Customer service nightmare with upgrade, line reduction, poor advice
coolpillows
Enthusiast - Level 2

I'll try to summarize this without too many words or taking too much time in my day.  I've already spent many hours on the phone with reps and, in fact, someone has been reaching out to me from VZ to try to resolve the issue.  But it's been well over a week since I detailed a special VZ rep who might be able to help. 

The situation is basically, no lines were available for upgrades in the near future and my son who is across the country has a broken 'not smart' phone andneeded a new phone.  I considered buying him a refurb'd iPhone or something, esp. since the new ones came out.  $100 or so and at least he has a working smart phone til he's due for an upgrade.  But when calling VZ a rep suggested some fairly convoluted scenario whereby I would pay to disconnect the cheapest line (the line whose disconnect fee was lowest, closest to upgrade eligibility) of $95.  Then purchase another line which was to be used temporarily to get the discounted new iPhone 4S, then expire the new line and keep service on the disconnected line.  I spent well over an hour talking to this rep to get the details on exactly how this would go.  There would be charges for the new line prorated over the period of days (maybe $5) but then it would be released.  There would be the disconnect fee of $95 but there would be no other fees.  This would all happen seamlessly and no service would be interrupted on the line that was disconnected.  He called this a "line reduction" and that's what I was to ask for when the new phone arrived.  This was all recorded not only by the rep, but by me with copious notes detailing every step of this transaction.

New phone goes out, new line ordered, I pay this charge and phone arrives. I call to get it switched, apparently using the terminology the rep advised me to use and I'm told, surprise, "You want to disconnect a new line, that'll be $350, thank you." 

I NEVER would've purchased a new line if I had known that this whole convoluted deal a VZ rep proposed to me would cost me $350.  I know enough how the system works that VZ subsidizes device costs to keep customers.  I know there's a disconnect fee.  The rep did not tell me about the disconnect fee and explicitly told me I would not be charged to disconnect the line.  Knowing what I know, I would have bought a used iPhone and that would've been that. 

I have been on the phone with many additional reps, after this whole thing started, to try to resolve this matter.  The rep with the Social Media Team has been helpful and did discover a discrepancy in the notes which aligns with my story.  He has been looking into a solution.  But this is still not resolved.  

I'm not someone who will just throw up their hands and say, "Gosh, golly, Verizon!  I guess I misunderstood.  Here's $350 because you misled me."  That's not how the world works.  If a customer is not properly informed and coerced into agreeing to terms and conditions they do not understand, there must be some recourse.  So here we are, spending another 1/2 hour recapping this ugly customer service nightmare. 

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Re: Customer service nightmare with upgrade, line reduction, poor advice
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Is your original discussion about this in the forum or somewhere else? I don't seem to have any luck finding it.

Also the Early Termination Fee is clearly spelled out on your receipt and in the Return Policy link at the bottom of every Verizon Wireless web page.

You added a line and two year contract to get a subsidized equipment and then proceeded to cancel said line. I don't see how that isn't within their own policy.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Customer service nightmare with upgrade, line reduction, poor advice
coolpillows
Enthusiast - Level 2

No, there is no additional discussion; I just posted this today. 

I understand what you're saying and all the policies are clearly spelled out.  But if a customer is deceived into their understanding of the terms, then that is where the problem lies.  Even the rep who has been troubleshooting said that I was given incorrect information.  Very few customers, if any, read every word in Ts & Cs and fully understand them.  As a business that is responsible for explaining the complex and circuitous means by which we purchase Verizon services, it is up to reps to make the customers fully understand what they are buying. 

Re: Customer service nightmare with upgrade, line reduction, poor advice
SydneyK
Master - Level 3

Yes, if you add a line to get a subsidized phone there is always a hefty termination fee. Are you within 14 days of purchase? If so, you can return the iPhone, pay the $35 restocking fee and buy a used one elsewhere. If not, you can put a basic phone on the other line instead of terminating it, which, depending on your plan, may be cheaper than the ETF.

Re: Customer service nightmare with upgrade, line reduction, poor advice
pherson
Champion - Level 1

If you understand everything then once you were corrected yoi should have just returned the phone and been done with it instead of now trying to get something for nothing. Its not gonna be fixed so yoi can avoid the etc. Sure the rep was wrong; how often have people in general given wrong information?  You move on.

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Re: Customer service nightmare with upgrade, line reduction, poor advice
coolpillows
Enthusiast - Level 2

Another reason I'm posting this is because the clock is ticking on the 14-day return.  It's day 9 I think.  I was posting this on Twitter as well and that's how I got a rep to troubleshoot personally.  He did call to tell me Thursday 11/7 to say he's still working on it.  But I'm concerned I haven't heard back.  I think VZ understands there's been a mistake and they have the power to correct the problem.  I've been a customer for a while and the customer service, in general, is very good across the board, from tech, to sales, to billing. 

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Re: Customer service nightmare with upgrade, line reduction, poor advice
pherson
Champion - Level 1

That means you have 5 days to return it. Thats your course of action.

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Re: Customer service nightmare with upgrade, line reduction, poor advice
SydneyK
Master - Level 3

Do not wait for this to be corrected, because there is no course of action to correct it. You cannot get a subsidized phone and cancel the line for $95. I guarantee if you wait for an employee to fix this, it will not happen and you will be stuck once the 14 days is up. Someone told you something wrong, but you really have no recourse, unfortunately.