I've read with interest the various reports on Verizon Wireless. No matter how much employees of Verizon want to believe that they work for a "good" company, the sad truth is that Verizon does not understand business, and they really do not care about their customers at all.
I signed up for Verizon after having Cingular, because I thought Verizon might have better reception at my farm, and because they touted the high quality of their customer service.
No matter what the Verizon employees say about how the manufacturer's warranty covers the phone and how the contract states that they are not responsible (again, boilerplate over which you the consumer have absolutely no control), it doesn't matter. Verizon sells the phone.
And you need to have a phone to use their service. If something goes wrong with the phone, they should take it to the manufacturer, or they should sell you a replacement plan of some sort. I have found in most cases it is worth the extra few bucks to have a phone replacement plan. But Verizon never even offered one when I bought the phone.
In any event, Verizon provided me with a supposedly superior phone holder. It was a nice looking phone holder, but it didn't hold the phone very well. While walking around out at my farm, the phone fell out and I was unable to locate it (it's a big farm but still we drove around calling the number; the reception just wasn't good enough). This about one month after I joined Verizon.
I called customer service, explained the situation, and said that since the phone holder was responsible for the loss, Verizon should step up to the plate and sell me the same phone for the same price. I didn't even want a free phone, just the discounted price (I paid $200 for a $350 phone). Verizon's customer service agent insisted this was not Verizon's problem, was completely uninterested in my complaint about the service and her attitude, and said I was welcome to cancel at any time.
I wrote Verizon's Executive Office, which they invite you to do, explaining again the situation, and stating that if there were not a satisfactory resolution, I would terminate service and not pay the termination fee, as well as claim damages from them. The Executive Office wrote back and said they would be sorry to lose me as a customer.
In effect, Verizon lost over $700 (on an annual basis) in revenue over a problem that would have cost them nothing to resolve (they could have simply provided me with the phone at what is presumably their cost, or a little under) That's what I mean by dumb business practices. Not only that, but I had planned to switch my wife's phone to Verizon. More lost revenue for Verizon.
Now is where Verizon enters the area of illegal practices. Although I had obviously disputed the debt, Verizon later reported the debt as a write-off to the credit reporting agencies, without reporting the debt as disputed as required by the FCRA. This after they serially sent the debt to three separate collection agencies (I found out that they are allowed to do this) and I responded to each of them that I disputed the debt. Finally, I had to tell the last collection company that Verizon better sue or get off the pot, and that I would sue the collection agency if they bothered me again.
I am a very reasonable guy. I made a reasonable offer, and Verizon acted like the 500 lb. Gorilla. I bet there are plenty of class-action opportunities against these turkeys.
I am now back with Cingular, and here's the difference. I have twice lost my phone with Cingular. Each time they provided me with a new one at cost, even though I had not purchased the protection plan and the loss was my fault. Once, my phone did not work. Although Cingular stated that the phone was covered by the manufacturer's warranty, they sent me to the nearest Cingular store, checked and replaced my phone, and sent the defective phone back to Ericcson (crappy phones by the way).
Once, while I was travelling in Beverly Hills, my phone charger stopped working. I walked down the street to the Cingular office, and without blinking an eye, and without ever having seen me before, they gave me a free replacment, without my asking to have it for free. That is good customer service. And although there are exceptions with Cingular, the rule tends to be good service. So even though Cingular doesn't offer quite the reception I want, nor all the services I would like to have, they have won me over as a loyal customer.
Verizon, on the other hand, has created a sworn enemy. I advise everyone to stay away from them.
Doug
Rixeyville, Virginia
U.S.A.
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