I forgot to pay my bill, Verizon turned my phone off, Mobile Data no longer works.

[DalwynJP]

Hello Verizon, 

It's true, I didn't pay my bill on time. Once I realized, I took care of the payment promptly.  However, my data was affected and it's been 12 days since my mobile data has worked.  I understand that I'm not the only person being affected by this phenomenon, but that doesn't excuse that fact that my smart phone is now, "dumb".  Really, what good is a smart phone without the internet, right?   

I work at night from 10pm to 6am EST.  When I'm at work and if, it's a laid back night, I can chat to get this taken care of or I have to sacrifice my sleeping hours to try to get this matter resolved. It's been 12 days and the shortest phone call has been about 30 min the longest chat session 2+ hours.  I would say that each communiqué has lasted at least an hour on average.

From my initial communiqué where I was told by a young lady was putting in a work order (pardon me for not using the correct jargon), and would follow the process threw to the end. The following evening, discovering it had not been submitted. Yesterday, day 11. I was told that I could get a temporary number and messages and phone calls from my old phone would be forwarded to the new temporary number. Today, day 12. After chatting with and speaking to individuals this cannot be done. I can have my phone calls forwarded, but not messages. Basically, I'd be able to receive calls from old number and would be it. No messages, no internet, not even on the new number. Today, many accounts require that you authenticate your personhood by text messages and I have many of those accounts; I can no longer do that. I understand that supervisor was tying to help by providing me with an option, but is it really an option if it doesn't work? Dealing with the Technician, I spoke to…continued on point 5.

The worst of dealing with all of this has been dealing with customer support (as a whole). From beginning to end, it's been horrible! I'm not going detail every experience I've had but I will provide a generalization of the issues and personalities I've dealt with.  

1. I really get tired of talking to CS, having to explain again and again, why I'm calling; trying to convince them, that I don't need to go threw their numerous, "fixes" and that I'm not, simply trying to bypass them to get the next level.

1. Explaining to a representative why you're calling and being placed on hold, for someone different to answer the line, that has no clue why you're there.  This has happened entirely too many times.  You think that the representative would explain the situation to the next person or at least inform you that you’re being transferred. 

1. No one follows up. After every work order or next level; work order, not one person, even when they've said we're going to follow-up, called back. Not entirely true, a supervisor named Mike was helping me and because one have only the one line he needed to do something in their system and he called back as he said. After, he said that after their management meeting he would call again to let know the status of what was happening with those of us affected by this issue. "I promise, I'm going to call you back at 4PM CST," I guess he got busy.  

1. One three separate occasions I asked to speak with a supervisor(s).  I was told that it usually takes between 24 to 48 hours to do so. Not one supervisor, from those separate incidents has reached out. 

1. My last call, I spoke with a technician who couldn't stop talking.  Telling me what the computer said, what he was going to do ect. Having to explain the situation was arduous. There are now two phone numbers, a sim card that doesn't match, I'm trying to get messages and phone calls forwarded and he just would not listen. In all these days this was the 1st time I cursed. 

Overall the process has been that no one knows the actual solution, but everybody's providing a fix.  I was told that after I complete a factory reset, I would be eligible to enact my insurance to replace my phone.  I called back and was told that couldn’t happen and that I should go to store. I made an appointment at 10am. Remember, i get off at 6am. I looked on-line for store that opened sooner that might be in my area, nope. This was the typical time and least the closest. The gentlemen that helped me, kept looking at the door as if he were missing sales, while troubleshooting my issue. Him and the person he called replaced the SIM card, which didn't work and went through some of the same counter measures I'd previously done. He gave up and said they wouldn't replace it. I would have to talk to Verizon.

Verizon is aware of the  an issue and they can’t or won’t tell me how long it’s going to take rectify it.  The only solace they offer is that they will change my bill to reflect the days I’ve been without data.  My counter to them. I appreciate that, but what are you going to do about the time I’ve spent, the frustration, and the misinformation given; provided by your employees?  To that no I’ve gotten no response.  

I’ve been told that even if they give me a new phone, my data still wouldn’t work because it’s an issue affecting my particular number.  I do not know if this a lie so they won’t have to issue new phones or if it’s the truth.  Bottom line I’m paying for a service that isn’t working and they have not provided a time table or even a loaner phone.  I was told they don’t do that anymore.

