In December I purchased a Verizon Global phone to send to my son in Iraq. The Calling Plan was listed on the Contract in the folowing manner:
Nationwide Single Line 450 Any Unl N&W Unl IN $39.99 1107
The Agent explained the Calling Plan to me as follows:
A Nationwide Single Line Plan with 450 Anytime Minutes, Unlimited Non-Voice (Text Messages) and Web Browsing with Unlimited International. Furthermore, he reiterated several times there were no roaming charges with a Plan that included "Unlimited International", as he stated ours did.
The first month's bill we received from Verizon was for the period of 02/16 through 03/15, and included roaming charges of $2,133.93, which equates to $2.49/minute for 857 minutes of air time.
We immediately called Verizon to complain, and was told someone would investigate the issue and return our call. Approximate 2 weeks later someone from Verizon did contact us and informaed us we needed to FAX them a copy of the Contract we had signed. They also told us they had spoken with "someone" from Cellular Sales of Knoxville who claimed that HAD told us about the roaming charges. I sent the FAX of the Contract to Verison and waited to hear back from them.
Before I heard back from Veizon we received another bill for the period of 03/16 through 04/15, which included more roaming charges in excess of $3,500.00. Which brought the total roaming charges for the two month period to over $4,600.00. At this time I called Verizon and had the phone service cancelled. I also disputed the charges again with Customer Service, as well as made a payment to them in the amount of $1,000.00, to cover those charges which I was not disputing (the monthly access charges for the phone service and the broadband card that was also sent to my son.)
The next bill we received for the period of 04/16 through 05/15 did show the payment of $1,000.00, but also included an additional $1,500.00 in roaming charges Verizon claims had not been processed at the time I had the service discontinued. There were also two additional $175.00 charges as an early termination fee on both the phone and the broadband card. (Which is another issue all together, as the Agent from Cellular Sales told us the broafband card would work in Iraq, when in fact, Verizon only has voice rights in that area.)
I heard nothing further from Verizon until my son notified me in September that Verizon had charged off the account, turned it over to a collection agency who was now attempting to collect in excess of $5,500.00.
Once again Verizon told me I had to FAX to them a copy of the original Contract, which I did. And this time I also went to Cellular Sales and told them I had lost the Contract and needed to get a copy due to a dispute I was having with Verizon. When asked by the Agent what the dispute was about I made the mistake of telling her I was disputing the way the Contract had been written up, and explained to me. Two week later I got a copy of the Contract in the mail from Cellular Sales. But guess what? It was not even close to the original Contract, and was without my signature.
I have since retained the services of an attorney to help in this matter, as the charge-off on my son's credit report is delaying his ability to buy a home under the VA, for when he returns from Iraq in early 2009. And for the third time my attorney has had to FAX a copy of the Contract to the Recovery Department at Verizon, who told us on 11/25 the situation would be resolved within 24 hours. However, when my attorney called on the afternoon of the 26th he was informed by the Recovery Department that the information he had faxed to them was transferred to the Correspondence Department (whatever that is), and that it would not be resolved for at least 48 hours. Which means, simply put, the mortgage company has had to move the closing back a week closer to the deadline imposed by the VA, as to when my son's guaranty would expire.
Wayne
Talbott, Tennessee
U.S.A.
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