Charged for Equipment

[c_wernli]

I signed up for the home internet service last year thinking it would save me some money. After looking through the paperwork, I realized I had misunderstood the salesman and wasn't going to save any money. I canceled the service and Verizon mailed me a package to send back the modem a week later. The problem is the package had a box and then a quarter of a piece of paper that had been ripped (I'm assuming the missing 3/4 had the shipping label). I called Verizon back and the customer support rep told me that they were mailing me another package. About a month later I got a bill in the mail for $206 for the missing equipment. I called Verizon and told them I was still waiting for the package to return the equipment. The support rep told me that they didn't have a record of another package being sent but that he would send me another one. He also confirmed that the charge would be removed once they received the package.

I received the package, boxed up the modem, and dropped the package off at the UPS store. I put the receipt in my car. A week later I received another bill but since I had just sent in the package I figured they just hadn't received it yet. A month later I got another bill with a notice that I would get sent to collections soon. I called Verizon and the support rep said they never received the package. I tried to find the receipt in my car but after searching for 10 minutes I couldn't find anything. I got back online and told the rep how frustrated I've been with the whole experience and she said that she found the package and created a ticket to link it to my account which was a huge relief. She said it would take about a week but the charge would be removed from my account and I wouldn't have to worry about it.  She gave me the ticket number for reference (which was *****). 

A month later I got an email from Verizon saying that they sent my account to collections. I thought it must have been a mistake so I called Verizon and asked if there were any charges on my account. The rep said I owed $206! I then gave them the ticket number. The rep pulled it up and then apologized saying that I didn't owe anything and that he would fix my account. After several minutes he said that on Verizon's end, I don't owe anything but since my account was sent to collections I would need to talk to a different department. He transferred me to another department where the rep told me once again that I didn't owe anything on Verizon's end but since I was sent to collections I would need to talk to them to get it resolved and she transferred me to the collections agency. I spoke to them and I explained what had happened but they said that since I didn't have any proof the charge wouldn't be removed. I explained I had a ticket number from Verizon that proved I didn't owe anything. However, since they don't have access to Verizon's tickets they had no way of verifying that. They said I could dispute the charge and they would take it to Verizon which I said I wanted to do (since Verizon said I didn't owe anything then they should come back and say I don't owe anything). A month went by and well, I was wrong and Verizon came back and said I STILL owe $206! I've tried calling Verizon but since my account is in collections they will not talk to me and the collections agency can't look up the ticket so there's nothing I can do.  This has been the worst experience I've ever had with a business. If you do send back a package make sure you keep the tracking number. If you don't, Verizon will not help you (even if they tell you they found your package) and you will have to pay for it or get sent to collections. Definitely never working with Verizon ever again.

[vzw_customer_support]

c_wernli

We're so sorry about the issues you've had with that return, the bill, and the account sent to collections. These things shouldn't definitely not happened once the return was processed, and we're goingt o do everything we can to resolve this. Please be on the lookout for a Private Message so we can better help.

~Jesse

[ganesaa]

This same thing happened to me.  I turned the equipment over to the UPS store on time and Verizon said they never received it.  UPS cannot provide confirmation.  I called Verizon and thought the matter was resolved in September 2024.  Afterwards, they sent no notifications for me (Verizon confirmed paper was sent to the wrong address and their emails and texts did not go through).  I do not know what UPS did with the equipment and the balance is resolved, but they still reported me to collections and severely damaged my almost perfect credit for no reason.  I was told repreatedly by Verizon reps it would get fixed and it was their mistake and would take it off my credit, now they won't.  I have no balance with them, never missed payments as a customer, and returned the equipment and for that Verizon hurt my finances needlessly.  I hope this will get fixed, it is really problematic that people can be good customers for years and this is how Verizon treats them.

[vzw_customer_support]

We're so sorry to read about your experience with your device return, ganesaa. We'll be sending a Private Message to best assist. 

~Izzy

[Cwise4]

This is unbelievable. I'm currently in just about this same situation and not a single person has helped me out. It took so many days and so many reps only to be told that although my tracking number says it was received in their warehouse, the box they got was 10lbs so it couldn't possibly have been the modem I returned and that I now need to call FedEx and file a complaint with them. In the meantime, in order to keep my service active, I must pay the equipment charge and all late fees and other discounts that were removed while I handle things with FedEx. I used their packaged and their label so everything regarding the shipment and package was paid for by Verizon themselves. And yet I was told that it was my problem and cold transferred to FedEx when the Verizon rep put me on hold. This is also the SECOND time they have made a mistake regarding equipment as the first box we got, another very long issue where the rep who helped us get set up for service opened multiple accounts for us so we had 2 modems delivered, was received by them and yet they still sent a bill to collections staying we owe them for the equipment. That was a year ago and the first time sign we should have left. While they did eventually remove the charge from my account because I went in to a local store they did nothing about the collections account. Verizon has given us the worst experience I have ever had with a company. Both their actual service and their customer service have been horrible. Not a single person has ever followed through on the things they were supposed to do, they hurt mine and my husband's credit score badly for to their mistake, have wasted countless hours of my time waiting on customer service, were the cause of a lot of missed work meetings, and now have me scrambling around on a Sunday to find someone who will give me service right away because I've had enough of this absolute nonsense of the way they do business. Never onxe were we contacted by any type of supervisor or anyone to offer apologies or direct help with our issues and I will never suggest Verizon or their services and instead I'll actively deter others from using them. 

[vzw_customer_support]

Hey Cwisr4, sorry to hear you are having ongoing issues with a return and not getting the assistance you need. We will send you a private message so we can make sure your time is valued.

-Toni

[vzw_customer_support]

We are still with you, and wanted to see if you still needed assistance. If so, please let us know, we would love to help. 

~Pam