The letter I recently wrote explains the entire sordid situation:
This letter is the final attempt to get some finality to my Verizon Wireless account situation. I am writing this after countless unsuccessful attempts to explain and resolve the situation with your customer service representatives. It has been one of the worst experiences I have ever had with any company, bar none. I will attempt to rebuild the situation and timeline for all the activities as best as I can recall using the numerous pages of notes I have collected in the past year of dealing with this.
First Issue: I purchased a phone with Verizon wireless for my wife sometime in 2003 so she would have a means of communicating in an emergency. My wife's phone number was (XXX) XXX-1207. I purchased the 300 minutes per month plan with the usual bill being between $40.00 and $45.00 (with tax). She remained on that plan continuously until last March.in January I purchased my wife a new Motorola cellular phone and renewed the contract. After about a month the speaker on her phone went out, so we returned the phone to our local Verizon Wireless Store in &. They replaced it promptly as the phone was under warranty. When we got home we noticed that the telephone displayed a new phone # when we powered it up - the number was (xxx) xxx-2371. I immediately called Verizon Wireless Customer Service to get the phone reprogrammed with the correct number of (xxx) xxx-1207. I thought I had received a used phone. No problem, so I thought!
Second Issue: To compound the first issue, in April I received a bill for service for around $1,200 and one for $2,100 for a total of around $3,300. Naturally I was surprised, and as you could expect, and contacted Verizon Wireless right away. I discovered that the bowling game my wife was playing on her phone was actually on line and burning minutes. The Customer service rep (out of Bowling Green, KY, Betty, I think) offered to change my wife to a rate plan that would cover the minutes. The result of the change would be $149 per month plus tax. She explained that she could go back up to three months by your rules - but only needed to go back two months to cover the minutes. She also explained that I would have to stay on the plan at least 6 months (billing cycles) before I could change back to the $39.99 plan. I agreed to this action, as it was less expensive to do this obviously that pay $3,300 for 2 months of service the other way.
In April I started receiving my regular billed amount of $40-$45 per month (for XXXXXXXXXXXXXX-00002. I received no additional invoices for account 0XXXXXXXX-00001. (Actually, at this point, I did not notice the one digit difference in account #'s on the bill) I assumed that maybe Betty had a conversation with her supervisor and that Verizon just re-rated the bills and kept my wife on the $39.99 plan out of courtesy. We continued to pay the bill on time, everything seemed ok - the service continued to work. This continued until July when her phone suddenly quit working (service was terminated). When we called in we found out that there were in fact two accounts, that credits had never been given to the 00001 account, and the rate plan had never been changed. To further exacerbate the situation, I found out that billing on the XXXXXXXXXX-00001 account had been suppressed - that is why I never knew there was any issue until the service was terminated. That's when the real fun began.
If you can imagine trying to explain this to a different customer service rep a dozen times with the same result, you can now understand my frustration level.
In September I talked to Aquil (803) 400-4456, and LaRonda (800) 922-0204, ext 2374. Again the said that the saw where the two months (Feb march) had been submitted for credit, but one had been denied. They said that they did not understand why, and resubmitted for credit.
In late October, I called once again and talked to a Ms. Susan Wheaton. Ms. Wheaton was very helpful and pleasant. She explained that she understood, and what I told her matched the notes she had on the account. Susan suggested that I send some money as to cover the $149 that I had agreed to and as a show of good faith. She estimated it to be around $700, so I sent a check for $700 immediately. She explained that she would be able to re-rate the bills and get my wife's account in order, but asked if I could wait until November 12th, because that was the last day of the accounts billing cycle - I agreed. November 12th was a Sunday, so I called November 13th to Susan's direct line (she gave me on the previous call, (843) 566-8600 ext 3038). I left Susan a dozen messages with no return phone call. I called the main customer service # and talked to Leo on December 12. Leo gave me the Executive Relations address and advised me to write a letter. He also said that he was going to send Susan and her supervisor an e-mail to try to get her to contact me. I never heard from her again.
I called on January 6th and talked to Veronica (803) 400-4156 Ext 2034. She attempted to get Susan on the line with no success while I was on the line. Same story different Customer service Representative. She called me and told me that the notes stated that the second credit request was denied and she did not know why. She said she would look into it, resubmit it and call me back. I guess you have figured out what happen next by this point in this letter - absolutely nothing! No call back, no resolution.
The final straw was the collection letter that I received in the mail today 2-4-06.
I would like to resolve this it a way that is fair. If the second account would have not been created, and Betty would have done what we agreed to in the beginning-this would have never happened. Verizon and I would have continued to enjoy a symbiotic relationship. I hope that you understand this letter (it's hard for me to keep it all straight) and that we can come to some mutually agreeable amount to resolve the account. I have been a Verizon Wireless Corporate customer for over 5 years on the highest plan you offer. I have never experienced any issues with that account. I have included a guide to what charges I think should be applicable to the account. I have requested printed copies of all bill in the last 12 months be mailed to me. I doubt I will be able to decipher them with all of the twists and turns this account has been through.
Sincerely,
Chuck
Chester, Virginia
U.S.A.
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