Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Universal Service Administrative Company's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Universal Service Administrative Company

  700 12th St NW Ste 900 Washington, DC 20005-3948

• 

  Universal Service Administrative Company

  2020 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20006-1811

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/10/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction with USAC's recent refusal of submitted documents. I want to emphasize that all necessary documentation was provided as per the required guidelines. The explanation of them is unnecessary because it's been met request requirements. I have consistently submitted the requested documents, specifically providing information about food stamps approval letter per their requirements. Despite my efforts, each submission has been refused. I kindly request a review of the submitted documents. Ensuring a fair and transparent evaluation process is crucial for maintaining confidence in USAC procedures. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Sincerely,********************************* **************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/11/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been attempting to sign up for universal service fun since September twice I ended up Speaking to a representative by the name of ******* and her name could be *******. She was rude she was ******* ******** and she called me an old White b****. This was in September I phoned again in January and got the same woman who treated me poorly. Still I am waiting to get on the affordable Connectivity program and I have filled out 7 applications which have disappeared. It is probably this woman by the name of *******. Today I attempted again and got the same woman who went on a tirade and the Cool went down hill fast after she called me again an old white b**** ****** back and spoke to another woman Who stated my application is no Where. This woman by the name of ******* proceeded to call me up until 11 PM the same night with the phone ringing off the hook with my answering machine not on and her identifying herself as private caller I picked up the phone once and she called me a nasty White racist bit And said that I would never get my app Put Is thru and she would make sure of it. The phone kept ringing ****** the police who did A trace on the call and a trap and it came back to the woman by the name of ******* who works for the national verifier from home through the universal service administration. I want this woman stopped from harassing me and equally as important I want my phone application to go through so I can receive a phone a cell phone and service because I am disabled and allow income Thank you this woman needs to be reprimanded.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/21/2023

  June 16, 2023

  Dear Dispute Resolution Team,  
  

  The Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”) received a letter dated April 11, 2023, and  a second letter dated April 27, 2023 with Complaint ID ******** from the Better Business Bureau  (“BBB”) requesting a response to a consumer complaint. Upon review, USAC has determined that the  consumer’s complaint is resolved. 
  Background 
  

  The consumer submitted a complaint stating that when she attempted to sign up for “universal service  fund” in September 2022 and in January 2023, she spoke to one particular representative of USAC  who was allegedly rude, called her disparaging names, and prevented her from submitting her  application. The consumer stated that the representative “proceeded to call [her] up until 11 PM the  same night with the phone ringing off the hook.”1 The consumer requested that the representative be  “stopped from harassing [her]” and that her application be approved.

  Response 
  Upon a thorough investigation, USAC found no support to this consumer’s claim that she was  harassed by one of our representatives. Our records show only one instance of the consumer  contacting USAC on February 16, 2023, which is outside of the dates the consumer provided to show that she contacted USAC. During the February 16th telephone correspondence, the representative  noted that the consumer inquired about why she was paying for her cell phone. There were no other communication with the consumer prior to or since then and USAC is confident that our customer  service was appropriate and up to our high standards of service.  
  
  Further, our records show that the consumer’s approved application is expired and she will need to re apply in order for her to enroll with a service provider and receive ACP benefits. 
  

  Therefore, given the information above, USAC considers this matter closed. If you have any  questions, please email me at **************@usac.org.  
  

