paid for but when you take it off you can't use the phone like you should be able to. I have been dealling with suncoms lies for a very long time. Now I have a new problem Suncom decided to have a update sent to everone with the hiptop 2 phones and I recieved the update and It made me install it after the update was finished my keypad on my phone no longer works. They messed up my phone. And now I have another update trying to install and I read about it on the hiptop forum and come to find out as soon as this update goes thru the phone will no longer work at all.
My phone will be useless. Suncom refuses to replace the phone that they messed up and says it's not their fault. Because of this they are making many people purchase a new phone because they refuse to do something about it. This phone is costing people to replace over $349.00 and suncom refuses to do anything about this.. I'ts not right or fare. I have always had problems with this phone causing me to roam and getting charged extra fees when suncom says the internet and data usage is free. This kind of company needs to be stopped and told to quit selling this phone they all know there is problems with this phone but they still keep selling it. This company could care less about you. If you ask for a supervisor you just get the run around. It is so bad that I waited for 3 1/2 hours calling their warranty repair center and the answer at 5:05 pm and the genleman said he can't help me and the just closed even thought I waited that long. It's very sad.
Posted by Wesley C | April 18, 2006 5:16 PM
Suncom is without a doubt THE worse mobile phone company on the planet. Harry is full of s**t! Oh yes, they are suncom but We get it! No signal, crappy customer service, you name it, it sucks! They are good to you til the 15 days to turn the phone back in are up. Then you are the redheaded step child, you are invisible! They charge you to breathe! I have a Nokia phone that the volume button stopped working on, I was told I would have to pay 75 bucks to make an insurance claim PLUS 15 more dollars for a LOANER phone! Keep in mind the turn around time for the insurance co to repair the phone is 15 days! They are a bunch of vampires! They suck you in and laugh at you! Suncom BLOWS!!
Posted by Kat | April 19, 2006 11:48 AM
hello, well my situation with suncom is as follows; I had service with suncom for over a year and was told, when I called to order a new phone because the one I had (V220)motorola screen kept blinking out on me, that I never had insurance which I know I signed up for because I went over my intial order very carefully. Nevertheless, my phone service was off for about 2 or 3 months when I decided to turn it back on. At this time I was informed to pay $125 and pay an additional $125 in two weeks and I would recieve a credit for the remainder and my total bill will be paid for in full. At this time, I told the rep that since my phone was not working properly, I would need some new phones, she stated that if I were to pay at least the $125 today that she would ship out the phones(which would be free) to me the next business day which would have been that Monday so I agreed. WHen Monday came, I decided to call the company back to get a tracking# for the phone so I would know when to expect my new phones, however when I called I was re-routed to several different people and finally the last person ( a so-called lead) told me that there company policy does not allow them to ship out phones before the bill is paid and that I would have to pay the other portion of the bill before they could send out my phones. I told her that was not the agreement that I made with this young lady( and I had her name) and when I asked to speak with the person I made the agreement with, they told me she was not avail and basically ended the conversation. I was so livid, I went online and found the corporate office phone number and contacted a person that I thought would help. I recieved a call back from her at my office basically telling me that she understands why I am so upset and that she would have taken the same steps that I did but that because of company policy, she would not be able to send the phones out until the second payment was made. I told her that when a company boast about outstanding customer service and you have someone that is representing your company make an verbal arrangement with a customer and that customer has that person's name written down and re-plays the whole conversation verbatim to you, it is not the customer's fault that the representative should not have given me that agreement, it should not be the customer who suffers and if anything, the phones should have been sent because that is what that rep told the customer. I also told this so-called upper level manager that because of the error on that reps part, the least they could have done was go ahead and send the phones but apparently customer service to them is not apparently something that they value along with reputation which is what any company prides themselves on. If you dont stand by your own word, how can you function as a company? Needless to say, the customer service I recieved from everyone was absolutely terrible, rude, and downright disgraceful and there is power in numbers!!! My suggestion would be to boycott there businesses, bring a class-action lawsuit against them for false advertisement about there practices, and there so-called unplan and hit them where it hurts; in the pocket!!!
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN SIGNING A PETITION TO START A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM AND ALSO BOYCOT THERE BUSINESS, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT THE SITE LISTED ABOVE. THERE ARE ALOT OF VALID POINTS THAT I HAVE READ ON HERE SO FAR AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET SOMETHING DONE IS TO STAND TOGETHER AND MAKE IT HAPPEN. LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT IT, LET'S BE ABOUT IT AND HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS!!!
Posted by Kisha Harris | May 9, 2006 2:33 PM
I never get any serive in my house. When people call me I have to go all the way outside to use it. Not to mention that when it rains, I just turn my phone off because it never works.
