Verizon Wireless Reviews

I was so upset and my feelings were hurt all i ask is that my 15.00 dollars get's back onto my account please.

Potential damage to my fense due to the weight of the posts leaning on it.

Everything seemed great! My DSL modem had arrived, my phone was working and I had DirecTV come out on March 6, 2008 to install my new cable. To my surprise I receive my credit card bill that Saturday and there is a $21.35 charge to my account under DirecTV hardware. I proceeded to call DirecTV right away in order to find out the cause for this. I was explained that this is a shipping charge that is always charged to new customers. I explained that I was not told this and demanded that something be done about it. The cust serv rep told me that Verizon uses the same system that direct TV does in order to process new services and that this charge always comes up and has to authorize for it to be charged. She said that when you order through DirecTV it is always asked if it is ok before they proceed. I was transferred to the correct department which proceeded to tell me that it is Verizons fault and would have to be taken up with them. I could not call Verizon until that following Monday due to their offices being closed over weekends. I call Verizon on Monday in an attempt to have my charge taken care.

I was transferred- of course- and spoke to a cust serv rep who told me many interesting things that were not explained to me by Jeremiah and that I was not aware of..such as the leasing fee for all extra rooms which would be 4.99 extra a month on top of the full 99.00 plus tax bill that I was suppose to receive with nothing extra? added to my bill. So now I have a $115.00 plus tax bill. Also interestingly enough I would not receive one bill of $99.00 plus tax, rather I would receive everything separate because they could not get everything on one bill that soon and of course all of these bills had no discounts since applied because they were not under a package yet per the computer, so my $99.00 bill turned into 3 separate bills- all at full price (of course that explained the $60 bill that I had now received by Verizon that morning). The customer service rep told me that this is always how it has been and never has it been able to be put on one bill and that it usually takes at least 1 or 2 bill cycles in order for it to process correctly. The representative said that this should have been explained. At no point in my conversation with Jeremiah was I explained the lease fee? for the extra receivers provided by DirecTV per additional room, the billing process, and the cancellation fee which is at the heart of my fury.

Per Jeremiah I was allowed up to 4 rooms to be added at no cost. I was asked to provide a credit card just in case I was to terminate early, this being 30 days per Jeremiah at Verizon and not the 24 hours as stated by DirecTV which I of course found out at a later time. It was also further explained that nothing would be charged unless I canceled (within thirty days) so I agreed and provided him my card number which led up to my credit card charge as I explained earlier in this letter.. I was told by Verizon that they would take 10 off my monthly bill in order to make up for the leasing fees, so I left that 21.35 charge alone, but that is were I draw the line. I went and cancelled my services with Verizon in order to switch to bright house because I was fed up with all of the problems that I had to deal with.

Once I cancelled with Verizon I was transferred to DirecTV in order to cancel with them and I was astonished to hear that I was going to be charged $480 dollars for an early cancellation fee, when I was told by Verizon who was soliciting DirecTV services, that I had 30 days. I was told by DirecTV that the information was wrong and that I only had 24 hours. My wife called back visibly upset and spoke to John at DirecTV and was told we were not under any obligation and that there was no early cancellation fee. He transferred us to the department that handles cancellations and she spoke to another rep called Crystal.now we were inquiring about canceling and my wife asks whether or not there is a cancellation fee and her response is as a matter of fact there is? (Apparently it was a surprise to all of us) and now it goes from $480 dollars to none to $320! Can we have some standardization please?

Who in their right mind can make an educated decision about cable TV in 24 hours?! Who is to say that within those 24 hours the service is perfect and that it is horrible the next year? Why would I have a company waste their time, money and manpower, not to mention my time! In order for them to come and spend hours installing just for me to tell them in 24 hours that I dont want it anymore.how does that even make sense! I am furious that no one wants to take responsibility for their actions or employees. I was clearly told that I had 30 days in order to make my decision. I not once spoke to DirecTV in order to set up my services and yet Verizon cant acknowledge this huge mistake? That little bit of information would have been the deciding factor on whether or not I changed my services. (Or perhaps thats why I wasnt told)

This needs to be dealt with and not ignored and I am no longer going to play phone tag? with either company. If these services are being provided there needs to be a very detailed explanation on the charges and fees that will be incurred, due to these issues I will never be another Verizon or DirecTV customer and this information will be relayed to everyone that I speak to, known to me or otherwise. During this time, I also received a phone call from Verizon stating that I no longer qualified for the package, with no further explanations. All of the sudden I have Verizon refusing to pay DirecTVs portion.

