SimpleMobile : Hi! How may I help you today?
You : Hey there. How are you? I seem to be out of 4G-LTE data for the month. I thought that I had 10GB of "Holidata," pursuant to a text message I received. But I don't seem to have that.
Mycar : Thank you for visiting SIMPLE Mobile.
Mycar : Hi Justin.
You : Hi Mycar. :-)
Mycar : I apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced due to this issue.
Mycar : Please allow me a moment while I check your account.
You : Sure.
Mycar : Thank you.
You : Are you still there, Mycar?
Mycar : Upon checking your account, it appears that you already use all your data in your current plan.
Mycar : Yes, I am still here.
You : Right right - but I'm saying, don't I have an extra 10GB this month from the "holidata" promotion?
Mycar : No, you do not.
You : Umm... So the text advertising the promotion was... untrue? Or something? What happened?
Mycar : I am checking your account balance and you do not have a pending data in your account.
You : OK. So then can you explain why Simple sent me a text message saying so?
Mycar : Can you please provide me the complete message you receive from SIMPLE Mobile.
Mycar : Are you still there?
You : yep
You : here it is:
You : "SIMPLE Mobile: SURPRISE! We gave you 10GB BONUS HOLIDATA! It's like regular data, but sparkly. Enjoy for up to a year! Learn more http://hh.sm-ee.co STOP to End"
You : ...doesn't seem very sparkly at the moment. :-)
Mycar : Did you follow the link that was provided to you in the message?
You : Aye, but there doesn't appear to be an "apply" button or anything
Mycar : What information did you got form the link?
You : Are you unaware of this promotion? You can follow the link yourself if you want.
Mycar : Unfortunately, I have limited access with my internet. Please be advised that we can only access the SIMPLE Mobile website.
Mycar : Are you still there?
You : Dude... it's on the SimpleMobile website.
You : So, what do you suggest I do?
Mycar : I see.
Mycar : Please allow me a moment while I check the link you provided above.
You : ok
You : This holidata promotion was a big part of what led me to resume service with Simple
You : and now it seems it was a rouse of sorts
Mycar : Unfortunately, I am unable to access the link you provided above.
You : ok
You : So what do you suggest I do?
Mycar : I understand your concern.
Mycar : I will need to troubleshoot your account.
Mycar : Please allow me a moment while I troubleshoot your account.
You : ok
Mycar : Thank you.
Mycar : Please follow these steps on your phone:
1. Turn your phone off and back on.
2. Check if you receive 10GB of data.
You : ok
Mycar : Thank you.
Mycar : How are things coming along?
You : OK, I have power-cycled the phone
You : now how do I know if I have more data?
Mycar : You need to check your account balance.
Mycar : In order to check your account balance in your phone, you will need to download the SIMPLE Mobile "My Account" application at your phone's Google Play Store. You can also check your account balance by calling *777*1# from your phone or visit our website at www.simplemobile.com.
Mycar : Are you still there?
You : hi
You : ok
You : checking
Mycar : Okay.
You : Having some trouble. The "USSD" code didn't work and the website is being fussy. Trying to check via SMS now.
Mycar : Okay.
You : I have an SMS, "Your balance should arrive shortly."
You : So I'm waiting for that.
You : On the website, however, I see "

First 4GB Data up to 4G LTE** Speed, then 2G*
You : With no mention of the other 10GB
You : No news yet.
You : How long does it usually take?
Mycar : It will only take a few minutes. In some cases,it could take as long as 24 hours.
Mycar : Do you have any further questions?
You : I... don't think so. Hopefully everything is worked out. Thank you Mycar.
Mycar : You are welcome. Thank you for chatting with SIMPLE Mobile. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact one of our customer care representatives at 1-877-878-7908. For your convenience, our representatives are available Monday-Sunday from 8:00 AM to 11:45 PM EST.

SimpleMobile: Hi! How may I help you today?
Thank you for contacting SimpleMobile. Our hours of operation are Monday-Sunday 8am to 11:45pm. If you receive this message during normal operation hours, our chat agents are helping other customers. Your position is 2 in the queue. Your wait time will be approximately 2 minute(s).