Tim. Carter 

[mama23dogs]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

make sure your balance is zero. Then get online and file an FCC complaint. It is free. Your complaint will be forwarded to Verizon upper management by Monday at the latest.    Verizon upper management will contact you within a couple of days.   
   

[Ann154]

They can also try to reach the financial services department at 866.266.1445 to see if there are any other fees or unpaid balance they need to pay to restore their account. 

[DalwynJP]

When I originally read this response I wasn't going to respond. It seems very basic and almost condescending. To think I would take the time to describe my issue in such detail, to have an out- standing balance could be seen as an insult. If you wouldn't read the first stanza of my message, you might've seen that wasn't the case. Really!

[DalwynJP]

I could've done w/o the insanity comment. One thing that can't say I didn't do was my due diligence, but your advice was sound and I did file the complaint with the FCC and doubled that and filed with the BBB, also. Thank you for the advice. 

[DalwynJP]

I received a post in email that asked did it solve my problem, but for some reason I can not see that post here. This is my response: 

No, it did not. 

After many and much discussion as of day 13, I transferred my services to another carrier.  The only answer that was consistent and given was, wait. I had three lines and devices with Verizon. I had an Apple Watch, Apple Phone and a mobile hotspot. Of course, the Apple Watch is dependent upon the phone and it depends on mobile data and I discovered that the mobile hotspot too, stopped receiving data.  Verizon, wasn't sure what the problem was was or apparently, how to fix it. 

The only thing they offered was to refund or prorate my bill for the days my devices were not working and though that was appreciated, I was still left with devices that weren't working and that was was my greatest complaint and it seems the one they didn't understand. I can prorate my bill all you want, but what good is any of it when the devices that I use for business and personal affairs aren't working as intended; and more importantly, they did not offer, any working solution in the mean while. If they had done that and it worked, I would still be a Verizon customer. 

So, I transferred my number to a different carrier, got a cheaper phone with a decreased phone bill in order to pay off my two remaining devices.  Once that is done; I will never again do business Verizon again, personally or professionally.  

I will state that Representative Kimberly, who received my case from the BBB,  was kind and attentive. She wasn't able to solve the problem, but she was the first person who really gave an ear to my situation and didn't make me feel like I was one customer and Verizon could take me or leave.  

No I have to pay off two devices and apparently I'm not able to turn them back in, but what I'm just getting as of right now is that if you I file an insurance claim they give you a refurbished device and when new customers switch to Verizon and turn in their old devices they give you credit toward those devices what the difference?  Why can't Verizon give me credit for my devices? 

[mama23dogs]

I am surprised that the FCC complaint did not get Verizon’s butt in gear.

Devices should be unlocked, and maybe usable on another carrier. You might consider selling them on Swappa

Carriers allow new customers to trade in devices for credit, but those are new customers and the credits are for staying with the carrier for a length of time. Since you have transferred out Of Verizon, these offers would not be for you

[Joyo821]

I realize your post is from 2020 but I just want to note that I'm having the exact issue. We've been struggling financially and had to remove autopay, and as a result I fell 2 months behind. I didn't realize it until my phone service was cut off. I quickly realized the issue, connected to a friend's Hotspot, logged on to verizon and paid the past due balance. Within 2 minutes my service was restored but only for a few hours, then my connection severely slowed down and sometimes will not work at all. It's been 3 days and SIX hours of chatting with multiple different techs of doing everything short of a factory reset to restore my service. 

I simply want it noted that this is an issue and I KNOW it's related to when they shut my service off. Something stayed blocked in their system and no one can seem to help me. A tech even tried to convince me that I needed to UPGRADE from my 5G plan to their even newer 5G plan. I finally just said fine, do it. And guess what? That didn't work.

[vzw_customer_support]

Oh, wow! Dealing with service issues can be frustrating, especially if your connection is severely slow. Our goal is to offer the support you deserve.

When did the problem start? Aside from the service interruption any other changes? Who else is experiencing this dilemma? Aside from the data connection, any other issues (calls/texts)?

~Gilbert