U.S. Cellular, IL - paid $ 200 deposit for new phone service - then U.S. Cellular demanded an additional deposit of $ 200 for a total deposit of $ 400

# 15 for July 15, 2003

Complaints.com received the following on July 14, 2003:

From:

RE: U.S. Cellular, IL - paid $ 200 deposit for new phone service - then U.S. Cellular demanded an additional deposit of $ 200 for a total deposit of $ 400

I'm a resident of Illinois and this past March signed up for cell service from U.S. Cellular. The company required a $200 deposit which I reluctantly made. I was confused about the deposit because I have decent credit - new 51/4 30 year fixed and 0% on a new car loan. I figured the U.S. Cellular wanted to protect itself from customers walking away from their account with unpaid balances.

That can't happen with me because the account is paid automatically from a credit card. Today I received a call an U.S. Cellular is demanding another $200 deposit. I have one account but two phones and five months latter they expect me to risk another $200 deposit with a company that doesn't make any money.

What about the consumers risk when the company goes belly up and we get zip back. I've been reading that U.S. Cellular is slow giving back those refunds - that could be a bad sign. It's not like a phone company going out of business now a days would be unusual.

I got scammed by the sales clerk in order to get my business from Verizon from whom I never would of switched had I known about a $400 deposit. I have until Friday to pay an this is Monday or they will interrupt service. Do you think they will interrupt my bill? A U.S. Cellular manager told me that their system had to be overridden to activate my account.

Why is it that the customer and stock holders are the ones expected to flip the bill for corporate fraud. By the way U.S. Cellular will not put it in writting that I owe them another $200 deposit. I have never been notified by mail of this problem. It seem they don't want a paper trail jus my money.