Posted by Keisha | May 14, 2006 12:53 AM
For the last full week I have had almost no signal from SunCom. I live in southwest Virginia and have been a SunCom customer for over six years. Until the past month I have been more than pleased with their service. OK, I've had a few days of weak signal but nothing to really annoy. But now -- what's the use of having a phone if you can't get signal and on the few times you get signal, it disappears? SunCom has been my sole service provider since I told Sprint "no thanks" about two years ago. What if I need to make an emergency call, get in touch with my doctors or family members? I'm most disgusted, and like other commenters, cannot get anything from SunCom but "it must be your phone. Bring it to a SunCom store for service." That's odd since I have four phones on my plan (each different) and each having the same "no signal" problem -- even in the tri-cities area! Several of my friends are having the same problem with SunCom. Change carriers? Love to but am stuck with a $200 cancellation fee on each phone plus the cost of new service/phone.
Posted by Ruth Armstrong | May 29, 2006 9:17 PM
I have only had service since 04/25/06 and I have had a lot of problems. I ported three numbers thru the online website and after calling customer service many times and sending emails I was advised they had no record of my requests to port my number. I should have canceled then but when I sent my last email asking where I could return the phones because It hadn't been 15 days they ported my numbers. Besides having terrible service and always dropping the call. My second bill was $1096.00.
I was sent a pre approval offer for 1200 national minutes w/unlimited nights and weekends and mobile to mobile, but I was told I had to add this features. I have called customer service five times, three times the call dropped and two times I was told there is nothing they could do. I have sent two emails and I am still waiting on a response.
Posted by Lakesia Mckinnon | June 4, 2006 10:15 AM
BEWARE OF SUNCOM! I signed up for 2 phones with SunCom at Carolina Place Mall in Charlotte in April. Was given a signed contract of $79/mo for the 1st line and $30/mo for the second line. Activation fee was $35 for the 1st line and -0- for the second line. When the bill came charge for the second line was $49.99 + an additional $35 activation fee and the bill included other charges for 'enhanced voice mail' etc. I cancelled my service before the 15 day right of recision but I have spent more than 1 month trying to get this straightened out and pay my final bill. Billing dept. told me they would not know the 'final' bill' amount for 30 days? Customer service is a joke. Two of the supervisors with customer service have promised to call me back and neither has. Yesterday I called again, trying to get a breakdown of my charges for the 14 days of service so I can pay my final bill. The customer service rep. refused to transfer me to a supervisor since I would not explain the 'whole story' to her again and I was not a 'current' SunCom customer. I told her I was not willing to explain this twice and would like to speak to a supervisor. The customer service representatives are the rudest I have ever dealt with. I have tried to find a phone #, e-mail address, etc. to contact the CEO, VP, head of customer service, etc. and have had no luck. BEWARE OF SUNCOM!!!
Posted by Kelly Lewis | June 13, 2006 10:09 AM
SUNCOM is sucha rip off. I am military and will be moving out of their service area because I am getting out of the army. I inform Suncom that I'll need to cancel the 2 lines I have with them, and they say they will be charging me 200 cancellation fee per line. The "customer service" agent said, "it's not our fault you're moving out of our service area." What?! I will be writing letters to the editor for all the local papers, as well as a letter to the NC senator. This is unprofessional and ridiculous!
Posted by Mark | July 3, 2006 2:09 PM
Yes, Suncom is a ripoff! Its a shame with all the mergers these days. AT&T had been great to me, and i was a customer with them for about 4 years. Customer service was great, heck, if you weren't using all of your minutes, you could call them and they would switch you to a cheaper plan, no problem! Try that with Suncom, yeah, right! I would have much rather been switched to Cingular "if" i had the choice. I was told by a cingular rep that when the switch from AT&T to Suncom happened, there was a grace period there that you could have switched to another carrier with no fees. How convenient it was for Suncom to not put that information out there for the former AT&T customers! I also despise Suncom and have been overcharged, dealt with customer service, blah, blah, blah! I definitely will be switching when my contract is up, if not sooner. You all might want to look at your contracts. It may be cheaper to cancel and pay the fees than to give them your $50 or more every month. Trust me, i feel the pain!!! If anyone asks me about Suncom, they get an earful of how crappy they are. Spread the word, there is power in numbers!!!
Posted by Vince | July 7, 2006 6:02 PM
Well, well, well it's nice to see other people with problems like mine in dealing with Suncom....my phone fell off a car in December of 2005 and was crushed (my fault indeed)....so having been with suncom for over three years I went to the store and was swept off my feet with help.