You: Hello. How are you? This is in reference to an early chat - reference # 743191300417640319.
You: Pursuant to that chat, I was supposed to receive 10GB of data. I don't appear to have received that yet.
Eduardo: Hi Justin.
Eduardo: Thank you for visiting SIMPLE Mobile.
Eduardo: I am very good. Thank you.
Eduardo: I am sorry to hear that.
Eduardo: Let me pull up your account.
Eduardo: Do you have any ticket or interaction number?
You: Hmm. The chat reference number above ( 743191300417640319) is all I have.
Eduardo: I can find that the correct information was provided but I cannot find any ticket to replace your data.
You: hmm!
Eduardo: Okay.
You: Yeah, reading through the chat transcript, there was no reference to a ticket number
You: (I imagine that you also have the chat transcript?)
Eduardo: No, I do not have access to that information.
You: Ahh, well I can forward it to you?
You: When you look up the reference number, what are you able to glean?
Eduardo: Yes, you can.
Eduardo: We do not have any valid reason to replace your data. You already reach your data limit.
You: To what address shall I forward it?
Eduardo: We do not have an address to do it.
You: Something apparently went wrong applying the "Holidata" promotion, so Mycar (whom I chatted with earlier) said that he was going to apply 10GB to my account.
You: Let me ask this: what's the purpose of a reference number if you can't reference anything with it?
Eduardo: It did not work because you used a service card PIN to activate the SIM card.
Eduardo: The promotion is valid only if you use the website to activate the SIM card. You have to use a credit/debit card to buy service.
Eduardo: That is the reason that you did not get double data.
Eduardo: That is not a reference number. It is the chat ID.
Eduardo: You get a ticket or interaction number if we replace service.
You: I see.
You: OK, so:
You: 1) I'm not talking about the "double data" promotion, but the "holidata" promotion.
Eduardo: I understand.
You: 2) How was I supposed to know that I needed to use the website rather than a credit/debit card?
Eduardo: You can see that information on the website.
You: 3) Why did Mycar say that he was applying 10GB to my account? What happened with that?
You: 4) What do I do now?
You: Can you show me where on the website it says that?
Eduardo: I cannot check that information. I cannot tell you what happened with that.
Eduardo: You cannot get the service from that promotion. You cannot do anything else.
Eduardo: Yes, I can.
Eduardo: You can follow this link https://www.simplemobile.com/wps/portal/home/!ut/p/a1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOJdDLx8jQMdPYyCPMxNDTwDPJyD3c39DPzdjPTD9aPwKTExMMevAGQGRIEBDuBooB-cmqdfkJ0dZOGoqAgABUB_gQ!!/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/.
You: This appears to be the page describing the plans. Where does it say that the holidata promotion does not apply to re-upping via credit card?
Eduardo: Bottom left part of the advertisement.
You: I... still don't see it. I'm searching the page and not finding it. Can you tell me what the text is so that I can CTRL-F it?
Eduardo: Yes, I can.
Eduardo: New line activations only. Must activate before 01/31/2017. You have the option "Sign up - Click here" and you will get the option to buy airtime by using a credit/debit card.
You: 1) That text does not appear on the page to which you linked me.
You: 2) If it is "new line activations only," why did Simple sent me an SMS message saying that I qualified?
Eduardo: I used that link to copy that information.
Eduardo: It is an automatic system that send promotion to all the phone numbers. You have to check if the promotion apply to your phone.
You: Did the SMS message tell me that?
You: Did the website linked from the SMS message tell me that?
Eduardo: Let me check.
Eduardo: Can you send me the information from that text message?
You: The message reads: "SURPRISE! We gave you 10GB BONUS HOLIDATA! It's like regular data, but sparkly. Enjoy for up to a year! Learn more http://hh.sm-ee.co STOP to End"
Eduardo: Okay.
You: Eduardo, do you think that this is like regular data, but sparkly?
You: I don't feel particularly sparkly.
Eduardo: I am sorry to hear that.
Eduardo: That is not a link to our website.
