5 Phone Carriers To Avoid At All Costs, According To Consumer Reports

Having a cell phone is a necessity in the modern era. They do far more than simply make phone calls. From content creation to reporting, even the most basic smartphone can function as an all-in-one device for your life. As technology advances, the smartphones in our pockets are getting better and more budget-friendly. But what many people don't always take into account is the carrier that they end up choosing. Not all of them are the same, and you could end up with a futuristic Phantom Ultimate G Fold phone that feels anything but thanks to a poor carrier. Thankfully, Consumer Reports has put together a list where they highlighted some of the worst carriers based on data collected.

We have also researched a plethora of complaints from customers regarding the companies on this list to see what users are actually saying on discussion boards, across social media, and through various consumer review websites. You might be surprised at what companies were tagged as the worst. Some are major corporations that have a history of issues, while some others are lesser-known carriers that you may have never heard of before.

AT&T is no stranger to issues, with many customers being eligible to receive checks for thousands of dollars due to a data breach incident that took place back in 2019.  The company also holds the distinction of becoming a monopoly in the marketplace twice in its lifetime. The corporation was split up by the federal government, only to regain most of the companies that it was broken up into.

The company might be bigger than ever, but recently, they have noted having an issue with customers ending their AT&T phone service, seeing a 17-point year-over-year loss in subscribers. This loss might have something to do with the company instituting recent price hikes of $10 for single plans and $20 for those with multiple lines. Customers dropping the service also comes after AT&T removed autopay discounts, all while recording record profits. 

But the real issues are with authorized AT&T dealers that many claim are engaging in misleading sales tactics, prioritizing commissions, secretly adding services not agreed upon, and straight-up fraud. A lengthy Reddit thread is full of users with complaints about dealing with AT&T authorized dealers with dozens of examples of issues. It's no wonder that AT&T ranked dead last in Consumer Reports rankings.

Not much higher on Consumer Reports' list of carriers to avoid is Optimum. With over a thousand reviews on Trustpilot, Optimum users have a lot to say about the mobile carrier, but the consensus seems to be to avoid it at all costs. Customers explained that they saw prices change wildly multiple times over a several-year period. 

Others have noted how difficult it was to cancel their service and instead were pitched offers in order to force a sale. Some users have even been trying to cancel their Optimum service for over six months to no avail. And this isn't a problem exclusive to Trustpilot, as several Reddit threads exist citing how poor the Optimum service is, even giving advice on the best way to cancel a given plan. 

Many customers suggest that Optimum lures in customers with great deals as low as $15 a month for service and then makes it incredibly difficult to get out of a contract. They also allege that agents play games with customers and constantly switch them between representatives. You might save some money switching to Optimum, but it seems the customer service experience will be anything but.

Can you hear me now? Apparently, that is what many Verizon customers are saying, as the company seems to be bleeding subscribers in recent months, even as they continue to rake in massive profits. One of the major players in the mobile space, Verizon ranks pretty average with consumers in a lot of metrics, including customer support, reception, and data. 

But where the company really falls flat is in the value department. Consumer Reports has Verizon Wireless tied with AT&T as the two cellular carriers with the worst value as rated by users. And it seems that many Verizon customers are at a breaking point, as the company's 2025 Q1 earnings report shows that they had lost 289,000 monthly paid users. 

This all comes after various price hikes on phone service, including what one Redditor described as a "Verizon Fee" on his bill (Verizon calls it an admin fee), increasing it to $3.50 per voice line and $1.60 per data line on their plan. In a two-year period, Verizon levied a 70% price increase on its customers, leading to a class action lawsuit by those affected. But all those issues seemingly haven't deterred the company from increasing phone insurance costs by $8 in 2025.

A smartphone can oftentimes be a complicated piece of technology for a lot of people. But when you are left struggling to figure out not only your new phone, but what your carrier is doing as well, it can leave you feeling doubly annoyed. This is how many US Cellular subscribers may feel, with many stating that US Cellular support representatives are rude, unhelpful, and potentially deceitful. The company has been struggling for several years, seeing 38,000 phone customers leave in Q1 of 2025, and ranks very low in Consumer Reports.

Other customers have noted problems with promotions being declined even as US Cellular offered said promotions directly to them via texts to their number. Complaints to the Better Business Bureau show dozens of reports of all sorts of billing issues and various unauthorized charges. Customers claim that these problems only increased after the recent absorption of the company by T-Mobile, with many stating that, after the merger, their service has seen a downgrade, especially in more rural areas. 

Lively mobile is an interesting case. This mobile carrier run by Best Buy is tailored for seniors, with affordable plans starting at $14.99 a month and phones designed to be simple to use. The idea is a fantastic one, especially as someone who recently simplified my own parents' phones for ease of use. 

Unfortunately, a lot of customers have stated that the Lively service has been anything but easy or affordable. Instances of being billed after canceling service, problems with the online payment portal, and long wait times to reach customer support are far too common. The Jitterbug phones are exclusive to Lively and are designed to be simple and easy to use, but many cite quality issues, with many devices feeling cheap. 

Users who purchased a phone and plan for their aging parents noted that making a simple call or sending a text requires too many steps, making it more confusing for everyone. Certain models can see you clicking through four menus in order to reach the correct screen to make a phone call. Their popular Flip2 flip phone has tons of users saying it's a downgrade in quality from previous models from the company with all manner of technical issues. This could all explain why Lively has such a low ranking on Consumer Reports.

This article highlights the lowest rated phone carriers, as determined by Consumer Reports. The platform's experts collected data from members through a 2024 survey of over 75,000 responding members inside the United States who actively use these carriers or have recently left them. 

Consumer Reports achieved an Overall Satisfaction Score for carriers based on Value, Customer Support, Data Service, and Cellular Reception ratings from their members. For this article, we've also dug into various online platforms such as Reddit, Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, Complaints Board, and more, in order to help validate the claims made by Consumer Reports and their findings.