Horrible Customer Service at a Verizon Store!

[ssfava]

My son needed a new phone (he was 2 weeks shy of his upgrade date).  I called customer service and asked if I could transfer my upgrade to his phone- even though I did not have a smart phone.  They assured me I could and said I could do it online or at a store.  We went to the Warwick, RI store- 399 Bald Hill Rd.  There was no one to meet us, no computer to check in and a lot of associates wandering around.  I asked for help and the associate put my name and reason for the visit in his iPad and said it would be a while before we could be helped.  Finally, Jose came to help us.  When we explained what we were there for, he looked confused, went into the back room, came back and began telling us that we should do Verizon Edge and that we had to switch our plan to More Everything.  I explained that I had checked with Customer Service and they said that a transfer was possible and that I could keep my old plan.  He disappeared again and after a while, I called Verizon Customer service on my phone where they reiterated what they had told me previously.  My husband went to get a manger - Ruth and explained what was going on.  Jose reappeared.  Ruth spoke with the rep on the phone and snarkily said,  " Could you explain it to her in a way she can understand?" and then handed the phone to me.  The rep then said that both lines would have a 2 year contract extension and my line would have to carry data (without a smartphone) for this 2 years.  I said OK, thank you for clearing that up and hung up.  Ruth then defended Jose saying that he was trying to save me money with the Edge plan and I just couldn't understand what he was telling me.  Now, I am a teacher and this lack of respect for a customer and the tone of voice was quite degrading.  Verizon stores used to be where you could go to get honest service but now they have become sales centers where all they want to do is sell you what will benefit them.  Shame on you, Verizon!  I stayed with you for 17 years even though the cost was more than others because I thought I could trust you but you have lost my trust. 

[rcschnoor]

It is true that you could possibly work out better by switching your plan to More Everything and making the purchase on Edge. It would depend on how much data allowance your son requires. It might be better to just wait until your son's upgrade date, though.

How much are you currently paying? How many lines? How many smartphones? By transferring your upgrade so that he can purchase a smartphone and you keeping your basic phone on your current Nationwide plan, you WILL have to increase your bill by $30/month for the next 2 years.

If it is just 2 lines, your line and your son's line, More Everything would work out like the following:

1 basic phone line access fee = $20

1 smartphone line access fee = $40

6 GB of data = $70

Total = $130 + tax

Cost of phone on Edge = retail cost, say $600/24 = $25 monthly phone payment.

Your phone payment would be offset by the $25 Edge discount you would receive from making the purchase on Edge and having a data allowance of 6 GB/month or greater.

If you didn't want to make the monthly Edge payment, you could simply purchase the device at full retail up front and then add the month to month discount to your son's line in 2 weeks when he completes his contract. This way your monthly bill would drop to $105/month + tax.

[pherson]

Why is it that people always want to add their profession to a post as it that's going to make or break the situation?

[vzw_customer_support · Accepted solution]

ssfava  I'm very sad to hear about the less than stellar experience you encountered at the store location in Warwick! I completely agree that our stores should be locations you can depend on to receive honest and respectful service. I will absolutely ensure the proper feedback is lifted up to this store so we can improve it for the future.  I always want to ensure you have the correct information you need! On non-More Everything plans, you are able to share an upgrade with another line but a data plan will be needed on the line that the two year agreement is being attached to. Many times, switching to More Everything and Edge can save you money! This is something we can definitely look into together. To find the More Everything plan that will fit you best, check out what your average usage is like using an Account Analysis: http://vz.to/1ceGGY2. You can also compare More Everything plans here: http://vz.to/1mdaObD.  RuthW_VZW Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[ssfava]

Still confused! I was told that both the line that the upgrade was transferred from and the line I was upgrading to would have a new 2 year commitment and need a data plan of at least $30. I did not do this because why commit 2 lines to 2 years when getting only 1 phone. I decided to activate an old phone for 2 weeks until my son’s contract runs out. Then he can decide whether to stay with Verizon or go elsewhere. Thank you for forwarding my complaint about our treatment in the store. That was why I posted on this forum.