Switch to Verizon --- Better Think Again

[K4KAI]

A week ago, I decided I would switch from Sprint (HTC EVO) to Verizon...if for nothing else, to try our the Motorola Droid X. Went into a local Verizon Retailer, not a corporate store to shop for a new phone.

I was sad to learn that Verizon does not offer Corporate Discounts to retired customers, but does have a decent priced plan for customers who are over 65 years young. A few minutes later and $350 poorer ($100 mail in rebate would show up in 4 weeks after I send in the form), walked out with the "X".

The Droid X was a pretty BIG phone, especially with the "camera hump" at the top. I used it for two days and didn't like the feel and wasn't really impressed with the Motorola interface. I took it back to the store and they let me try their HTC DROID Incredible, leaving me with a $53 refund. I used it for 2 days and it didn't come close to my Sprint HTC EVO, so I returned it, too and ported my number back to my Sprint account.

The store charged me a $35 restocking fee and told me that I may receive a bill from Verizon for the minutes and data I used (less than 5 minutes and 2Mb of data) and because I had the phone(s) less than a week, there should be no activation fees.

A couple of days later, I got a bill from Verizon for $92.00. Knowing that it would take a few days for Verizon to realize I had returned both phones with minimal usage, they would render a realistic bill in a few days or weeks. I was surprised by the amount of fees and other charges they tack on the bill. My calling plan (Over 65 Plan) plus 200MB of data totaled $44.95. They then added $16 for taxes, service charges and fees.

Yesterday, I was dumbfounded when I received a bill for $428. This bill included a $350 Early Termination Fee. I called Verizon's Customer Service number and was privileged to speak with one of their "star" representatives. Talking with her was like discussing calculus with a chicken.... Essentially, she said Verizon may (not "will") waive the Early Termination Fee, but I would still be liable for the remainder.

So...this, I agree is a rant, but it is something that anyone considering switching to Verizon for cellular service should reconsider if they, for any reason are not absolutely happy with their service or product and exercise the right to terminate the contract in the first few days, Verizon will attempt to drain every last $$ out of your wallet or bank account.

Any Verizon reps want to discuss this with me, send me a PM and a way to get in touch with you. If we reach a reasonable agreement, I will post it here.
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Here is my follow-up after talking with Verizon again...

HAPPY DAYS .... VERIZON CAME THROUGH

I just completed a very pleasant conversation with Stephanie at Verizon Customer Service. She was kind enough to fully research everything that had transpired and I have a final payoff of less than $30.

She let me know that the selling store, a Verizon Wireless third-party retailer, has not yet reported the Droid Incredible has been returned. I will visit the store again and request that they, in my presence, communicate with Verizon to confirm it has been returned by me so we can close this issue, once and for all.

VERIZON LISTENED...THANK YOU !!!

 

[Knewz]

If you returned it before your 30/14 days, you will not be charged an ETF. Restock fee yes. You should not be charged for data or minutes

 

[Outlaw71]

I called Verizon's Customer Service number and was privileged to speak with one of their "star" representatives. Talking with her was like discussing calculus with a chicken....

That's some funny shit right there!

I concer with Knewz, having not gone past the 30 day mark your return is 100% warranted and you WILL (not should) be refunded the entire early termination fee. It should never have shown up in the first place.

 

[mdram]

the 30 day return period was changed to 14 in mid january, as an fyi

 

[kyler13]

Sounds like you had the phones for a grand total of 4 days. Is that correct? So here's an interesting question... Since you can't really cancel a line that's being ported (otherwise you lose the number), how long did it take Sprint to port the number back? You may have gotten screwed on red tape in the porting process. If you're switching providers on a trial basis, NEVER port your number or cancel your existing service until you're positive you want to stick with the switch. There may be overlapping costs, but it's well worth the extra money compared to going through this kind of nightmare involving hundreds of dollars. You can always port the number over later. This is what a co-worked did going from Verizon to Sprint. He made sure he liked the EVO and the service before moving his mobile number.

So there is a lesson here, but it's not quite what you make it out to be and it isn't exclusive to Verizon.

 

[Outlaw71]

the 30 day return period was changed to 14 in mid january, as an fyi

What??? That sucks. No I did not know that. It's pretty stupid if you ask me.

 

[K4KAI]

Sounds like you had the phones for a grand total of 4 days. Is that correct? So here's an interesting question... Since you can't really cancel a line that's being ported (otherwise you lose the number), how long did it take Sprint to port the number back? You may have gotten screwed on red tape in the porting process. If you're switching providers on a trial basis, NEVER port your number or cancel your existing service until you're positive you want to stick with the switch.......
So there is a lesson here, but it's not quite what you make it out to be and it isn't exclusive to Verizon.

Your assumptions may be valid for others, but they are not in my case. Here is why:

I had my phone(s) for a grand total of 4 days. I make very few calls, normally less than 30 minutes a month, but use a lot of data. Fortunately, the data I use is primarily via my WiFi at home.

