Don Wolfe
……………….
Portland, OR 97266
503-774-3424
Act No.: ……
March 7, 2024
Unitus Community Credit Union
Dispute Resolutions
P.O. Box 1937
Portland, OR 97207
To whom it may concern:
I am disputing a $120 charge to my debit card by Cricket Wireless. I am disputing this charge because the product they sold my care giver is inaccessible because of my disabilities. Despite this, after fifteen days Cricket Wireless refuses to take back the inaccessible (defective) product and refund all or any portion of my money.
I am completely blind and partially deaf. After being intentionally hit by a driver (by undercover pigs from Clackamas County, while I was campaigning for medical marijuana dispensaries), who was never charged, I developed PTSD. As a result, I have not been able to leave my residence since February 2, 2015.
During this entire time I have used a care giver to do all of my shopping, as well as filling out paperwork and other miner duties. In addition, I am visited by a doctor every six months, and have been excused from jury duty twice.
For this reason, on February 20, 2024 my care giver, …………………, purchased a cell phone from Cricket Wireless Store. Before she made the purchase, she informed the sales clerk I was completely blind and hard of hearing, and needed a phone that was accessible. She also informed the clerk that she had been authorized to spend $120.
After consulting with a supervisor by phone, the sales clerk showed my care giver one and only one phone and said she could sell her this phone and provide one month of service for exactly $120. Since I had no phone at the time and she had no way to call me, she agreed to the purchase with my debit card. Since the sales clerk never mentioned the return policy, we both assumed I had one month to decide whether I liked the phone or not.
Unfortunately, my landline had been out since January 12, 2024 and I desperately needed a phone to contact my care giver, doctor, and if necessary, emergency services. So by February 20th I had had enough, and decided to have my care giver purchase my first cell phone. For ten days, I have tried to use the cell phone and have had little success.
After dozens of E mails to the PUC and AG’s Consumer Hot Line, , my landline was finally fixed on February 29th. And since the cell phone was sorely inadequate for the reasons provided, I decided on March 1st to keep the landline and have my care giver return the cell phone to the Cricket Store.
Despite my efforts, there was several problems with this cell phone. First, it was extremely difficult to hear, even if the volume is turned up. In addition, the buttons are hard to identify. While the button for five is somewhat marked with a barely detectable bump, the other buttons are not marked. And, unlike my landline, there is no space between buttons, making it feel like a flat surface. Since I have a little bit of neuropathy in my finger tips, this makes dialing numbers on the cell phone almost impossible.
At no time was my care giver told I only had seven days to return the phone and cancel the service. She comes out once a week and visits every Tuesday, so it would have been impossible to meet this seven day limits since her next visit on February 27th would have been eight days after the purchase and would have already exceeded the expiration date.
on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, she attempted to return the cell phone. On my behalf she requested a refund for the phone and stated I would agree to pay for the entire first month of service, provided Cricket gave me back some or all of my money for the purchase of the phone.
The cell phone is locked. Only if I agree to keep the service for six months at a cost of $180, will Cricket unlock the phone. Unless the phone is unlocked, I can not sell it or give it away, therefore it is a useless product.
As I said, on March 5th Cricket Wireless refused to take the phone back, although they said they would cancel my service after one month, on March 19, 2024, which they were obligated to do anyway. My current contract was month to month and can be canceled any time, without penalty.
In light of Cricket Wireless’s refusal to refund any portion of my money, I request that the entire amount of $120 be refunded. I’m not aware of any other company that does not allow at least thirty days customers to return the completely intact product if they are dissatisfied, usually for any reason. My dissatisfaction with the product is for a very good reasons, the cell phone is inaccessible to me because of my disabilities, as stated above.
I had been willing to pay for an entire month of service, even though I haven’t used this service since my landline was finally repaired on February 29, 2024. I only wanted a portion of my money returned for what is now, or will be, a useless product.
Your time is very appreciated.
Respectfully,
Don Wolfe
CC: …………, Care Giver