VERIZON TO VERIZON CALLS ARE FREE? EXCEPT WHEN YOU CALL VERIZON, THAT IS.

[bee0318]

Does anyone besides me realize that any time any call is made by a Verizon cell customer to any part of the Verizon company (w/the exception of *611 - which only handles cell questions) - that WE ARE CHARGED FOR OUR CALLS TO THE COMPANY FROM WHICH WE PURCHASE SERVICE?  My family no longer has a home phone number; we all have Verizon cell phones, so a home landline became redundant.  If I call Verizon regarding any problems with my other accounts - business, ISDN, FIOS or internet (they catch a lot of money from us every month - more and more every month it seems) from my cell phone - which is the only phone I use - VERIZON CHARGES ME "800 MINUTES" FOR EVERY CALL - and those minutes are separate from my plan and are NOT considered VERIZON TO VERIZON.  So if I call Verizon (other than re:my cell on 611), THEY CHARGE ME HUGE MINUTES WHILE THEY PUT ME ON HOLD AND WATCH MY LINE BLINK, ONLY TO COME BACK AND GIVE ME THE REAL CORRECT NUMBER TO CALL - EVEN THOUGH I CALLED THE 800 NUMER THAT WAS ON THE BILL!  This is not fair at the very least, and an unethical and bad faith business practice at its worst; I either get another landline which I don't need, or pay the price.  This practice is yet another way Verizon creates another opportunity to rack up more minutes and charge us for them, and most of which, adding insult to injury, WERE SPENT ON HOLD  WAITING FOR CUSTOMER "SERVICE."  How do you think they got so rich?

[21stNow]

VZW gives free mobile to mobile calling to other VZW customers. Verizon is a separate entity. When you call toll-free numbers, that is the same as calling a landline, so these wouldn't be free calls. I don't see what's unfair about this.

[budone]

If calling VZW why would you not call 611?????   Also if an issue with the phone you need to call from another phone, so minutes would not be accrued. This is nothing new..... Been this way since the first bag phone WAY back in the last century.

[Ann154]

I was reading the OP's post as that they are getting charged for the minutes used whenever they call the Verizon Residential customer service 1-800 numbers.

Although I can't imagine how many minutes and calls on hold that could cause a person to go over their minute allotment.

Maybe the OP could consider increase their voiceplan to the next higher level and back date the changes if needed to prevent any overages.

[#5]

Hello,

21stNow's answer is correct; Verizon Wireless offers free phone calls to customer service using the (611) phone number, not the toll free number. It works the same with emergency services. If you call the dispatch center with your area code, it will charge you, but if you use (911), it will not.

Always use (611) while calling Verizon Wireless Customer Service, or you will be charged for the call.

This is 100% ethical, as the company is not forcing you to call the non-free number, that is your own choice.

[Victimuvverizon]

The 611 call is useless.  You are speaking to a robot.  You have to make selections as to why you are calling.  Ultimately, you will get a message saying they are sending a link for chat assistance.  You click the link and the call ends.  You then get a chat message that all agents are busy.  It is a very complicated system to get nowhere.  I would call Verizon on a 800 number, but my calls don't last long enough - that is way I am calling.  Calls are dropped every couple of minutes.  Paying outrageous rates for service so poor I can't call to complain!  Fortunately, my internet is with ATT and I can go online and file a FCC complaint.  I have done that previously with another carrier and a FCC complaint does get a response.  Just Google how to file one and do it.  It works.

[KH-OrnEsh]

Due to the age of this thread, it will be locked in order to keep discussions current. If you have the same or a similar question/issue we invite you to start a new thread on the topic.

[CharmingPhlsphr]

The *611 number to Verizon Wireless Customer Service is listed everywhere from just above the remittance slip on the bill to the "Contact Us" section at the top right of this website. Just as the VZW rep wrote rightly, they have not acted unethically for they offered multiple options to contact them without charging you minutes. More than this, VZW does not hide the toll-free number from their customers.

[johnjohnffn]

Verizon is only going to let you find information that they want you to find. Seems to me this whole site was created to sell us more of there products and not for helping there existing customers find information.