They transferred me over to my wife's plan for only $30 and cancelled my old phone and in less than an hour I was set to go....wonderful....that was until I got a bill for my old phone the next month and called back to be told how very sorry they were and that they would fix the problem immediately....to disregard my bill and told me that there would be no further problems.
And there were none....until the next month when I received yet another bill for my old phone....this story continues for the next three months exactly the same....calling....apologizing....billing....the last straw was when I was told by a supervisor (LOL) that she couldn't help the fact that i couldnt FIND my phone but I still had to pay the charges OH and that ALSO that it was MY RESPONSIBILITY to cancel my phone!
So I simply asked her how do I do that and she replied "Just call any representative and they will put in the cancell order for you!"
I think I just laughed and hung up!
I am still getting billed and am also getting a lawyer....nice huh!
Posted by steve morris | July 10, 2006 5:50 PM
Dropped calls, horrible customer service, and weird charges that come out of nowhere. Yep, that sounds a lot like Suncom.
Not only can they not guarantee coverage inside of buildings, but they also can't guarantee coverage outside of buildings in areas that are clearly marked as Suncom service areas on their own service area map. I was told just this by a customer service supervisor not 1 hour ago. So, my question is, what exactly is guaranteed by Suncom? Obviously, it's not service, so what am I paying for?
It's like your cable provider saying they cannot guarantee a signal to your cable box but pay them every month just in case you get one. Ridiculous, right?!
Here's a great example of Suncom's idiocy: I pay for a regional unlimited plan, right? Both data and voice, because I rarely ever travel outside of my SC/NC/parts of GA service area. I also have a Blackberry device with push email setup so that all of my emails come to me on my BB. However, where I work, which is smack dab in the middle of their service area, I can usually only get picked up on a Cingular tower. That's fine for voice, because I am not charged a roaming fee because I am within my coverage area. However, if my emails get pushed to me while on the Cingular tower, which happens often without my knowledge or control, I get charged a roaming fee. I could understand this if I were web surfing or something intensive like that, but I always check to see that I am on Suncom before going online. With email, it is something that is "pushed" to me, so I can't help when it is checked or received.
I was told by a data services tech that nothing could be done about this, that I should just shut my wireless (read, service) off to keep from getting emails while roaming. Shut off my phone...so I don't roam? Yeah, that's great advice. The other alternative I was offered was to switch to their national data plan which would let me roam as much as I want for an extra 20-25 bucks a month. Yeah, I could do that and still never use my phone outside of SC/NC/parts of GA and be paying for a service that I'm not utilizing to its fullest. Or, I could just expect my regional unlimited plan to work in the service areas indicated on their own map!
Of course, that's just my suggestion. But, since Suncom is NOT in the business of guaranteeing what they sell, I should expect nothing better.
A friend of mine works in one of Verizon's corporate offices and says that whenever Suncom's name is brought up, it's followed by a loud round of laughter. They often joke that Suncom just "doesn't get it" at all, which is why Verizon is one of the top wireless carriers (if not the top) in the nation.
I saw suggested on another website that to get out of your Suncom contract without the early termination fee, just run up over 9000 minutes a month on their unplan. They'll cancel you doubleplusquick. Seeing that I'm already up to 6000 minutes a month (with a shared usage plan with my mom), I've only got 3000 more minutes to go! Wish me luck!
Posted by Tiffany | July 18, 2006 10:11 AM
In February 2005 I went to my local SunCom store for a new cell phone and plan. I am a college student who doesn't travel often so SunCom regional plans seemed perfect for me. Oh boy was I wrong! What they don't tell you is that you'll be roaming on Cingular 80% of the time, and you can't upgrade your equipment until 21 months into a 2 year contract! Sure I SHOULD have asked more questions, but SunCom certainly isn't forthcoming about their service.
What I have a real problem with is how the store pushed me off on a cheap Nokia phone for 2 years! The cover cracked 1 week into my contract. I could've just cancelled my service then but I stuck with it. The store manager was so hateful and told me the phone didn't appear to be cracked when it was obvious the phone was faulty. I had not dropped it or anything. She replaced the cover with one from a used phone that was all scratched up! I contacted SunCom who told me this was unacceptable practice and to return to the store. Instead of deal with them I just bought a new cover myself and kept the phone.
The point of all this is that many SunCom employees are not upfront and honest with the customer, and push you off on a cheap phone that you'll be stuck with for 1 or 2 years.
I've dealt with customer service a few more times trying to get my phone upgraded and no one will help me. Service is just terrible everywhere. Luckily my contract only has a few months left and I'm heading to Verizon or Cingular. I feel bad for all you stuck in SunCom contract!
SunCom is a sinking ship.
Posted by George | August 2, 2006 3:52 PM
SunCom is terrible. I mean as far as the plans go I love it but customer service stinks. I went to renew my contract and get another phone and they try to tell me that I just had it renewed which was a lie.
