Verizon (update) sorry Verizon

[AIRREAK]

Ok I have to vent. I have had Verizon service for over 6 years and have been mostly happy with them. I have four lines of service, all with data. For the most part they usually are very good at taking care of my issues.

Problem one, I signed up for promo plan that gave me $20 off all my data packages. Was a great deal, only problem, for some reason it is only on three lines instead of all four. I have been calling since Feb to get it corrected and they still can't get it right.

Problem two, I bought a thunderbolt that was working great but the front camera stopped functioning. They sent me a crappy re-manufactured phone that had the reboot issue. I called and they wouldn't do anything because they were counting on the software update to fix it. Well turns out I shipped my bad phone back later than I wanted. I use my phone for work every day so I wasn't really in a hurry to set up a new phone. Looks like I shipped it back three days after when Verizon required. Now they are charging me full retail for returning the phone late. I could understand if I didn't return the phone, but almost six hundred dollars for a late fee?

I am done, guess I have to decide Sprint, or T-Mobile.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[yodatom10]

That sucks but if u switch they will hit u with another couple hundred dollar fine.

sent through the force using my Thunderbolt

 

[SoDev]

Probably want to edit that thread title dude.

Sent from the Bolt via Tapatalk

 

[Mortiel]

re: Verizon (greedy)

Ok I have to vent. I have had Verizon service for over 6 years and have been mostly happy with them. I have four lines of service, all with data. For the most part they usually are very good at taking care of my issues.

Problem one, I signed up for promo plan that gave me $20 off all my data packages. Was a great deal, only problem, for some reason it is only on three lines instead of all four. I have been calling since Feb to get it corrected and they still can't get it right.

Problem two, I bought a thunderbolt that was working great but the front camera stopped functioning. They sent me a crappy re-manufactured phone that had the reboot issue. I called and they wouldn't do anything because they were counting on the software update to fix it. Well turns out I shipped my bad phone back later than I wanted. I use my phone for work every day so I wasn't really in a hurry to set up a new phone. Looks like I shipped it back three days after when Verizon required. Now they are charging me full retail for returning the phone late. I could understand if I didn't return the phone, but almost six hundred dollars for a late fee?

I am done, guess I have to decide Sprint, or T-Mobile.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

There are a few cases that the non-return fee can be credited back once the central warehouse remarks the account that the phone has been returned if its within a week or so after. So if you did just ship it back a few days late, call in to Customer Care and see if they can credit you back if the device shows as returned.

I should note this exception applies only to the non-return fee (full retail charge). The damaged device fee ($99 for a basic phone, $299 for a smartphone) is, in no way, able to be waived.

 

[AIRREAK]

I called customer care. I was informed they like to have the phone shipped back in 5 days, but 14 is the absolute limit. I shipped it back on like day 16. Heck if I would have known they are going to charge me full retail for the late fee, I would have kept the phone and sold it.

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[SpaceHippie]

re: Verizon (greedy)

Also remember, for something like the fee. Don't call back and be angry. I found out that if you want them to do you a favor, like waive a late fee, you have to be respectful to them.

As for the lines. Just call and ask to speak to a supervisor. Tell the supervisor you have called more the once and the issue is still not fixed. You may end up with some sort of discount or something. This is what the mobile reps at my store said to do. (Yes i did ask them what you should do, im awesome )

 

[yodatom10]

If u tell then u are leaving all the sudden they will play nice

sent through the force using my Thunderbolt

 

[Shryne]

re: Verizon (greedy)

Trust me, the grass is greener on the other side.

Verizon may charge more than others, but their service is the best. I had AT&T, but their coverage was horrible. sprint was even worse, if your city doesn't have 100,000 plus people, you're lucky to get 3G. Verizon shows their coverage map all the time with good reason. I live in mississippi, and I can be hunting and still check twitter.

 

[Mortiel]

re: Verizon (greedy)

I called customer care. I was informed they like to have the phone shipped back in 5 days, but 14 is the absolute limit. I shipped it back on like day 16. Heck if I would have known they are going to charge me full retail for the late fee, I would have kept the phone and sold it.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

Day 16 is a bit more than "three days" after Verizon requires.

