Why I am leaving Verizon

[philakid]

My iPhone 6S was replaced under the extended warranty I pay for monthly on my bill.  I was told the replacement was a refurbished 6S.  I did not expect that it would come with a weak battery that really needs replacement.  I was also not informed that my trade-in value toward another phone would be $0. 

I received a text offering me the Go Unlimited 55+.  I was told this would lower my bill.  However, I now know the agent lied to me when I asked about the military discount.  I do not get the 55+ plan and the military discount, thus my bill is actually higher.   Unfortunately, I live in a county where the best download speed I can get with LTE is 0.55Mbps - totally worthless.  

[glitchedpixel · Accepted solution]

It's a known issue that iPhones of that age have poor battery. So much so that Apple discounted the cost of replacement batteries.

Not surprised about lack of trade-in value. Those are practically being given away for new line activations to get rid of inventory.

The 55+ Go Unlimited states it does NOT stack with the military discount. This is viewable through the offer itself. Autopay is the only discount you can stack with the already discounted plan. 

[philakid]

First and foremost, if I have a broken phone covered by warranty and receive a “refurbished” phone as a replacement, I expect it to have a new battery, not one that needs to recharged mid-day under normal usage.  My wife’s 6s had its battery replaced and lasts two days.

I called Verizon about my trade in value.  My wife’s 6s has a trade-in value of $115.  The web site, under “my account” shows mine as $0 when I attempt to upgrade to a new phone.  The agent on the phone tells me mine is also $115.  Will have to go to store to verify this, but cannot upgrade online.

Finally, I received the 55+ offer in a text, with a number to call.  There was nothing to read showing me whether the military discount could be used or not.  The point is that I was told that it would cost less than my cuurent plan given that my discount would still apply on my phone.  This was not true.

[courtsteve]

Also any % off you get from an employer deal goes away.

[glitchedpixel]

A text message can only show so much. My Offers from your My Verizon account will show all the details. When you get any plan the rest of the customer base doesn't have normal access to, those plans are discounted to the point where they are often cheaper than what the full cost would be with employee discounts.

No carrier is going to give away brand new phones to replace one that's several generations old. Batteries degrade over time, that's a fact. If you want a phone with a new battery, you upgrade like everyone else.

Nothing Verizon does is any different than what everyone else is doing in the industry. All switching carriers does is introduce the same systems with a different logo.

[philakid]

Synonyms for "refurbished" are " renovate, reconditioin, revamp, overhaul, renew"

From the internet: "Some refurbished phones will receive a replacement battery before they're sold, but some won't — Apple is the only retailer we've seen that guarantees a new battery in every refurbished phone."

Obviously, Verizon does NOT put a new battery in refurbuished phones.

I turned in a phone with a battery at 100% of capacity and lasted 2 days (under warranty) and got an inferior product to what I turned in.  By the way, the phone I turned in needed a new speaker - a $3.00 part.

I don't think it is asking too much for a refurbished phone to have a battery that is 100% of capacity - after all an OEM battery can be had for $6.99.

[iamtamnur]

I would say that "just because they all do it" doesn't mean the practice should be silently accepted. Businesses can choose to do things differently if they really wanted to or are forced to through regulations.

[boringusername]

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@philakid wrote:

My iPhone 6S was replaced under the extended warranty I pay for monthly on my bill.  I was told the replacement was a refurbished 6S.  I did not expect that it would come with a weak battery that really needs replacement.  I was also not informed that my trade-in value toward another phone would be $0. 

I received a text offering me the Go Unlimited 55+.  I was told this would lower my bill.  However, I now know the agent lied to me when I asked about the military discount.  I do not get the 55+ plan and the military discount, thus my bill is actually higher.   Unfortunately, I live in a county where the best download speed I can get with LTE is 0.55Mbps - totally worthless.  

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terms of plans are clearly made on the website

[vzw_customer_support]

The last thing we want is for you to leave Verizon, philakid. 

I'm so sorry to see you had to get a replacement phone, but I want to share how the warranty replacement works https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/device-replacement-program/. 

You will get a brand new replacement if you have had your device less than 15 days. Our replacements go through a 100-point inspection to make sure things are working properly. If your replacement is not working for you, we can troubleshoot it with you. The good news is that the replacements also have a warranty.

Let's save you a trip to the store. Check the trade in value online at vzw.com/tradein.

We want you to be happy with your service and your plan. We can check to see if we can place you back on your previous plan if that is more cost effective for you.

TamaraH_VZW