How Do I File a Formal Complaint?

[mm6234]

100% considering leaving Verizon after being a loyal customer for a decade due to my recent experience trying to purchase a new phone and add another line (aka bringing them business and spending more money!) 

Black Friday had a great deal for an iPhone 14 Pro Max with the most expensive Unlimited Plan - my husband was wanting to switch from AT&T and had an iPhone XS to trade in for a killer deal!  The black iPhone 14 Pro Max was sold out online (his preference of color) but was available to pick up at our local store (we thought what our luck - this is great!).  Our order was confirmed (via email and on my Verizon App)  and said I'll receive an email with pick up instructions when the phone was ready (normally within 2 hours of a store's business hours).

Two DAYS went by and I hadn't heard anything so I called the number associated with our local store (the store doesn't have a direct line - customer service is outsourced). The associate trying to assist me could not even understand my name when asked upon calling so we were not off to a good start. Essentially was told he couldn't help me until I got an email saying my phone was ready to pick up and then redirected my call to the customer service BOT - cool cool cool.  I tried calling 2 more times and was on hold for over an hour so I gave up. 

Googled a different number to call - an spoke to another associate explaining I am just trying to find out when my phone will be ready to be picked up. She told me that the phone is actually ready to be picked up and they'll have it at the store when I arrive. Yay! 

I am a normal working person so planned to swing by the store on my lunch break. When I arrived the associate's said they do not have the phone in stock (and never did) and seemed just as confused as I was when I told them that the phone should be ready for me.  They had my order in the computer as confirmed just didn't ever have the phone. It turns out this store is a "satellite" location and does not have direct communication with Verizon HQ so there is no way they could have known the phone was ready or not (a lot of finger pointing and not a lot of accountability). They told me there is nothing they can do to honor the Black Friday deal as it was no longer Black Friday - and instead said they only thing they could do was sell me a newer iPhone 15 Pro Max which would have been $600 more over the plan's lifespan which we were not down with. 

They told us we should go to an actual Verizon affiliated store to see if they can help. We go, wait in line to be seen, were told there isn't anything they can do because this was an online order and give us a different phone number to call. About an hour of time wasted.

So when I get home I call the Verizon Retention Line to see how I can get this phone - after being on hold and a lot of "looking up my account" the associate (who was nice!) said there was nothing they can do to honor the deal and will have to cancel the order entirely - if I wanted to upgrade to the newer iPhone 15 Pro Max for the additional $600 they could still honor that Black Friday deal. No dice and cancelled the order. 

The very next day they still had the GOLD iPhone 14 Pro Max online for sale to be shipped to our house - my husband was like whatever I'll get a case the color isn't that important. It wasn't as good a deal as the Black Friday one but with his trade in - still much cheaper than the newest iPhone. 

We place the order and it's confirmed for 2 day shipping to arrive on Friday, December 1st. That date comes and goes and the following Monday evening I give a call the the Verizon Retention phone number to see when the phone will come in (tried the BOT first and he said there is a delay in shipping). Spoke to a very nice associate who was apologetic that the phone hadn't arrived in time - said she will personally escalate the issue to see why the phone hasn't been shipped and that we should get the phone this week. 

Thursday rolls around and I call the Verizon Retention Line again since I never got a "your order has shipped" email. The associate takes about 10 seconds to say the phone was never in stock and we shouldn't have been able to purchase. So first I'm like "you can take the hundreds of dollars I paid upon placing this order but if I never called you would have never sent a phone?" he then proceeds that they can offer my the iPhone 15 Pro Max (WHICH IS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE AND NOT WHAT I ORDERED)

Ultimately so disappointed that I spent numerous HOURS on hold talking to many different associates who all told me different things - this has been such a jumbled mess and also not one apology! The fact that the only option they could give me was to purchase an even more expensive phone when I was already adding a line for their most expensive unlimited plan is absolutely ridiculous. WORST experience I've ever had with trying to spend money! 

[vzw_customer_support]

Thank you for reaching out mm6234, and we are sorry to read that you had a negative experience as this is never what we would want for any of our customers, and we are always here to help. To better assist you, we will be sending you a private note. 

~Freddy