This is now the second time I've had issues with the Verizon Wireless Trade - In program. Last year when I upgrades four iPhone 6S's for 4 iPhone 7 Plus two of the refunds got "lost" and it took over 6 months to get resolved. Now this year it's even worse. Verizon is now making all users switch to the pay per month plan for your phone, which I don't really have an issue with. The issue is when they talk you into buying the newest iPhone X and than rip you off on the trade in. In November of this year I decided to upgrade two of the 7S Plus to the iPhone X. I have paid off 50% of the phones and they asked if I wanted to upgrade for no cost, the trade in would cover the difference. I ordered the new phones and waited for them to arrive. As soon as they came I activated them per the instructions and packaged up the old iPhone 7 Plus per the instructions. When I sent the old phones in they where perfectly fine working condition with no damage. I placed them in their flimsy boxes and mailed them off to Verizon. Three weeks later I received an email that one of the phone was not accepted due to damage and that they are sending back to me. I'm now responsible for the remaining 50% that's owed on the phone. I got the "damaged" phone back at the end of the week and it had a sticker on it highlighting the "damage" a microscopic chip out of the corner of the screen. The phone worked fine but had very minor damage.
I know that the damage was not present when I mailed it off and called customer service back and said that the damage must of happened in transit or at your facility, as it wasn't like that when I mailed it off. Their response was to take it up with the carrier or pay to get the phone fixed and mail it back. I asked that they take it up with the carrier to get their money back since the phone was mailed in their packaging that they paid for. That was not an option. After speaking with two different CSR reps they basically said sorry pay for the phone or pay to get it fixed.
However, since the damage was so minor we decided to keep the iPhone 7S and return the iPhone X this way we wouldn't be stuck with two phone bills. When I called CSR for the 3rd time they informed me that since it's past the 14 day return policy they can't accept the iPhone X. I wasn't told about the damage until 3 weeks after I purchased. There has to be a period between a phone activation and review. There's a major incentive for Verizon to wait the 14 days to tell a customer their trade in isn't accepted and than tell them they have to paid it off themselves. I returned the phones the same day the new ones came, it's not my fault it took them longer than 14 day to review the phone and tell me it wasn't accepted. It seems like a huge scam...
It seems like a major bait and switch and a ploy to steal even more money. I'm very unhappy with my experience so far and may consider switching carriers. I can't believe as a company Verizon has little to offer in terms of servicing their customers.
Has anyone else had issues like this and what are my options?
