Can't tell if emails to executives went through

[OBXKoastie]

I have tried emailing my complaint to various customer service executives with Verizon using this website.  It is impossible to tell if the emails ever went through. I sent it first to John Bianchi and then several otehr executives that prove a means of contact under their profiles.

So I am going to post it here and see if I get any response.

John,

First let me say I have been a loyal Verizon Wireless customer for over twenty years.  During that entire time I have never had an issue or problem with the service.  I have always paid my bills on time and appreciated the service Verizon provided.  As an ACE employee I also benefited from the substantial discount in my monthly statement.

During the July 4th week I was at our beach house in North Carolina and my Samsung flip phone finally died after at least six years. I called the store to see if they had any phones comparable to my flip phone and the person who answered said they did and the price would be about $49.

I went to the store in Kill Devil Hills. When I went in I was met by S?????.  I told her I was there because my old phone had "died" and I need a replacement phone.  I told her the lady I spoke with said it would cost about $49.00, which I was ready to pay.  S?????? told me that I didn't have to pay for the phone they would just extend my contract which was fine with me.  She filled out some forms, took my old phone and had the data transferred, advised me the charge would be $14.00 for taxes.  I signed the contract without reading it thoroughly which was the beginning of my problems.

When I got my first bill, there was a $9.99 equipment charge.  Since I was not aware that the contract included this charge I disputed it and the gentleman who took my call (I know your electronic files have his name) was very nice but it still took me over 45 minutes to get the $9.99 charge removed.  He told me he would submit the paperwork to make sure it was permanently removed.

When I got my next bill it had been removed from the previous month but there it was again.  I called and spoke with Jasmin on 9/22.  Another 50 minutes wasted and she finally agreed to remove the equipment charge and would make sure it did not appear again.  I paid the $39.05 I had paid previously with the charge removed.

When I got my invoice for this month, they deducted $5.35, removed my military discount, billed me for the equipment plus $4.64 they say I owed from the previous bill. 

I immediately called on 9/26 and spoke with Tom.  He was nice and after over 35 minutes he informed me that there was nothing he could do and would escalate the issue on an expedited form to Corporate Customer Service.  He asked me to give about an hour for them to receive it and review it.  I called the new 800 number he gave me in about an hour and a half.  I spoke first with Barbara who I could barely understand.  When I asked to speak to her supervisor she transferred me to Athena.  Another hour of my time wasted but Athena told me there was nothing she could do because I"I signed the contract." She promised to escalate the problem higher and that I would get a call in "24 - 48 hours."  I told her that was Saturday and Sunday and I did not answer calls on Sunday.

Saturday, Tanya left a VM on my phone.  Since I did not have my phone with me, I returned her call on Monday.  She called Monday morning and left another VM.  I told her to call back anytime and she chose dinner time.  After another 35 minutes with Tanya I told her she had two options, she could either permanently remove the $9.99 equipment charge that two Verizon employees promised they would do and I would continue to pay for the service or she could provide me with the amount it would cost to buy out my Verizon contract and I would pay that amount and find another carrier.

I find it egregious that your company not only scams a long-time customer by not explaining he will be paying 199.99 for a phone he could buy on Ebay for less than $25.00, a phone that three months after purchase is worth $1.00 on the Verizon website, and then refuses to make any effort to resolve the issue.  It would appear that all your CS reps are taught to say is "You signed the contract and did not cancel it in 14 days."  I had every expectation that the person who sold me the phone was providing what I requested, a new inexpensive flip phone at little or no charge based on extending my contract.  She never told me that my contract could not be extended, that the phone would end up costing me $199.99, etc.

Your employee Tanya has yet to provide me with the buyout amount she quoted ($184.46) in writing so I can take it to the store in Kill Devil Hills.

Unless I receive a response to this email by 1600 EDT Thursday 10/2 that the equipment charge has been permanently deleted and that my current bill has been amended to reflect that, I have no problem buying out my contract and going with a carrier that does not treat long term customers the way Verizon Wireless does.

If you believe as do your many customer service reps that it is more important to enforce the contract to the letter as opposed to accepting the customers word that he would have never signed a contract had he been told he would be paying a monthly equipment charge I need to know as quickly as possible.  Also please have Tanya send me the buy-out amount as she promised she would..

Do any of the Verizon Employees that I dealt with recognize that as soon as they take a purely business matter and make it personal with the customer that the corporation loses.  In this case, with the roughly $40 in service and fees Verizon would be receiving for the next seventeen months and with almost 100% certainty continue beyond that Verizon will lose at the very bare minimum $680 and the most they can hope to receive is the buyout amount.  As someone who worked for insurance companies for over thirty-seven years you have not only lost an almost assured revenue stream, but much more importantly, you have gained a strong advocate against Verizon.

I am, hoping that you can turn this matter around.  if not, please make sure that Tanya gives me the buyout amount so I can cancel my relationship with Verizon Wireless.

OBXKoastie, CAPT USCG (Ret)

[acraftylady]

My self I never sign a contract with out reading it before I leave the store. In all my years on Verizon never had trouble getting a new phone and renewing my contract and I have to wonder why so many people do. You can figure out the ETF yourself as it's been posted many times in the forums if you search. Mary

Smart phone

$350-$10 per month completed

Basic phone

$175-$5 per month completed.

[rulethedroid]

It sounds like you are on an Edge plan, which spreads the full retail cost of the device into 20 monthly payments.  If so, then you're not under a new 2 year contract for service, just a contract to pay for the device in installments.  You probably could have gotten the phone for free if you signed a new 2 year agreement.  You should really log into MyVerizon online and see what plan you're on and report back.

[acraftylady]

I can't see buying a $49 phone on the edge plan either. My husband got a new basic phone with a keyboard for $49 but he signed a new 2yr contract and paid $49 for it on the spot. Mary

[vzw_customer_support]

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ArnettH_VZW
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