unsound business practices with upgrade promo
caly1
Newbie

Yesterday, I received a promotion code for $200 off the iphone 11 Pro max.  I put the promotion code in the appropriate box, but no where in the final total was the reduced amount/promotion mentioned. I  chatted with an on line representative who told me I would not see the promotion until my second bill. I said that was fine, but before I hit complete sale, I wanted to make sure I was actually getting the promotion since the full price of the phone was reflected on the order.  

She then tells me I can call customer service and they can email me a confirmation of the reduced price. As  a result, I complete the order and then call customer service.  I am then told that the promotion is not showing up on his end, but that it might in 2 months, after which time of course, I could not return the phone and even if I could, it would cost me $50 to restock it. 

I asked who on earth would buy a phone with a supposed discount and then wait two months to see the discount reflected anywhere on paper? He also told me that if the discount did not show up, I could call and ask to fill out a form requesting it, but that would not guarantee my getting it. And of course as I just said, I would be stuck with a phone that I only bought because I thought I was getting a discount.

I told him I have never in my entire life bought anything at a discounted price without that promotion being reflected anywhere on the paper work.  How on earth is this sound business and even legal?? 

Then he tells me I can cancel the order, which at this point seems to be the only option I have to make sure I don't get messed up out of a fake discount that was offered to me, but then not reflected anywhere. So I ask him to cancel the order and although it took less than five minutes to place the order, he tells me it can take up to 5 days to cancel it and I am now going to have to waste even more of my time to return the phone that they are going to ship to me that I no longer want because the supposed discount can't be verified before I start using the phone.

This is unacceptable and I have been a lifelong customer of Verizon. They are the only cell phone service I had ever had over the past 3 decades.  I told the customer service rep this and all he could do was keep repeating the script of "I understand this is frustrating" without offering any kind of remedy to the ridiculous way they are doing business.  I will be leaving Verizon as soon as possible because it is unheard of to promise a customer a discount and expect them to sign off on a receipt that had the discount listed nowhere and then be told to wait 2 months to see it and if I don't see it, be told I may very well be out of luck.  Completely unacceptable. 

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Re: unsound business practices with upgrade promo
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

We're sorry to read about the experience that you have had with purchasing this device and not being given any information in regard to the discount you were going to receive for the purchase. We would like to help you with this purchase and make sure that you get the discount you want. Please send us a private note to get started. 

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Re: unsound business practices with upgrade promo
Tigerstep
Specialist - Level 3

What did you want them to respond with? You're not the only person in that queue. Your anger should be directed at Verizon directly for not letting CS push a button to cancel an order. They force them to go through a supervisor for that privilege and work at home delays that even more.

I wish I was making that last bit up, but yes it's literally a button press and the geniuses at corporate won't let CS have access to basic tools.

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