Eduardo: Yes, I do.
You: You do what?
Eduardo: You asked "do you think that this is like regular data, but sparkly?". May I have the phone number that is coming from?
You: oh I see.
You: Well I am interested in some of that sparkle then.
You: 845.633.0484
Eduardo: I am glad to hear that. Unfortunately, we did not sent you that promotion.
Eduardo: We have a promotion to get double data but the one from the text that you sent me, is not on our records. The link that you have on the text is not a link to visit our website.
Eduardo: If you use the link that I gave you, you will not find any "Holidata promotion".
You: It came from 61782. To my phone. With my Simple Mobile SIM card. Just so I understand: you are denying that Simple sent me this text? And that there was a "holidata" promotion? Do I have that right?
Eduardo: I understand.
Eduardo: Yes, that is correct.
You: Dude... come on. This is like a bizzaro reality right now. What can I do to prove that Simple sent me this text?
Eduardo: You cannot do it. If you follow the link that I sent you, you will not be able to find that promotion.
Eduardo: I though your were talking about the promotion to get double data.
You: Have you followed the link from my SMS?
Eduardo: No, I cannot do it.
You: Eduardo, did you see at the beginning of this conversation where I specifically said that I was talking about "holidata" and not "double data?"
You: You cannot follow the link?
You: I don't want to be mean here, but this is really out of hand.
Eduardo: Yes, I did.
Eduardo: No, I cannot do it.
You: Why?
Eduardo: I am sorry to hear that.
Eduardo: I do not have access to any other website.
You: So, just to be clear: you cannot access a website URL from a shortener sent out by your own SMS service?
You: Every SMS that Simple sends out uses a shortener and not the full domain. You can't access those?
Eduardo: That is correct.
Eduardo: No, it is not working.
Eduardo: I cannot open that link.
You: Can you escalate this to a manager who can open that link?
You: Or who can open my conversation from earlier, with Mycar?
Eduardo: No, I cannot. The link goes to "http://extras.simplemobile.com/en/holidata-surprise".
Eduardo: It is not our website.
You: ...? The domain is simplemobile.com
Eduardo: Only the persona of quality assurance can do it.
Eduardo: No, the domain is extras.simplemobile.com. It is not the same.
You: Eduardo, this is getting stranger and stranger. Are you saying that simple does not control the subdomain "extras.simplemobile.com" ? That it is used by some other entity?
Eduardo: That is correct. It is not the same domain.
You: So, to get this straight: Simple has a subdomain, "extras." And a shortcode, 61782. But other entities can use these resources in order to scam simple customers?
You: Is that what you're saying here?
Eduardo: Let me check.
Eduardo: No, SIMPLE Mobile does not have a subdomain alled "Extras". I cannot find any records about that shortcode and I do not know if another entities can use those resources.
You: Eduardo... you just linked to the "extras" subdomain above.
Eduardo: I tried to follow the link above.
Eduardo: Unfortunately, I do not have access to that domain.
Eduardo: It means that is not a part of the website of SIMPLE Mobile.
Eduardo: I do not have access to any other website apart of the one from SIMPLE Mobile.
Eduardo: You do not have restrictions to use your browser. You computer will display the information about that link.
Eduardo: Unfortunately, I cannot do it.
You: Eduardo, I cannot imagine that Simple Mobile has a subdomain but that it's not part of the company property. That simply does not add up. It may be that your network is improperly configured, but of course extras.simplemobile.com is a Simple Mobile property. The suggestion that it isn't is absolutely absurd.
You: But it's also irrelevant - we need a manager to step in.
You: So what do we have to do to escalate this?
Eduardo: I am sorry to hear that.
Eduardo: I can transfer the chat session to my manager.
You: OK.
You: Thank you.
Eduardo: You are welcome.
Eduardo: Give me a few minutes to do it.
Eduardo: She is ready to take the chat session. I will transfer the chat right now.
Eduardo has left the chat
You are being transferred, please hold...
Agent Susana enters chat
Susana: Hi Justin.
Susana: I am Susana, the Supervisor.
You: Hello Susana. How are you?
