Why is spending limit decreased without notification?

[jamiedowe]

Starting my account off i was able to obtain 5 devices on payment plans which exceeded $1500 (about $2600). Now that ive decided to get the new Apple Watch i was told i was over my spending limit and had to pay 75 percent of the price in order to add it onto my account. When i ask why and what my limit was they proceeded to tell me that it must have been lowered for billing issues. When i started my account, i advised customer service that the bill payment date was very inconvenient for me because it was rent time 1st of the month. I was told just ask for a promise to pay and it would push my payment out for me. So thats what i did each month. What i wasnt told was that it would affect my account and it makes me look as though i just dont pay my bill. According to customer service, because i had a balance forward on my bill it made my account look bad and thats why my spending limit was decreased to $1500 (WITHOUT NOTICE) and now i have to put down 20 percent on whatever device i wanted to get if i wasnt over my limit. But if i was over my limit i would have to pay for the device full cash price up front. Only then when i questioned why i was told to do promise to pay to push my payments out and wasnt told the consequence of that action is when they told me i can actually change my billing cycle date. So basically, i did what i was told by a customer service rep and always paid on the promise to pay on the exact date i said i was or sometimes sooner, now i have to be limited on upgrades????? This is so inconvenient and frustrating. So NOW, i finally got a rep to change my bill cycle but the other consequence to that is that i will have 2 bills in one month. OHHHHH GREAT!! It seem like i cant win, i have to pay 2 bills, my account is limited AND i cant get the phone upgrade i want next month. I am SOOOOOOO Disapointed in Verizon and I will not be putting up with this run around that much longer. Verizon receives a payment from me faithfully EVERY month and this is what i get??? I guess all the perks and things are only at the opening of your account after that they do not even care. They tell you what you want to hear just to get you. When is Verizon going to realize the company would be nothing without their customers!!!! If i can not get the upgrade that i want as a PAYING customer i will not be doing business with Verizon anymore.

[Atlas07]

I'm have the exact same issue. I'm just wanting to upgrade to a new phone that actually costs less per month than the one I have now. This device spending limit was never explained. I had never heard of it till I wanted to upgrade this phone. I've heated of allowed lines per your credit check but not this device spending limit. They say a promise to pay keeps you in good standing but still hurts you as far as getting to upgrade. This is complete garbage. 

[vzw_customer_support]

It's great to see you're interested in upgrading your device, and it's our priority that we access your account so that we can provide you with specific information regarding the possibility of upgrading to a device under our Device Payment Program and turn these feelings around. We've contacted you via a Private Message to continue assisting you.

GeovannJ_VZW

[diorellacarlo]

I just had the same thing happen to me. I was going to upgrade my husbands line as a christmas gift but they said I exceeded my limit of $400!!!!! I got an iphone x max exactly one year ago perfectly fine. I may not always be on time but they get money every month. On top of having cruddy service lately, I have like 5 tickets on service, and now I cannot upgrade. They are about to lose a customer that has been around for a while. 

[vzw_customer_support]

Diorellacarlo, getting a new phone for the holidays would certainly be an exciting gift. We are sorry to see that your limit has changed over time and the last thing we would ever wish is to lose you as a customer. Spending Limits are reviewed regularly and are based on many things, as indicated under number 2 at http://spr.ly/66081n8FA.   You mentioned service issues, when did this begin? Which services are affected? Is this happening on all lines or just a specific one?

LorenB_VZW  If my response answered your question please click the _Correct Answer_ button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[vespinoza1987]

I'm extremelty dissapointed with Verizon Wireless as well.  I've been in total with verizon for over 15 years. on my own line with family 5 years. All my devices are paid off.  I just paid off my Iphone X in december becuase i thought that it was affecting my wife from getting her upgrade. so i paid it off. and come to find out I only had 400 to spend of credit. which is absolutely crazy!  I cant upgrade to anything with that amount.  My poor wife had iphone 7plus with a cracked screen and litterally cried when she found out the crazy amount of over 600 dollar down payment for her to upgrade her phone, now ive got to make a decision for my daughters phone which she had and iphone 6. and running slow.

