My daughters incredibly stupid scam

[dan330]

She was aware that the phones were worth a lot more than $50, because that was how this scam made her money. So she was certainly guilty of extreme stupidity if it didn't occur to her that a big company wouldn't just let her walk off with 5 times several hundred dollars worth of hardware and be fine with that.

.

so true.. she even lied to her dad.. she knew it was worth way more than $50. otherwise she could not resale for way more!!!

Will be a hard lesson I think, because she could find it very difficult or impossible to get a bank account, credit card, cellphone contract, loan, HP, mortgage, car credit, or anything that like that for the next ten years, if not more. To be credit blacklisted, maybe one of the worse things that can happen, worse than having to pay the $5,000 that could be owing to Verizon, because of contract default.

Another thing, credit reports and scoring are international. A friend of mine has a bad credit score, because he defaulted on a bank loan in the UK, paid it back eventually via a debt collector. But he's now been refused credit cards here in China from a Chinese bank.

if this is the only mark on credit report or only a few.. sh be will be ok.
but based on her current way of thinking. it don't look good.

The OP says she is 22

oh.. did not see it. thanks.
how did I miss that?

so she is old enough to know better.
I hope she will open her eyes from this.

 

[jhawkkw]

18 here in the US, to my knowledge no exceptions as far as that goes.

I think emancipated minors can enter an agreement at 16, but that is obviously moot at this point.

As for the subject at hand, I think Verizon might be throwing in more charges than just the devices. 5 high end devices at 700 a pop would only be 3500 dollars. It sounds like Verizon might be double dipping because IIRC correctly, you don't pay ETF's if you cancel within 14 days , but you have to return the device. If after 14 days, you don't have to return the device but you have to pay the ETF. I would look at the contract she signed better to see if my assumption is wrong, otherwise you might be able to knock the bill down by a bit.

 

[guy48065]

She sold the phones for rent & drug money. They are not recoverable, period.
If she pays for the phones there's no case for fraud and nothing illegal about the outcome, despite her dubious intentions.

I called V and found out the picture isn't as bleak as I had assumed. Pay the $350 fixed ETF per phone and she's done. No need to return the phone and no more monthly contract. I didn't know the ETF was a fixed amount regardless what phone or when during the contract you cancel.

It's still expensive--but a fraction what I thought she was facing.

 

[guy48065]

Drugs turns smart people into idiots. You only THINK you're clever.

 

[sfbloodbrother]

OH, MMMM< GGOODD

Seriously? 22, and really? Wow, I don't know what to say. I'm with Boost Mobile, and I just pay $60 a month. I... Wow...

Maybe you should... Well if she sold all the phones, I don't think that there is anything that she can do. The phones are gone, and Verizon lost money.

I generally hate Verizon, like I would NEVER chose them, but I have to take their side on this one. The phones are gone, and Verizon (And all the top companies) have a rule. You must pay off the phone..

She's going to be in some big debt for this mistake.

OR she can not pay for them and have bad credit.

That's what my dad Did..

AT&T lied to him, over charged him, all for some stupid things, so he just said. well, I will keep this clean.

My take? Don't ever fall victim to these companies. They only care about money, not you.

Boost Mobile.. wow, I love them. I just wish that service was in more parts of the US.

 

[codesplice]

I called V and found out the picture isn't as bleak as I had assumed. Pay the $350 fixed ETF per phone and she's done. No need to return the phone and no more monthly contract. I didn't know the ETF was a fixed amount regardless what phone or when during the contract you cancel.

It's still expensive--but a fraction what I thought she was facing.

Good to hear that there's a solution short of that $5k you mentioned. Hope it all works out for you and that your daughter has learned her lesson.

 

[Hadron]

Maybe you should... Well if she sold all the phones, I don't think that there is anything that she can do. The phones are gone, and Verizon lost money.

Maybe not. I suspect that VZW set the EFT level at on near the maximum amount they subsidise a handset by. Add $50 and you have $400/handset, and VZW will be paying a lot less than the retail price for them. Sure, they've not made as much money as they would have from the contract, but I would guess they aren't actually out of pocket themselves.

OP: I'm relieved for you that it's not as bad as it sounded. Hope the lesson is learned though.

 

[dibblebill]

Maybe I'm a hardliner, but I still think you should've told her to do it herself.

 

[dan330]

Drugs turns smart people into idiots. You only THINK you're clever.

well, you know the root of the problem. and it needs fixed first.




glad it was NOT as bad as initially thought.
Hope you can turn her around. she still young and has her whole life ahead.

I hope you are strong enough for the both of you!
take care.

 

[Goodspike]

Would Verizon blacklist the phones even as they bill her for them? That doesn't make sense to me.

I don't see fraud or anything illegal in how this turned out. Illegal possibly in her intent, but I believe her that she really thought the phones cost her $50 each and she could keep them.

Billing and being paid are two different things.

I don't see how you possibly think this isn't fraud.

 

[mikedt]

OH, MMMM< GGOODD

Seriously? 22, and really? Wow, I don't know what to say. I'm with Boost Mobile, and I just pay $60 a month. I... Wow...

Maybe you should... Well if she sold all the phones, I don't think that there is anything that she can do. The phones are gone, and Verizon lost money.

I generally hate Verizon, like I would NEVER chose them, but I have to take their side on this one. The phones are gone, and Verizon (And all the top companies) have a rule. You must pay off the phone..

She's going to be in some big debt for this mistake.

OR she can not pay for them and have bad credit.

That's what my dad Did..

AT&T lied to him, over charged him, all for some stupid things, so he just said. well, I will keep this clean.

My take? Don't ever fall victim to these companies. They only care about money, not you.

Boost Mobile.. wow, I love them. I just wish that service was in more parts of the US.

Thing with Boost, it's month-by-month or prepaid isn't it? No contract commitments, but on the other hand you're not going to get a $500 smartphone for $50 bucks from them?

 

[CafeKampuchia]

Thing with Boost, it's month-by-month or prepaid isn't it? No contract commitments, but on the other hand you're not going to get a $500 smartphone for $50 bucks from them?

You're not going to get a $500 smartphone for $50 from anyone. In the end, you will have paid for the phone, and more often than not, you'll pay more than $500.

 

[mikedt]

You're not going to get a $500 smartphone for $50 from anyone. In the end, you will have paid for the phone, and more often than not, you'll pay more than $500.

Indeed.

I always pay full prices up front for phones, but on the other hand I'm only paying equivalent of $15 a month for service in this country, which includes 1GB of data.