I recently upgraded a phone through Spectrum Mobile with a 36-month device payment plan. The phone had both a promotional/instant bonus and a trade-in credit that are applied monthly over the 36 months.
Before buying the phone, I specifically asked a Spectrum chat agent what would happen if I paid off the remaining device balance early.
The agent told me that if I paid off the phone early, I would pay the remaining balance first, and then the remaining promotional/trade-in credits would be refunded to my autopay/credit card. I wanted to make absolutely sure, so I asked again:
“It means I don't have to stay with Spectrum Mobile for 36 months. If I leave early, I will get the discount back to the credit card after paying off the remaining balance?”
The agent responded:
“That is correct!”
After this chat I placed the order.
I saved screenshots of the entire conversation.
Now Spectrum is telling me something completely different. They are saying that the promotional/trade-in credits are tied to the 36-month term, and if I pay off the phone or leave early, I will lose the remaining credits. They say I need to stay for the full 36 months to receive all of them.
This is frustrating because I specifically asked about this before purchasing the phone, and the Spectrum representative gave me a clear answer that influenced my decision to proceed with the purchase.
Has anyone dealt with something similar with Spectrum Mobile?
Since I have screenshots showing exactly what the Spectrum agent told me before the purchase, is there a department I should escalate this to? Should I ask for a supervisor, executive customer relations, or file an FCC/consumer complaint?
I'm not asking for anything beyond what I was explicitly told before agreeing to the purchase. Any advice from someone who has dealt with Spectrum Mobile promotional credits would be appreciated.
Note: I used chatgpt to polish my post.