  Sincerely,  
  

  ******** *****  
  Assistant General Counsel  
  USAC 
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/22/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: a representative contact in me and promised me that they would fix my phone issue with my name and my number appearing they said my number would appear and another name would appear and that has not happened. I do not want the caller ID situation going on with this phone. This phone is nothing but trouble. I want the representative to call me back because we still have not resolved the issue and I want someone from the United States that speaks English and is on the ball and efficient
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/09/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I don't have exact dates, but I have been going back and forth with USAC/ ******** Support for about 3 months. I don't know what other information they have, but it supersedes the information and documents that I have to comply with the requirements for getting service. I'm giving them the qualifying information so I can be made eligible. One Issue: I had service with another company and told them I was having technical problems with getting my phone to work. I was trying to use a phone I already had but I believe it was locked. Even though when I checked on the website it said the phone was compatible. I asked them to cancel that arrangement. I have kept them updated with regards to who I chose to do service with regarding cell phone service! I have applied with other providers and gave them permission to cancel the other service ( I assumed that would happen after completing another application)I just recently contacted StandUp Wireless they said I had active service already. This service is invaluable because I don't have home phone, I don't work, so I don't have that option. I do receive state benefits. I typically work Temp jobs that only last 4-5 months. So, my income is not long-term nor substantial by any measure.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/27/2023

  April 26, 2023

  Dear Dispute Resolution Team,
  The Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”) received a letter dated March 18, 2023, with Complaint ID ******** from the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) requesting a response to a consumer complaint. After reviewing the complaint, USAC has determined that the consumer’s complaintis resolved.
  

  Background
  The consumer stated in their complaint that they “have been going back and forth with USAC/******** Support for about 3 months.” 1 Further, the consumer notes that they were, “having
  technical problems with getting [their] phone to work,” and that they had “applied with other providers and gave them permission to cancel the other service.” 2
  

  Response
  Upon review, USAC found no record of any communication between this consumer’s associated phone numbers and emails and our customer service agents. Moreover, most of the complaint details issues with service providers, rather than USAC. The consumer notes that their desired outcome is to “Finish the Job”3 ; however, USAC does not handle transfers or device issues. While USAC handles the application to qualify for Lifeline, once qualified, the consumer enrolls and receives service and a device from their chosen service provider. If the consumer wants to transfer their benefit, their new provider handles the transfer.

  As a courtesy, a USAC representative attempted to reach out to the consumer to assist with resolving their issues with their service provider, however, USAC was not able to reach the consumer on any of phone numbers on file for them. Therefore, USAC considers this matter closed.

  I hope that the information provided was helpful. If you have any questions, please email me at **************@usac.org.

  
  Sincerely,

  Assistant General Counsel
  USAC

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/31/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I inadvertently set up an account on USAC when I thought I was applying for the ***. When I realized I had set up an account, I immediately sought to have USAC delete my account. They do not provide any means to contact them or request deletion. I have found a way to contact them, but they have refused to delete the data.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2023

  March 14, 2023

  Dear Dispute Resolution Team,  
  The Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”) received a letter dated February 11, 2023,  with Complaint ID 18959222 from the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) requesting a response to a  consumer complaint. After reviewing the complaint, USAC has determined that the consumer’s  complaint is resolved. 
  Background 
  The consumer submitted a complaint concerning data submitted for an application to the  Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a program administered by USAC. The letter states that  USAC “do[es] not provide any means to contact them or request deletion.”1 Further, the consumer  asserts that USAC “ha[s] refused to delete the data.” 2 
  Response 
  USAC’s website explicitly states, “You may contact USAC’s Privacy Officer at [email protected] if  you would like to correct, update or supplement personal data. You can also contact us at  [email protected] if you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, the practices of this site, or  your dealings with our website. Please note that we may take reasonable steps to verify your  identity before implementing your request.”3 Additionally, the consumer successfully contacted  and received proper guidance from USAC via email, and from USAC’s Privacy Officer via phone.4 
  
  USAC must adhere to the Privacy Act at 5 U.S.C. § 552a; related OMB circulars and memoranda; the  Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA); the National Institute of Standards and  Technology (NIST); and any other applicable laws, directives, and guidance that provide  requirements and standards for safeguarding federal information systems and personally  identifiable information (PII) used in business processes and related reporting requirements.  Therefore, in order for USAC to proceed with deleting personal information from the *** system,  the consumer must submit a Privacy Act request with the Federal Communications Commission.5 USAC cannot delete records based solely from an email request.  
  USAC conveyed the necessary information above to the consumer on January 31, 2023. Therefore,  USAC hereby considers this matter resolved and closed.  
  I hope that the information provided was helpful. If you have any questions, please email me at  **************@usac.org.  
  

