Verizon Wireless - do not publicize email address

Verizon Wireless

Yesterday was Day 15 of the period during which I could return my upgraded

phone, and because it frequently didn't ring when calls were coming in, I

felt I had to return the phone. There were other malfunctions, but that

one made the phone basically useless. So, I called Verizon customer

service and spoke to "Mike". Mike said I would not have to drive 22 miles

to return the phone, but could go to "Resorus". He spelled the word and

did not pronounce it. I went to the address he gave me, and was told that

the business did not exist, but they get mail for "Resource". The lady

there looked with me in the phone book for "Gizmo", another place Mike

told me was in Auburn. We could not find it. So I went to Auburn

CarTunes, which is farther than I like to drive, but at least I know it

exists and is a legitimate business. Unfortunately, they are unable to do

what Mike said they could do - namely, exchange my phone or take a

return. I returned to my office, called Verizon and asked how to go about

returning the phone. The customer service lady was very pleasant and got

my old phone programmed. The phone was to be postmarked yesterday to get

a refund, but since it was late in the day and Verizon demands the use of

FedEx rather than the postal service, I could not get yesterday's

postmark. The customer service agent said she would take care of that

problem by making a note to the effect that I could not get it postmarked

with yesterday's date, although I did drop the phone off at a FedEx drop

yesterday. The most troubling thing the lady told me is that she does not

think I can get out of the 2-year contract by returning the phone. The

2-year contract was forced upon me in order to get the phone, which I am

returning for its being defective. My old phone which I am now using has

a broken antenna socket and thus no external antenna, and the battery gets

hot during use. Not a very safe phone to use, but it works better than

the "upgrade"! It does ring when calls come in!

I have been a Verizon customer for about 12 years. I have never liked the

anti-consumer contracts that are now ridiculously long, but the truth is

that if one gets a good enough phone and calling plan, there is little

reason to switch. There is no doubt that Verizon has the best network.

However, any problem requiring the use of customer service usually becomes

a huge problem. I suppose this is because a good number of people in that

line of work would prefer not to be working at all, and Verizon trains

them in manipulative psychological marketing tactics that they don't have

enough intelligence to use properly. For instance, in the few minutes I

talked to "Mike", he called me by name approximately every 30 seconds.

That kind of training is based on the notion that a person's own name is

music to his ears. That nonsense is all well and good, but has no place

in serious business that is not properly handled by the company.

This is what I would like Verizon to do: Refund me in full for the phone

I returned. Don't come up with other charges to bill me for, for this

fiasco. Cancel the 2-year forced contract. No one would ever choose to

contract for that amount of time, if not under extreme pressure to do so.

The purpose was to get the phone upgrade, and that is now being

cancelled. I would like Verizon to let me know whether they can provide

me with a NEW Audiovox 9500 and a fresh new battery for it. Since the

phones are older models, I assume one would have to make special effort to

get a good, fresh battery for it. That particular model is the best phone

I have ever had, and by comparison, all the new ones are junk. Certainly

a plain uncomplicated phone like that ought to qualify for "New Every

Two", particularly for such a long-time customer as myself, and especially

because customer service sent me on a wild goose chase for a non-existent

vendor, and gave me totally false non-information. I am afraid to try any

other phone that I am not familiar with, because this has been such an

extreme amount of trouble and I don't wish to repeat it. If I can get a

good phone and keep my original service plan, I am willing to stay with

Verizon. If not, I will keep the service with my old phone for as long as

it takes me to sign up with another company, and get my number ported.

Valerie M. Collins