Problem with device trade in credits
NATMUR99
Newbie

Good afternoon,

I have my mom on my Verizon unlimited family plan.  Over the course of the last 18 months my mom and I have both traded in our devices toward the purchase of new phones.  Mom received an iPhone 7 and I just got the iPhone X.  Both times, Verizon customer service has pitched it as, "Hey, we have this promo where you trade your phone in, you get $650 toward this new phone!".  It was explained to us by two different reps that the new phone full retail costs would be applied to the account over the course of 24 months.  Also the trade in credits would be applied over the course of 24 months to offset.  No mention of penalties or any kind of asterisk or fine print.

Fast forward to this afternoon, I see a T-Mobile promo for their new military discount.  I called Verizon to see what the total cost of cancellation would be if I wanted to go that route, just to explore options.  The *611 customer service lady was very polite in telling me that I would owe the full remainder of the retail cost of each phone, and that the device credit promos would not apply because they were contingent upon completing the full 24 month period.  I explained to her that I didn't feel that was right since there was never any signing of a term contract and no mention of contingencies on the credits for trading in my devices.  After a series of questions and clarifications, I asked to speak with a supervisor.  The supervisor said the same stuff to me.  I told her that I would then request that I get my phones back if they're not even going to honor the credit.  Doesn't seem fair to me that I should be on the hook for the full retail cost of the new phone, lose the full credit that was offered for my devices that were traded in, and also not get my devices back.  All of this because the customer service reps who brokered the trade in never mentioned that I would ultimately be signing a term contract with HUGE penalties for cancellation.  I thought Verizon's new move toward "No contract" plans was to improve transparency?  This feel like the complete polar opposite.

The supervisor said there's nothing at all she can do about what I was previously told and that she can only stick to policy.  I requested, again, to speak with her manager to get to the bottom of it and I was told that she will have to submit a request to have her manager call me at a later date.  Has anyone ever had this happen to them?  Is this even legal?  What are my options should I choose to switch?  As a loyal customer of 10+ years, and a proud member of the armed forces that Verizon claims to respect and value, I feel like this whole situation is a scam and that Verizon is acknowledging I was lied to, but is saying it's their policy to not care.

Thoughts?

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Re: Problem with device trade in credits
glitchedpixel
Specialist - Level 1

Loyal customer? You set your sights on a carrier with a poor Network at the drop of a hat because of pricing.

I used to run with Project Fi which is a Google service that uses both the Sprint and T-Mobile network. Switched back to VZW because I actually like having cell service.

If you switched carriers, it wouldn't make sense to keep giving a closed account a $27.08 credit each month for the remainder of a 24 month agreement. There isn't a single industry that would do this. You signed an agreement to pay for a phone over 24 months. The promo stated you would be receiving credits to offset that cost over that course of time. By cancelling out the promo, you give up reoccurring credits which equates to paying off the remaining balance if you either A) felt like buying out the phone or B) switching carriers with a balance remaining.

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Re: Problem with device trade in credits
NATMUR99
Newbie

First off, nobody is asking for anything that wasn't advertised.  And I'm not throwing the quality of one carrier under the bus and not saying that T-Mobile is amazing, or that Verizon is crap.  As I stated, I'm looking for information and trying to find how this situation is justifiable.  Please refrain from putting your judgement on me for seeking knowledge.  I have not cancelled my service with Verizon, I have not agreed to anything with T-Mobile, I am simply going through my due diligence in finding answers which is what every consumer should do.

I am sorry that in your area T-Mobile and Sprint are unreliable.  The fact that you're in an area with ProjectFi service tells me that you are not in the same market as me, and therefore your experiences with those networks and their coverage in your area are not comparable to the market infrastructure for my area.  I have several friends and family members that use T-Mobile in our market and have never once had issues with coverage, call quality, internet speeds, etc.  There are markets in the US that have similar complaints about Verizon and AT&T for their coverage and performance so there's no one network that is perfect everywhere.  It makes me happy that you have found the best carrier in your area for a reasonable cost.