I ported my number back from Verizon back to Sprint an hour before I returned the phone to the local store. The porting was complete and successful, as my newly ported number on my Sprint phone was fully operational and the Verizon phone had no service before I arrived at the store. The folks in the store verified it too. Just to ensure there would not be any residual data on the Verizon phone, I reset it back to factory specs right after I reformatted the SD Memory Card.

In my 70+ years of experience, personally and professionally....I suggest that the lesson here is "Don't Trust Verizon".

I have been using cellular for 17 years. So far, for customer service, Sprint has been excellent, AT&T has been good and Verizon has been PISS POOR. Although AT&T has had good Customer Service, their networking (iPhone disconnects and dropped calls) is even worse than Verizon's Customer Service.

If my experience with Verizon had been positive, my wife would now be "chomping and the bit" for me to get her a Verizon iPhone. She loved the iPhone, but couldn't tolerate AT&T reliability. Sadly, Verizon now has lost our business.

On a happy note, right after I reconnected my EVO back to Sprint, they offered me a free upgrade, which I happily accepted.

VERIZON.....are you listening ???

 

[K4KAI]

If you returned it before your 30/14 days, you will not be charged an ETF. Restock fee yes. You should not be charged for data or minutes

I didn't quibble about the Restock Fee. The Verizon retailer just deducted it from the refund of the last phone I returned. Note, the Verizon retailer I worked through was not a Verizon-Owned business; they were a 3rd party retailer.

 

[Knewz]

Well then they have there own rules. Authorized dealers of Verizon are not Verizon. Beware the authorized dealer.

 

[K4KAI]

Well then they have there own rules. Authorized dealers of Verizon are not Verizon. Beware the authorized dealer.

You are "spot on".

Unfortunately for me, my quibble is with Verizon, not their dealer.

The dealer was not completely "up front" on the Restocking Fee or charges that Verizon might levy during the initial conversation with the dealer's representative, but their documentation and discussion when we were signing the papers made clear what their, as well as what my obligations and commitments would be.

 

[Dakota - Tom]

...Sadly, Verizon now has lost our business....

Pffft... you'd already ported back to Sprint because you didn't like the two phones you tried, so you wouldn't be with VZW in any event. Nonetheless, things likely got messed up between the 3rd party store and VZW itself. My experience with VZW CS has generally been positive.

 

[K4KAI]

Pffft... you'd already ported back to Sprint because you didn't like the two phones you tried, so you wouldn't be with VZW in any event. Nonetheless, things likely got messed up between the 3rd party store and VZW itself. My experience with VZW CS has generally been positive.

Pffft...!!!... No...not quite. I ported back to Sprint to await the release of the iPhone 4 on Verizon. I didn't want to stay on Verizon waiting for it because if the iPhone didn't work out for some reason, I would be subject to a $350 ETF.

Prior to making my original posting, I had gone back to the Verizon Store and talked with the manager there. He put me on the line to Verizon Customer Service. Good old CS acknowledged that both phones had been returned in new condition and couldn't provide an explanation for the charges.

Pffft...Pffft...Pffft...Pffft...Pffft... ?????

 

[gvillager]

Note, the Verizon retailer I worked through was not a Verizon-Owned business; they were a 3rd party retailer.

VZW goes on the assumption that you haven't returned the phone (many people don't) and they automatically charge the ETF. Call customer service and explain that you've returned the phone to the auth dealer. They will probably ask for some type of verification such as a copy of the refund receipt, once they have verification, they'll credit the bill.

If the tone of your post is any indication of how your speaking to the reps it isn't hard to figure out why they won't help you. When you call don't make any accusations of them being dishonest, the reps are human and many will take it personally and will be less willing to help. VZW isn't trying to screw you, your just getting caught up in their red tape. Anyways, I hope it all works out for you.

 

[RiverOfIce]

Had the exact same problem with them about 2 years ago. Returned the phone like 3 days after using them and finding out that the data speeds sucked. Same experience, fees, etf, and other stuff. I was getting bills months after I returned the phone, all zero amounts. I had verizon twice. About 6 years ago, dropped them for att, and about 2 years ago. Both times it was just a nightmare, wasted more time on the phone with cs then using the phone otherwise.

 

[Dakota - Tom]

Pffft...!!!... No...not quite. I ported back to Sprint to await the release of the iPhone 4 on Verizon. I didn't want to stay on Verizon waiting for it because if the iPhone didn't work out for some reason, I would be subject to a $350 ETF.

Prior to making my original posting, I had gone back to the Verizon Store and talked with the manager there. He put me on the line to Verizon Customer Service. Good old CS acknowledged that both phones had been returned in new condition and couldn't provide an explanation for the charges.

Pffft...Pffft...Pffft...Pffft...Pffft... ?????

I think you have anger issues. Good thing I'm out of reach.

 

[AndreaCristiano]

Your assumptions may be valid for others, but they are not in my case. Here is why:

I had my phone(s) for a grand total of 4 days. I make very few calls, normally less than 30 minutes a month, but use a lot of data. Fortunately, the data I use is primarily via my WiFi at home.

