20+ Years at Verizon Ended after 2 Calls to "Verizon Customer Loyalty" today

[CHABIN41]

In fact, they were the only calls I have ever made to "Customer Loyalty".  My daughter just gave me an iPhone 7 and a Kyocera Dura VX 3G.  The latter phone was used by her as her "rough" phone.  She'd move the sim to the Kyocera when going camping, etc.  Both were Verizon phones.  So began the issue.  My old Verizon plan, which ended back in 2008, only had 900 minutes and no data or text.  Horrified, my daughter looked at the bill and pointed out that I was overpaying (compared to current prices) about $37 a month.  So, I wasn't happy that Verizon gouged me over the years for over $2,500 dollars, but I know it's also my fault for not doing what the guy down the hall from me does, which is to call Verizon every 3 to 4 months to demand a better rate.  He always gets one.  I, unfortunately, am one of those people who assumes he is told the truth and doesn't ask for much when it comes to small matters like a cell phone.  I'm still using the one that Verizon forced me to buy in 2006 (they said it was due to GPS, if I recall).

I figured I'd move to Verizon'a largest competitor, but that I'd give Verizon one shot to keep a 20+ year customer.  I called customer service and got Jasmine [removed] (she was nice).  I explained to her that I would stay if they gave me a good plan and activated the Kyocera (it was active on Verizon 2 months ago, but I had read that Verizon would not reactivate any 3G phones).  I told her that I was not going to buy the newer model Kyocera from Verizon.  She came up with a deal for unlimited T&T and 5GB data for $59.83, after the autopay discount, and a free Kyocera Dura XV LTE (so, they said no to activitating the old Kyocera, but offered a free newer model of the same phone.  I told her I'd think about it, and she said she'd send me an email with the details.  I wanted to run the plan by my daughter, who keeps up with cell plans, apparently.  This was about the least I would accept, because I've never even asked Verizon for upgraded phone.

20 minutes later I decided to take the deal.  I called "Customer Loyalty" and asked for Jasmine [removed] .  Vivian NoName (she was born with no last name) told me that Jasmine was "with some outside vendor" and that my phone call had been directed to Verizon "corporate."   I explained the situation to her, and she sent me to her supervisor, Rhonda.  Rhonda was also was born with no last name, and I doubt Rhonda is her real name.  After 45 minutes, Rhonda and I had reached the same deal that Jasmine and I had reached, and I mean the same deal to the penny, $59.83.  Then Rhonda dropped the bait and switch bombshell at the end of the call. It seems she had confused the Kyocera Dura XV with the Kyocera Cadence, and I'd have to pay for the Dura XV phone.  I called garbage on that, and I reminded her how many times she had mentioned the "$244 retail value" of the Dura.   Well, she allowed that perhaps, just maybe she actually had been using the words "Kyocera Dura" throughout the call and so If I paid $150 for the Dura phone that would work.  No thanks, No deal, and what a waste of my time.

All I can say about Verizon and its customer service is this.  (1)  I got gouged for 10 years because verizon told me that as a noncontract customer, when Verizon dropped its rates, my rates would drop.  Buyer beware.  They gouged me for over $2,500 bucks.  According to Rhonda NoName, Verizon can't reduce the rates on its noncontract customers unless the customers call and ask, and Verizon doesn't have the time to call millions of customers and tell them that they need to call in to get the new, lower rates. She said they announce their rates plenty in advertising.  Does she really think that's an answer?   I thought she was joking.   (2)  All the double talk and bait and switch tells me all I need to know about Verizon.  "We can't call Jasmine, we don't have any way to reach her, and she didn't leave any notes in your file.  How are we supposed to know what she promised you?"  Between that and Rhonda's attempt at bait and switch, and Verizon's gouging, Verizon is clearly a BUYER BEWARE company.

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[boringusername]

Verizon is not going to give you a better rate because you demand it. Never has never will. It's YOUR fault for not keeping up on new pricing. Verizon is not going to change you to a new plan without your permission. Most people including myself are against that. I make the changes to my account not Verizon. I'm shocked you'd want a cell company to change your plan willy nilly whenever they felt like it. It's Verizon fault that not once in the last decade you chose to come to the Verizon website and see what's up?

[WHOSTHEMASTER]

VZW customer service can be hit and miss.  Sometimes the hold times are frustrating enough when trying to resolve an issue.  VZW is a large company with many departments and employees with various degrees of authority to offer considerations.

I have to agree with the previous commenter on this one.  Check the website for new promotions that you may be qualified to take advantage.  It's just the way it works.

[CHABIN41]

boringusername​    Your reply is very energetic, but it misses my points entirely.  As I said, it IS "buyer beware" on rates, and people should keep track of them if they care about saving a few dollars, regardless of what Verizon tells them.  So, apparently you agree with me on that.  I wouldn't have given the factual background about the rates if it were not relevant to my points.

---My points were simple.  After being a Verizon customer for more than 10 years in 2008, I took their word for what they were going to do about rate changes, and their word was false.  If you read between the lines, I must be some kind of professional to be carrying a phone with text and data turned off, and as long as the bill never increased, I didn't care to check and see if Verizon was honoring its word or not.  There wasn't enough money at stake for me to spend my time on that.  

---My point there was that Verizon lie #1 happened in 2008.  After getting Jasmine's proposal, I called back to accept it.  I wasn't even allowed to speak to Jasmine, and Verizon refused to honor its word again.   That's lie #2.  Then, when I was talking to Rhonda, she pulled a bait and switch.  THAT IS 3 LIES, 2 of them in the same day.  Those are my points.   Verizon seems to lie as a matter of course.  You are completely wrong when you suggest that I am responsible for Verizon's lies.  Also, you seem more upset about the situation than I am.  Verizon lied too much, so I just walked away.  Dealing with liars is not worth my time.

---My overarching point for anyone who reads this is--  DON'T TAKE VERIZON'S WORD FOR ANYTHING.

---I should add that I have changed service providers on this work phone (and for the iPhone I mentioned).  Oddly, fees & taxes were always about 22% of my Verizon bill.  Now, fees & taxes are about 8% of my new bill.  HOW ARE FEES & TAXES 3 TIMES HIGHER AT VERIZON??   That may be Lie #4. 

[kh-taylarie]

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