Does Verizon value its customers?

[Doingmybest]

I typically don't write reviews or contribute to threads. I will read through them and use useful information when need be. The term valued customer means nothing anymore. After my experience, I'm starting to believe the lack of concern is intentional. You get forced into frustration, you quit fighting, and keep paying your money. I'm generally a loyal customer who pays on time and patiently resolves issues. Not to date myself, but I started off with Nextel years ago and when they merged with Sprint. I jumped ship because Sprint had horrible customer service and extreme limitations on their plans. Verizon used to be dependable. 

I've been a Verizon customer for almost 20 years. If my bill is roughly $100 a month, I've contributed over $24,000 over the years. 

I decided to upgrade to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra in 2020, which I am satisfied with. When I purchased the phone I did not want to be on a "monthly payment plan" and I decided to pay cash for the phone. The customer rep advised me that I should not pay off the phone and take advantage of a promotion. I agreed and had a balance somewhere around $100 dollars in 2020.

Fast forward to July of 2021 and I dropped my phone and it cracked. Obviously disappointed. I called in to file a claim in order to pay the $250 deductible to get a "refurbished phone" (which is a different thread), only to find out that I had no insurance. Who in their right mind would not have insurance on these $1200 dollar devices? I've had insurance the entire time I've been with Verizon. This was the beginning of a very difficult process. I understand Covid has had an impact, but calling in is a complete joke. After you spend 5 to 10 minutes being interrogated by the "automated system" and pushing in numbers and pound signs, you get a representative which can vary from a 10 minute wait to an hour depending on your luck. The rep, who has been outsourced to a different country and obviously reading a script, has you repeat the exact same process with them, as you did with the automated system (waste!) You explain your story to them and unfortunately there is nothing they can do. Step 2 ask for a supervisor. Now you have to plead a case to speak to a qualified representative who is allowed to think outside of the script. I've been placed on hold for an hour and the call drops which forces you to start the entire process again. Explaining the situation to a completely new outsourced rep who has no idea what to do. When I finally spoke to a supervisor the battle began. We went back and forth for days trying to resolve the insurance issue. Each time I called, I had to go through the same exact process. I finally landed a supervisor who told me that they would upgrade me to another phone and credit me $200. Remember, I already paid $1200 for this phone. An upgrade would get me into a new phone for $1000 dollars and a new contract if I didn't have the cash. That's not a resolution. I go from paying a deductible of $250 to locking in a contract for $1000. They claimed it was all they could do after making the mistake of dropping my insurance. I refused the deal. I ended up going to a local mall and having to pay $450 to get my phone fixed. I complained to Verizon that I needed to be insured from that moment on. They said ok. Now I've spent 1600 cash for my phone. I moved on obviously disappointed.

Now July of 2022 comes around and my daughter drops my phone. No problem, pay the deducible for the insurance right? Wrong! I had to begin the entire process over again. Same outsourcing, same inexperience, same debate. I was disconnected at least 3 times. Verizon agreed to add me to the insurance for 17 dollars a month starting immediately. I even accepted that but upon filing a claim with Asurion, Asurion told me that I have to wait 30 days before I could file a claim. Here I am trying to run a business with a phone that has no touch screen ability and I have to see clients for thirty days using an S pen to hopefully navigate on my phone. Not a good idea.  In fact Asurion had notes and dates on the previous insurance issue from the year before and gave me the dates. Upon calling Verizon, I had to go through the process yet again. Long hold times, outsourced reps, disconnected calls. I even had a situation with a supervisor who I could hear in the background refusing to take the call. Once they finally did, they hammered home the script and talking points. "Unfortunately there is nothing we can do..." I debated and he finally looked into his notes and saw there was an issue from the previous year. His reply was give me 7 days to resolve the issue. Of course 8 days go by with nothing. I called in and again the same process. Long wait times, inexperienced rep and dropped call. I called back again and spoke to a nice lady but by this time I was already over it. To make matters worse she offered me the same upgrade deal and told me that my phone was not paid off from 2020 and I still owed $20 dollars towards the phone. OMG! I paid the $20 dollars and now I am free to find a different carrier. I've looked for phone numbers to headquarters, I've looked for email addresses for supervisors and administrators and all you get is call customer service. I accidentally stumbled upon this community thread and realized that I'm not the only one. In fact I had to begin a new thread because so many of the others have been locked. Come on Verizon, what's going on? 

#bad customer service, #help, #no resolution, #unprofessional, #horrible service

[vzw_customer_support]

Hearing your story, we can understand your dismay with Verizon, Please know we never want anyone to endure a situation like this, we are here and would like to discuss this with you further, please send us a Private Message, so we an discuss. 

*Lisa