I returned a defective Pixel 4a5g to the Fort Worth, TX Return Center using the provided box and UPS call tag. I checked for delivery and it was confirmed on 08/08/23 that it had been received. I kept getting texts reminding me to return the device so I called Cust Svc on 08/15/23 and the agent confirmed receipt and assigned a Case # of ***** in case I had any more reminders.
It took until one day prior to my Auto-Pay to get another reminder so I used my VZW account to request a call-back. I got a call , from Juan, on Sat. 09/02/23 at 11:53am and initially based on my case # and checking my UPS Tracking #,#he said the phone had been. Then after about 20 minutes he said that "the box was empty". This call eventually took 1hr and 24min with Juan saying he would need to do some research, but would call me back. This being the Labor Day Weekend and being cynical about VZW calling back, Juan did indeed call back on Tues at 11:41am and basically said I need to pay for the phone that was not in the box. He said I needed to make a claim with UPS, fine but UPS says that the call tag was from VZW, not me, so they have to make the claim. BTW, Juan turned off the Auto-Pay as I have Overdraft Protection on my bank, and that would have seriously made things happen. He also said he would call back, I'm not holding my breath.
And the UPS Store, that I used to ship says that I am the fourth person in a month that has said the same thing has happened to them.
Well, for good or bad I've been with VZW for 33 years, I returned a phone that would not turn on and got too hot to hold if it was plugged into a charger. There was no SIM card in it and that MEID # is never going to show up anywhere because I RETURNED IT. Unless there is something that someone here has successfully done, I guess it's Small Claims Court but that means letting VZW take out close to $1000 out of my bank account, then file the court case, make VZW prove that the box was empty and then, if I win, VZW will probably give me a credit, not my cash.
As an aside, I have a Tello account that I use on an ex-VZW Pixel 3. I get Unlimited Text, Calls and Data all for $29 a month. I get unlimited data on a Hotspot and about 10 times the speed of my reduced Hotspot speed on VZW. After this fiasco I wonder why I have been loyal to one vendor for 33 years.
thanks for the consideration,
J.D.