I ported my number back from Verizon back to Sprint an hour before I returned the phone to the local store. The porting was complete and successful, as my newly ported number on my Sprint phone was fully operational and the Verizon phone had no service before I arrived at the store. The folks in the store verified it too. Just to ensure there would not be any residual data on the Verizon phone, I reset it back to factory specs right after I reformatted the SD Memory Card.

In my 70+ years of experience, personally and professionally....I suggest that the lesson here is "Don't Trust Verizon".

I have been using cellular for 17 years. So far, for customer service, Sprint has been excellent, AT&T has been good and Verizon has been PISS POOR. Although AT&T has had good Customer Service, their networking (iPhone disconnects and dropped calls) is even worse than Verizon's Customer Service.

If my experience with Verizon had been positive, my wife would now be "chomping and the bit" for me to get her a Verizon iPhone. She loved the iPhone, but couldn't tolerate AT&T reliability. Sadly, Verizon now has lost our business.

On a happy note, right after I reconnected my EVO back to Sprint, they offered me a free upgrade, which I happily accepted.

VERIZON.....are you listening ???

My family and I have all had bad experiences. With verizon worthless for me and mine its At&t

 

[hrbib21]

OK so you're one person who is unhappy with Verizon. Big deal. Millions of us have been with them for years, 6 in my case, and we have no issues with them. Sorry you had issues but you did the right thing: you left Verizon.

Many of us have many years of experience with cell phones; about 20 in my case. Doesn't make any of us experts by a longshot. And I doubt Verizon is listening to you. They're too busy welcoming millions of new customers (iPhone).

And I don't agree with your EVO versus Incredible comparison. You're talking about virtually the same phones, one with a larger screen.

Bye!

 

[Outlaw71]

VERIZON.....are you listening ???

Don't count on it. This is just the Verizon section of an Android website, not a Verizon complaints department. Hey man I'm on your side, in no way should you have to pay those charges. But this isn't the place to get results. Vent, yes. Solve problems, no.

 

[CyHawk]

I worked for a Verizon Retailer in the past, believe me there are good cs reps and there are shitty ones! Since you had the phone for less than the trial period, you should not be charged the EFT. They will charge for activation and usage. I would call back into cs and keep calling back until it gets resolved. It also sounds like the retail store where you got the phone was a friendly place, maybe go back and ask them to help you out? They can call in and talk to the coos department, a different set of cs reps that only talk to retail stores.
I hope this helps.
Good Luck!

 

[kyler13]

And I don't agree with your EVO versus Incredible comparison. You're talking about virtually the same phones, one with a larger screen.

Bye!

I have to agree with this. Yes, the knowns like WiMax, FFC, hdmi, and 4.3" screen set the two apart, but experience-wise, they're identical. In CPU, memory, and HTC software. I definitely want to go to 4.3" but after 9 months with my Incredible, I don't want to give up AMOLED, especially with Samsung finally going to a standard subpixel arrangement. I look at LCD phones and all I see is lackluster contrast and off-angle wash out. This includes the mighty retina display. Part of me wants to ride it out until the end of 2011 with the hopes that a qHD Super AMOLED Plus 4.3" display shows up in Verizon's line-up. Wishful thinking.

 

[IOWA]

Sounds like you had the phones for a grand total of 4 days. Is that correct? So here's an interesting question... Since you can't really cancel a line that's being ported (otherwise you lose the number), how long did it take Sprint to port the number back? You may have gotten screwed on red tape in the porting process. If you're switching providers on a trial basis, NEVER port your number or cancel your existing service until you're positive you want to stick with the switch. There may be overlapping costs, but it's well worth the extra money compared to going through this kind of nightmare involving hundreds of dollars. You can always port the number over later. This is what a co-worked did going from Verizon to Sprint. He made sure he liked the EVO and the service before moving his mobile number.

So there is a lesson here, but it's not quite what you make it out to be and it isn't exclusive to Verizon.

When Google voice becomes more reliable I may just port my number to them.

 

[K4KAI]

When Google voice becomes more reliable I may just port my number to them.

But....you may not be able to port it back to another carrier if you do. I, too thought about this, but didn't want to risk it.

 

[K4KAI]

HAPPY DAYS .... VERIZON CAME THROUGH

I just completed a very pleasant conversation with Stephanie at Verizon Customer Service. She was kind enough to fully research everything that had transpired and I have a final payoff of less than $30.

She let me know that the selling store, a Verizon Wireless third-party retailer, has not yet reported the Droid Incredible has been returned. I will visit the store again and request that they, in my presence, communicate with Verizon to confirm it has been returned by me so we can close this issue, once and for all.

VERIZON LISTENED...THANK YOU !!!

 

[IOWA]

But....you may not be able to port it back to another carrier if you do. I, too thought about this, but didn't want to risk it.

I didn't mean by tomarrow. But I'm almost certain if you can port numbers into google, by U.S. law they have to let you port numbers out too.

 

[Outlaw71]

Aaaahhh, everyone loves a happy ending.

I'd say it's pretty obvious Paramount will be buying the movie rights to this story. Who do you think they should get to play you in the film.... Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise? Or do you more closely resemble Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson than them two wimps?