IPhone Trade In Scam

[jdm12345]

I am wondering if you have to complain on this community board to get some response from Verizon about bogus trade in  gift cards ($36). My calls get automatically dropped when transferred from customer service, but if you select upgrade and type in your code you get someone immediately who will try to transfer you to trade in and then you get dropped again. It's like they are asking for us to complain on the internet so lawyers can find these details and use them to prosecute in a few months (or maybe it's already in court).

In addition to having a verizon store representative prepare my phone for trade in with me watching (so I wouldn't do it wrong), they also informed me that I was overpaying on my bill and gave me the same data plan for less money (of course they said because you are a loyal customer we'll give you a discount on your plan)...SO how many times will verizon steal money and act like it is okay?

They are hoping that most of you will not read the e-mail and just click the apply to bill hyperlink.

[slmillerindia]

So here's my tale of woe...

I've been Twittering back and forth with someone from Verizon and the upshot is that the paperwork for the trade in of my IPhone 4S had to be completed by Oct. 15, 2014 if I was going to receive the $200 I was promised at the time I bought the IPhone 6. I told the guy that the new phone was on back order and I didn't even receive it until Oct. 17th, so how could I have completed the paper work by the 15th? The guy just responded that I missed the deadline. At the time I bought the IPhone 6, Verizon told me that the trade in information would be sent with the new phone... which didn't arrive until after the deadline.

How can we take this to the next level? Verizon's malfeasance? Incredible how unresponsive they have been - no one answers the help line, no one responds to emails.

[jsdonley]

I just received my email---$36 gift card! LOL! The iphone 5 I returned was an insurance replacement, and only TWO WEEKS OLD.  NOTHING WRONG WITH IT! The ONLY reason I continued with Verizon was to get the $200 gift card.  I was going to Spring or AT&T Anyway...should have waited. 

I returned my old iphone 5 to Verizon a month before my contract was up because the battery didn't charge.  I got the "free" insurance replacement.  I was then notified my old phone was not accepted, and was charged $300!!!! No way to appeal or get the phone sent back.  I HATE this company, and the SECOND my contract is up, I will NEVER return to Verizon.  Thieves. 

[tjmich]

Wish I would have seen this post earlier.  The one and only reason I traded up to an IPhone 6 was because the salesperson in the Verizon Wireless store told me I would be receiving a $200 gift card for my IPhone 4. I was told be the salesperson on both Sept 25 and Oct 9 that I needed to wait for Verizon Wireless to send me an envelope to trade in the IPhone 4. After not receiving an envelope by October 24, I called the store, customer service, online, etc. only to be told that I needed to complete on online form by October 15 to get the envelope sent to me and that the promotion is now expired.  After spending numerous hours trying to rectify the problem, I continue to get the runaround.  They have promised to call me back with their supervisor to fix the issue and never call back. Etc. Etc.  I am also a longtime Verizon customer. Always paid my bills on time. Now they want to screw me out of $200 and risk losing me as a customer? Shocking to me that they are that shortsighted.  I am not stopping my fight on this.  Good luck to all!

[Jylphoenix]

how did you get them to call you?!?

[tjmich]

They promised to call me, but never did.

[loganberry]

I submitted a complaint to the BBB. Guessing that wont help but hey, it was worth a try.

Has anyone gotten any resolution from this?

[jlegs]

Has there been any talk of a class action lawsuit?  This is ridiculous.  I sent my iPhone 4S in on October 21st in the same cheap, non-padded, non-insured, non-traceable envelope that everybody else did and their website still shows not received after 2+ weeks.  This phone was just replaced by Best Buy under warranty a few days before the trade in, so I'm waiting to hear (if they ever receive it) that it's defective in some way.

[blps53]

tjmich-

I am as frustrated as you and all the rest on this board. I feel taken advantage of and is that what we get for being loyal customers? I'm very disgusted by the poor response I got by calling the trade in customer service number. The rep I spoke with was very unhelpful and just kept repeating herself saying the exact thing I read online and there is nothing she can do to help since I agreed to the terms. However, I sent my phone in Sept 24th and it took until Nov 4 to have the phone assessed. Per that agreement, I was led to believe that within 2 wks of them receiving the phone a gift card would be issued. I still haven't seen any money, but they want to give me only $30 some odd dollars of an appraised $200 trade in?! When I had submitted my trade in, it was valued as $200 for an iphone 5 in good working condition, but oddly enough when they checked it out it wouldn't power on (go figure after being handled in a not so tamper resistant envelope and sitting in a warehouse for weeks!). I asked to speak with a supervisor or someone who would listen to my complaint and she said they were all busy. I'm sure they were with many other unhappy clients.

I am an honest woman and sent my phone to a company I choose to support and don't feel they are sticking with their end of their contract. They are looking for any excuse to get out of paying all these customers the money expected from their appraisals. Why would I want to continue to support a business who doesn't care about the people that make it?

I would appreciate Verizon to step up and do the right thing.

Thanks for listening and if anyone has advice on how to straighten this out, I'd appreciate it!

[Mstantz]

Guess what?!!! I just had the same thing happen!!  Followed every step exactly and sent an iPhone 5 back on 9/30 valued at $200. Great condition! The website never had any record of it so when I called they said it was in processing and I would get my gift card in 14-27 days.  Got it yesterday for $36!!!!!!   When I called they said there is no reason listed why and it had to be escalated and I would hear back via email in 7-10 days after they pull the phone and re-evaluate.  I ask if I can get it shipped back and he tells me "no they arrive there in bulk and they cannot ship a specific phone back".  I then asked how they would pull my specific phone if they arrive in bulk and that is why it cannot be shipped back....he said they will search through phones to find mine to reevaluate it....  Why does this not seem right?  He said they only respond via e-mail.   I am very frustrated and had many happy years with Verizon but have lately been very disappointed with their customer service.