GREEN BAY (WLUK) — Many Cellcom customers are angry after seeing their latest phone bills.
It comes after the company announced May 30 it would be applying automatic adjustments to July bills in response to the long-term service interruption Cellcom faced nearly two months ago as a result of a cyber incident.
“Considering that my service was out for 15 days, I think $43 off of a normal $180 bill? $43 is kind of a slap in the face,” former Cellcom customer Josh Rohland said.
Rohland recently received his July phone bill. He was hoping for at least a 50% discount on his two lines.
“When I saw it, I’m like, ‘Well, that can’t be all it is.’ So that’s why I called them. When I called them, they were basically like, ‘Nope, that’s what you’re getting.’ It’s like customer service has gone out the window. I’m gone,” Rohland said.
That’s when he decided it was time to leave Cellcom.
FOX 11 reached out to Cellcom for an interview, but they declined our request.
However, in an email, we asked Cellcom when customers should expect to see a bill adjustment. They said adjustments are being applied to July bills, which will be sent throughout the month.
They went on to say if a customer hasn’t see their adjustment quite yet, it’s likely they haven’t received their July bill.
FOX 11 also asked what the refund amount per line is. We weren’t given a firm amount, but Cellcom said, in part:
The reimbursement focuses on the value of the impacted voice service and was calculated accordingly, with fairness and consistency.
Despite this, Cellcom customers on social media are complaining they haven’t seen any adjustment in their July bills.
Others said they did receive credit on their bills, but just around $10 per line — suggesting the company is covering an average of $1 dollar per day of the service outage, and doubling that amount if customers chose to do so through their “Double the Downtime” offer.
“I was expecting more of a good faith gesture from them of, ‘Here’s something for your inconvenience.’ I wasn’t thinking it was going to be just, ‘Here’s the refund for the amount of time your phone didn’t work,’” Cellcom customer Royce Jahnke said.
Jahnke has been with Cellcom for more than a quarter century. He normally pays $380 for five phone lines per month. With the discount, his recent bill was $260.
Jahnke said he still has calls drop multiple times per day and feels Cellcom only did the bare minimum for customers who went through so much.
“The only people getting the discount are the ones that have stuck around, so I kind of expected something a little bit more,” Jahnke said.
FOX 11 also asked if Cellcom is still experiencing service issues from the cyber security threat. They said, “All service issues related to the outage have been resolved.”
Cellcom’s full statement to FOX 11 News is as follows:
We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding as we worked to address this cyber attack situation and ensure fair compensation for the inconvenience caused.
At Cellcom, we’ve always prided ourselves on delivering reliable service and extraordinary care. While the cyberattack was beyond our control and an extraordinary circumstance affecting more than just our company, as seen across businesses globally, we take full responsibility for our customers’ experience and how we respond. This moment has tested us and we’re choosing to meet it the way our customers deserve: with accountability and gratitude.
As part of that commitment:
All active Cellcom customers who experienced voice service issues during the outage are receiving automatic bill adjustments. There is no need to opt in for the base adjustment.
Customers who opted into our “Double the Downtime” offer by June 16 will receive an additional adjustment, resulting in a reimbursement that covers twice the duration of the voice service outage.
These adjustments are being applied to July bills, which are delivering now and throughout the month based on each customer’s billing cycle. If a customer doesn’t yet see their adjustment, it’s likely they haven’t received their July bill.
We recognize while data services, messaging and access to calling apps like FaceTime or WhatsApp and many others remained available throughout the event the inability to make or receive calls was disruptive. The reimbursement focuses on the value of the impacted voice service and was calculated accordingly, with fairness and consistency.
More than anything, this make-good is a reflection of our values. We don’t take our relationship with customers for granted and we’re grateful so many chose to stick with us in a time of uncertainty. That loyalty means everything.
We’re also moving forward with resilience and focused efforts on what’s most important to us: the people we serve. Along with the make-good offers we are returning to something we’ve always loved: celebrating our communities. Our celYOUbration events are back across our region, with 17 local gatherings featuring food, drinks and the best deals we’ve ever offered. These are more than promotional events they’re a thank you and a chance to show up for the communities that have stood by us. More information can be found here: https://www.cellcom.com/celebrations
We’re proud to say that all service issues related to the outage have been resolved. While we are not commenting further on the nature of the attack or the status of the investigation, we remain vigilant working closely with global cybersecurity experts and government partners. If anyone is still experiencing trouble, our customer care team is ready to help at 1-800-236-0055 or by dialing 611 from their Cellcom device.
This isn’t just about a credit on a bill. It’s about our promise to the people and places we serve. We’re grateful to be your provider, your neighbor and your partner today and into the future.
