my bait and switch experience

been a verizon customer for 20+ years. current customers must call in to review options for renewal. on wednesday rep Kim offered me same exact package same equipment same price for next 2 years and to begin next day after my current pkg expiration 12/16/14. then put me thru the automated svc to "agree" to what she just offered. when i got the email confirmation the package price was NOT what i agreed to! $15 dollars higher than what she told me and start date was wrong - a whole month later in january and long after my current contract ends. called customer svc wednesday evening to correct discrepencies. rep jacob said he could not verify our "verbal" agreement (how convenient) and IF that's what rep Kim offered then she was incorrect. i disagreed strongly that the email confirmation was NOT what i agreed to. he offered that i have 14 days to cancel. asked for a manager. Manager Ben said he could not do anything more. sounds like a scam to me. i've talked with others including family members who have experienced the similar tricks. i am currently reviewing other companies offers and possible notification to the authorities. i really enjoyed using verizon services over these past 20+ years but i don't appreciate dishonesty. shame on verizon.

Accepted answers

ElizabethS

Sorry you are having difficulty, an agent with access to your account will reach out to you directly by email, private message in the Forums and/or the billing telephone number on your Verizon account for more information to help you resolve your issue.

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ElizabethS

jmrt

Rep Romina honored the original agreement that i made with previous rep - thank you Romina! after being so upset with how i was initially treated i feel much better now but i do need to wait for the new bill to see if it reflects the correct agreement.

Note to Verizon: i am not the only customer that has experienced the bait and switch and similar tactics with your reps - this includes my 80 year old father. and i find in talking with others it's not just Verizon, Time Warner reps are doing the same things. i guess these tactics are effective in generating revenue for your companies but you must know that it does not generate goodwill with your customers. my 75 year old mother in law is so exasperrated she is seriously considering dropping all 3 of her TW services and just going with local channels. please retrain your reps - honesty, respect, trust, good service, and fair prices go much farther to keep your customers - loyal customers. thank you for hearing me out.

skappesser

MY bait and switch experience was different and just as disappointing.

When considering a new contract to have FIOS installed in my home, the Verizon Rep told me I would receive a "free" LG 8.3 LTE tablet in the deal (Or $150 towards some other brand) . I received the voucher the other day and learned that the Rep. did NOT mention that I would need to subscribe to Verizon Wireless to receive this "free" tablet! What in the world?

I contacted Verizon Wireless and the Rep said the least expensive 2 yr, plan for a tablet costs $30 per month.

A tablet costs about $30-$50 wholesale, so Verizon recoups their outlay the very first month, then the next 23 months I pay a total of $690 for my "free" tablet.

I am disappointed that a world-class company like Verizon would execute such a childish and absolutely substandard scheme on their customers. The voucher is worthless to me.

I don't NEED FIOS, we just thought we would TRY it...I am inclined to honor my 2 year contract for FIOS and pay the $1800 total for service and then I will drop Verizon immediately and sign with Xfinity. Hopefully Xfinity treats their customers with dignity and respect without perpetrating poor marketing schemes...

DrewFamily

Our family has been a Verizon customer for over a decade. Not until recently did we seek to change our service. On 2/10/15, Verizon phone rep (during 40 minute phone call) Michael {edited for privacy} processed my request for what he called the "Freedom Essential" 2-Yr plan for $103.22 1st year + $108.22 2nd year ("because a $5 discount goes away after the 1st year"). Michael went on to confirm this pricing, breaking it down to $89.99 for the Freedom Essential Plan + $13.23 total fees and taxes. Michael's name was confirmed (audibly) during the automated telephone confirmation service that finalized my accepting Michael's offered deal. When I asked for written confirmation of this deal which I was accepting, Michael said he could NOT do this, not even by email, but he would finish processing my request when he went into his office on Saturday (which would've been Sat 2/14). So I waited until the next week to check my acct. via the "My Services" link, and the new service plan, effective 2/17/15 shows the "Double Play" 2-Yr plan for $109.98 1st yr. + $114.98 2nd year. Calling Verizon customer service and doing online chats with Verizon reps over the past week have been a major waste of my time, as the reps claim they have no record of the deal we accepted, no idea who "Michael {edited for privacy}" is (the original rep who sold us our deal), and/or they say they are confused, ask me to repeat things several times, or twice they claimed they were having computer problems and had to get back to me later. Essentially, stalling and stonewalling, despite my speaking politely, economically, and having ALL details in front of me. Since our experience appears to match others' complaints, seems like Verizon doesn't mind regularly playing a bait and switch game with customers (especially insulting to long-time customers like us!), hoping customers will get worn out, give in and pay the higher (never agreed to) prices. Not us! We're currently seeking to change all our telecom over to another local provider; whatever it takes until Verizon stops being hostile toward their customers, and perhaps, truly appreciates their longtime customers!

[Deleted User]

Hi DrewFamily,

Sorry you are having difficulty with your billing. An agent with access to your account will reach out to you directly by email, private message in the Forums and/or the billing telephone number on your Verizon account for more information or to help you resolve your issue. Please remember to check your spam/junk folder if you do not hear from an agent.

DrewFamily

It is now several days later since our original "bait and switch" complaint posting, and Verizon rep has still not "reached out" to me as forum Moderator "LaurenceC" claimed in the forum response a few days ago, regarding correcting our new 2-Yr Plan charges per our 2/10/15 agreement with Verizon phone rep, "Michael". We're still waiting for our current service plan to reflect the charges we were promised by Verizon phone rep, "Michael" (last name omitted per forum rules) during our 2/10/15 phone call (which included Michael sealing the deal with an official automated telephone (computer voice) confirming the order before the call ended. We agreed to a new 2-Yr Plan which was to be $103.22 1st yr. / $108.22 2nd yr. for 75/75 Internet + keep our existing phone service. Soon after the 2/10/15 phone call/agreement, Verizon showed higher prices for both 1st and 2nd year as our "Current Services" were shown on Verizon's website. Verizon putting our family through this 'bait and switch' game, and all this trouble/work is just plain shameful.

[Deleted User]

Hi DrewFamily,

Please allow two business days for a reply to your issue. If you have not been contacted by tomorrow, let us know and we will follow up for you.