Promotional Discount Not Honored... Is this legal?

[JGALKA]

When I purchased my phone, there was a promotional discount going on for $150 off the device total, making the payments $22.75 instead of $29.00. This did not reflect on my bill a month later, so I called and was told it may take 2-3 billing cycles. 3 months later and it was still not showing. I have now been told that my device purchase did not meet the requirements as the promotion had expired. I would NOT have bought the phone if I had known that. The representative I chatted with to purchase the phone told me in WRITING the promotion was ending that day. I have the chat manuscript saved. I was told on the phone today there is NOTHING I can do to get the $150 off. I am seriously considering switching to a different provider, I have already gotten quotes. Is it even legal to change the sale price of something after it is purchased? I feel as though this was all a dup.

[glitchedpixel]

It's not legal to suddenly change price if you had an agreement. That said, the agreed upon purchase would have to be legitimate.

Doesn't matter what a chat rep said if the promotion wasn't valid. For BIC promos, you have to meet 3 requirements. Purchase must be made during the promotional period, device had to have been part of the promotion and you'd have to meet any prerequisite such as a new line or trade-in (sometimes this isn't required - it all depends on the specific promo)

If you don't meet those, the price wasn't change, you simply didn't qualify. Now if you did meet requirements, it doesn't matter if the promo ended so long as the purchase date fell within that time.

[Unhappy51]

I purchased devices based on promotion within promotion period and eligible devices during holiday season.  After holidays went to store directly with bill to ensure I was receiving promotion within my bill (buy one new phone, get second free) , they showed me the charge and discount on bill and ensured me I was not paying for two phones.   Bill amount calculated at time of contract was correct and has remained consistent - didn't even think about it again, I was pleased. 

I took a hard look at bill when adding another line and found huge issues 15 months after original contract.  Electronic billing is dangerous for this reason - you don't go in and look. Somewhere along the way they switched discount off and I'm paying for two phones!!  The bill amount was the same because they didn't apply and weren't billing me for family insurance plan ($50) which I added when I purchased phones, and instead where billing me for second phone. 

No one at store denies I purchased with BOGO promotion - they just say they can't access the promotion code now so they can't apply it ??!!.   Why isn't it attached to contract? Customer service indicated "promotion has expired" (obviously) and offered $40 credit for one month!! 

How can I remedy this?? No one in store and customer service denies that what happened was their mistake and that I did buy under BOGO promotion but they say they can do nothing.  

[vzw_customer_support]

As a valued customer, your account billing concerns are our concerns too. We understand how extremely busy many of our customers are we value your time.   Thank you for providing such detailed information. We'd like to help you in any way we can. I'd be disappointed too if I viewed discrepancies with my account.

May I ask if you've contacted our Customer Service Team about this matter prior to today? Typically, when our customers are experiencing issues with billing, our representatives would quickly initiate an investigation.

We're here to assist you in any way we can and we're anxiously awaiting your reply to our message. Thanks.-Robert C.

[vzw_customer_support]

JGALKA,

We can relate to how important your promotion is to you, and don't want to see you leave the family. Full retail cost of any device cannot be changed, they're all preset prices. Qualifying promotions can offset the monthly cost. I've sent you a Private Message to look into options. 

Kati_VZW
Follow us on TWITTER @VZWSupport
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!!

[janefo]

In January 2019, I purchased a new phone under a BOGO XR when adding an additional line promo.  I really only needed to upgrade my phone, and was planning to give my son my old phone. I also didn't need another line.  However, the deal was TOO good to pass up.   

I have recieved zero statement credits and have now been told a promotion was not running during my date of purchase. 

What can I do? I'm now paying on two phones and my bill is double.  How can an agent tell you there is a promo and then Verizon not honor it?

[LADonF]

Same thing.  New phone (actually THREE new phones).  Switched two of them to new line.  Within the 'promotional period'.  All rules met.  And yet they still say I am 'ineligible', after sending copies of all receipts to prove it.  Do not believe any promotion mentioned.  They will do all they can to dishonor it.