  Sincerely,  
  Caroline Z****  
  Assistant General Counsel  
  USAC  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/29/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am trying to sign up for The Affordable Connectivity Program. I habe sent them all the necessary information required, and they are still playing games. I am on disability, I have 2 kids also on disability. I sent them the paperwork from social security showing that. Yet.... they refuse me. I only get a cut and paste email... they need more info. You can not call them and get a human.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2023

  Dear Dispute Resolution Team,

  The Universal Service Administrative Company ("USAC") received a letter dated February * ****, with complaint ******** from the Better Business Bureau ("BBB") requesting a response to a consumer complaint. After reviewing the complaint, USAC has determined that the consumer's complaint is resolved.

  Background

  The consumer stated in his complaint that he was "trying to sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program" and that he sent "all the necessary information required." as well as his paperwork from social security, but they "refused" him.

  Response

  Upon review, USAC found that the consumer has a qualified ACP application in the system.

  According to our records, the consumer has a qualified ACP application in our system (Application ID *************). The application was approved on January ** ****.

  Also, our records indicate that the consumer enrolled with ******* ***** ************** *** (**********) on February * ****. The consumer has probably not seen the ACP benefit reflected on his bill due to the fact that it takes a billing cycle or two for the carrier to apply it to their account.

  I hope the information provided was helpful. If you have any questions, please email me at **********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/26/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  It took me threatening to go to my congressman to make them approve me. They had all my paperwork for over 2 months and refused to approve me
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/21/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am filing this complaint because I filed an application doe Lifelink administered by this company for the **** I included my tax return to prove income. They have never processed my application. When I follow up I get all sorts of answers that *** no sense and contradict each other. It appears this company doesn't supervise its works and is bilking the *** of a lot of money for services they don't provide.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/20/2023

  January 20, 2023 
  
  Dear Dispute Resolution Team,  
  

  The Universal Service Administrative Company (“USAC”) received a letter dated January 2, 2023,  with Complaint ID ******** from the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) requesting a response to a  consumer complaint. After reviewing the complaint, USAC has determined that the consumer’s  complaint is resolved. 
  

  Background 
  The consumer stated in his complaint that USAC “never processed [his] application.”1 Further, he  stated that he reached out to USAC and received “all sorts of answers that [make] no sense and  contradict each other.”2 
  

  Response 
  Upon review, USAC found that the consumer applied for Lifeline on August 28, 2022 (the consumer incorrectly used the term “Lifelink”), but did not qualify because he did not complete the required  consumer self-certifications before the application expired on October 14, 2022.3 USAC’s records  also showed that the consumer then contacted the Affordable Connectivity Program4 (ACP)  Support Center on September 13, 2022 for assistance with starting a new Lifeline application. A representative informed the consumer that his previous Lifeline application remained open and  he still needed to qualify with that application. The consumer did not attempt to enroll into  Lifeline after that conversation. USAC found no other records of communication with the  consumer regarding enrollment in the program.  

  However, USAC’s records indicate that the consumer applied to, qualified for, and enrolled in the  ACP5, and as of December 6, 2022, he is currently participating in that program.  

  A USAC representative recently contacted the consumer to determine if he is still interested in  applying for the Lifeline program and to re-iterate that his incomplete certifications was the  reason why his Lifeline application was not previously approved. There were other statements pertaining to USAC that the consumer made in his complaint to the BBB; however, USAC is unable  to address them because they are either inaccurate or simply false. Therefore, USAC considers this  matter closed. 

  I hope that the information provided was helpful. If you have any questions, please email me at  **************@usac.org.  
  

  Sincerely,  
  Caroline Z****  
  Counsel  
  USAC