About 18 months ago my wife and I traded in our iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, when switching to Verizon from AT&T. These were the most current iPhones out at the time. The promotion at the time was the "$650 Switcher," where they would give you $650 for your phones if you switched to Verizon and owed at least this much on your phone with your previous provider. We bought 2 new iPhone 7's. Note, that I downgraded from a 7+ to a 7. We physically handed over the phones in the store and were given a website to enter our information into to receive the promised total of $1,300 once we received our final bill from AT&T.
We were supposed to upload our final bill on the website, but it would not let us load it properly. We were still, at this time, thinking that it was just some individual error on our part, not loading the bill properly, or not having the appropriate information required to upload. The issue, in hindsight, was that the Verizon system wouldn't accept our final bill because it had no record of the phones that we turned in.
We never received this refund. My wife and I have called DOZENS of times to multiple facilities and have spent a ridiculous number of hours on the phone: The store we bought the new phones from, every customer service department possible, Headquarters in Nashville, Cellular Services, etc. After 18 months of questioning and getting told to call someone else, we finally got told, this week that too much time had passed since our conversion to Verizon, and nothing could be done. We didn't wait 18 months to call! We called regularly (sometimes multiple times a week) for MONTHS! We were told that Verizon does not have any record of the old phones' IMEI numbers, so too-bad so-sad. Either Verizon is fully incompetent, or the sales associate (who we discovered was subsequently fired) stole our phones, and hung us out to dry.
So what can we do? Are we just out 2 iPhones or $1300? Should we not have expected that the sales associate would have properly catalogued our phones and recorded all documentation of our trade-ins appropriately?
A) it's been 18 months is has been way too long
B) You should have MAILED the phones in not hand them to anyone. So yes the salesperson probably stole your phone. The terms of the deal specifically state you mail the phones in.
C) Verizon has headquarters in Nashville? That's news to me. Are you sure you went to an actual Verizon store and not a Premium retailer or Authorized retailer? You should really use actual Verizon stores
NVinson
We want to see you take advantage of every benefit available to you on our network. For a limited time, as a new customer, you could get up to $650.00 when trading in your old phone that is in good working condition. It's imperative that you complete all required steps to get the promotional credit within 45 days from the date of purchase of your new phones. To start this process, you had to visit our website to register your mobile number and provide your final bills for the previous wireless carrier that details the early termination fee and/or device buy out balance for that loan agreement. Are you able to contact your previous wireless carrier to retrieve the IMEI numbers? We can utilize that information by submitting an investigation to confirm the receipt of those phones in our equipment warehouse.
Lasina_VZW
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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!!
Lasina,,
We have provided our IMEI numbers, but here they are again: iPhone 7 Plus: [removed] , iPhone 7: [removed] . I believe that an investigation has already occurred, with the results stating that the Verizon employee stole our phones or did not properly log them in, having the same result. If we cannot resolve this issue, we will be compelled to (at a minimum) switch to another provider. Thank you.
Content modified as required by Verizon Wireless Terms of Service
NVinson,
Please don't post your IMEI numbers on this public community forum.
I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.
Hello, NVinson. I have sent you a Private Message so that we can better help with your Trade-In concerns.
Adam_VZW
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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!!
I have a very similar situation going on right now
On Black Friday 2019, my fiancé and I went to the Verizon store in Centennial Colorado. We combined our two phones together, we upgraded our plans to unlimited and we got two new iPhone 11s
I was told I would get $300 for my iPhone 7 and $150 for the iPhone 6 as trade value. The Verizon rep then asked to see our phones And documented whatever on her tablet. At that time, I asked the Verizon rep if the small chip on the bottom of my phone is going to be an issue and was told it would not. The Verizon rep then went to the back and brought out our new phones and a box. Paperwork was provided on how to back up the old iPhone and restore that information to the new iPhone. We were told our old phones had to be in the mail within five days for the trade in value to remain valid
The old phones were sent in the mail and a couple days later I received an email stating that they had adjusted my trade-in value to $45. Verizon claimed my phone was chipped and it was not functional. I disclosed in person to the Verizon rep that the phone was chipped prior to all this happening. Further the phone was functional and probably just needed to be plugged in because the battery died. The phone was two years old
Upon notification of the adjusted trade in value, I called Verizon customer service. I told the story about what happened in person at the Verizon store. I explained that I had disclosed the fact there was a chip on the phone and finally mentioned I never signed any piece of paperwork that gives Verizon the unilateral right to adjust the trade in value of my phone.
Verizon offered to compensate me $100 due to the situation. I asked for my phone to be returned. I was told $100 is more than reasonable market price for a phone that's chipped and not working. Again the phone was working the day I put it in the maile. I mentioned that getting my phone back was more valuable to me as a back up phone in case my current phone breaks. I was then told there was no way to get my old phone back.
I asked to speak with a manager. I explained all of this to the manager and got the response there is nothing that can be done. Surely there was someone that allowed the customer service representative to offer $100 as consideration. I would assume there is also someone that I can talk with about being compensated what was agreed to
I was told by the customer service manager that a ticket has been put in with her manager to give me a call. That was to happen this week on Tuesday, December 10 or December 11. Asof right now, that has not occurred
What gives Verizon the right to bait me with $300 trade in value, then take my phone and say they can't give it back, then change the trade in value without my consent
This is all sorts of wrong and I will ask to talk to their ethics office if needed. This has to be in violation of some consumer right (something similar to bait and switch)
I am having the same issue with Verizon now. I traded in my phone and was promised 500 in credits. Instead they are only offering me 54 in credit and refusing me to give me my phone back. I am this close to canceling my service and signing up with an other carrier. I don’t care if I take a hit by doing so. It’s the principle of being lied too.
ChrisUsta, this is very concerning to read. There is a very big difference between $500 & $54. Allow us to investigate what exactly has happened so we can work towards a resolution. Whenever you trade-in your phone, we always send you an email detailing what the trade-in value is & why the amount is what it is. When exactly did you do the upgrade & trade-in your phone? What make & model phone did you trade-in? In our correspondence with you regarding the trade-in, did we find something wrong with the phone you sent us? AliciaD_VZW
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