Any Tech rep that issues a warranty replacement is legally required to disclose the return period to you, and the penalty for failure to return, in which they state the device must be shipped back within five days or you are charged full retail of the device. They are also required to disclose the type of replacement you are receiving, the damage device fee, and how applications purchased can be retrieved on the replacement device. Its called Clear Customer Disclosure.

So you didn't know about any of this?

 

[AIRREAK]

Well let's see, the tech rep told me I would get a new phone not re-man, that I shouldn't do the software update because that was causing the reboot issue at the time, and that he would send replacements for my screen protection. A damaged phone fee was never discussed. He told me about the full retail if I didn't return it, but they do not make it clear that they are going to charge that even if you return it late. 16 days is a couple days after the 14 required. I have had Verizon for years not my first replacement device.

Let's see send phone back late 570.00 charge

Don't send phone back, sell it 570.00 charge

If I would have known that I would have just kept the phone. I am reasonable, I can understand a late fee or processing fee whatever they would like to call it. 20-30 would be fine but 570. I returned the broken phone.

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[dchawk81]

Trust me, the grass is greener on the other side.

Verizon may charge more than others, but their service is the best. I had AT&T, but their coverage was horrible. sprint was even worse, if your city doesn't have 100,000 plus people, you're lucky to get 3G. Verizon shows their coverage map all the time with good reason. I live in mississippi, and I can be hunting and still check twitter.

My "city" has less than 12,000 people and 3G is decent. I sometimes have better service than my family on Verizon, because towers are planted in different places.

QoS always depends where you are. Always.

 

[robrecht]

Well let's see, the tech rep told me I would get a new phone not re-man, that I shouldn't do the software update because that was causing the reboot issue at the time, and that he would send replacements for my screen protection. A damaged phone fee was never discussed. He told me about the full retail if I didn't return it, but they do not make it clear that they are going to charge that even if you return it late. 16 days is a couple days after the 14 required. I have had Verizon for years not my first replacement device. ...

When I received a replacement ThunderBolt recently, I was told (on June 27th) about the 5 days, and also about being charged full retail after 30 days (not 14 days), but I was also told that the full-retail charge would be reversed if I retuned the phone within 150 days. Maybe this rep was quoting an old policy, making stuff up, or just plain delusional. (Verizon tech support reps are sometimes very confused.) Nonetheless, I still think you should be able to get this charge reversed rather easily. You are a very valuable long-term customer and they will want to maintain this relationship with you. It certainly helps, or is at least more enjoyable, if you maintain a friendly demeanor and practice good negotiating techniques as you escalate your case to the right person at Verizon to fix this for you. Good luck!

Thanks, Robrecht

 

[worwig]

re: Verizon (greedy)

If I had a customer that kept a high dollar item days beyond what he was clearly told he could keep it for, I would assume the customer was ripping me off and I would bill him for the full amount ASAP.
I don't see the problem.
You now have the hassle of getting it adjusted, and you will get it adjusted eventually. (you did keep a copy of the tracking number of course, right) But you brought on the hassle yourself due to the overly late return.

Does ATT or Sprint let you go ahead and keep the original device when they send a replacement? I don't see that happening.

 

[dpham00]

re: Verizon (greedy)

When i got a CLNR, the csr told me the terms. I also received an e-mail to say that my phone is coming soon (see excerpt below) and talked about being charged full retail if not returned within 5 days. Also, in the box itself, in the clnr activation guide, it also mentioned 5 days, which i have attached excerpts below, or you can look at the whole guide here:

http://support.vzw.com/pdf/clnr_activation/4G_PHONE_CLNR.pdf

I believe it says so on the receipt as well (not 100% sure because i don't have mine in front of me).


Now, if the csr did not inform you of the 5 day return period, and you did not receive an e-mail, and you did not receive any documentation with the phone stating the 5 day return period, then you are within your rights to complain to Verizon, and to PUC, BBB, and AG. If you did receive some form of notification, and you didn't read it, then that's on you.

Your Replacement Device Is Coming Soon!Your replacement device has been ordered and should arrive within the next few business days.

