Delete bill from deactivated account

[DmitriySushkov]

Hi!

I placed an order for a SIM card from Verizon with a retail price of $0.00 and a one-time activation fee of $35 on September 28th, 2023.

Since the moment I put a SIM card into my smartphone I had a problem – it didn’t work at all because of technical issues. I used my wife's smartphone to call the Verizon call center several times from the moment I received my SIM card by mail until all technical issues were solved on October 10th, 2023. So, my SIM card was activated only on October 10th, 2023.

It means that from September 28th, 2023 to October 10th, 2023 I had no opportunity to use Verizon service and should not be obligated to pay something for it.

After activation of my SIM card on October 10th, 2023 I realized that the signal of a mobile connection was bad in my area which is why I decided to switch Verizon to MINT immediately. I called the Verizon call center, explained my situation, found out information about the return process of the SIM card, and switched Verizon to MINT on October 12th, 2023.

According to the Verizon Return Policy (https://www.verizon.com/support/return-policy/) I should not pay an activation fee or some extra fees if I terminate service within three days of activation. I complied with all requirements of the Verizon Return Policy – there were three business days between October 10th, 2023 and October 12th, 2023.

The main problem is that my account ending 3477-00001 was closed on October 12th, 2023 but the bill with a monthly charge of $65.84 remained active and I did not even know about it.

In the process of transferring my mobile number from Verizon to MINT, the Verizon call center assistant told me that I do not need to pay something because:

1. I did not use incoming or outgoing calls after my SIM card activation on October 10th, 2023 till its deactivation on October 12th, 2023.
2. I did not use a mobile internet connection during that time.
3. I terminated service within three days of activation according to the requirements of the Verizon Return Policy.  
4. I returned my SIM card by mail within 30 days with the return label which was sent to me by e-mail.

Moreover, after my account deactivation, I stopped receiving any bills or reminders in my mail or e-mail from Verizon about the necessity to pay something for it. The sum of $65.84 was a single bill that I received in my e-mail after my account deactivation, and I want to draw your attention that I confirmed by a call to the Verizon call center that I do not need to pay it according to the Verizon Return Policy.

In March 2024 I got the information from Experian that Verizon sent the unpaid bill in my name which affected negatively my credit score. Also, they told me that the record with this bill can stay on my credit report for 7 years.

After that, I reached the Verizon call center again on March 21st, 2024, and had a long call with one of its assistants. They connected to my deactivated account with my PIN, found out all the details about this situation, and escalated this issue to the Verizon billing team. They also told me that it was an incorrect process of account deactivation and the bill would be removed from the Verizon system manually. The Verizon call center assistant put all the details about this issue in the notes into my deactivated account according to their words.

I tried to convince the Verizon call center assistant to send a report about this mistake to Experian to remove a non-existent unpaid bill from my credit report records, but they said that they had no opportunity to do that because my account was already deactivated. They also advised me to call back the Verizon call center after April 15th, 2024 to find out the last status of the escalation process, but a new Verizon call center assistant said that they have no access to my deactivated account anymore and cannot see notes that were added by previous assistant. 

In this situation, I ask Verizon for an investigation of this situation and require to send an explanation of it to Experian. I also wish to get a copy of this letter to my mail address which I am ready to provide in a private message or call. Otherwise, Experian will not correct my credit report, and I will not be able to get credit cards in banks for 7 years because of someone’s mistake in Verizon.  

Looking forward to seeing an answer with the results of the investigation or getting help from someone who knows the details of my situation.

Best regards,

Dmitriy

[vzw_customer_support]

Hello DmitriySushkov. In regard to your request to have Verizon remove the derogatory collection, The Fair Credit Reporting Act promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies (CRAS). By law, Verizon Wireless is required to report accurate information only. We cannot remove a valid debt from a credit report at the request of a consumer. Unfortunately we do not have access to written off accounts and would be unable to access the account. If you have a letter from the collection agency that last had your account, we would recommend for you to contact them. ~Ivone

[DmitriySushkov]

Hello, 

the thing is that this information was not accurate or fair. During my call on 21st of March 2024 I got information from your call center assistant, which connected to my deleted account using my PIN, and said that this bill wasn't deleted properly during deactivating process. She added notes to this account and said, that I should call after 04/15 to get the confirmation, that my bill was deleted from your system. How can I solve this problem with Experian, if your system has this bill in it?  I refunded your SIM without using it and completed all requirements of your return policy to avoid paying any fees and bills and Verizon ruined my credit score for no reason. Is it legal?  Please investigate this case and please update me with the status of this bill!

Best regards,

Dmitriy Sushkov

[Sunnysoso]

What is CRAS? I haven't heard anything about the CRAS before.

How do they say to promote fairness? And what else does the CRAS promote? Thanks for enlightening me.