Verizon's Warehouse Backlog is My Problem?

I upgraded to a terrific Samsung Saga on April 3, 2009. Unfortunately, the first handset did not charge properly, and a Verizon Store Tech told me to call the 800 number and request a new one since it was within the first 30 days ("No Worry" Guarantee).

When I called, I was a bit concerned that they wanted to bill me for the replacement phone, but they assured me that a credit would be applied as soon as the defective unit was "logged" at the warehouse. They sent me the new unit (which works perfectly), and a return label for Fed Ex. I followed their procedure, and I have witnesses who will verify that the phone, charger, manuals and software were all in the package. It was shipped on April 27th, and signed for by B. Wilburn in Ft. Worth, TX on April 29th at 8:29 AM (love those tracking numbers). As of today, July 30, 2009, no credit has yet been applied to my account.

I have called "Customer Service" five times. Each time they assure me that they have "submitted the form" and that I will see a credit within 48 hours. Most of the reps I have spoken to have admitted that the "warehouse is backed up". Why is that my problem? Why can't they take me out of their internal process failure by issueing me a provisional credit and getting the redundant charge off my bill?

Word to the wise...do not do business with Verizon this way. Bring a defective phone to a service location and demand a simultaneous credit for the replacement device.

My bad. I tried to deal with a phone company over the phone!

I signes up for their service in November and the very first bill was triple what they said it would be. I called them and they would not offer any help to me. I payed the bill because i had no choice but the next bills to follow were the same and i called them, again no help. I received a shut off notice and called on a thursday to make arrangements to make a payent on that very next day Friday when my paycheck cleared i thought everything was ok, But not so later that very same day they shut off my service!!! I called them several times to try to make arrangements with them but they would not help me!!! I did not pay them any money and they added a whole bunch of disconnect charge and but the bill in collections.

Found this number on another post. I intend to use the balance of my 1400 minutes calling to tell them how TERRIBLE a company VERIZON WIRELSS HAS BECOME! Then cancel my service.

PLEASE USE ALL YOUR EXTRA MINUTES TO CONTACT LETS HARASS THEM LIKE THEY HARASS US!!

DAVID SMALL 973-656-7000

Verizon Wireless keeps trying to lock their phones down. It was just released that they are opening their own app store and not loading specific phone or operating system app stores on any of their phones. Why can't consumers get full use out of their phones on Verizon? On top of their strict policies that lock their phones down, they are so strict that it makes it very hard for phones that people want such as the iphone, palm pre, adroid devices to get on their network. Verizon has expensive plans yet they have horrible phones. I am growing very unhappy with the way Verizon Wireless treats their customers at such a high premium. Either lax on the policies, get new phones, or say goodbye to me as a customer!

So I've been looking to get an iPhone and get out of the 1.5 years I have left with Verizon. I stumbled onto this forum looking for a way out. Sure enough I read this clip out of the Customer Agreement and I saw a light at the end of the tunnel:

Our Rights to Make Changes

Your service is subject to our business policies, practices and procedures, which we can change without notice. UNLESS OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY LAW, WE CAN ALSO CHANGE PRICES AND ANY OTHER CONDITIONS IN THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME BY SENDING YOU WRITTEN NOTICE PRIOR TO THE BILLING PERIOD IN WHICH THE CHANGES WOULD GO INTO EFFECT. IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE YOUR SERVICE AFTER THAT POINT, YOU'RE ACCEPTING THE CHANGES. IF THE CHANGES HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON YOU, HOWEVER, YOU CAN END THE AFFECTED SERVICE, WITHOUT ANY EARLY TERMINATION FEE, JUST BY CALLING US WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER WE SEND NOTICE OF THE CHANGE.

After reading this I looked at my bill as of July 1st, 2009, Verizon has raised their Administrative charges from $0.85 up to $0.92. To me this qualified as a price increase. What follows is my ordeal with Verizon. If you don't want to read the rest of this- the answer is No, I wasn't able to get out of the ETF.

1. Called Verizon and spoke with a woman named Africa (no joke). I explained the situation and the price increase and informed her of the customer agreement. She replied saying that the Administrative Charge was a tax and there was nothing Verizon could do about it. First problem, I believed her. I then complained about the GPS being locked (I've got an Omnia). Got nowhere... 30 minutes later I was off the phone. I then went to Verizons website and saw their explanation of charges that states:

"Administrative Charge, helps defray certain costs we incur, currently including (i) charges we, or our agents, pay local telephone companies for delivering calls from our customers to their customers, (ii) fees and assessments on network facilities and service, and (iii) certain costs and charges associated with proceedings related to new cell site construction. Please note that these are Verizon Wireless charges, not taxes."

2. Realizing she either lied to me or doesn't know what she is talking about I called up VZ again. Explained the situation again to another guy who said it was a tax. I told him to look it up under explanation of charges. He said he couldn't find any explanation of charges (WTF?)... Finally, he talked to his supervisor and was given a copy of them (easily available on their own website). After reading it he said it looks like you are right, let me put you on hold.

After 15 minutes he came back and said he could not waive the ETF because his supervisor said the price change had to be more than one dollar a month... Basically his supervisor was throwing BS out there, so I asked to talk with her. She explained very confidently that it is a Verizon policy that the price change has to be more than one dollar per month to qualify for a waive on the ETF. I asked her if it says that in the Customer Agreement. Yep, she says. I ask her if she is looking at it and where it says that (I had the agreement up on my screen). Her response- at the bottom of the page. I asked how many paragraphs up from the bottom? "I'm sorry sir, I'm not actually able to look at the customer agreement, but it is in there and it's towards the bottom."

(Blood pressure rising). One minute she tells me she is reading it, the next minute she says that she can't pull up her own companies customer service agreement? Are you joking. I asked for a different manager. She said she was the only one there. She then assured me that she was right and since it didn't qualify for the dollar increase I'd be charged the full ETF. She told me I could send a fax over to Verizon Customer Correspondence... a fax. I asked for a phone number. "I'm sorry sir, they don't have a phone number." Before my heart explodes I end the phone call.

3. Third times I charm... I officially hate Verizon. I talk to a woman, who after getting my name and number immediately puts me on hold for 10 minutes. I explain the situation and she says, that she will credit me the $0.07 difference for the next 6 months. She says this way there won't be an "material adverse effect" and there fore I didn't qualify for the ETF. Long story short, I speak with the manager, who effectively says the same thing. I told them I don't want the credit, but I want my ETF waived, like it says in the customer agreement. No can do she says.

It's quite obvious that customer service and customer agreements for that matter don't mean much to Verizon. Their priorities lie in nickel and diming the customer, probably hoping they won't notice or they won't call back if they get disconnected while on the phone with customer service (happened once already today).

I hope someone has more luck that me. At this point, I'm thoroughly sickened by Verizons greed and I'll be picking up an iPhone later today.