So I had to start making decisions especially with 4 lines under verizon.  I now had to have my mother in law add a new line and put that phone on hers and move my wifes over... This is just ridiculous.  I could not believe im unable to even get a smart watch without paying a huge downpayment. 

I might have to switch services since all my devices are paid off.

[vzw_customer_support]

We appreciate your service over the last 15 years and don’t want to see you go to another provider. I’m sorry to hear about the cracked screen, I know it’s important for your wife to have a working device. The last thing we want is for her to be stressed about her phone. I have sent a private message so we may further assist, we look forward to your reply.

LaurenC_VZW

[iphoneguy86]

I have encountered the same exact thing. Bottom line, I spoke with their CORE team that handles credit and with their new Credit Model-it soft checks your credit every 30 days and if your the type of customer that doesn’t have your cell phone bill on auto pay where you’re never late or never have a “balance forward” or using a “Promise to Pay” expect to receive an adverse action letter informing you that your spending limit for devices is reduced to an amount that will barely cover a watch. And this is meanwhile your paying high tier pricing for their lackluster data speeds. I’m switching back to AT&T-AT&T has terrible customer service but they also have an excellent network for data and as greedy as they are they don’t hold your upgrading hostage unless you get suspended a couple times. I’m not so many words, Verizon’s new “credit model” is essentially holding customers to each payment and if your even a day late, that could place you in a category to get your spending limit reduced to an amount so low you can’t actually finance anything without paying the majority of the device up front. That’s outrageous and quite honestly borderline discriminatory and should be illegal. Verizon’s saying if you don’t pay us on time every month will ruin your ability to upgrade but in return our service will be choppy and have outages and you’ll just need to deal with it. This I fear is not something that will change and I’m not gonna stick around and wait for them to realize this new credit model is a greedy awful idea. If you want to take away spending limits or reduce them for people whom are suspended repeatedly and I don’t mean just once or that have multiple return payments or filed bankruptcy I don’t think that’s unreasonable. Lowering it for tenure customers that have a balance forward but then pay it along with your late fee that’s just corporate greed. 

[iphoneguy86]

It’s funny that none of their “Community Managers” will respond to anything I say on here because what can they say? I used to work for Verizon and part of the reason I was successful is I spoke my mind and and did what was right for the company and the customer. That’s why I won award after award and got sent all over the place on gifted travels. I only took a severance after they shut down the second location in a row I was working at so when I call and they try to talk to me like a bum it’s almost infuriating. Fix your credit model garbage before you catch a class action lawsuit and lose thousands of customers when they’re out of their contract and find out you quietly reduced their spending limit to almost nothing requiring a hefty down payment and people get angry off and take their devices and trade in and sign up elsewhere. And unless your investing all your network money in some crazy roll out that’s going to fix everyone’s complaints about slow speed your network is delivering subpar service right now to hundred of thousands nationwide so for you to be splitting hairs by zapping down device spending limits for people who had a “balance forward” or maybe one month used a “promise to pay” that’s both sad and greedy. 

[vzw_customer_support]

It's our priority that we help you fix any issues you're currently experiencing with your data speeds, and we will also be glad to clarify all your concerns regarding the spending limit on your account. We've contacted you via a Private Note for additional assistance.

