I am a recent Port in from TMobile to VZW, while VZW has the better network, the customer service is night and day. It took as close a week for the transfer to happen. I have my 2 lines and my own devices, just want to the BYOD and get the $250 per line promotion, thought it would be simple. Here's all the things went wrong:
1. I first did the transfer with the chat agent, on the application link he sent me over the chat window, the submit button didn't work. He has to submit it for me. And somehow that sumission got lost, so he asked me to fill out the applicaiton again, and again the submit button doesn't work. He again submitte it for me. While it took a bit longer, it's all fine, as I thought, and he ensured me 30 minutes later I can reboot my iphone XR to be on versizon network. I asked the whole chat transcript to sent to me so I have evidence of what's discussed. And I got a email confirming the order. I reboot my phone 30 minutes later. nothing happened. 2 days later, nothing happened. That's where I decide to chat again.
2. On the second chat 2 days later, the chat agent told me he can't check the order, and give me a number to call. 10 minutes wait time later (with TMobile I never had to wait more than 1 mintue. If there's wait time, they have a system that will call me back), I got connected to an agent keep on asking me for the location number, which I don't have in the email reciept, only a 5 digit number. (later I found out on order receipt mailed in, it has both order number and location number), eventually through my ssn, she was able to get to my partial account, at which point she told me there's application, but no order was found (but I do have the order confirmation receipt email!). So somehow she got my order back in and told me a sim card is on my way and the QR code email for esim is sent. Except when I scan the QR code email, the code doesn't work.
3. 4 hours later, I got another call with verizon port center, saying somehow the account number and pin from TMobile doesn't work (no idea why) for my XR line, I have given them that and they told it was activated. I just need to go back to the QR code email and scan it I'll be fine. I did just that, and it said QR code "No Longer Valid". I called the port center back (a good 10 mintues wait) and they said everything is done on their side and they can't help me. I said can they just trigger the system to send me another QR code (which I suspected the QR code either has a timestamp or since they need to fix my account, it generated a different signature/hash), they said they can't do that. They need to transfer me to the customer service (I was on hold for 40 mintues), while I finally got to talk to someone that said because my account info was updated, I need a new QR code (How the port center doesn't know that and why they can't send the new QR code?), he was able to send it to me and finally my first line worked.
4. My second line need a physical sim. The next day of my first line got ported over (and the same day as in my email my VZW sim will be delivered), I got a call in the morning, again saying the TMobile account and pin had an issue (didn't I just gave you that info again yesterday and successfully ported my line 1?) Fine, I gave them the info the third time and it went through. About 1 hours later, I got another call from verizon port center, said something my order for the physical sim failed (this is already the second order failure, the one I called back in 2 days after the chat agent order, the first order was the chat agent order), they are going to overnight me the sim. I said ok. However, a hour later, a vzw sim was delivered to my door. I'm totally confused, I called the port center (again 10 minutes wait), said what you mean the order failed, I have the VZW Sim in my hand, can you just activate my second line with this sim card? And of cause they can't. But they promised me once I got the new second sim card, all I need to do is put the sim card and reboot my phone. Everything would work.
5. As you might wonder why I can't be self-reliance and try set up those myself. I did. I try to register, it doesn't let me register until I got my first line working, when I try to register and sign in throug the myVZW app, it said it will send my temporary password over the text, it never did. So I tried to login on the web and reset my password (since I never got the initial temporary password text). After I went through all the steps, It give me one option to send the temporary password to "U.S. Mail to the BILLING ADDRESS ON THE ACCOUNT." You have my email (as you email me over 10 times for the order, the failed order, the cancelled order, the again failed order and the eventually sucess order line 1), you have my phone number (line 1, text my multiple time already for my first bill and remind me to set up autopay), and physical mail me a temporary password (what's the expiration time of a temporary password? isn't that usually 30 minutes or something?). It's so bad and almost comical.
6. The next day, my second sim arrived, when I put in, I got verizon signal, but I can't make any calls or text (I knew something would be wrong!), it said I need to add money into my account(? I'm think I am on post-pay account.) I call in again to the port center. First, my phone number somehow are not on the account, after she manually add the phone number, the new sim can't be used for the account (I highly suspect they shipped the prepay sim card second time) She asked if by chance I still have the first sim card and she can activate me on the sim card. (Glad I did not throw it away, and why just the day before I was told that card can't be used and just throw it away?) And it did work this time. Finally, 6 days late, both of my lines ported over.
7. The story didn't end there. I can login with the iphone6 but only see 1 line on my account. After waiting another 20 minutes for the customer service for reseting my password on the XR line, they told me that line was activated on a different account with my name and just an address (Remember they have to MAIL ME the temporary password? I guess that's why). I have to reactivate that line again with a new cell plan QR code. Finally, that re-activation went smoothly and I finally see both lines on my account and both of my phones are working, after an over 1 hour call. I do appreciate this agent's effort and try to get everything resolved for me, and she did that. Kudos to her.
8. Another thing is when I started my transfer with the chat agent, he told me my activation fee is waived since I'm doing an order with him. But when I look at my first bill, the activation fee is right there, the customer service told me she can take some amount off, but said maybe the chat agent's no-activation fee offer would be put on my account a few days later. I have no confidence on that given so many things when wrong and asked her to put whatever discount she can there and I'll call it a day.
Verizon signal is better. In the end I that's what I switch to Verizon for and they delivered that. But I can't believe the customer experience would be so bad. I am so spoiled by TMobile customer service and I take all the no wait in call time, never need to transfer to someone (with long on hold) for granted as I thought this is the norm as in 2019. I was so wrong ...
I have all the failed orders (3 total) emails, the chat transcript and below is the laughable screenshot of "US Mail for temporary password". VZW CS managers, if you have interested in invesitigation and figure out what's wrong with your process, training, support system, I can provide all those. I don't want to give out my personal info here, but I can provide the chat recap reference number here for the failed chat order the kick started this saga:
