I have had the same phone number since 1994 back when it was Centel. It went from Centel to alltel to verizon, back to alltel then finally to Verizon. I have spent over $40,000 on cell phones and cellular service. I am a self employed individual and have had my ups and downs. Regardless of my ups and downs, I have always paid my cellular phone bill. When it was Alltel, I always received excellent service and they understood the ups and downs of being a small business. They never dinged me or made it hard for me and sometimes they would run my service two months before I payed it. They ALWAYS gave me a courtesy call about my bill and I always payed the full amount due. Back in July of having heard that verizon was taking over alltel, I called Verizon and inquired about what was coming. I specifically talked about my feelings and how I operate and wanted to know if I was going to be a name or just another number when Verizon took over. They told me that it wouldn't change and that they wanted me to stay because, with my service history, I was a valued customer. HOGWASH!
My problems started with service, it started degrading and I called about it - their excuse was that I still had an Alltel phone, or still has an Alltel number - blah blah blah... They kept giving me excuse after excuse until they had me completely in their vise. ALL Verizon... Thats when they screwed me.
Back in December of I decided to go to a storm2 from my BB curve 833o - I had everything done and when it came time to complete the transaction, they informed me that I would have to pay the $500 plus because my account had been blacklisted and I would not be able to charge it to my account. I asked why and they researched it and said that my phone had been shut off back in september. I asked for how long and they said 20 minutes or so... WOW - I asked if they recieved payment and they said yes - they recieved it immediately the same day, within minutes.
I then set up a scenario for them: Here I am, a customer with over 10 years (15 to be exact) of loyal service, Over $40,000 spent on cellular service and equipment, ALWAYS paid every penny, NOT under contract - WILLING to commit to another TWO YEARS of GUARANTEED MONEY... And were they willing to sacrifice that for a stupid little incident after 10 plus years of loyalty... They DIDNT CARE - so I left.
I called verizon that night and started turning off ALL service except my main number I've had for all these years. I told them that wasnt getting shut off until I could port it over elsewhere. Folks, I am a single person and I pay over $240 per month to verizon - I have a DROID, AIRCARD, and a second phone for the grandparents.
The regional manager called me the next day and told me he couldnt get the blackmark off my record and that it would stay for six months - but if I would come in to the local store, he'd make it right - I did, and he did. He worked with me on the equipment and I stayed - And I dumbly kept all my services...
The last straw is that in May of My bank returned a $600 plus payment to verizon by mistake - As soon as I received a text message from verizon that my payment had been declined - I resubmitted it from my phone using the 'my verizon' app and it went through. They got their money immediately on the second go round.
The next time I tried to pay my bill using the phone, I was told that I can no longer do so and that the only way I can pay my bill is CASH ONLY and only at a local store - I was told that in order for me to resolve the cash only terms - that my bank would have to submit something on official letterhead to verizon's TREASURY DEPT. Stating that it was their mistake - then the TREASURY Department would reverse their actions... My banker did... And THEY DIDNT.
SO, now here I sit - with a $517 bill due... Verizon has sent me a text saying that my service will soon be interupted because of non-payment... I guess I now realize that I am a friggin number and that 15 years of loyalty means jack shit.
Side Note* I also have had an aircard for 3 or 4 years that has never averaged over 50kb/sec at home. I started complaining to alltel as soon as I got it and it was always a different story - they tried several aircards and whenever I'd call in, the tech would work some keyboard magic and my service would improve some, only to degrade within 24 hrs. After Verizon pirated over - they continued the same dog and pony show. They DID send a tech out to my area, but wouldnt tell me when he'd come and that he couldnt come to my home to see my equipment and its performance... LUCKY ME, I just happened to be home and saw him, so after I approached him, he identified himself. We stood on the side of the road and talked for 2 hrs or more. He did show me where I was using a tower 1.8 miles away and that it couldnt handle the data demands and that it hadnt been upgraded since 2004. I've only had a card since 2007 or so that means I was lied to when I initially got the card.
He did tell me that Verizon would have to spend approximately $260,000, 000 in the area to bring it up to speed.
Whenever I called verizon to see what they were gonna do about my issue - the 'supervisor' s only ultimate alternative was that if I was unhappy then I could cancel my service... SO - here I am with over three years of not getting what I paid for - I was strung along with promise after promise - I paid out over $3000 for broadband performance I was promised but never got. And they said I could cancel my service. I asked to be taken higher than the supervisor and was told that wasnt possible...
Does anybody know a good attorney that would want to look at my story?
I have all records to prove my story.
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