GeovannJ_VZW

[KA1967]

I have the same issue. With the credit limit. I didn’t even no there was one I just thought device payment was a given option because phones are so expensive!!! I go in today to upgrade my 4 year old I phone 6 only to be told I only had 300 to finance! Like what? You can’t get anything for 300! I guess it’s tome to switch carriers 

[iphoneguy86]

If you don’t have auto pay and either pay a few days late or sometimes use a promise to pay they lowered your spending limit. That or they did a credit check which is their new thing they do a soft inquiry every 30 days and on your recent one they decided you should only have $300 which means you need to pay a hefty amount out of pocket and that’s just for one line. If you want any other you pay all outright. That’s Verizon with corporate greed at its finest. Sorry that happened to you bud. I’m a single dad and I’m not rich. Once in a while I carry a balance over. But I always pay. So in turn their lowering spending limits. If I docked them for everytime my data was terribly slow they’d owe me a new phone. For free. Just saying. 

[vzw_customer_support]

iphoneguy86, we truly regret reading about your experience and dissatisfaction. We hope that we can regain your complete confidence to ensure that we can continue providing you with a stellar experience.

DavidC_VZW

[iphoneguy86]

How do you plan on doing that? As of right now I have a box of AT&T iPhones to replace my Verizon account. As of right now based on other posts on this site and my conversations with people in your CORE team I’m left in a realm of uncertainty on whether or not your terribly aggressive credit model will ever change. I do a lot of business on eBay, and as such I’ve had a compromised bank account before. Whose to say I don’t have an unforeseen issue and your aggressively excessive credit model lowers my financing ability. That’s not a way I want to do business. AT&T terrible but they stick with a credit model and don’t penalize you every 30 days only when you have suspensions for non payment. But your not AT&T your Verizon and you also don’t have service as good as them so I would worry less about being greedy and more about what’s going to keep you in the number 1 spot carrier wise and not put you behind AT&T. 

If you can guarantee me that this credit nonsense will improve and change then I would stay with Verizon. If that’s corporate policy to check everyone’s credit every 30 days and reduce their spending limit for devices for mundane things such as 1 balance forward in 6 months then I’m gone with all my 6 lines and I will make it a personal mission to ensure I advocate to everyone how terrible the service I’ve experienced is how slow the data network is and how greedy your device financing policies are. And I’m not ignorant-I get it; the phones are expensive and as a business no one wants to be left holding the bag on these expensive devices but your credit check model is just way too aggressive and your mailing thousands of customers adverse action letters telling them they don’t even have enough credit to finance a Watch. AT&T sent me all this stuff with only taxes down my credit can’t be that bad and I’m pretty sure their credit check is a bit more strict than yours. 

So what say you?

[Mamamuise]

Same thing happened to me! I'm so angry. I have been with Verizon for 8 years. I was going to add a line for my daughter and upgrade 3 lines. My plan currently has a credit and they said I have to put down a massive deposit. I contacted customer service and they didn't seem to care. My current phone is paid off and it's only worth $45 in perfect condition as a trade in so that wouldn't even cover the deposit. I shouldn't have to pay a massive deposit since I have been a loyal customer for 8 years! I'm currently looking into switching providers over this! It's insane. I have NEVER had to do a deposit and have upgraded 3 lines 4 times and added a line and upgraded it once. Such a disappointing experience. 

[iphoneguy86]

Sorry.  Verizon’s gone to trash. They’re network is so slow now everywhere their customer service leaves a lot to be desired and now that they’re greedily playing with people’s upgrades by not letting them upgrade if they’ve ever paid a day late. That will cost Verizon a lot of customers if they don’t figure that out. My friend works in a Verizon corporate retail store and says angry off customers leave multiple time’s a day when otherwise people with good credit are told their new policy lowered their upgrade eligibility. Mine was $4000 now it’s all the way down to $700. Now it’s $0.00 because I left them for AT&T and my service is better and my upgrades aren’t getting played with. AT&T is pretty straight forward they only temporarily block you from upgrades if your account keeps getting disconnected they don’t soft inquiry your credit every single month and penalize you if you a balance forward one month. 

Quite honestly if I penalized them for everyone I had cruddy data service they’d owe me like 5 free phones. 

I’d go AT&T if I were you. Sprint and T-Mobile are merging and I can’t speak to what that experience will be like. Good luck!