I’ve been a customer of Verizon Wireless for close to 10 years. I’ve never had the first bit of trouble or beef with them, until yesterday.
Just a bit over a month ago, three of our kids were added to my Verizon plan. Since the upgrade only allowed for three additional phones, one kid was left without one. We decided it should be the one who is most introverted and wouldn’t use it much.
Instead of adding him to our plan, we chose to subscribe him with a pay as you go phone.
We spent well over an hour in our local Verizon store – where our salesperson did a wonderful job of getting us all set up. Our son was thrilled with the phone that he got with his own money.
The salesman told us if he signed up for $50, that would give him minutes that would not expire and he could use them as he liked.
One month and 66 minutes later – at THREE O’CLOCK in the Friggin’ morning, he receives a text message saying he would have to purchase more minutes.
Surely there was a mistake.
We took the phone to the store to find out what the deal was. I thought it must be something to do with the person who had the number previously. A common enough mistake.
Wrong!
The gal told us that his phone is FIFTY DOLLARS a month – and that the minutes expire after thirty days.
I lost it!
“A 13-year-old kid paid his own money, FIFTY DOLLARS of his OWN money for minutes – AFTER he paid A HUNDRED for his own phone – only to talk for ONE HOUR before it expired?” I asked in complete frustration and anger.
The weasily little punk manager who was standing RIGHT next to the sales rep during our sign up visit – was in the store, but obviously too cowardly to step up and do something managerial like. I have to admit, if I had seen me as pissed as I was, I would have avoided me at all cost too. I could almost hear the whispers in his head hoping I would not remember him as the manager.
On our previous visit this manager had been all pumped, talking about going to X-Fest at Verizon Wireless Music Center after he left work. How could he possibly think of anything else but that? Anything as unimportant as a customer, Right?
I told my husband I needed the keys so I could go to the truck and that I was seriously considering canceling all my phones after that degree of a screw up.
Mess with me, ok! Mess with a kid, I will get upset and I tend to get upset in very big ways.
We’d allowed our kids to get their phones themselves to start with and planned on paying the bills and adding minutes so long as they remained responsible with them – they have shown such a high level of responsibility, we were very proud of them.
I like the idea of the kids having a phone for safety reasons – given all the news of shootings in school and the horrible stories of teens gone mad these days, kids need a phone or any additional security measure we can provide.
Obviously Verizon does to – at any cost. Even if it means lying to a customer to get them to make a purchase. The salesman KNEW why we were getting these phones, yet he talked us into something that he KNEW we were not asking for. At least I would think he’d have figured it out after my asking him THREE times to make sure those minutes would NOT expire until they were USED, period.
I phoned Verizon and found out the plan they signed our son up for was actually $50 per month. I would have NEVER done that! EVER! Not when the others were added to my plan for much less.
At this point, I’ve never been more disgusted with a company. To cheat a child out of that kind of hard earned money just makes me ill. Sure kids need to learn financial lessons, but not like this.
As far as I’m concerned, Verizon Wireless is much more interested in cheating the customer than assisting with the safety of a child.
Have you ever had any problems with Verizon Wireless? Have I been wearing blinders all this time? Should I bail now?
What about phones that are used primarily for kids safety? Any idea where we might go to get a phone that suits the needs a kid who doesn’t talk on his phone more than an hour a month?
Tags: verizon wireless, cell phone, text message, mobile phone, cell phone plans
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This is so wrong, I hate when companies mess with our kids. I know many kids get those prepaid phones and saves his/her money to buy a real phone and phone line they should get it. Not be lied about which program they are getting signed into.
I hope you get this fixed.
It works out to be about $9/month for me, AT&T GoPhone (prepaid). That’s what I have and I like it. All long distance is the same rate about 25 cents a minute. I forget how many minutes that allows a month but it suits my uses. Google it. Phone was free.
I, too, have had my share of headaches with Verizon Wireless – right after I joined the family plan. Far too many details to get into here. I will contact you with the highlights.
Not only Verizon but all Wireless companies don’t tell about Hidden Terms and Conditions in Packages or Plans.
Thanks for sharing we need to be Loud and Clear. While Subscribing with Wireless Offers.