Unreturned Equipment charge

[sraj1]

I recently moved to a location where there is no FIOS, and I had disconnected my service last month. I had returned the set top box and router to Verizon via UPS, and the UPS confirmation shows that it was delivered. However Verizon has charged me $374 before taxes for unreturned equipment. Looking at other posts, it looks like this is very common practice in Verizon.

[hambone1980]

Hi, this is a very common scam with Verizon. There's either two things going on: their warehouse employees are stealing equipment, or Verizon randomly charges people "unreturned equipment fees" and sees who bothers to pay it. Verizon has tried to do this to me twice. The first time, I returned 4 FiOS boxes and a router all in one box that Verizon sent to me to use as the return box. They claimed they only received 1 of 4 cable boxes and I owed them over $1,000. The problem is that if they received one box, they received them all. Compelte scam. There was literally no way for them to only receive one box. They either got all 4 or none. I was a complete idiot and didn't get a receipt from the USPS, but I asked Verizon for the tracking number. Guess what? They wouldn't give it to me. Keep in mind that Verizon GENERATED the number and mailed a label to my house; they have the number! They just refused to give it to me! Then, last month, fed up with Verizon I cancelled my service a second time. This time, like a paranoid lunatic, I video taped myself putting everything in the box and then sealing it. I took a million photos of me packaging it and sealing the box. I took photos of the weight. I held onto the USPS receipt which also has the weight and tracking info. And guess what happened this time? Verizon is charing me claiming we didn't ship them back the router. So it's official: I have iron-clad proof that Verizon is either engaging in mail fraud or are outright scamming their customers. This isn't the last they will be hearing about it, either. It's the first time in my adult life that I actually was able to prove that a large company was intentionally defrauding their customers.

[swin311]

hambone1980 - I'm so glad I came across your post.  I think this is a scam as well and am seeing this is happening to a large number of people.  I don't understand how are they continuing to get away with this?  My situation is that I returned the damaged phone and they admit that they received the package (after first claiming they had not until I provided them the tracking number which clearly showed it was delivered and signed for) but claim  that it had a nonVerizon phone in the box and are charging me $550.  I've been a loyal Verizon customer for over 15 years, there isn't a non Verizon phone in this house that I could have possibly sent back.  And besides that I am 100% sure I sent back the damaged phone and WHY would I send back the wrong phone at the risk of being charged an absurd amount of money for it.  How do they justify charging such an inflated amount for a used phone?  How can that even be legal to charge the full retail price of a brand new phone for a defective used phone (that according to their website in good condition the trade in value of said phone is only $61 max).  This is insane!  I've talked to a million people and no one wants to help me.  They just keep saying I returned the wrong phone.  They can even produce the phone they say I returend or tell me what kind of phone it even was.  One supervisor actually did say to me that I shoudl ahve taken a picture of it so guess you have the right idea and glad you have some solid proof.  I plan to report them to the BBB and am also writing my local news paper and news station about this   I hope that we can do something to stop them.  This is wrong!!!

[ElizabethS]

Was this a cell phone?

[bbryantf]

They should not try to fleece their customers, when they move or go where Verizon service is not offered.

I did enjoy the service when I had it, but its not available where I reside.

[bbryantf]

Contact the FTC/FCC.

[LawrenceC]

As this thread is now over two years old, it will be locked in order to keep discussions current. If you have the same or a similar question/issue we invite you to start a new thread on the topic.