Experience When Trying to Upgrade a Phone

[RMV8]

So, I'm just posting my recent experience when trying to upgrade a phone.  I see others have had similar experiences- in fact, I see there is, unfortunately, a "Bait and Switch" Club . 😞 

I called Verizon to inquire about upgrade options for existing  20 year customers.  I first called Verizon on their Customer Service line.  The representative I spoke with, after much placing on hold and inquiring (ostensibly) with someone, came back with an offer. I needed to check with my IT person before accepting so she said she would call me the next day to finalize.  The call never came. So I initiated a chat a couple days later.

A different person on the chat said she couldn't make the same offer but again, after much checking with "someone" came up with something acceptable but I could tell her numbers were off. I kept trying to explain the error (which was in Verizon's favor-her numbers were too low) to which she kept confirming it was correct (even though I knew it was wrong).  I stated several times that I felt I needed to speak with someone on the phone to which she stated it was a separate department and that it wasn't possible. She also was very pushy asking with every response if she could place the order.  I was uncomfortable with that so I took some screen shots and let the chat go with the intent of calling back the next day.

The next day I reached Telesales by phone again and they said neither of the deals I was quoted existed/and or didn't apply to me (even though I was told that I did qualify) AND there was no record of the call or the chat.  Now, before you say they were hacked, I have two-factor authentication and each time you call or initiate a chat, you need to allow entry which is  a text from Verizon directly on the same text string that goes back for years in my case.  I believe it would be highly unlikely that both conversations' access would be in the same text string as the last person I talked to, who is saying there is no record of it. There was also direct communication in the same text string from the chat agent when our chat accidentally dropped (my fault on the disconnect).

I was then escalated to someone who kept reiterating she was very concerned because I was promised something twice that was not available and because "I was lied to".  No one offered any concession for the error on Verizon's part and only offered a much inferior deal because I was an existing long-term customer and not a new line (in and of itself a reason to dump Verizon).  This was in spite of all the evidence I had in support of my experience.  I also need to note that I was not asking for them to honor the erroneous quote with the very discounted numbers, just the correct numbers I was initially quoted and told applied.

I researched this issue and it seems there are many online complaints. I intend to file complaints with our local consumer protection agency, our State Department of Justice as well as the FTC.  Because I didn't "bite", there are no monetary damages (just hours of wasted time) but I want to spare others the possibility of being caught in a web of lies ending up with financial repercussions.  Please, please be careful about what you are told before accepting an offer from Verizon, get the person's name and where they are located (they won't give you any employee ID or anything), ask if they are placing notes of the offer in the  call or chat log, get them to agree in the chat of the terms and then take a screenshot, anything you can do to gather enough evidence if they later try to charge you more under the excuse that the plan you were quoted doesn't exist. 

I am now off to explore, after 20 years, a different company.  On principle, I'd rather not do business with a company that clearly doesn't share the same business values as I do.  Again, caveat emptor!

[vzw_customer_support]

Hello, RMV8, thank you for reaching out regarding your upgrade experience. We appreciate your years of loyalty and the last thing we want is to see you leave. We're standing by to help you through the upgrade process. So we can best assist, I will be sending a Private Note.

-Lauren

[RMV8]

I appreciate your offer to contact me and I look forward to a  mutually satisfactory discussion.  

[RMV8]

Dear Verizon, is a reason you always offer to take the conversation offline because you have absolutely no intention of resolving the problem? Asking for a friend.....