Helio's customer service SUCKS!
Overall Rating:




1.3 out of 5
By: Shannon H on Thursday, July 30, 2009From: OB, NJ (United States)
Experience: 1 Years
Pros: Great device
Great plansCons: poor customer service
poor choice of customer insurance, The Signal sucks as well. Summary: I had my Helio Ocean for a little over a year and was very happy. It wasn't until I lost my phone that I started having problems. Helio uses "The Signal" for their cell phone insurance. The Signal gives customers 2 claims to use per 12 months....I set up a claim once for my phone's water damage in which they sent me a defective phone. When calling helio they told me I needed to call the signal. so I set up a claim. They send another phone...months later I end up misplacing the phone and when I go to make a claim, it's denied because of my two previous claims. Who would have thought that the claim I put in for the defective phone THEY sent me would be counted against me!? This pissed me off and I decided to cancel my service...there was no reason why now that I'd genuinely loss the phone that The Signal or Helio couldn't work with me. My only options were to upgrade my phone at $150 or to purchase a new Ocean at $260....what is the point of insurance if it does nothing for me!? An hour after canceling my service, I received a phone call that someone had found my phone. I call Helio to see if they can stop the cancellation on the service. TWO different reps told me that the cancellation fee of $175 would be waived. A few days later I check my account to see how much I owe....$111 which is correct for the $99 unlimited plan I have. Two days later when I go to pay the bill, my account says $440 or something to that effect. When I call to find out the breakdown of my bill they couldn't even give me the breakdown saying they can't view what's in the next billing cycle. I'm also told that the 175 is probably on the account....what kind of sense does that make if days after I canceled it wasn't added to the bill, but then a week later it is!?!? The customer should not have to see information that should be handled behind the scenes. Helio's customer service has done nothing but piss me off in the past 2 weeks. I was fine the first year because everything I needed to handle could be handled by me. I can't wait for the day where I am financially okay to cancel this service and go to another provider...there's no way I'm stayin in another 2 year plan with them...no way. If I hadn't found they phone, I would have left the service canceled. I will raise HELL if I call back in 2 days and they tell me that $175 fee cannot be waived.
Helio is not in the business of trying to keep their customers.
Great plansCons: poor customer service
poor choice of customer insurance, The Signal sucks as well. Summary: I had my Helio Ocean for a little over a year and was very happy. It wasn't until I lost my phone that I started having problems. Helio uses "The Signal" for their cell phone insurance. The Signal gives customers 2 claims to use per 12 months....I set up a claim once for my phone's water damage in which they sent me a defective phone. When calling helio they told me I needed to call the signal. so I set up a claim. They send another phone...months later I end up misplacing the phone and when I go to make a claim, it's denied because of my two previous claims. Who would have thought that the claim I put in for the defective phone THEY sent me would be counted against me!? This pissed me off and I decided to cancel my service...there was no reason why now that I'd genuinely loss the phone that The Signal or Helio couldn't work with me. My only options were to upgrade my phone at $150 or to purchase a new Ocean at $260....what is the point of insurance if it does nothing for me!? An hour after canceling my service, I received a phone call that someone had found my phone. I call Helio to see if they can stop the cancellation on the service. TWO different reps told me that the cancellation fee of $175 would be waived. A few days later I check my account to see how much I owe....$111 which is correct for the $99 unlimited plan I have. Two days later when I go to pay the bill, my account says $440 or something to that effect. When I call to find out the breakdown of my bill they couldn't even give me the breakdown saying they can't view what's in the next billing cycle. I'm also told that the 175 is probably on the account....what kind of sense does that make if days after I canceled it wasn't added to the bill, but then a week later it is!?!? The customer should not have to see information that should be handled behind the scenes. Helio's customer service has done nothing but piss me off in the past 2 weeks. I was fine the first year because everything I needed to handle could be handled by me. I can't wait for the day where I am financially okay to cancel this service and go to another provider...there's no way I'm stayin in another 2 year plan with them...no way. If I hadn't found they phone, I would have left the service canceled. I will raise HELL if I call back in 2 days and they tell me that $175 fee cannot be waived.
Helio is not in the business of trying to keep their customers.
Best I've had.
Overall Rating:




