We have filed a formal complaint to the Better Business Bureau to get this matter Settled. This is the worst customer service experience I have ever had. This is a long post - but there have been many issues.
I cancelled my services with Verizon FIOS in June 2014. At that time we paid our early termination fee and our last bill.
After cancelling we saw online that we still had a balance (which was an error-but we assumed that we owed, so we paid it.)
We received a billing statement in July that said our account was overpaid. (Negative balance)
At this point we started calling 1800-VERIZON to figure out what the issue was.
After spending a week on the phone and speaking to multiple representatives we learned that when our account was closed it somehow got split into 2 different accounts. We were billed on one account but the payment got posted to the other account. So one account was negative and the other had a balance due. We were also told that we were improperly billed and they attempted to process a refund. (The representative said that “Verizon asks that you do not make any payments after you cancel your account”, great policy by the way, “don’t pay your bills… then we will send them to collections”)
After notifying the representative several times that the bank account number they have on file for the payment has been canceled (we just moved to an area where that branch does not have any locations) and that they would have to provide us the refund by some other means. After putting my wife on hold to process the payment refund the representative returned and proudly told us that they had reversed the payment and the amount should appear in the account they have on file within a few days, needless to say this caused us to spend extra time on the phone to straighten out the issue of our refund being processed to a closed account.
We were finally able to get them to send us a check. Afterwards we still had one account (which did not exist before we canceled our service) that had a “balance due”. The Verizon representative notified us that WE would have to contact Verizon’s billing department to straighten out the problem. This is an outrage! Verizon messed up their billing, not us, they are the ones that should have to deal with it, NOT their customers!!
We called 1800-Verizon again, then told the representative that answered that we needed to be connected to the billing department. The associate refused to transfer the call and insisted that they deal with it themselves. After having to explain all the issues we have been having to yet another representative, we were told that it would take some time to figure out what the problem was and that they would give us a call back in 48 hours. We waited almost 72 hours and did not receive a phone call from that representative (and we have yet to receive a call back about a month later). About 3 days after we were told they would call us back we received an automated phone call from Verizon telling us that our account was past due. It seems that Verizon had started the process of sending the illegitimate bill to collections, so we had to call yet again.
I called 1800-Verizon, when I reached the automated system, I pressed 0 thinking that this would bring me directly to a representative instead it took me to a menu that allowed me to contact billing directly.
I was connected to a representative with the billing department and requested to speak to a supervisor, the representative insisted on dealing with me directly.
I explained the problem to the billing representative. After about 30 minutes on the phone ironing out the issues – yet again – the representative said that he had forced the “overdue” account to a zero balance. Before hanging up I ask the representative “Both of those accounts are now settled?” He assured me that they were. I then asked “So I will not get billed again?” He said something to the effect of “you will probably receive a final bill that will show an account balance of $0.00 but you should not receive another request for payment.”
Today I received yet another bill from Verizon but it did not have a $0.00 balance. This is the second time Verizon has billed me after canceling services with their company. I am absolutely fed up with this company at this point. We have exhausted many hours of time, stress, and aggravation with this company that should not have been an issue in the first place.
Again, the BBB will now be handling our issue. We are also looking into lawyers if needed.