For instructions on how to activate your device once it arrives, refer to the Activation Guide in your shipment or see the instructions online.Don't forget to return your defective device within 5 days of receiving your replacement to avoid being charged up to full retail price, which could exceed $500.
Save this email to use for reference when your replacement arrives.

 

[AIRREAK]

Guys the point isn't that I was charged. I returned the phone, 6 days after they had it back they decided hey he returned it late let's charge him 570.00. None of the paperwork mentioned states that if you return it late you don't get credited the price of the phone. And they had the phone for a week before they charged me. If I kept the phone I could see be billed. I don't know about you but I am busy 5 days is not enough.

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[dpham00]

re: Verizon (greedy)

Guys the point isn't that I was charged. I returned the phone, 6 days after they had it back they decided hey he returned it late let's charge him 570.00. None of the paperwork mentioned states that if you return it late you don't get credited the price of the phone. And they had the phone for a week before they charged me. If I kept the phone I could see be billed. I don't know about you but I am busy 5 days is not enough.

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The documentation made it clear that you must return the phone within 5 days, at least the documentation that I got. Are you saying that you never got any documentation stating that you must return the phone within 5 days?

 

[TMFoughty]

That is a bullsh!t charge. Any one of you that got that charge after you returned the phone, even if you had "documentation", would be pissed. My 4 lines would be on Sprint or AT&T right now.

Sent from my Thunderbolt.

 

[FrankXS]

re: Verizon (greedy)

-Frank

 

[dpham00]

Re: Verizon (greedy)

That is a bullsh!t charge. Any one of you that got that charge after you returned the phone, even if you had "documentation", would be pissed. My 4 lines would be on Sprint or AT&T right now.

Sent from my Thunderbolt.

I agree it's a bs charge, just the text message charge, Verizon charges 20 cents to receive a message from anyone inside the US, including someone on Verizon's network. Outside the US, I was charged 5 cents to receive a text message from half way around the world. Or, better yet,
just like them charging over $20,000 for 1GB of data in some locations outside the US. There are a lot of bs charges out there. If you don't plan ahead, you can get royally screwed by bs charges.

 

[Mortiel]

Re: Verizon (greedy)

Well let's see, the tech rep told me I would get a new phone not re-man, that I shouldn't do the software update because that was causing the reboot issue at the time, and that he would send replacements for my screen protection. A damaged phone fee was never discussed. He told me about the full retail if I didn't return it, but they do not make it clear that they are going to charge that even if you return it late. 16 days is a couple days after the 14 required. I have had Verizon for years not my first replacement device.

Let's see send phone back late 570.00 charge

Don't send phone back, sell it 570.00 charge

If I would have known that I would have just kept the phone. I am reasonable, I can understand a late fee or processing fee whatever they would like to call it. 20-30 would be fine but 570. I returned the broken phone.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

I know many people that have received warranty replacements, but the policies changed rather drastically a few months ago, which included cutting the ship-back requirement from 10 to 5 days, changing the default shipping from free overnight to economy 2-5 business day, and adding the damaged device fee.

What you have to understand is that it is not a "late" fee, but a "non-return" fee, which is usually placed in the system on the 14th day of the phone not being returned. I can almost even quote you the disclosure verbatim:

"...The defective device must be returned within five business days from when the replacement is received. If you do not return the defective device within 5 days, you can be charged the full retail of the device, which may be in excess of $500..."

Yes, the way that is worded means that, if Verizon chose to do so, you could be charged full retail on midnight of the 5th day... yes, even if the defective phone was already in the mail. Verizon does not do that, however 11 days? That's pushing your luck too far.

You are thinking of it the wrong way entirely... the return period, at no point, has ever been 14 days. That is called Verizon being lenient and taking into account that sometimes people are busy, as you were. The policy used to allow for a device to be returned up to 150 days late and the fee to be credited, but that policy was removed a few months back when the entire warranty replacement policy changed. Verizon looked at it that at some point a line has to be drawn.

That all being said, they are not unreasonable. You may still be able to get that fee credited back since you did return the device. I would keep pressing the matter and get it done, but that is just me.