That being said, I don't think you're following the question.  The original promotion was $650 credit for trade in of device toward the purchase of the phone at full retail.  Sounds great to me so far.  They say they will span the credit as a monthly bill credit over 24 months.  Sounds great so far.  At this point my logic is that if I cancel I will owe the full retail cost of the phone, less the monthly device purchase payments I have made on my monthly bills, and minus the remainder of unused bill credits from the original device trade in.  I understand I will owe money, and I'm not disputing that in any fashion.  What wasn't communicated was the condition that the 24 months has to be completed in order to retain the credit.  I was assured that there were no contracts when I moved to the unlimited plan, but this sounds like the very definition of a contract.  If you advertise $650 credit for trading in a device, and the sales rep doesn't tell you there's an obligation, and you don't sign a paper saying that you agree to an obligation, how do you know there's an obligation to maintain the 24 month period?

Is it your position that the sales reps lying to customers is okay as long as Verizon gets paid?

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Re: Problem with device trade in credits
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

We certainly do not want to lose you as our customer, NATMUR99. We do want to help in any way we can. We apologize that the terms of that special offer was not expressed to you upfront. 

 

All promotional offers that provide a credit towards the cost of a phone purchased on the device payment plan would only be presented on the monthly bill. Once you cancel before the 24 months of the offer is completed, you would need to pay off the remaining balance of the phone. We are sad to say that the future credits towards that 24 month period would not be applied.

 

Please be aware we do offer a military discount for our customers as well http://vz.to/2FURe02

 

StevenG_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!!

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Re: Problem with device trade in credits
NATMUR99
Newbie

Thank you for the expedited response and the clarification of current policy.  Why is it that I’m held liable for the misleading sales of your staff?  Had I been told there was an obligation to fulfill the 24 month term or forfeit the entire credit I never would have done that and would have bought the phone straight out at full retail and sold my original device in a local market.  I respected the idea of not being on contract and this policy essentially creates a contract with much more severe penalties, that your staff do not explain at all.

Again, I understand that I’d owe the cost of the phone and I’m not disputing that, but I only agreed to do this trade because of the advertised credit.  It seems dispicable to hold a customer hostage when the deficiency was your sales team misleading us.

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Re: Problem with device trade in credits
boringusername
Master - Level 1

NATMUR99 wrote:

First off, nobody is asking for anything that wasn't advertised. And I'm not throwing the quality of one carrier under the bus and not saying that T-Mobile is amazing, or that Verizon is ****. As I stated, I'm looking for information and trying to find how this situation is justifiable. Please refrain from putting your judgement on me for seeking knowledge. I have not cancelled my service with Verizon, I have not agreed to anything with T-Mobile, I am simply going through my due diligence in finding answers which is what every consumer should do.

I am sorry that in your area T-Mobile and Sprint are unreliable. The fact that you're in an area with ProjectFi service tells me that you are not in the same market as me, and therefore your experiences with those networks and their coverage in your area are not comparable to the market infrastructure for my area. I have several friends and family members that use T-Mobile in our market and have never once had issues with coverage, call quality, internet speeds, etc. There are markets in the US that have similar complaints about Verizon and AT&T for their coverage and performance so there's no one network that is perfect everywhere. It makes me happy that you have found the best carrier in your area for a reasonable cost.

That being said, I don't think you're following the question. The original promotion was $650 credit for trade in of device toward the purchase of the phone at full retail. Sounds great to me so far. They say they will span the credit as a monthly bill credit over 24 months. Sounds great so far. At this point my logic is that if I cancel I will owe the full retail cost of the phone, less the monthly device purchase payments I have made on my monthly bills, and minus the remainder of unused bill credits from the original device trade in. I understand I will owe money, and I'm not disputing that in any fashion. What wasn't communicated was the condition that the 24 months has to be completed in order to retain the credit. I was assured that there were no contracts when I moved to the unlimited plan, but this sounds like the very definition of a contract. If you advertise $650 credit for trading in a device, and the sales rep doesn't tell you there's an obligation, and you don't sign a paper saying that you agree to an obligation, how do you know there's an obligation to maintain the 24 month period?

