I have been a Verizon customer for over 20 years and have never had any issues—until this year. Unfortunately, my recent experience has been extremely disappointing and frustrating.
It all started when I pre-ordered the Samsung S25 Ultra, which was supposed to come with a $1,000 trade-in credit. I placed the order, received a QR code to return my old phone, and anticipated a smooth process. However, just four days after receiving my new phone, I was shocked to find a message indicating I had already turned in the old device. Of course, that’s impossible since I still had the phone in my possession.
To resolve this, I visited a Verizon store in person. Unfortunately, they couldn’t help much, telling me to keep the phone until I could get the correct QR code and that I needed to contact Verizon by phone. For the next four months, I worked tirelessly with customer service to get the issue sorted out, finally obtaining the correct code to return my old phone.
But then, a new problem arose: Verizon no longer honored the original pre-order discount. Instead, they offered me only $161 for my trade-in, claiming that they couldn’t apply the original discount because the old phone was not received within 45 days. I explained that this delay was due to Verizon’s own logistics, but they told me there was nothing they could do.
As a result, I was billed an additional $616, bringing the total cost of the phone to around $1,100—far from the $300 I initially expected. Had I known this, I would have bought directly from Samsung, as I did with another phone, to avoid this nightmare.
Adding insult to injury, Verizon is now removing my $25 monthly discount because I paid the $616 bill with a credit card. I don’t have $600 just lying around for a phone, and this feels like a punitive move rather than a customer-focused solution.
After more than two decades, I am deeply disappointed in how Verizon has handled my case. Their customer service seems to have shifted away from being helpful and supportive to being money-driven. At this point, I am seriously considering switching providers—something I never thought I’d say.
It’s sad to see a company that once prioritized its customers become so focused on profits. I hope Verizon re-evaluates its approach because they’re losing loyal customers like me.
