Joseph Cox from 404 Media jumped at the opportunity to pre-order the device. He paid the $100 down payment and received a confirmation email. But the process stopped there. No shipping address was collected, and he wasn’t prompted to pay the remaining $499 balance.

Trying to fix the issue, Cox logged into the Trump Mobile website to update his information. Instead, he was hit with password reset errors and locked out of his account.

“It is the worst experience I’ve ever faced buying a consumer electronic product,” Cox wrote. “I have no idea whether or how I’ll receive the phone.”

Priced at $47.45 per month with a Trump Mobile plan, the phone raised eyebrows even before Cox’s ordeal. Many questioned whether the device’s components were genuinely American-made. Others expressed concern about the data security of a politically branded device.

Social media users quickly reacted. One Redditor joked, “Got scammed by the president? Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?” Another advised, “At least use a credit card so you’re protected.”

Security experts also voiced worries. Some speculated that user data on the Trump Phone might be monitored or mishandled, though no proof has emerged yet.