Cannot Activate New Device Overseas

[frankzanzibar]

To Whom it May Concern-

I have been a Verizon Mobile customer for many, many years. I also travel internationally, extensively. Recently, I was victim of theft in the United Kingdom. This event has taught me a very worrisome lesson about your company which I hope you will address in both a thoughtful response, and an evolution of your ability to assist customers. 

When a Verizon device is lost, stolen, or broken while out of the United States — necessitating the customer to acquire a new device — you have zero ability to assist. For business customers like me, it impacts bottom line. For tourists and leisure travelers who might be less confident while traveling, their ability to stay in touch with one another, or with home, is rendered moot. Possibly endangering them. 

Simply, how is it possible that you cannot remedy a solution in this modern age of ingenious mechanics? To say that I am grossly inconvenienced and disappointed is an understatement. 

Additionally, the insurance provider you partner with, Asurion, has no method to get a device to a customer overseas. So even if a customer, like me, pays for coverage, there is no remedy. 

While it is not your responsibility to prevent theft, loss, or breakage, it is most certainly your responsibility to provide service. 

I hope to receive a swift response. I would suggest a phone call, but I don’t have service. 

[SynthpopAddict]

Sorry to hear your phone was stolen overseas.  If you have not already had your phone blacklisted, do so ASAP.  There are ways to remotely wipe all the data off a phone as well which you should try to do.

Is it possible to buy an unlocked phone which is eSIM capable and activate a Verizon eSIM on it?  This wouldn't be under the insurance replacement, but it would at least keep you going for the time being and then you could file the insurance claim when you get home.  (A phone bought overseas may or may not work 100% on Verizon anyway.)

[frankzanzibar]

Hi @SynthpopAddict. Appreciate your reply.

After two weeks of endless calls with Verizon, and the purchases of TWO unlocked devices to resolve via eSIM, it turns out that Verizon is completely incapable of resolving a lost / broken / stolen phone if the customer is outside the U.S.

I really am hoping that someone from Verizon can explain how this is possible in this day and age. For business customers, this is a significant issue. It is not having a working phone line, it is having the number active for calls and texts.

[SynthpopAddict]

@frankzanzibar, you're welcome and I'm also curious as to why nobody at Verizon has been able to help you.  That's just unacceptable, especially for a business customer.  You can't just suddenly have to change your phone number.

From spending lots of time at these forums, it is rather apparent that Verizon is extremely siloed these days where if you talk to the "wrong" department, they have no idea what to do and you run the risk of being transferred endlessly from one person to another, going nowhere.  I'm going to guess you already tried the processes mentioned in the Verizon Business section of the website for eSIM support...but just in case:

https://www.verizon.com/business/support/equipment-devices-services/wireless-devices/esim-support/

Per my statement earlier about going nowhere if you call the wrong part of the company, I also found this page under the Verizon Business website with numerous numbers to try.  The one which ends in 0204 is the catch-all CS number which anyone can and does use, and it goes to an overseas call center, so I'd try one of the others.  Good luck.  If it makes you feel any better, my father is not a Verizon customer, but lost his phone overseas last year while on vacation.  He also couldn't access his account due to 2 factor authentication going to the lost phone.  When he called his carrier's support to ask for the IMEI of his device to fill in a lost/found claim, the person who answered apparently didn't even know what an IMEI was!

https://www.verizon.com/business/support/contact-us/