[mama23dogs]

---

@LADonF wrote:

Same thing.  New phone (actually THREE new phones).  Switched two of them to new line.  Within the 'promotional period'.  All rules met.  And yet they still say I am 'ineligible', after sending copies of all receipts to prove it.  Do not believe any promotion mentioned.  They will do all they can to dishonor it.

---

 What do you mean by “switched two of them to new line”? 

 To be eligible for a buy one get one deal you have to purchase the discounted or free phone on the new line.   Line must be brand new to Verizon.   Moved to your account from within Verizon is not new. Switching out and back in under 60 days is not new.  

[Maegena]

Same thing happened to me with an upgrade. was told if I enrolled the two current lines on a new two year contract (previous contract was up and fulfilled) that we would qualify for a BOGO offer. Now the devices are almost paid off and we have never seen a credit (not that it would have mattered because we were locked into a new two year agreement as soon as we ordered the phones). Now Verizon is basically calling me a liar because there is no record of the conversation on my account. So once my devices are paid on full I will be looking for a new carrier. 

[vzw_customer_support]

I completely understand where your frustration is coming from, and we want to get you the promotion you qualified for! Where did you receive the promotion offer? Have you tried to contact us in the past? What devices did you order? MichelleH_VZW

[James_Matthews]

The same thing happened/is happening to us. I had a terrible experience over the last 6 months dealing with this. My phone was crushed in a car door and I needed a phone quickly. So I looked online, found that the Pixel 4 line was coming out in the next week, there was a BOGO offer for them so I contacted the chat line on the page and they took my order for a pixel 4 XL, a Pixel 4 and a pixel 3a which I planned to give to my sister.  She was on a Straight talk plan and had prepaid her plan for a year in advance and it didn't expire until june 2020, so I was going to use the 3a until the pixel 4's came in the following week, I asked repeatedly that they wouldn't do anything to her number until we were able to get the Pixels 4's in and was assured that they wouldn't touch her line. so I had to do the unlimited on all three lines change to auto pay and buy two phones and a new line. They were supposed to have me pick up the 3a in the local store that night. everything looked fine. I got to the store and they didn't have the order. when they looked it up it showed that it had been shipped and wouldn't arrive until  the next week. so I call support on the phone the next day and they got the shipped phone cancelled, and got the new 3a on track so II could pick it up at the store (Sat). I went over and it was there ready to go.. I got it set up and I thought all was good. then my on the next Monday, my sister came into town and said her straight talk phone had died. They said they wouldn't touch her line but the did. so we dealt with trying to get her existing phone on verizon. it would have worked but the phone number was tied to the phone that was shipped and they couldn't release it until they got the phone back. while talking to the support tech, we mentioned that we would be getting the Pixel 4's in that week so we could use the 3a as soon as they came in. that is when he told me that my 4 XL in Orange was back-ordered and wasn't coming in for a month. so I got back with Verizon again and asked if there was any way to get it switched to Black I didn't really care what color I had because it was going in a case and it you would see it anyway, when they asked what color I wanted they never said it would take an extra month to come in. so they changed it to black and all was good. or so we thought. I looked and didn't see a credit so I called in October to make sure that all the changes we did didn't mess up the promotion. they said no but they didn't see the promotion on my account. so she escalated it the was Aline I think her name was. I waited another billing cycle and still nothing. I went into the store and they looked but said they couldn't do anything because there was already an escalation on my account for it. I waited again. still nothing. so I went back down to the store and asked again, they said I needed to call back to the support,  I called and talked to another person that told me that they knew what happened, they said I needed to have activated one of the pixels on the new line of service, and I needed to move my sisters number to my pixel 4 for it to go through. I was irritated but it was worth $799  in the long run so I had planned to do that when could make it happen.  Now earlier this week her Pixel 3a started messing up not ringing etc, tech support told her they would have to send her a new phone. I got an email and it said that they were shipping a "Google, Google S4" so I got on chat Wednesday night to make sure that they hadn't confused the order because we were planning to move a pixel 4 to her line and I would end up paying even more. after an hour and going to tier three tech support they found that it was indeed a 3a that was being shipped. in talking I explained why I was concerned etc and the person Megan started looking into it because she didn't think swapping the lines around was going to fix the promotion issue. so after another 20 minutes she came back and said that none of that was going to work because the phones were not on the same receipt. and they should have cancelled the entire order and that I wasn't eligible for the promotion. I said it wasn't my job to know that it was the sales people that should have taken care of me. she said "Well let that be a reminder to you in the future" like so sorry terrible to be you... so I was livid, She said all she could do was offer to give us 15% off of the phone. this is why I am writing. I feel Ii have been done wrong and this needs to be rectified. I have been a Verizon customer for 14 years and I am really considering moving to T-Mobile. they may not be any better but at the moment it is more about principles.  Please contact me at my email on my account.

