Customer Asks For Itemized Bill, Verizon Tells Her To Get a Subpeona

[alostpacket]

Customer Asks For Itemized Bill, Verizon Tells Her To Get a Subpeona - Slashdot

yikes!

 

[OstrichSaK]

VZW tried pulling some AWFULLY shady $h!t when we canceled our lines to go to Sprint as well. After that experience I will NEVER go back to VZW again and I don't care how bad things are at the competition or how good of coverage VZW claims to have.

 

[alostpacket]

Yeah I had problems with them as well when I left for t-moblie. The funny part was I wanted to keep my droid account open with verizon. But I had ported my number as soon as I got my nexus one over to tmobile. So I called verizon to get a new number for my droid (since I didnt want to break contract and wanted to have 2 phones). And they said they closed my account and are charging me an ETF because that happens automatically when moving numbers. I talked with them explaining I wanted to stay and was happy to pay up on the contract, just didnt want my number at VZ and asked if they would really rather have the ETF than me as a customer?!

But the customer service rep had no idea, she just wanted to impose fees. Oh well they lost several thosands of dollars at least for that.

Anyways, how do you like sprint? I may end up there if the death star merger goes through :\

 

[OstrichSaK]

Yeah I had problems with them as well when I left for t-moblie. The funny part was I wanted to keep my droid account open with verizon. But I had ported my number as soon as I got my nexus one over to tmobile. So I called verizon to get a new number for my droid (since I didnt want to break contract and wanted to have 2 phones). And they said they closed my account and are charging me an ETF because that happens automatically when moving numbers. I talked with them explaining I wanted to stay and was happy to pay up on the contract, just didnt want my number at VZ and asked if they would really rather have the ETF than me as a customer?!

But the customer service rep had no idea, she just wanted to impose fees. Oh well they lost several thosands of dollars at least for that.

That was our experience as well. Nobody had a clue at VZW customer care. We had set up electronic billing when we started w/VZW so we got our bills electronically and logged into out VZW account online to get details when we needed them. That's what they normally want you to do anyway, right? Well the day we ported our number w/Sprint we get an email stating 'Your online VZW account has been closed' and that was that. I didn't think much of it while sitting at the Sprint store but when it came time to find out what we owed and get a final bill it was a nightmare. They actually had the balls to try to charge us for our final bill that they wouldn't allow us to view/print ourselves. They got REAL rude when we said it wasn't legal to try to charge us for a service w/o some sort of bill be it electronic or physical and to try to charge for that also couldn't be legal. What a friggin nightmare to try to give them ETF and the rest of our monthly fees it was. Eff VZW.

Anyways, how do you like sprint? I may end up there if the death star merger goes through :\

Couldn't be happier. I only wish we had changed sooner. We paid abotu $180/mo for two lines on VZW and now we have three lines (added my mom) with 4G and MUCH better phones for about $165/mo after discounts and promos. We got $125 per line to power over (total of $375 for three lines) plus Sprint price matched Amazon.com on Evo 4G's for only $125ea when they were $199 after $100 MIR at the store. We got double trade-in value on our old phones plus we're only on a 1yr contract (business account) and are almost eligible for upgrades already. Coverage doesn't appear to be much different and I even travel by car from Colorado to the sticks of Nebraska via Wyoming and I see no difference in my coverage at all. I even get 3G when I'm around Scottsbluff & Gering Nebraska which is where I stay when I go back like I had with VZW. I've told lots of friends about it and they've all been happy after they moved too. Check coverage in your area as it's different from area to area but for me, my family and all the places we travel it's perfect.

 

[Vihzel]

I'm looking forward to trying Sprint's service. I need to get a business phone since I can get a tax credit on it as an independent contractor and basically have a phone for free and prefer to use Sprint's $99 everything plan.

 

[Dark Jedi]

I can see why they canceled your accounts. Its known when you port a number it automatically closes the old account with the other provider. When I switched from the death star to big red. I asked when porting the numbers over if I had to call att and cancel our contract with.them? They said no as once they port the number it would close the account automatically. So maybe if you wanted tto keep your service with them then maybe you should of called them first and see what your options was. Don't blame them for your mistakes.

 

[lordofthereef]

I can see why they canceled your accounts. Its known when you port a number it automatically closes the old account with the other provider. When I switched from the death star to big red. I asked when porting the numbers over if I had to call att and cancel our contract with.them? They said no as once they port the number it would close the account automatically. So maybe if you wanted tto keep your service with them then maybe you should of called them first and see what your options was. Don't blame them for your mistakes.

