Verizon is charging my account for a service that was not provided.
I am a LONG term Verizon customer and no one is helping.....
I work in IT, with the Network and Mobility groups, so I know what I am talking about, network access, O/S, bandwidth, etc….
I changed to a droid Bionic, from my LG (broken). I started experiencing issues with inability to connect to a solid 4G network. The phone was not updated to Ice Cream Sandwich O/S and tried repeatedly to get update, but no go. Verizon did swap out with another bionic, but still experienced issues with inability to consistently get network access. I work in a big city, no one else was having issues at my work.
Husband left for Europe due to a family emergency mid Sept. FIL was in hospital. I work and there is a 7 hour time difference. We both had SKYPE on our phones. At work, I tried to contact him, using SKYPE. SKYPE would not connect, due to the phone issue connecting to the network. I had to call husband directly (international calls) to get updates on the condition of my ill, 96 yo FIL.
1. This was not an issue of an app that did not function and that Verizon does not support. I did not have access to the network, thus could not use SKYPE to make calls. This was not a choice to call international.
When I received my bill for Sept, there were hundreds of dollars of additional charges.
I have tried to deal with Verizon on eliminating the charges. This is after having to deal with the death and funeral arrangements, service, etc of FIL. Verizon claims that I made the calls, thus I must pay. They admitted to it being a Verizon network issue when they traded for the Razr and updated O/S, but still want me to pay hundreds of dollars in extra fees that THEY CAUSED.
Wow, you're lucky you were able to get an upgrade for free, they don't usually do that.
Sorry for your loss but....
Verizon did not force you to call internationally. There are other methods of communication you could have used which would have been more economical. Email, for instance.
Calling internationally is NOT an "overage of minutes" as these minutes DO NOT count against your allowance. These minutes are NOT included in your plan and are charged differently than calling within the US. Maybe you should have checked your plan prior to calling internationally.
Additionally, it is not Verizon's problem you are working with a 7 hour time difference OR that you work. You couldn't Skype from your home before or after your work from a computer? On the weekends? Read emails before or after work? On the weekends? Do any of these additional charges occur on the weekends when you are not working, or is Verizon ONLY responsible for charges while you are working?
Once again, sorry for your loss, but as with all deaths, there is a monetary cost the family must bear. To expect Verizon to foot the bill is not reasonable.
yeah, sorry about the unfortunate circumstances youve encountered. but its true. your usage. your charges, your responsiblity...
Just as a FYI.. Husband was at the hospital, not at a PC. It would be so sanitary and easy if all was scheduled properly, but guess what? Usually when someone is ill enough and has been rushed to the hospital and extended stay, you do not only contact at 6 AM in the morning. You check on statuses, talk to doctors, etc. during the day.
Hindsight is 20/20 and easy when you are not in it. I hope you do not find yourselves in such a position.
Bottom line - I paid for network access and did not have it. It is documented with Verizon that it was a bad issue and that is why they upgraded to another model so Voila! I had access.
When husband had an issue last year with his Tmobile phone and Roaming in Europe (store had it auto checked), Tmobile stepped in immediately and resolved issue....
szilasi wrote:
Just as a FYI.. Husband was at the hospital, not at a PC. It would be so sanitary and easy if all was scheduled properly, but guess what? Usually when someone is ill enough and has been rushed to the hospital and extended stay, you do not only contact at 6 AM in the morning. You check on statuses, talk to doctors, etc. during the day.
I thought you said YOUR phone was the one having the problem, not his. You could have Skyped/emailed from a computer TO his phone, but you chose to call instead.
Yes, you are correct, everyone does not always think clearly when in a stressful situation such as that. Does not mean someone else should pay for YOUR actions.
Another thing I notice about your prior post is you say "Verizon claims that I made the calls, thus I must pay." but you also claim to have made the calls yourself, so it isn't necessarily that Verizon "claims" you made the calls, you DID make the calls.
Finally, I have found myself in a similar situation in the past and most likely in the near future. I also didn't(and don't) expect Verizon to pay for my phone usage during those times.
I gave the example of his phone (tmobile - please read) and when he had an issue, the company worked with him.
I do not have skype at work to use. I work more than full time and commute; maybe you have free time during the day, but I work an hour away from home, kids to take care of etc... And since I paid for network access to Verizon and did not have the network access that I paid for (and they admitted the issue in Sept), in order to stay in communication on the medical status of my FIL - I HAD TO CALL mobile to mobile, hence the international charges.
So, according to you, it is fully ok for verizon not to provide the service that I pay for monthly, but I should have know better? You can not have your cake and eat it too.....
It is very easy to sit back and say you should, why did you not. But, Verizon was fully aware of the issue with the bionic and that is why they upgraded.
As for the overages, that timeframe - I did not receive any notification of overages. Yet, the next month, I received text messages about being 50% of plan, etc.....
You also gave the example that he did not have a computer in the hospital, which is what I was referring.
Good luck in getting your bill excused. Personally, I don't think it should be granted, but that is just my opinion.
I think people are missing the point. We pay for network access. I fully understand that Skype is not a Verizon product. That has never been the point.
The point is that:
1. I pay $$ for network access and had repeated issues accessing the network with the phone.
2. Verizon admitted that was an issue in Sept and replaced the 2nd bionic with a razr.
3. In order to access SKYPE, you need access to the network. Since there was an issue with Verizon phone accessing the network on a consistent basis, the customer who pays for that access could not get it when needed.
4. Since my husband was at the hospital, he did not have access to a PC. He had his phone. In order for me to talk to doctors, my husband - I had to call mobile to mobile internationally, since Verizon's network that I paid for did not work on the phone that I had, I do not have SKYPE at work, etc.
Bottom line - if the network access was there (and it was immediately there when I insisted on getting another model of phone with new O/S), I would not have had to call mobile to mobile. But, since the service I paid for with the phone and monthly bills was not there and I had to call,......
Very easy to say pay when it is not you... 🙂
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