Is it your position that the sales reps lying to customers is okay as long as Verizon gets paid?

UP TO $650. They aren't going to give you $650 for device that is utter garbage. Also of course you need to stay 24 months. This is in the terms. It's there it always has been. what carrier is going to give you $650 off a phone so you can turn around and leave with it to another carrier?

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Re: Problem with device trade in credits
NATMUR99
Newbie

"Up to $650" was not the promotion.  The promotion was "Give us your specific phone listed for the deal to work, and we will give you $650 toward the purchase of the new iPhone."  Part 1 of the deal was giving them the iPhone 6 as a trade in.  Part 2 was Verizon giving a $650 credit toward the purchase of the new phone.

When I asked the rep at the time of purchase if there was any obligation, his answer was "No, there is no obligation and no contract."  He explained that the reason Verizon does this is make it easier for the consumer to afford the newer phones without the large out-of-pocket expense.  I questioned it at the time because I know that no carrier in their right mind would do that, but I had the assurance of the Verizon sales rep that there was no obligation.

What carrier authorizes their sales staff to flat out lie to their customers?  I agree that based on the information I'm receiving now the term is specified.  My point of contention is with the sales tactic for getting me in this mess 18 months ago with the iPhone 7, and again from a different rep with the same information in November with the iPhone X.  Had they specified the actual terms and not lied, I would not have agreed to this.

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Re: Problem with device trade in credits
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

This isn't the exact promotion you probably had, but the terms of the promotion are the same for all the promotions Verizon Wireless has had for the past few years. The only difference is the dollar amounts and the eligible phones for the trade-in.

Screenshot_20171102-061328.pngScreenshot_20171102-061559.png

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

Re: Problem with device trade in credits
boringusername
Master - Level 1

NATMUR99 wrote:

"Up to $650" was not the promotion. The promotion was "Give us your specific phone listed for the deal to work, and we will give you $650 toward the purchase of the new iPhone." Part 1 of the deal was giving them the iPhone 6 as a trade in. Part 2 was Verizon giving a $650 credit toward the purchase of the new phone.

When I asked the rep at the time of purchase if there was any obligation, his answer was "No, there is no obligation and no contract." He explained that the reason Verizon does this is make it easier for the consumer to afford the newer phones without the large out-of-pocket expense. I questioned it at the time because I know that no carrier in their right mind would do that, but I had the assurance of the Verizon sales rep that there was no obligation.

What carrier authorizes their sales staff to flat out lie to their customers? I agree that based on the information I'm receiving now the term is specified. My point of contention is with the sales tactic for getting me in this mess 18 months ago with the iPhone 7, and again from a different rep with the same information in November with the iPhone X. Had they specified the actual terms and not lied, I would not have agreed to this.

Trades in are UP TO. A phone in better condition has better re-sale value. Come on use common sense instead of believing in what fits your narrative.

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Re: Problem with device trade in credits
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

NATMUR99,

 

We value your more than ten years of loyalty and want to make sure you always get the right information from us. I know how crucial that is. With our trade in promotions we do agree to provide a monthly credit for 24 months toward the monthly cost of the phone. If you cancel service though the phone needs to be paid off and there is no longer a monthly cost to apply a credit to.

 

With this promotion there is no contract or obligation as customers can pay off the phones earlier if they want to get something else or leave though we're certainly sad to see them go if they choose that route. You would have to pay the remaining balance of the phone and forfeit any future credits as those are only applied over 24 months to the monthly phone cost but you still keep the credits you've already received up to that point.

 

We always want to make sure we're going over all details of a promotion. I can confirm though that when processing the trade in these terms are presented. Because of that there isn't a way to get the credit other than over the full 24 months. I'd love to turn this around and keep you in the Verizon family so you continue getting those credits each month. Were you able to review our military discount? How has our service been working for you?

 

AndrewT_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!!

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