[vzw_customer_support]

I'm sorry for this experience, James_Matthews. We value your time, and our goal is for you to take advantage of all the available offers. Systematically, we don't offer support via email. We can help you using this platform, and I sent you a private note so we can continue working on this together.

GersonG_VZW

[mama23dogs]

---

@Maegena wrote:

Same thing happened to me with an upgrade. was told if I enrolled the two current lines on a new two year contract    2 year contract, or device payments?  It is not unusual for retention to offer a two-year contract, which means you purchase devices at a reduced price upfront. That would not qualify you for any of the buy one get one deals which required device payments.  A two-year contract purchase would have been a substantial amount upfront, no installments on your bill, and therefore no credits would've been issued

(previous contract was up and fulfilled) that we would qualify for a BOGO offer.   Every buy one get one, or discounted phone deal requires a new line (phone number) For the discounted or free phone.  You cannot upgrade to existing lines and get a free phone.

Now the devices are almost paid off and we have never seen a credit (not that it would have mattered because we were locked into a new two year agreement as soon as we ordered the phones). Now Verizon is basically calling me a liar because there is no record of the conversation on my account. So once my devices are paid on full I will be looking for a new carrier. 
please make a point to read agreements that are published online, including all the fine print or you will repeat this with your next carrier in a couple of years. There is always something in it for the carrier in order to offer you discounted equipment.

---

[qz2019]

Wish I had read these complaints before signing the contract for 3 new phones/lines. We bought the phones during promotion for $300 trade in credit for each phone. However, the trade in status only said $33. Can't believe what happened ... Trying to decid if I need to return those phones and get different carrier ....

[Unhappy51]

Same thing.  I only went in to get my kid a phone. BOGO was a good deal since I was going to be paying for one phone anyway, why not get a new second free phone - even if it meant switching from Android to iPhone.  

Mine was existing line, hers was new line.   Now I'm paying for two phones and they say promo code is not accessible anymore so they can apply it to my account. 

This kind of business practice should be more closely regulated.  Bills and contracts more easily written - they're a spider's web even for educated and legally knowledgeable people. - you need a month to review all contracts intricacies. 

[lmcfarlin]

This is extremely common.  Xfinity does it all the time too.  I just lost out on a $250 rebate and I lost an iPad to Verizon in a trade up program.  Just how it goes in this industry.  This latest $250, I pretty much expected.  I could switch providers, but every other provider out there does the same thing.

[mama23dogs]

Also xfinity mobile is Verizon, so a move between the 2 won’t qualify as a new customer

[vzw_customer_support]

lmcfarlin

This is never the way we want you to feel getting the promotion you qualify for is important. Now with all promotions, there are requirements that have to be made during specific time frames. Some promotions require a submission to be completed by the customer within a specific time as well. If all requirements were met and the promotions still were not given we have tools to investigate and correct that. So we can gladly look into this for you. Also Xfinity mobile is not Verizon Wireless as we are two separate companies (mama23dogs). Can you please provide more details on the rebate you are referring to so that we look into this for you.

EdwardL_VZW

[Cynder67]

Brand new customer with Verizon. When I placed my onlin order my cart and my order confirmation showed Ineas going to receive a promotion credit for buying two iPhones. Today I get and email saying they were removing the promotional credit that the phone doesn’t qualify but doesn’t say why.

[vzw_customer_support]

We want you to get all the promotions that you qualify for, Cynder67. When an email is sent indicating that a phone does not meet the eligibility requirements, it usually states the specific reason. Does that email include a number to call for additional details?

AntonioC_VZW