Susana: Fine and you?
You: I am OK. Camping in a National Forest, which is cool.
Susana: Please allow me one moment while I review the information that you have provided us through this chat.
You: However, I've been chatting for a good part of the day with Simple mobile folk, to no avail.
Susana: Sorry for the inconvenience.
You: OK. It probably makes sense to start with my earlier chat with Mycar (reference number 743191300417640319)
Susana: The promotion is valid only if you use the website to activate the SIM card. You have to use a credit/debit card to buy service.
Susana: Is there something that I can assist you with?
You: A few questions:
You: 1) Why did Mycar say that he was applying 10GB to my account? What happened with that?
You: 2) How was I supposed to know that I needed to use the website or that it applied only to activations? It doesn't say that in the SMS I received or in the website linked.
You: 3) Why did Eduardo say that "extras.simplemobile.com" does not belong to Simple Mobile? Can you verify that it does and that I did in fact receive the SMS about the "holidata" promotion?
Susana: I cannot advise why Mycar provided you that information.
Susana: Where did you obtain this promotion?¡
You: Susana, have you read the chat transcripts from my conversations with Mycar and Eduardo?
Susana: Yes, I have read the information that you provided to Eduardo.
You: But not Mycar?
You: If you have read either conversation, you can see that I pasted a SMS message that I received from Simple Mobile which linked me to the promotion.
Susana: That is correct.
You: Can you please also read my conversation with Mycar, reference 743191300417640319?
Susana: The promotion of the 10GB Bonus Data is only applicable for new lines activations.
You: Then why did Simple Mobile send me an SMS message saying that I qualified for it?
Susana: The Bonus Data promotion expired on December 31, 2016.0
You: Simple Mobile sent me the SMS message on January 12.
Susana: Bear with me a moment while I check on this for you.
You: sounds good.
Susana: I have verified the information on our system, the last promotion that we are offering is the "Simple Mobile - Double the Data Promo" and this promotion only applies to new activations including port requests.
Susana: If you received the message, it is to notify you that if you activate a new line with us you can apply this promotion.
You: Why didn't the message, or the linked website, make any mention of the "new line" requirement?
You: Can you explain how I was supposed to know that this was for new lines only?
Susana: Can you please provide me the complete link that you received?
You: It is in the chat transcript with either Mycar or Eduardo.
You: Please note that Eduardo claimed that "extras.simplemobile.com" was not a part of the Simple Mobile property. Can you clarify whether or not Simple Mobile operates extras.simplemobile.com ?
Susana: Do you have the complete link?
You: Can you follow the link from the chat above?
Susana: It is not a valid address. }
Susana: Do you have the complete link?
You: I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. The URL in the SMS is "http://hh.sm-ee.co" - in what way is this invalid?
You: Susana: Can you please clarify whether "extras.simplemobile.com" is a Simple Mobile property?
Susana: I am looking for that information.
Susana: The address provided is not a valid address.
You: In what way? What part of it is invalid?
Susana: It is not recognized by our system.
Susana: The only available promotion at this time is the "Simple Mobile - Double the Data Promo" and this promotion only applies to new activations including port requests.
Susana: Is there something that I can assist you with?
You: Susana, I am unable to correct the configuration errors in your system. However, you can see from a "whois" query that sm-ee.co is indeed a valid domain and that its contact, dnsbilling@tracfone.com / Pablo Fernandez, is the same information as is listed for simplemobile.com.
You: Susana: tell me this: what did I need to do in order to obtain this promotion? Where did I go wrong? I followed the instructions from the SMS and the website. Where do you think I went astray?
Susana: You can go at www.simplemobile.com
You: Are you still looking into whether "extras.simplemobile.com" is a Simple Mobile property?
You: Can you also clarify whether sm-ee.co is a Simple Mobile property?
Susana: You can you to: https://www.simplemobile.com
You: OK...? Then what?
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Thank you for contacting SimpleMobile. Our hours of operation are Monday-Sunday 8am to 11:45pm. If you receive this message during normal operation hours, our chat agents are helping other customers. You may wait for the next available agent, or try again later.