Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  04/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I purchased an Apple iPhone on 1/24/2024 from Santa Monica Wireless order #****** on E-bay. I paid a total of $604.15 I did not activate the phone until 2/20/2024 to coincide with end of term on my old phone.I started experiencing problems on the phone soon after activation with it suddenly going into SOS mode. I returned the phone to ******* who helped by changing the Sim. The phone did better for awhile. I had problems with the Maps app and the phone again going into SOS mode yesterday. ******* changed the Sim again but it didn't help. I took the phone to Best Buy, an authorized apple repair shop. They ran diagnostics and found that internally the phone mfg. date was set at 1978 which is impossible and it said was first "in service" in 2013.The phone was advertised on E-bay as "New in Box" and indeed arrived sealed and looked new.I have notified Santa Monica Wireless at their email address.

  Business response

  04/17/2024

  Hi,

  I see that our customer service replied to your email 6 days ago and you never get back to them. Email below was sent to you back on April 11th at 5:06pm PST. We normally do not monitor this email or BBB. please reply to that email and our customer service will take care of this. you are covered by CPS central warranty for a year. thanks

  Hi,
  
  
  I checked and you are out of the return period. Can you try to contact CPS and have them do the repair (it is free of charge) and all you have to do is register the phone on their website. If you do not have the information let me know so I can send them to you. If they consider it non repairable they will either refund you or you can contact us so we can get that resolved for you. Can you please try this first and let me know. I appreciate your patience on this matter.
  
  
  Thanks,

  Customer response

  05/07/2024

   
  Complaint: 21542014
  
  I am rejecting this response because:i paid $604 for a new "in the box" iPhone 13. The ad stated 'Apple Warranty' that come with all new iPhones. It had the Apple logo on the purchase ad. This iPhone 13 suffered some serious damage prior to my purchase. The damage is apparent because it becomes unusable when it goes into the *** mode for no reason even though on the outside the damage is not apparent. I cannot accept a 'used and damaged phone' in place of the 'New, in the box' that I purchased. Sending to the secondary phone repair is out of the question. Being without a usable phone was not what I purchased. Whomever ends up with this phone will suffer greatly if they accept the 'used and damaged' condition of this phone.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Purchased 5/15/23. On 7/19/23 woke up to a phone that didnt work. The following is the email sent the company that morning. The events that followed are; multiple attempts to contact the company and/or communication, multiple communications with ***** a dispute filed with PNC bank, and continued attempts to contact the company as the year warranty still remains. See below:So I woke up today after having my phone on the charger to a phone that didnt charge and keep rebooting in a loop. I spent all morning chatting with Apple, only to have to drive an hour each way to an Apple Store to be told theres nothing they can do and also be told this phone wasnt new based on the information they were able to obtain from the serial number. I had no choice but to purchase a new phone more than I can afford. I babied this phone and basically carried it around on a pillow. I thought it was strange there was no information on battery capacity. Not only do I want a refund, but I am in contact with legal counsel in terms of my time and travel compensation.

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On 8-29-23 via **** I purchased from Santa Monica Wireless a replacement airpod for the right ear; 2nd gen as advertised; however, it was first gen. and is useless as a replacement to my 2nd gen set. I asked for a refund, but they refused saying that they do not carry 1st gen.; basically accusing me of lying.

• Initial Complaint

  08/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  On May 12, 2023, I purchased a Galaxy S21+ cellphone from Santa Monica Wireless. It was advertised as brand new in sealed box. It arrived as described and worked fine for 6 weeks. Then in the middle of the day the screen went black. I tried everything I could find online to fix the problem but it was clearly a defective lcd screen. SM Wireless had a 1 year CPS warranty on it and I filed a claim and sent it in. They told me they opened it and observed what they considered water damage (see photos they sent). I never exposed the phone to water, having it safely at home or in my pocket. The phone has an IP68 rating meaning it can actually handle being submerged in water at 6 foot depth for 30 minutes. Plus I notice what appears to be debris inside the phone. The ONLY way this could have happened is if the phone was defective from SM Wireless (or ******* factory). Either way, I believe they should repair or exchange the phone. I have had multiple ******* smartphones over the years, all of which are fully functional, this type of thing has never happened to me previously. Poor customer service.

  Business response

  09/07/2023

  Hi ******,

   

  I am sorry for the inconvenience it may have caused. Please note that if the item had an issue you would have seen it right away with the first 30 days. We offer free returns within 30 days and you have the one year warranty through CPS. They inspected the item and concluded that it was water damage as the board was still wet. If the water was from previous it would have evaporated or dried by now so its not possible that it was an existing damage. Sometimes when the phone is even in contact with steam it could cause that i.e like having the phone on the sink close to the shower while you are showering. Unfortunately we are not able  to assist any further if the phone has physical damage or moisture damage as it voids the warranty. I hope you understand our situation as well. Thank you for your understanding...

  Customer response

  09/12/2023

   
  Complaint: 20456237
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have two much older ******* phones that are still working perfectly, a Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S7. They have been subjected to much more than the S21 phone you sent me for a much much longer period of time. The S21 you shipped me was never exposed to any water or steam at any time. It was either in my pocket or at home. I only had it for about 60 days. The big difference with the S21 is the ip68 rating. ******* claims it can withstand being submitted at 6 feet under water for 30 minutes. Therefore, assuming CPS and you are being truthful, the phone must have left the factory with water inside the case, something no repair shop I've spoken with has ever observed. I always take extreme care of my cell phones, that is why they have never gone bad. Since I know I did not expose it to any water or steam, I can only conclude you shipped me a defective phone knowingly or the manufacturerer shipped a bad phone to you. Since I was not there to observe CPS opening the case, I/you are taking them at their word. If you and CPS are truthful you sent a bad phone, if not, you and they colluded to avoid having to replace the phone. I know beyond any doubt, it was not me that damaged the phone in any way. Any reputable vendor would take the phone back and replace it especially in light of the ip68 rating. Very disappointing service. At the very least you could send me a new screen and I'll replace it myself.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