Come to find out it was an error on their part, then they so "Oh we changed our policy. It has to be 21 months before you can renew."
Then after that they come up with this great idea to charge for incoming text messages. They are idiots!! I can't control people from sending me a text message. I have told people not to text me anymore because I am being charged but they still send me text messages so I have to pay.
If it was not for the UnPlan I would definitely leave SunCom.
Posted by Devon | August 17, 2006 10:45 PM
Thank the Lord that I was only with SunCom for 10 days. In the original contract that was signed, I could return the phone within 15 days for a full refund. Of course, I am still fighting for this refund. Not only do they not have record of my deposit and all monies paid up front, but they have started collection calls wanting me to pay the balance due. So far, SunCom is charging me 319.00 for 10 days of usage.
I have been on the phone for the 43rd day in a row trying to get this issue resolved. I have faxed documents showing where I paid the deposit and all fees. I am not an executive, and do not travel for a living. I am a single mother with 3 children that needed a phone with a simple plan for emergencies. How can a company this large get by with doing this? Does anyone have any suggestions for a solution to this NIGHTMARE!!!!
Posted by T. Huffman Bailey | August 23, 2006 12:20 PM
SunCom does alright for the most part, I've had a 2-year-contract plan and its held out good. The SOS only bothers me. Its ridiculous for me to get full signal to a tower that refuses service to me...
Posted by DFA | January 19, 2007 3:02 AM
I HATE SUNCOM SERVICE, I will be changing over to another provider soon and I want to get this off my chest.
Suncom has no clue how to treat its customers, the service is rocky and if you are not a customer already, don't let the UNPLAN suck you in.
I have been having problems with Suncom and its customer service representatives for over a year now and every month is something different.
When I got service, the very next day my phone was disconnected for going over my minutes - on the Unplan! It was fixed but about 30 days later there were roaming charges on my bill and I was told that even if I am on the regional plan, and I am in NC, and under coverage from Suncom, if my phone switches over to another carrier I am roaming.
After awhile I was not having issues I figured that I would get a pocket PC and let my phone's Bluetooth act as my pocket PC's modem to the internet.
After about 2 weeks my phone displayed INVALID SIM and I was not able to use my phone, I had to get to a land line and call customer support, who informed me that I went over my account spending limit.
When I got the account I was put on a 350.00 spending limit, the bill came in for the month prior and it was 79.68 and was paid 3 days after I got it, so they are trying to tell me that within 2 weeks I ran up my bill to over 350.00 using the internet in my home area and on the Suncom tower.
My phone said I was on the Suncom tower and the representative told me that they could see I was in my home area and using Suncom's tower but the computer also added a 1.00 fee for roaming.
I was told that if the device I was using to connect to the internet on my phone was roaming then it would cause my phone to think its roaming and I would be charged. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't get paid to THINK while I am on my job, so why should I have to pay Suncom for my phone thinking that its roaming when its not?
I think that if you are going to shut someone's phone service off regardless of the reason, you should let them know somehow. I used to get text messages telling me I have exceeded my spending limits, but now I just get my SIM card deactivated.
The more recent problem with them, my phone is showing inactive SIM, I called customer support they say that my bill is now 377.89. I explained to them that I have made my payment to then and I only owe 35.00 as a remainder of last month's bill.
The representative told me that I have roaming charges on my bill from Virgina and Washington, DC. I have not been to either of these places within the last 6 months but I have been at work in Fayetteville, NC for the past 6 months with my phone by my side.
I was told they will have to send my account up for review and will get back to me within 24-72 hours, basically my phone will be off till they review my account. Suncom claims to provide TRUTH in WIRELESS and I must say, if they are displaying TRUTH in WIRELESS I would rather carry around a cup with a string attached. At least I won't have many dropped calls, roaming charges and no 911 and misc fees...
Posted by Nicholas Bala | January 30, 2007 6:40 PM
Dropped calls, grossly mistaken billing, I am so tired of them.
Posted by I hate SunCom | February 3, 2007 10:07 PM
SunCom and GSM... where do i start? I get poorer service, more dropped calls, areas with real 'no service' vs. analog prior, misinformation, poor attitude with customer 'service', etc. Now, after getting the Sony Ericsson W300 phone (1 of 3 choices and the only one I heard any good about) back in Oct. '06 -I did not know about its internet capability. The phone was ordered and my call plan was established over the phone with "customer service" and was not even informed of its capabilities nor any 'package' offerings for them. Fast forward to Apr. '07... I find out it has Google.com as its search engine. Cool -just like home! I use it and MapQuest and YellowPages.com to find existing and potential custo