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Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless • Rates • Coverage • Contracts • "Perpetual" Contracts • Billing Disputes • Other Verizon Services --- News • Verizon Wireless Opens Network to All Devices, Software • Verizon Agrees to Stop 'Unlimited' Claims • Verizon Wireless Changes Contract Policy • Verizon Wireless Raises Text Message Rate • Verizon Limits Its "Unlimited" Wireless Broadband Service • Verizon Wireless Cuts Early Termination Fee

No two ways about it -- Verizon Wireless is far and away the nation's largest wireless carrier, with nearly 35 million total subscribers as of mid-2003.

It's also tops in network quality according to a J.D. Powers survey released Aug. 1, 2003. Verizon outpaced competitors in the four most important call quality problem areas: dropped calls, static, voice distortion and no connection on the first try. Nextel and Cingular also did well and AT&T Wireless was average.

Well, all that may be so but there are plenty of other problems plaguing at least some Verizon Wireless customers, including billing mix-ups, rate plan confusion, contracts that seem to renew at will and, to be polite, a less-than-evenhanded approach in dealing with consumer concerns.

In case you're interested, Verizon Communications owns 55 percent of Verizon Wireless with Vodafone Group owning the rest.

A few sample complaints ...

John of Boulevard, CA May 15, 2009

I ordered a upgrade phone for me and my son. 2 days after ordering we recieved my phone. i waited 3 days later and no phone for my son. I called verizon and they said the phone never shipped and they will cancel the shippment and send another phone. i got the second phone shipped to me . activated it and all was great. a month later i came home from work and the original phone was sitting at my door. I called verizon and was told to send it back which I did. here 3 months later they are charging me 440 for the phone.

I called them and they said they never recieved it. I have no tracking number o give them and they claim they do not have a tracking number. but they say they will call fed ex and see where it it. I have been told fed ex has it and been old they do not. If they do not have a tracking number how are the able to contact fed ex and find out about the phone.

I called fed ex and they informed my verizon does keep record of the tracking number. I called verizon again and they keep telling me they cannot locate it. I ask to speak to a supervisor and they say a supervisor will call me back. after 50 plus call a superviser never calls me.

I am not going to pay for a phone which was sent back to verizon and there customer servuce is terrible, supervisors never call back. they lie to customers. and they refuse to help there customer. i feel they are only giving customers a hard time to get money out of them and verizon refusses to help there clients. I have contacted BBB and they still have not contacted me back.

I feel as if Verizon is being crooks and want to screw the consumers. I know they write off alot of money every yeard. how hard is it for them to take the time and investigate the problem and tell the truth about keeping tracking number. it is not my fault if one of there wearhouse employee losses or misplaces a package. it is very quick for verizon to point the finger to ther consumers. I want this issue resolved quickly i am tired of fighting with verizon.

David of Salinas, CA May 7, 2009

When offered 100 for 2 year contract I never received it. Ever since then they have billed me hundreds of dollars for things I never asked for. This happened in Dec. 08 and since then I have paid and paid and it has cost me hundreds! had always paid my bill 3 weeks ahead for 2years and after months of paying extra they say I,m 3 months behind, which I've paid and I'm still behind!

James of Anchorage, AK May 7, 2009

There is / are several complaints against Verizon about not providing service to Alaska residents. I would imagine Verizon would have between 5000 to up to 10,000 new clients that would drop their existing serice, and fully sighn up with Verizon. That would completely justify the expenses of making service available to Alaska residents, personnel, bussiness also. What seems to be holding this up? [They] provide service to just about everywhere else but here in Alaska. Alaska residents are paying twice [their] rates, due to lack of competion.

