Heard Horror Stories, Finally Came True for Me Today
I was persuaded to try out Optimum Mobile by a sales associate/retention person several weeks ago. The representative, at the time, said this would absolutely be "risk free", cancel anytime, etc.... I read some horror stories on here so I was a bit leery but the representative was very persuasive. Well, what I found out earlier today was, during the process, the sales representative set up a FAKE email account that I/we had no idea even existed. When I/we received the mobile phone a couple weeks ago, I noticed the phone wasn't really that great and decided to cancel. Again, “risk free” was the term the sales representative stated. So, I called Optimum Mobile late last month to cancel and the representative said they needed a "pin" to begin the cancellation process (which we didn't have since the FAKE email was unknown at the time). The representative also couldn't send a pin via the phone I/we were calling with since we were calling from a landline and the only other phone on record was the inactivated phone. So, at that point, we were just “spinning our wheels”.
2 weeks or so passed and I finally had some free time to go to an Optimum store to see if they could help. AT THIS TIME, the store representative asked if we knew about the email account on file. Again, a totally BOGUS/FICTITIOUS email was in the system. It was created the same day we were persuaded to try out Optimum Mobile. So, VERY strong evidence the sales representative either purposely entered this fictitious e-mail or simply messed up (since I provided my real email account several times during the initial call the day I/we decided to try out the service; then had 2^(nd) thoughts).
So, I/we thought we were getting somewhere and making process regarding cancellation. The store representative stated they couldn't take the unopened phone back and we had to call Optimum Mobile again to get a return label. This time, the CORRECT email and back up number were in the system as opposed to the fictitious email. However, the phone representative stated since it's now been over 21 days, a $194 “termination fee” needed to be paid PRIOR to providing a return shipping label. Well, that was a shock. 1st, that was the first time I heard of a 21-day time period. 2nd, the whole reason I couldn't even log onto my Optimum Mobile account by any means (web, via the phone, etc) was the original sales representative set up the fictitious email account and I/we never activated the mobile phone. I am believing more and more this representative purposely did this just so I/we would miss the 21 day return period. Again, I/we BEGAN this process 3 days after receiving the phone so roughly 1 week since the initial Optimum Mobile discussion with the sales representative.
So, we're now in "limbo". I stated I refused to pay the termination fee (since I haven't even opened the phone and it was NEVER stated there was any type of fee within 21 days of receiving the phone) and stated I would refuse any further charges on an unused phone since Optimum won't cancel the service (on a CC that is getting auto billed every month; another authorization I never gave).
Talk about a VERY predatory company. Just telling my story/situation so this doesn't happen to anyone else. I will be filing a FCC complaint as well.