[budone]

johnjohnffn wrote:

Verizon is only going to let you find information that they want you to find. Seems to me this whole site was created to sell us more of there products and not for helping there existing customers find information.

What information are they hiding????

[CharmingPhlsphr]

The site is ridiculously easy to navigate in many respects, outside of the slowness I experience while on it. If my pupose is anything pertaining to sales, it is under "Shop"; if it is anything to do with my account, it is under "My Verizon"; if anything to do with troubleshooting or help with the device, account, or services, it is under "Support". More than this, I can find general information under "Explore" and information pertaining to the legal stuff at the bottom of the page. While I am generally cynical about the general intellectual and reasoning capabilities of the American people, navigating the Verizon Wireless site is mostly as easy as catagorizing the specific need you have by the general term it would fall into based on the four options available.

[bee0318]

I must compliment you on your obviously high intelligence! It must be

wonderful to have such a lofty intellect and so much time to burn at the

same time pecking at me about my opinion, since I believe this is your

second (if not third) useless email. Your obvious passion leads me to

believe that you are a Verizon employee; that being said, I am discussing

this in terms of best business practice, don¹t you understand? This is a

snarky way for Verizon to treat their own customers; that is my opinion,

and I am sticking to it. I have burned many expensive minutes on hold with

Verizon (and my CELL is ALL I have to use - *611 only applies to cell

issues), only to have the person come back and give me the correct number I

should have been calling; although I have called the number to which I was

directed on my bill for my particular area of concern (such as bills I have

paid that are showing up unpaid in my Verizon online account), they seem to

change their service numbers as often as they forget my registration

information when I attempt to log in to my account. I have found the

Verizon website to be unreliable and cumbersome, but that¹s just me (keeping

in mind that I am a consumer of SEVERAL Verizon products (business, two ISDN

lines, Internet and Fios, as well as cell service), so, my dear Verizon

cheerleader and web genius, my problem is a little more complicated than you

first assumed. Each section of the company seems to be a separate entity,

and this can create expensive chaos for customers. Now, please ­ if you¹re

so intelligent, please go do something with your time that suits your

particular genius and deep understanding of others flaws. Emailing me again

on this subject will be a waste, since I will be deleting any further

contacts from you; I welcome opposing opinions or genuine attempts to

discuss, but you are not a very nice person and I urge you to dump your

nastiness somewhere else.

On 2/26/12 12:30 PM, "CharmingPhlsphr" <community@verizonwireless.com>

[budone]

How is this 'snarky'? Charging for minutes to 800 minutes has been this way since the INCEPTION of cell phones. Not just VZW, but ATT, T-Mobile, Bell South, Alltel, US Cingular, CellularOne,....... ALL have used minutes when calling an 800 number. If you call VZW as much as it looks, if you have F&F add their number to the list

And yes each part of the company IS a different entity. Wireless is it's own company with it's own president, board, and employees. Residential, (landline, Fios, DSL) is another company, located in a different state with their own set of employees.

PS Charming is not an employee. Just like I am not

[CharmingPhlsphr]

Ha. Your sarcasm was laid on pretty thick. If you must know, my intellect is being put to use through teaching people about philosophy and theology. As for my passion, it is from being a customer of Verizon Wireless for just under a decade and experiencing relatively trouble-free service (also the reason why I never left for the AT&T iPhone or cheaper services elsewhere). I am going to ignore the emotional insults because they do not represent a person at their best.

Have you thought about contacting *611 as a means to stop the charges when you call the landline services? It is obvious that you are getting charged for 1-800 numbers and, while I do not have the landline, myself, it would stand to reason that you could bypass the charge by calling the customer service line for the wireless side and have them contact the landline - transferring you accordingly. Too much effort? Maybe. Will you change the way you are charged by your emotional response? Not one bit. While I will agree that there should be a number that allows the wireless customers to contact the landline directly for free, I have to argue that the solution is very easy: make the wireless side do the work for you. You are already, as your original post indicates, spending quite a bit of time with Verizon in its many hats, what is a few more minutes to stop being charged for the whole?

It is obvious that you know about *611, exploit it to save yourself money. Quit dwelling on the things you may not be able to change and focus on the solutions and exploits that will benefit you in this matter. Do I sound stupid by suggesting this?