Linda of Medford, NJ May 7, 2009

On 4/13/109, I responded to a Verizon advertisement for their Triple Play for 94.99 a month with a 150 cash rebate. I spoke to a Ms. Cierra Lee at Verizon (866-465-5033) for almost an hour setting up our service with her. Later I found out she is a hired 3 party employee (per Mr. Seamor). We agreed upon the following: 99.99 for the Triple Play along with upgrade to phone service (6); 15.99 for HBO; 4 port wireless router with no rental fee; 3 DVR boxes with no rental fee. Contract length 2 years. Did the voice recording thing to confirm with Verizon. Received numerous confirmations on the install date and time.

Technician comes out on 5/4/09 to set everything up. We find out all the TV’s in the house will not work with out additional boxes. We need to add on and additional 3.99 per TV per month for them to get service. I call the 888- number and speak to a Mr. Chikosky. He tells me the same thing the technician told me but he could throw 2 boxes in for free for 6 months. I asked to speak with his manager and I am told that someone will call me back in 48-72 hours! I talk with my husband about everything. We decide we can go down to the 3 DVR boxes and 3 additional boxes for the other TVs.

We tell the technician and I call back into the 888- number. Now I am told the 3 DVR boxes are not on the account for free for the 2 years! I then look up and find the corporate # 212- and speak to a Ms. Dykes in Consumer Relations. She pulls a Mr. Seamor on the line. Even after going through everything I have been through and what was quoted, they would only give me 3 extra boxes for free and 1 DVR box for free. My bill would be probably 160 a month, more then what I currently pay for Comcast. They would also track down C. Lee, the person who originally sold it to me, and make sure she is trained.

I asked Ms. Dykes if she as a consumer would want to pay more going with Verizon or stay with their current provider. She said probably not. Comcast has representative from their company quoting and making contracts in their behalf, but they will not honor them. Nor do they have any checks and balances for the consumer to confirm the billing portion after the verbal phone contract. They only confirm the setup.

Their practices are deceptive, they use bait and switch tactics and they do not stand by their agents when they do wrong. The consumer is the victim. From what I was told today, this happens to many new customers and a class action lawsuit should be brought against them. As of 5/7/09, we have phone service going out, but no phone service coming in. It appears to go directly to a voicemail.

Calling Ms. Dykes about this issue today. I want Verizon to stand by their agents and honor their contract they established with me. If they do not, I am willing to be part of a class action lawsuit against Verizon.

Jonathan of Mountain House, CA May 18, 2009

My wife and I have been Verizon customers for over 4 years and only now we've been tagged with a 408.91 monthly usage bill, which to our surprised is that our Treo Smartphone goes online regardless of our consent to retrieve data and updates. Which is rediculous and was not conveyed to us when we first got the phone in 2007. The data usage showed a 18,313kb used which they calculated to be a 274.70 charge. The agent that we contacted suggested that we get a new phone not in the smartphone category, which is more unnecessary expenses we need at the time and place a unlimited data plan on our current account until we get a new phone and supposedly we'd get credited only 75% of the Data Usage bill (which she calculated to be:225.58) Thus, only leaving us the option to pay only half of the current bill since were on a tight monthly budget. The agent did mention that there was going to be a 5.00 charge for a bill not fully paid. Proposterous.

John of Boulevard, CA May 15, 2009

I ordered a upgrade phone for me and my son. 2 days after ordering we recieved my phone. i waited 3 days later and no phone for my son. I called verizon and they said the phone never shipped and they will cancel the shippment and send another phone. i got the second phone shipped to me . activated it and all was great. a month later i came home from work and the original phone was sitting at my door.

I called verizon and was told to send it back which I did. here 3 months later they are charging me 440 for the phone. I called them and they said they never recieved it,. I have no tracking number o give them and they claim they do not have a tracking number. but they say they will call fed ex and see where it it. I have been told fed ex has it and been old they do not. If they do not have a tracking number how are the able to contact fed ex and find out about the phone. I called fed ex and they informed my verizon does keep record of the tracking number.