Let's be honest though. There is no PHYSICAL limitation of them to pop your account back open if they are told what the circumstances are. Really, there isn't. That's just standard policy. To have good customer service, sometimes you must go above and beyond, educate your clients, and make them feel good. I think the point here is VZW already has buttloads of customers. They figure "we have the best network, who cares?"

JMO, as always.

 

[zuben el genub]

That's why The FCC is cracking... | Facebook

Verizon got dinged for that $1.99 charge. They sure didn't learn.

 

[alostpacket]

I can see why they canceled your accounts. Its known when you port a number it automatically closes the old account with the other provider. When I switched from the death star to big red. I asked when porting the numbers over if I had to call att and cancel our contract with.them? They said no as once they port the number it would close the account automatically. So maybe if you wanted tto keep your service with them then maybe you should of called them first and see what your options was. Don't blame them for your mistakes.

Yeah, not blaming the computer closing the account automatically. That would be a little ridiculous.

The point you seemed to have missed is that I was suprised at them for not wanting the account, which should be much more lucrative over the long term, than the ETF. Considering (accoring to them) they pay that amount and more to attract new customers, it didnt make much sense. I had almost a year left on my contract too, and wasnt planning on leaving VZW. Account retention and acquisition are usually considered sacrosanct in this industry. The fact that the customer service rep had no way to fix things was what I think VZW's mistake was.

Also how is it "known" that porting a number closes an account? Surely there could be a grace period. This is really only something known if you've actually done it with that carrier. There really isnt a reason I have to have a phone number with VZW in order to pay them the agreed upon amount of money for 2 years.

But I've been much happier with T-mobile and will haved saved money in the long term, despite the ETF.

Anyways, don't be so quick to judge, DJ. You usually seem pretty cool, and I dont mean to be rude, but that was a pretty derpy comment.

 

[zuben el genub]

Another version:
Senate Commerce study: Voice cramming costs consumers $2B a year - FierceTelecom

I simply didn't like Verizon's habit of putting a charge on your card just to make sure the card was good or whatever. Back then, it was $1 but sometimes they didn't take it off. You had to call to get it removed once the bill was paid.

 

[NYCHitman1]

I'm looking forward to trying Sprint's service. I need to get a business phone since I can get a tax credit on it as an independent contractor and basically have a phone for free and prefer to use Sprint's $99 everything plan.

You wouldn't even need to use the Simply Everything plan that is $99. For $69.99 (79.99 with the $10 data fee) you get the same exact thing. Only difference is that you'll have 450 minutes to use towards roaming and/or landlines. Just something to consider.

 

[ashykat]

Just to clarify that article was about Verizon Communications (aka a landline), a separate entity than Verizon Wireless.

 

[alostpacket]

Just to clarify that article was about Verizon Communications (aka a landline), a separate entity than Verizon Wireless.

This is true.

While they are separate Verizon Telecom owns 50% stake in VZW (along with Vodafone I think).

And they operate under many of the same corporate policies and allow customers to have a single account with both.

VZW has been nabbed for similar problems: Verizon Strikes $25 Million FCC Settlement Over Bogus Fee - Though all told, Verizon still probably made a killing... | DSLReports.com, ISP Information

 

[jwp1223]

You wouldn't even need to use the Simply Everything plan that is $99. For $69.99 (79.99 with the $10 data fee) you get the same exact thing. Only difference is that you'll have 450 minutes to use towards roaming and/or landlines. Just something to consider.

Actually for any smart phone now it's just plain ol $79.99.

 

[zuben el genub]

Those rates are for a single account. It's family accounts that have the "gotcha"

 

[gvillager]

And they operate under many of the same corporate policies and allow customers to have a single account with both.

It's not really a single account, it just appears to be.

I don't recommend "One Bill" for anyone. If you have any type of billing problem landline will tell you that you have to call wireless, wireless will tell you that you have to call landline. They just simply don't know what to do with you.

 

[Vihzel]

You wouldn't even need to use the Simply Everything plan that is $99. For $69.99 (79.99 with the $10 data fee) you get the same exact thing. Only difference is that you'll have 450 minutes to use towards roaming and/or landlines. Just something to consider.

I'm a little confused. Isn't the 450 minutes towards any minutes used aside from nights and weekends?

 

[jwp1223]

I'm a little confused. Isn't the 450 minutes towards any minutes used aside from nights and weekends?

This is how it works....the 450 minutes are for landlines. You have unlimited mobile to mobile calling. The nights and weekends are for landlines during those times. The 450 minutes are for any part of the day.

 

[shawn1224]

There's always 3 sides to a story. Her side, Verizon's side and the truth.