Verizon can't keep its stories straight

[rico567]

Got our iPhones last week, and this week the nice lady from Verizon called to ask if we understood our new plan. When I assured her I did, but complained that it was necessary to go through an extensive chat session to have Verizon's nearly incomprehensible web site explained, she revealed that there is a special senior rate that "isn't advertised on our web site." The reason for this, I was told, is because it's a "loyalty" deal, too (you have to be a Verizon customer for a certain period to qualify, in addition to being ≥65 years old. She stated that this plan would drop our rate by $25 a month and cut our minutes in half (whch wouldn't really be a big deal), but we would have to go into our local Verizon store to have our ages verified.
So- we go in yesterday, and are told by the people in the store that indeed there is a senior plan, but it would only reduce our rates by $10 / month. I stated that we weren't interested for such marginal savings, and walked out.

This merely reinforces what I (and evidently others, by reading the forums) have experienced attempting to get a straight story out of cell phone companies. The only thing I can conclude is that their own employees don't really understand their plans / pricing, let alone the poor customers.

 

[IphoneMommy]

I agree. When I traded in my 4s the customer rep said the main stores honor the online trade in value ($230) when I went to get my 5 the guy says "we can only give you $197" I had to go back him and get my paperwork and he gave me the $197 then credited my bill for the remainder amount. I was in the same confusing boat


~iPhoneMommy~

Sent from my Black, 16GB, iPhone 5 using Tapatalk.

 

[appleiphonepro]

They try to screw u

 

[freebirdforever]

Yeah, this is why I never buy (or advise) anyone to buy a phone directly from the carrier. Always buy from 3rd party (such as Best Buy). Much better experience and much better service. They will even try their hardest to save your old "grandfathered" plan!

 

[rico567]

We just got our iPhone 5s from Verizon; no trouble grandfathering our old plan, phones were delivered very rapidly. The overall cost is ridiculous, even with the basic data plan (which neither of us use much of, it's mostly wi-fi), and we don't use but a small fraction of the minutes on the voice plan. But $140 a month for the two iPhones is the cheapest thing Verizon offers, so we'll probably just drop the land line to save $.

 

[susan2strong]

We just got our iPhone 5s from Verizon; no trouble grandfathering our old plan, phones were delivered very rapidly. The overall cost is ridiculous, even with the basic data plan (which neither of us use much of, it's mostly wi-fi), and we don't use but a small fraction of the minutes on the voice plan. But $140 a month for the two iPhones is the cheapest thing Verizon offers, so we'll probably just drop the land line to save $.

How were you able to grandfather your data plan when I upgraded mine they made me change to a shared data plan and has screwed me ever since and now my bill is crazy out of control.

 

[rico567]

I didn't have to argue with them. I got the basic info about the plan over Verizon's Chat on their web site. When we got the phones, one of them switched over right away but the other one didn't, so I called and got a rep who got the other one up and running in a few minutes, and we went on to discuss plan options more fully. My wife and I have been on a basic 700 minute / month shared plan for voice, but since this was our first smart phone, the data plan was new. She looked at the newer plans and said we'd be better off financially keeping the old one, with the basic 2G apiece data. The Verizon people I talked to were quite helpful.

 

[madlille]

I've been a prepaid customer for years. When I eventually went on a plan and got my iPhone I asked the rep on the phone about keeping my old number. He told me I would have to wait until my phone arrived and then call back and swap to my old number. When I did so, this rep said I would have to send my phone back so they could put my old number on it. He said I should have done when setting up my account. That's what I asked the rep to do when he told me I would have to wait until I got my phone.
The rep also told me I got my employee discount and that it was being added at that moment. When I got my bill it wasn't on there. I called Verizon and they told me they couldn't do it, that I would have to go to their website and reapply. After doing so I finally got my discount, only to find out that its 20% off my 'plan', not my total 'bill', as I was told by the original rep.
All-in-all, I ended up loosing my old number I've had for about 6 yrs and my bill ended up being way more than I was told. I 'am' a devout iPhone fanboy, but Verizon can "stick it" where their network don't shine. And where I live they are the only choice.

 

[tlbaker]

I've been a prepaid customer for years. When I eventually went on a plan and got my iPhone I asked the rep on the phone about keeping my old number. He told me I would have to wait until my phone arrived and then call back and swap to my old number. When I did so, this rep said I would have to send my phone back so they could put my old number on it. He said I should have done when setting up my account. That's what I asked the rep to do when he told me I would have to wait until I got my phone.
The rep also told me I got my employee discount and that it was being added at that moment. When I got my bill it wasn't on there. I called Verizon and they told me they couldn't do it, that I would have to go to their website and reapply. After doing so I finally got my discount, only to find out that its 20% off my 'plan', not my total 'bill', as I was told by the original rep.
All-in-all, I ended up loosing my old number I've had for about 6 yrs and my bill ended up being way more than I was told. I 'am' a devout iPhone fanboy, but Verizon can "stick it" where their network don't shine. And where I live they are the only choice.

You have to keep bugging them until you get what you need!!! Eventually, they will have to give in. It sucks; however, you are entitled to your discount. What I do is not pay the amount in question and eventually they remove the charges. I can't remember what happened when moving to Verizon back in 2006 but I do remember getting an new number when I received my Razr phone (ha ha) in the mail and then porting the old number shortly after.


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