I called verizon again and they keep telling me they cannot locate it. I ask to speak to a supervisor and they say a supervisor will call me back. after 50 plus call a superviser never calls me. I am not going to pay for a phone which was sent back to verizon and there customer servuce is terrible, supervisors never call back. they lie to customers. and they refuse to help there customer. i feel they are only giving customers a hard time to get money out of them and verizon refusses to help there clients. I have contacted BBB and they still have not contacted me back.

I feel as if Verizon is being crooks and want to screw the consumers. I know they write off alot of money every yeard. how hard is it for them to take the time and investigate the problem and tell the truth about keeping tracking number. it is not my fault if one of there wearhouse employee losses or misplaces a package. it is very quick for verizon to point the finger to ther consumers. I want this issue resolved quickly i am tired of fighting with verizon.

John of Chula Vista, CA May 15, 2009

Placed an order to upgrade my 3 phones. The first was a Samsung Flipshot for 49.99. Under the promotion, the next two were free (Samsung Alias 2). I was being charged 49.99, plus a 75.25 tax, with a Total of 125.24. I read the footnote underneath which read, "Some states require us to compute sales tax on the full retail price or inventory cost of the device you purchase. The sales tax charged on your device was based on 859.97". I am now hesitant to order it, because I don't want to pay all that money, for a 49.99 charge for 1 phone, and 2 free phones!

Kerri of Canyon LAke, CA May 15, 2009

I purchased a wirless Internet card from Verizon for approx 130, with a monthly fee of approx 59. The card did not work most of the time. I called technical support 3-4 times and had them try to help me fix the problem. They had me update my software 3 times. It was very frustrating. I then tried to return the card however they would not, stating I had waited to long (1 month). However I was told I had to trouble shoot the problem with technical support before I could get a new card. I was given the run around because the product would not work. I declined to pay my bill because the product was not working, therefore verizon charged me a termination fee, monthly fees and reported on my credit report.

James of Lusby, MD May 6, 2009

For the past 3 months I have been fighting with Verizon Wireless to take some "data usage" charges off my cell phone bill. Verizon tells me the data charges are occuring because someone is using my phone to access the internet. I have told them again and again over several phone conversations that NO ONE uses my phone to access the internet. I do not use the phone to access the internet, and it is not possible that anyone else is using my phone. I do not have children, and there is no one living with me that has access to the phone. The data usage charges are listed under "megabyte" usage, and my bills have ranged anywhere from 8 megabytes to 21 megabytes.

One month, I supposedly also had 43 downloads. This is impossible, and I have been fighting the charges every month. Verizon refuses to have a supervisor call me to discuss this, and none of the representatives can explain why the data charges are showing up. One representative told me the only way to stop getting these charges was to pay for a "block" on my phone.

I am getting nowhere, and no one has any answers. The only things I do with my phone are to make calls, and send a text message or a picture. The text messages and pictures always show up under their own billing category, and these charges are correct every month. However, when I receive the bill every month, there are megabyte charges listed as well, and I cannot get anyone to explain to me where they are coming from! So far, I have overpaid Verizon in March, April and May for a grand total of 73.63. They have credited my account for 32, but I am still owed 41.63 in credits which they refuse to issue.

Janice of SACRAMENTO, CA May 11, 2009

On 11 May 2009 I contacted Verizon Wireless because I received a notice of freeze on the account for non payment. In March 2009 I contacted Verizon Wireless because the phone in question was lost/stolen. I called again in April 2009 because the account was still accruing cost. I was told by Eric that there was not record of either call and that I would have to pay an early termination fee in the amount of 75.00 if I were to cancel the phone.

My account was sold by Surewest Wireless in August apparently which created a new contract. When asked when I was notified they told me August 2008. I asked what address it was sent to and they gave me an address that I never lived at. I had been receiving Surewest bills at my current address until the switch. They show no activity on the account from the time I called to cancel but refuse to adhere to my request to cancel the account. When asked to supply me with the contract that "I apparently entered with them in August" they say they cannot. I now owe well over 150 and cannot get any help.

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