An Open Letter to Verizon Customer Service

July 8, 2013

Verizon Wireless
Attn: Correspondence Team
PO Box 5029
Wallingford, CT 06492

To Whom It May Concern,

I am so furious right now I can NOT begin to tell you. Your chat online service is “unavailable”, the idiots at the local store are well ... idiots and you have no email contact on your web site. Therefore I am forced to write a letter that will not get me swift action and no doubt result in you telling me that I should have spoken up sooner or some other such bunk.

I purchased a new phone on July 1, 2013 as my old phone had finally died. I have been a loyal and happy customer of Verizon since I purchased my first cell phone in 1997. Cell #xxx.xxx-xxxx.

I am NOT happy now and seriously considering switching providers.

When I purchased my new phone all of a sudden I was not allowed to keep my previous plan DESPITE your own announcements that those of us with unlimited plans would be grandfathered in and still allowed to keep our plans. Okay I was annoyed and informed “Tom” that I was not happy with that and it was a good way for your company to lose customers since everyone else out there has an unlimited plan. But I knew the service with Verizon was good so I swallowed that one.

THEN despite having not upgraded my phone since 2010 when I got my Droid 2 Global AND not changing the amount of minutes, etc on my plan I was charged a $30 UPGRADE fee. What the hell for? I had a smart phone and was getting yet another smart phone. I wasn’t altering my plan other than what you people forced me to. What the hell happened to getting a break on a new phone???

THEN I get several accessories – NOT explained as being a “bundle” told instead they were “on sale” – and upon getting home realized I don’t need a new car charger so today I tried to return it. I was told NO. Even though the fourteen day time period to exchange or return the items purchased had not passed. Even though I had not opened the box! It was part of a “bundle” you see and if I returned it I would not get my money back. Why? Because if I return one item of this 5 item “bundle” I lose the price break on all the other items so ... the $24.99 I would get credited back for this unused, unopened charger would actually be reduced down to a mere $7 after you people added back in all these “bundle” price breaks. And since when is the universal power source part of a “bundle”? The other stuff I can almost understand but by the way the total of those was NOT the $70 for the "starter bundle" shown on the sign next to the display model. So again, false information. Why should the savings from the power source being “on sale” be counted against the “refund” on the car charger?

This is complete and utter crap. It is VERY bad business and your company ought to be ashamed of itself. This is NOT good customer relations by anyone’s standards. 

I now have a car charger I don’t need, can’t use and can’t return.

I was charged an “upgrade” fee when I did NOT upgrade a damned thing. In fact, I LOST benefits and services. I’m paying for lost benefits? Must be nice to think you’re a monopoly and can do whatever the hell you want.

Oh and by the way – what the hell is this “we don’t have unlimited” plans anymore? Right there in the store are prepaid phones where for a mere $50 a month you have my former plan UNLIMITED with no annual contract required. You know that $50 per month I have been paying for my plan? Yeah, that amount. Really, what the hell are you thinking? Kick those of us who have been loyal and renew our two year plans on a regular basis by yanking our unlimited plans away and reward those who don’t. What the hell is wrong with you?????

What would make me happy you ask? You want to make this right?

Take the “upgrade” fee off of my bill. Obviously I can’t return the charger to the local store and by the time you get this and (assuming you even read it) respond, the fourteen day window to return things will have passed so I know I am completely screwed and have no prayer of getting THAT charge removed. Although I would return it to you via mail if you were to send a postage paid shipping container and take the $24.99 off my bill. Otherwise I am going to try to sell it. I will wait to hear from you before I do that though, in case I am wrong. But I doubt I am.

You REALLY want to make me happy? Do the above and give me my unlimited data plan back. 

I was considering the whole house options you have with Internet and television and so on. I won't be looking at that any longer. I pretty certain you won't do anything to fix this, Verizon is a huge corporation now one of the leaders in cell service. You think you don't need to compete any more. And you don't have to give a rat’s ass about keeping loyal customers happy. Keep treating people like this and you will lose customers. If I hadn't signed that new two year agreement I would be gone. But I can't afford the cancellation fees. I can guarantee you that I will absolutely NEVER recommend Verizon to anyone ever, ever again.

If you do want to try to fix this, if you do have a corporate soul you can contact me at my cell phone number. It’s not as though I can change that any time soon.





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