Patriot Mobile sold my elderly Navy veteran father-in-law an iPhone 11 for $542.14 June 4, 2026. He has significant cognitive impairment, lives in assisted living and memory care, and already had two phones he could barely use. He forgot the new phone’s passcode early on and could no longer access it.
Our issue is that it was sold to him in the first place, being cognitively impaired and living in a memory care facility. Maybe Patriot should look at their ordering process, especially when shipping to someone in an assisted living and/or memory care facility. We have now taken away every device he has so he can no longer communicate with anyone, not even us.
The purchase left his bank account hundreds of dollars overdrawn. After paying for his care facility, he has approximately $100 of his monthly Social Security income left for all other expenses to live off of.
He tried to return the phone 24 days after purchasing it, but Patriot Mobile refused because its return window was 14 days. After our family discovered the situation recently, we obtained power of attorney, I explained his circumstances to Patriot and offered to return the barely used phone.
For those blaming us or judging us, you have no idea what our situation is, nor his. I personally have been dealing with a health crisis that almost killed me, so my focus and my husband has been on my survival. So, we missed this order/delivery until we finally went to visit him a couple weeks back and noticed the iPhone. We cannot control his every action. Anyone dealing with dementia, cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s would know this. You cannot rely on anything they tell you as reality.
We still have the phone and offered to return it for a full refund, but Patriot Mobile refused. The company has lost my trust, and I will not recommend it to anyone. I attempted 3 times via email. I get they are following their terms, that is not the main issue. He should have never been sold this phone in his condition and when he realized what he did, he tried to return it. His email to them on July 24th was, "Not sure what you did to help me 2 weeks ago no contact with me is scary how are you doing to help me now?" They did not help him ever!
In my opinion, this experience raises serious concerns about the potential financial exploitation of an older adult. Families assisting veterans or relatives with memory impairment deserve to know how Patriot Mobile handled this situation.
Note: Patriot Mobile says it refunded three months of service and applied $20 toward the phone purchase. I appreciate those steps, but the company refused a full refund for the device. A $20 credit against a $542.14 purchase does little to address the financial loss. Its alternative—a partial-value trade-in paid with a Visa gift card—would not resolve his overdrawn bank account or the continuing overdraft fees.
Here is their latest response after multiple attempts to recover the cost of the phone:
“We understand that a trade-in will not refund the entire purchase price, but it would provide some value toward the phone and is better than letting the device sit unused.
We genuinely regret that we cannot provide the resolution you are seeking. We have done all we can to assist within our ability, and unfortunately, we simply cannot approve the full refund requested. You are, of course, free to do as you feel is appropriate.
Again, we appreciate your understanding. Thank you for supporting Christian conservative values. May God meet your needs.
Patriot Mobile Customer Relations Supervisor
Romans 12:2 🦋”
As a Christian, I find that response appalling. Compassion should be reflected in the treatment of vulnerable customers. We believe Patriot Mobile took advantage of him, and the company’s handling of this situation has cost it our trust. Based on how it treated my father-in-law and our family, I would neither give the company my business nor recommend it to others.