RPKP273 wrote:
offering the discount to people who were 'no longer employed'.
It is an EMPLOYEE discount, after all.
I think that it's pretty sorry of Verizon to discontinue the company discount because you retired. I've worked for over 30 years with Dow Chemical and am now retired doing volunteer work for them and others. With a limited income, Verizon decides to charge you more for the same service. I guess this is typical of all these big companies that all they care about is the all mighty dollar. Shame on you Verizon.
There are so many posts regarding this issue...
There's never too many posts on this issue....perhaps if more people complained, Verizon would do the right thing. I know seven individuals that have discontinued their service with Verizon, because of this issue. When you look at the profit Verizon has lost just in these cases, then maybe they should rethink the big "money saving" effort they're trying to implement.
I have been a Verizon customer for years with 3 lines and pay just short of 200 dollars per month. Because I was diagnosed with Leukemia and had a bone marrow transplant, I am now on disability retirement from the State of CT. I tried to speak to someone today about how to verify for discount, but all I got was a "robo response" from the customer rep telling me over and over to go to Verizon.com. I tried to tell her I get a paystub on a monthly basis. From the State of CT comptrollers office, but it was like talking to a wall. Well, I'm here now and it's really disappointing, but I guess predictable. My discount was fine for years but all of a sudden everybody is being referred back to their employers. Shame on you Verizon! I can't wait until my contracts are up. My family and I will take our business elsewhere!
Ashton Roesbery is right. There are too many posts about this. Am employee/retiree discount is not up to Verizon. The EMPLOYER is the one who offers the discount. If you lost the discount, its because your EMPLOYER no longer offers it. Stop blaming Verizon for losing the discount. If only your employer would be responsible enough to contact you to let you know they no longer offer it.....
Too many posts?? That's because this affects a lot of people. And if you think that my "company" and all the others mentioned started this, then you are very naive. I spoke with my HR and do you think Verizon bothered to notify that they were instituting this verification program before giving them a chance to include retirees?? And other chance to recoup the 5, 7, 10, etc. percent that they saw slipping through their greedy fingers was just too much to resist. Can't wait until contracts are up.
It really becomes a "he said-she said" situation. Verizon tells you it is up to your employer to include retirees, and you think this is a lie. So you talk to HR and they tell you it's Verizon's fault. This you believe, however. I find that whoever is catching heat will redirect it somewhere else...your HR department is passing the blame back to Verizon. The truth is, the company negotiates a discount agreement contract with Verizon (and sometimes other wireless carriers), and the COMPANY either opts to extend the discount to retirees or not. I would hope that whoever handles the contracts within a company is aware of the terms, which would include this. The recertification of benefits portion must not include options for those who are still affiliated but no longer actively employed. If the company doesn't specifically say retirees should be included, why would Verizon add that stipulation? When the current discount agreement is renegotiated, your employer can add retirees and your discount will resume from the date of the new contract.
However with all the he said and they said the basic truth is retired employees may not be spelled out in the Cellular contracts.
In example when I was communications officer in the state, the contracts stated that "employees and their families" are getting a 19% discount on service and data, and 25% off accessory purchases. There is no actual language about retirees and the contract was renewed through 2017.
Now what is happening is Verizon Wireless is sending out verification emails to the state employees that use Verizon in this email it states to click a link and answer a few questions via radio buttons. The problem with this email is many times employees move or get promoted to other agencies, the email servers may bounce large numbers of these verizon emails, or as happened this last few years the domain names have changed from .us to .gov let alone the domain names have themselves changed. So those emails will never get verified.
Another problem in verification is although the discount will be dropped when verizon cannot reach you via email the process then falls on the employee to go to a corporate store and show id from your agency. These days the employer does not require your work id back, it can still be copied at the store and the duscounts are applied once more.
Recently when I went for new service at T-Mobile the store manager asked if I worked for a company that was given a discount? I said I was a retired state employee. He said with your id card (I still posess it) or a copy of my retirement check stub I can get 15% off every line I opt for. I bought one libe so they did honor it.
The problem is not going to human resources for Verizon discount plans its the contracts department that would have the info you need. The state contracts in my state are on line in pdf formast.
