Correspondence Team Request
GregStevens
Enthusiast - Level 1

I sent this to the CT a couple of weeks ago, haven't heard anything back yet.  So I called the support line and she had never even heard of it and rudely implied that I was making it up!  I called trying to get back in touch with the super helpful person I spoke with who was a supervisor named Nancy.  She's the person who told me about this super secret tribunal called the Correspondence Team that I need to contact to resolve this issue.  SHE would have done it but didn't have the level of access needed.  She said the CT WOULD fix it, but I'm getting anxious because I haven't heard back and there are deadlines approaching that I need to avoid.  

Here's the letter I wrote and delivered to PO Box 10569, Albany, NY 12212

 

I've been with Verizon for 9+ years. Excellent service. Pricey, but excellent. I've had a Samsung S20 for a few years and it was starting to show its age. I saw that VZ had a trade-in deal for an S22 and I qualified for it. So I grabbed it. 

Got the phone, it was a nightmare. Took hours and hours to charge and would discharge in half a day even if it was just sitting there doing nothing. Ran hot as heck. It was a mess. Took it back for a warranty replacement and the second one did pretty much the same thing. More on that in a second.

The S22 was returned using a Worry-Free Guarantee (WFG), NOT a DOA replacement, which as it turns out, is critical to the rest of the story here. So, the other day, I brought the second one back for another warranty replacement (not knowing the first one was returned under the WFG). As I’m sure you’re aware, the WFG has a one-replacement policy, so I wasn't able to get another S22 at the store. I would have to go thru Samsung. No way was I planning on getting a THIRD S22, so I said, I'll just sell it when I get it and I'll buy a different phone.

Upon returning the second S22, it was explained to me that I don't actually OWN that phone and that Verizon is just making the payments for me. So, to get out of it, I'd have to pay it off...some 800-ish dollars.

This was news to me.

For the record, I did the trade-in at a different store. The first store never once mentioned that it technically wasn’t my phone. As you can imagine, I was pretty irked when I learned this. 

They were the ones who told me about that particular fine-print.

So, the exchange process would involve me sending in the dead phone to Samsung, then they would diagnose it and then send out another phone. Who knows how long that would have taken and I absolutely cannot be without my phone for work. I would end up with who knows what in terms of a phone. No way I was going to get into another S22. Repaired, certified repaired, new...no way. Done. 

So, in order to prevent not having a phone, the only option I had was to add a line and buy a new phone. Which is was what I did. Turns out the S22 small one has all kinds of issues and that the Ultra version is very good. But even if it didn’t, *I* had two S22s that blew out. I should have been offered an alternative/option. I opted for the S22 Ultra and I absolutely love it. The problem is that my bill went from 130/month to 242/month. And I can't get out of the other dead phone because I don't technically own it. BTW, this is the cost for just me, two lines, but only me. Plus I have a Samsung watch that has its own data plan. But still. That’s way too much to pay for one guy’s cell phone bill.


So here’s what I want to see happen here. I want to keep the S22 Ultra that I have. I want to have the trade-in credit applied from the first S22 to the purchase price of the Ultra in my possession. I want to pay the balance of the difference over time like I have done for years. It seems very easy and straightforward to me and Nancy who I asked to speak with at VZ agreed that this is the proper and best course of action, it’s just she could not process it herself after trying every possible avenue. She was excellent, btw.


She also said that she gives out your group’s address only in very few cases a year. She understood my frustration/situation and I appreciated her understanding what kind of ridiculous stuff I’ve been dealing with for almost 2 months now.

My cell is [Phone number removed per the Verizon Terms of Service]. Please communicate with me at your earliest convenience. I have a massive bill due on Oct 2. My email is [email address removed per the Verizon Terms of Service]. Thanks for your time and immediate attention to this matter. My home address is 

BTW, I’m not an ultimatum kind of guy, but if this situation isn’t resolved by what I outlined above, I will take my business elsewhere. I love VZ, but after all this, I think I’m owed a little love.


Best Regards,
Greg Stevens

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Re: Correspondence Team Request
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Thanks for your 9+ years of business with Verizon, we truly appreciate your loyalty. Dealing with service issues can be a headache. We are here to help. Please send us a Private Note to better assist you. ~Gilbert

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