Fees, Fees, and being expelled to the island of "Verizon Outcasts" by customer service

[bernie2369]

After many years of using Verizon as our cell phone company, and family, cell service provider  - I applied for a broadband service account with a 5 GB monthly limit.  After talking to a store representative in Madison, WI - I was told that I could try the service for 30 days and cancel if not satisfied.  My new computer had a built in modem and a rebate agreement with Verizon for broadband.  Verizon provided no product, only the usage 31 megabytes.

I did not use the service frequently enough to warrant the cost.  I attempted to cancel as explained by the store service rep.  To date, Verizon has cancelled the initial account and proceeded as follows: 1. cancelled broadband service 1 with a 150 termination fee, 2. Set up a second broadband service account that I had no knowledge of and Verizon has not cancelled to date despite a minimum of 5 customer service calls, 3. Credited our monthly payment to the phantom broadband account and subsequently suspended cell service, 4.  charged a reconnect fee for the 4 family phones despite explanation. 

After discussing the situation and resolving the problem per phone conversation, Verizon refused to provide a written copy of the termination of mobile broadband upon request.  When the bill arrived, it had the termination fee of $150 and a reconnection to broadband under a different phone number. 

To add confusion, Verizon billed the "Early Termination Fee" on the cell phone usage account bill.  In conversations with customer service, they could not "find" the fee.

Am I just an obstinate, ornery jerk?  Is this a problem only I encounter?  I am starting to feel that I should seek counseling or read the book, "How to Make Friends and Influence People".  Just so I feel less lonely on the island of Verizon outcasts akin to the "misfit toys" from the Christmas movie, if you have had similar problems, please commiserate so I feel like maybe I am not an all bad person destined to be cast in a "b grade movie" as the Verizon customer who never gets to leave the island.  Bernie

[khaney]

no, you are not the only one. I had the horrible experience today with Verizon. I have just bought  a new Storm 2 and it was getting hot when charging and turning its self off and getting forzen. They told me the other day, after trying evrything under the sun to do over the phone, to take it to the verizon store to get a new one. they told me turn it off as it might overheat and explode (great!). I went to the verizon store and of course the "experienced" kid told me he only needed to reprogram it. so he did and then he assured me it was fixed. and of ocurse it wasn't.... I called today to tell verizon what happened and got the biggest fing runaround you could possible get. First they told me they could send me an other phone but i would have to pay for it and then get reimburshed for it. told them no way.. why should i have to do that when they sent me a bad phone, so i told her to talk to a supervisor, 5 min later she comes back and says, ok she got it where I did'nt have to pay the fee for the phone but I would still have to pay the sales tax on it ans get it back After i sent phone in.. I said no.. I already paid everything for these phones why should i have to do it again... I asked again to speak with a supervisor... she came back and said there was nothing the supervisor could do to change the tax thing. I said fine.. what are you going to do for me. I was so upset at this time I wanted to see them actually show me someone cared.. I said after all i did call in the first time, go to the verizon store,was assured it was fixed then calling in to them today and was one the phone an hour with them, what were they willing to give me for all the problems with their bad phone.. so she went again back to the supervisor and came back saying the supervisor would give me a "courtesy $20" refund.  I asked how much was the taxes they wanted me to pay, she said $40 (sales taxes in ca is 8.75%, phone is $250 you do the math because they certainly can't).. I said i want that amount for a refund... she said she would talk again to the supervisor, she came back and said the supervisor was busy and she had to get another supervisor who would be glad to talk to me but se was not goign to change the $20 offer. I asked to speak with her. "rose Marie" was the worst supervisor I have every talked to.. she got on the phone and before I could explain my issues she asked why did i think they should give me more of a refund.. I explains all the issues i had and how i went to the verizon store and it took three hours etc.. I told her i had been on the phone today for an hour now andnothing got done. she made up one excuse after another, said they had to try all the troubleshooting before they send another phone etc.. I told her ya they did that a few days ago when i fist called. on this call all they told me was they were going to send out a new phone and I had been an hour on the phone.. no troubleshooting, just on hold most the time.. she was rude and would not listen. (tip for you Rose marie, sometimes listening is the best answer to everything, not making up escuses) so then finally I had enough she would not stop talking and said she wasn't going to do anything else for me.. so I asked to speak to the first lady i was talking to.. she said she was on another call and would have to call me back.. I said no get someone else, I was on the dang phone for an hour and she could,nt any one else. she said beverly would call me back.

they above doesn't really that horrible but believe me it really was.. I got in my car and went back to the verizon store waited 10min for someone to help me (while I watched the store manager wipedown the sign in computers and display phone, thinking gee couldn't he be helping some instead of doing that). any way I finally was helped by robert and I apoligized right away and told him I just got off phone with verizon after being on it an hour and was in a really bad mood and that i was probly going to be grumpy. he asked the problem took phone and got me a new one.. no questions asked,, I almost fricking died... service at last.. better late then never...Thanks Robert (palm desert verizon store)

after i got my phone all up and running, i find a voice mail from beverly ...... about 45 mins after I got off the phone with verizon she finally callled me back.. i just deleted the message didn't even listen to it. Verizon says on this website that if they can't fix it whle your on the phone with them they will send you another one AT NO CHARGE TO YOU!!!! maybe they shoudl tell beverly and rose marie because they do not know this.. I honestly hate calling customer service.. once in a blue moon you get someone great but most of the time you get a beverly or rose marie.. I wante dto chuck my phone in the river and had there been one near i would have.. and you know what the worst part of this is.. someone from will read this.. and won't do a **bleep** thing!!!!! welcome to verizon!

[#3]

I think if I had bought the phone at a local store and took it back to them once, I would have taken it back to them the second time for a replacement phone.  Seems like that would be easier than dealing with customer service and sending and receiving phones throught the mail, etc.  Did your new phone work better?

[Zehan]

You know, usually I back up Verizon, but in these cases Verizon is at fault. I'm not sure why these situations went down the way they did, especially since it would've been easier for everyone involved to handle these issues properly. The treatment you both received is NOT how Verizon is supposed to work, and the reps involved have been trained to know that. I apologize on their behalf and hope that these experiences don't put too bad a taste in your mouths. Most reps actually know what they're doing, I promise!!