5 out of 5
By: Loreli M. on Tuesday, January 27, 2009From: Peoria, IL, IL (United States)
Experience: 1 Years
Pros: Excellent reception. Cool devices. Good rates. Cons: Ocean sometimes freezes. Not enough device choices. Sometimes get texts from random people, when I text to ask who it is they say they didn't text me which is weird (happened about 4 times). No local number - I'm from Peoria and my number comes up as Rock Island. Summary: The only problem I had with this phone that I had to call customer service about was it was supposed to be activated already when I recieved it in the mail and it was not. The woman I spoke to was very helpful and we got it activated in no time.
I went on a road trip to Boston this summer and I remember having reception the entire way. We even went up to New Hampshire into the middle of nowhere and the only two people with reception were me and another person who had Helio. Others had Sprint and AT&T. For unlimited EVERYTHING (but mins) they have a great deal going on. I just wish they'd get some more devices!
I went on a road trip to Boston this summer and I remember having reception the entire way. We even went up to New Hampshire into the middle of nowhere and the only two people with reception were me and another person who had Helio. Others had Sprint and AT&T. For unlimited EVERYTHING (but mins) they have a great deal going on. I just wish they'd get some more devices!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Helio is the best service I ever had!!!!!!!!!
Overall Rating:




5 out of 5
By: David Dye on Wednesday, December 10, 2008From: Oklahoma City, OK (United States)
Experience: 2 Years
Pros: I travel for a living and I have not been to a place where I didn't get service.
Great customer service.
Battery life is good.
Devices have tons of features.
Plans are not expensive for what you get.
Cons: NEW PHONES!!!! where are they?
My contract is over and still no new phones?
Summary: I signed up with Helio when they first started, I purchased the Hero and it was a great phone. Then the Ocean came out, had to have it. It has been a great phone, no problems at all, it does everything I could ask for in a phone (device, sorry Helio). But its time for something new or I am switching carriers. I want to wait for Ocean 2 but I don't think its worth the wait. Helio announced Ocean 2 early 2008, and they keep pushing it back. Whats the deal? Other than that, I would recommend it to anyone.
Great customer service.
Battery life is good.
Devices have tons of features.
Plans are not expensive for what you get.
Cons: NEW PHONES!!!! where are they?
My contract is over and still no new phones?
Summary: I signed up with Helio when they first started, I purchased the Hero and it was a great phone. Then the Ocean came out, had to have it. It has been a great phone, no problems at all, it does everything I could ask for in a phone (device, sorry Helio). But its time for something new or I am switching carriers. I want to wait for Ocean 2 but I don't think its worth the wait. Helio announced Ocean 2 early 2008, and they keep pushing it back. Whats the deal? Other than that, I would recommend it to anyone.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Helio is horrible.
Overall Rating:




1 out of 5
By: Erika Burch on Friday, October 24, 2008From: West Palm Beach, FL (United States)
Experience: 1 Years
Pros: None.Cons: Phone never connects to internet. Slow, slow, slow. Had to have the company reset my phone, and lost all pictures and apps. Summary: Same complaints as all the others. Customer service sucks, but they do smile, which adds insult to injury when I have a problem. Paying my bill over the phone takes a MINIMUM of 9 minutes and 20 seconds. I live in West Palm Beach Florida, and the only place near my house that sells Helio is over 50 miles away. I didn't know this when I moved here from Illinois this year. There is no actual building I can go to for help with my phone, and trying to understand them over the phone is useless.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Don't Buy any Apps or Games!
Overall Rating:




1.3 out of 5
By: Name Name on Tuesday, July 01, 2008From: Oakland, CA (United States)
Experience: 1 Years
Cons: If the only solution for your device is a factory reset, you lost all apps or games that you bought more than 90 days before!Summary: When the Internet froze on my Helio, the device required a factory reset. While they encourage you to backup your contacts and photos, nothing can be done regarding apps and games. If you buy a bunch of them, you lose them all. Stupid policy.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