Good Luck
I have been a retired Federal employee for over 5 years, and a Verizon customer for about 11 years. My "employee" discount amounts to around $13.50 from what I can tell. My bill is about $258 for four phones. I was just told, point blank, over the phone by Verizon Employment Validation Center that retirees no longer qualify for the discount. Verizon can do whatever they want - they are a lot bigger company than when I first trusted my business to them. So I'm wondering, for $13 is it worth it for them to risk losing customers like me who pay on-time every month? Some accountant at Verizon got a big bonus for figuring this out, but forgot to talk it over with the marketing department. I wonder if NARFE (National Association of Retired Federal Employees) knows about this? They will in about 10 minutes.
You know that organisation that you mentioned may have a discount with verizon wireless. I know that the major unions have discounts offered. Even AARP has these cell phone discounts. So if you are retired or still belong to an organisation that is large AFSCME, CSEA, PEF, NALC,Teamsters union or others then you may still get that discount.
Worth checking into.
Good Luck
I'm just beginning the retiree discount war with Verizon. Seems they have discontinued many discounts, and with phones costing sometimes $400-$600, and monthly service bills in the hundreds of dollars, I would guess (hope) that there will be a MAJOR backlash to these cuts. I hope so. If the other 2 major providers still offer discounts, that's the end of my story with Verizon when contract renewal rolls around in a couple of months!
And speaking of contracts, how is it that they can just cut these discounts while I'm currently under contract with them??
I also am retired Fed, thinking how cheap and low can Verizon go? My husband has dropped verizon, and I will be following as soon as my contract is up. Hope it is worth them losing $100 a month for a $8 discount!.
They don't care.
Until there are mass defections from their service they know they have you.
That $96 you saved a year now makes more profit for Verizon Wireless. Multiply that 250,000 times over and the profits are astounding .
Feels good to vent.
Mass defections would feel even better!
I was told by whoever answers questions here for Verizon that a pay check is a pay check for validation. I contacted opm and got a copy of annuity check and sent it in for verification that I was associated with usps through retirement check. I was denied. Does it or doesnt it state 'employed or affiliated with the company'? Even though the check is from opm it is still a branch of the postal service! I would call that verification. I was not fired or quit. I retired and still recieve a check. Can someone explain this to me? Nowhere does it state that retired postal employees do not qualify. It does state affiliated to the compamy does.
Verizon is just eliminating discounts wherever possible, and retires are (always) the first targets. Verizon will only accept pay stubs for current employment, not proof of pension. Or a functioning employee email address. Someone told me he called when his discount was discontinued and they gave him a loyalty discount instead. But now they have discontinued that also. So when my contract is over, I'm leaving! Hope many others do too.
phonie1234 - I totally agree with you. I worked for NASA for over 36 years. I lost my Verizon discount a couple months ago. I've called customer service 3 X - no luck. Each time, I questioned why would I get a discount while I'm working, and making more money, than when I am retired - and could really use the discount. I was given the 'Verizon canned response . . we were losing so much money from people who no longer worked with a company who offered the discount."
I said that I can appreciate this, if - someone left that company and went to work elsewhere. But I don't understand why, if I simply retired, I was now being denied the discount. Still no relief, except that they said they were losing "too much money" by offering the discount to people who were 'no longer employed'.
Well, here's my note to them: Once my daughter's phone contract expires next year, I will be leaving Verizon for good. I've been with them for nearly 15 years, and at one point, had 3 lines on my account.
All they had to do was continue to give me that discount - now they're going to lose so much more money. Because of pure greed on the part of the upper management. Touche.
People work for a company and get a pension and feel their former employer can do no wrong. Truth of the matter is that when a discount is offered their are stipulations...this amount for so many lines etc. Companies can choose how many lines they will maintain and whether or not they will include retirees. Its up to the company to maintain their part of the deal. And if employees who retired arent included it is what it is. What would you rather lose your precious discount or part of your pension? You decide.
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After listening to that comment, it's apparent that you're an employee of Verizon. Not surprised!
Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator<<>>
RPKP273 wrote:
offering the discount to people who were 'no longer employed'.
It is an EMPLOYEE discount, after all.
I am retired from USPS. I have had a discount with Verizon for 2 years as a government retiree. They now decide I do not qualify. What about the previous 22 months with 3 lines at $200 a month? Oh yes, the end is near and I can't wait to leave. BIG BUSINESS GREED!
No customer service or customer appreciation!
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