Verizon store stole my iPhone
FrustratedAndLiedTo

My wife and I were in the Verizon store in Eagan, MN back in June to sign up for new service... they were offering a $330 trade in for an old iPhone, so while my wife finished up the paperwork I went home to get our old iPhone.  When I came back with the phone, I handed it to the sales rep, he inspected the phone ( noted it didn't have a SIM card but said that was ok ), entered all of the information in our order ( Device ID, etc. ) said "this is my phone now, you can't get it back", reviewed the $14.59/mo credit we will be receiving, and then we paid and left.

A week or so after my wife got an email from Verizon saying they haven't processed the trade in yet... we thought it might take a couple of weeks to be credited to our account so we didn't think anything of it.  After another couple of weeks, the credit still hadn't been processed, so I decided to go into the store to see what was up.

I went back to the store and talked to the General Manager to explain my situation.  He said they never take phones from the customer they always give the customer a box to mail in their phone from home.  I told him that absolutely wasn't what happened, I physically handed my phone to the sales rep... he phoned the sales rep I worked with, who wasn't in that day, and the sales rep said he remembered my wife and I but never received a phone from us.  I reminded the General Manager I explicitly left the store to drive and get our iPhone and came back and personally handed it to the sales rep... he said they wouldn't have done that.  I asked him to review the security cameras in the store and he said only corporate can make that decision.  He handed me a phone number to call the "Loyalty Team" and explain my situation.  So now I'm out of the credit, and my phone which was apparently stolen by the sales rep at the store and the General Manager just shrugs his shoulders and basically says my story wouldn't have happened at his store and hands me off to an 800 number.

So I call the 800 number... on hold for 40 min, then they hang up on me.  Call back... on hold for 30 min, then they hang up on me.  Finally get through to someone ( ~5 days later after 5 or 6 times calling )... and had the nicest representative who was trying to help me.  However, she said there isn't a "Loyalty Team" at Verizon and she was just in the general customer service department.  She verifies the IMEI hasn't been received at the Verizon warehouse and essentially says she's sorry, but there is nothing she can do... she recommends I go to the store and talk to the General Manager as he should be able to resolve it in store, and of course I mention I already did that.

So I'm really feeling stuck as Verizon stole my phone, the General Manager of the store is lying to me and covering up for his employee, and nobody at Verizon seems to care.

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Re: Verizon store stole my iPhone
Doggo
Contributor - Level 3

Store reps are shady and why I always advise friends and family to learn how to do things online.

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Re: Verizon store stole my iPhone
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

We're sorry to hear about such a negative experience at your local store. We'll be sending you a private note in the system that you can use to chat with us directly to receive account support. 

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Re: Verizon store stole my iPhone
FrustratedAndLiedTo

Thanks for the reply; I have also replied to @vzw_customer_support  via private message three times over the last two days ( as the @vzw_customer_support  private message was "When you are available to join us in our secure chat platform, please reply here and we will send you a link." ) and have yet to hear anything back.   

I'm continually amazed at how difficult Verizon makes it to actually get support.

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Re: Verizon store stole my iPhone
mama23dogs
Legend

Might also ask if they still have in store surveillance video from the day you did your trade-in. And you can file a Better Business Bureau complaint if Verizon is not forthcoming with your credits.   
i’ve heard of more than a few people who were able to prove that they traded in their phone because Store video showed them handing it over.  

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Re: Verizon store stole my iPhone
FrustratedAndLiedTo

Thanks for the suggestion... I did ask him to review the surveillance video and he said ( as the General Manager of the store mind you ) that he didn't have the authority to do that, only corporate did.  And he referred me ( the customer! ) to an 800 # to call with my request.  Unbelievable he wouldn't be more interested himself in figuring out why there is a discrepancy, makes me think he is in on it.

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Re: Verizon store stole my iPhone
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

FrustratedAndLiedTo, it is important to make sure you get credit for a trade in. Do you have a submission ID from this trade? Was this a corporate Verizon Wireless Store or a 3rd party store? 

 

-Joshua

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Re: Verizon store stole my iPhone
FrustratedAndLiedTo

Hi Joshua -

I do have a submission id.  It was a Verizon Wireless Store.

When I went back in to the store to talk to the General Manager about why I have yet to receive my trade in credit, he said it's because I never mailed in my iPhone.  I told him this is because I personally handed it to one of his sales associates and they processed the trade in right on the spot, in the store... and he told me no, they wouldn't have done that.   Well they did, and now I don't have my phone or the credit.

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Re: Verizon store stole my iPhone
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

We understand wanting to be able to take advantage of a trade in. Please send us a Private Note to proceed.

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Re: Verizon store stole my iPhone
FrustratedAndLiedTo

I have already sent 3 private messages as requested earlier, with no reply... I just sent a 4th.

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