My bill is now $413.50 and growingit seems that every time Verizon refuses to pay- Im stuck with the charge. This needs to be resolved immediately.

Lost work time on internet

How wrong I was. I never experienced such a brick wall with this company. Not only did they charge me $4.50 for the operator, but they charged the phone call by the minute and charged me for the talk time. I would resign myself to paying the $4.50 per call, but why did they charge for the long distance? I supposedly have free long distance. I am outraged over the rudeness of the supervisor I spoke to. I'm in the banking industry and I am well aware of disclosure. I feel that these charges were not properly disclosed.

Furthermore, in the banking industry we do allow a one time grace and reverse Overdraft charges for our good customers. After I threatened to leave the company if they refused to resolve the matter, the supervisor's response was, You have to do, what you have to do. What kind of customer service is this?

To date, its now April 24th, I've called, emailed and sent two letters to Verizon informing them that I have yet to recieve my promotional letter for the free TV. My bill also has never decreased from $260... its more like $230 - $250 monthly.. so dont see the savings and what is more upsetting, never got the promotional letter and the free item promised. I kept full copies of the online transaction.. printed hard copies which show the free promotional item and the plan costs and decreases I signed up for. To date, I have printed and kept all correspondence with Verizon which shows lack of service on their part and me asking in every way possible for assistance. I have reviewed numerous others online on complaint web sites who are in the same situation as me and also have the exact, letter for letter complaint. I am wondering if any lawyers have initiated a class action law suite to date and if not if anyone out there has in fact received the promotional letter and actually received teh free gift (LCD TV) as promised by Verizon. I am also wondering if anyone has a solid address for Verizon for consumer complaints that actually respondes.

Also if anyone has report such failure by Verizon to BBB, Consumer Affairs Bureaus, and or trade commissions based on inadequacies Verizon is telling its customers. TO this date, I have been a loyal and satisfied consumer of Verizon services, however since 12/4/2007 I am stuck in an agreement that will cost me well over $500 to break out of due to service contracts and thusly dissatisfied enough to take Verizon to court to settle the matter. So if anyone has the same issue with Verizon as me, I would be interested in hearing from you or consulting with a lawyer to possbily pursue.

Paying now more then what was advertised for monthly services. About $80 a month for services more then what was agreed to. I also have not received the free gift (promotional LCD TV) as promised, something that I did desire to offset the large costs for this plan I signed up for. Also, many hours and grief dealing with Verizon customer service through email, phone, and letter and getting no where.

Morally this is wrong to have happened and now I am paying for it by being in service agreement contracts I can not get out of because of fees and or break clauses. If known, I would be billed higher then what I signed up for and would not recieve all items as agreed to, I would have never signed the contract. I did so in good faith, sure wish Verizon would settle the issue with me as well.

n the meantime, I was 7 days shy of my contract cancellation date with Verizon...stupid me..I had been with them over 10 years and just missed the date. This would not have been a problem if Cingular had not ported the number as they were advised. I have tried to get into my Verizon account for the last 3 weeks but it said that the information was unavailable and to try again at another time. WRONG..they don''t tell you that once you port your number you have no access to your account history, etc. I finally called them today and ..lo and behold...I missed the porting back time to reinstate my number by 3 days....

I NOW HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR 1 FULL YEAR OF CONTRACT IN ORDER NOT TO PAY THE $175 CANCELLATION FEE. IMAGINE THAT! And what did Cingular do about the porting of my number after being told not to? I was told that there were no notes..that is not what happened...it is not true...I was very offended to be called (oh, sorry...to have it implied that I was) a liar and stated so emphatically...absolutely no movement from either company....hmm, maybe letters to all members of both boards might be in line?.

have to pay Verizon Wireless a cancellation fee..this complaint is in conjunction with another I just filed against AT&T

It's now April 2008 and I'm being billed for the replaced phone. When I spoke to the supervisor I was told I should have left the inoperable phone at the store instead of mailing it back to the Asurion who handles their claims. I told her in the past I have mailed phones back to Asurion. I also told her that the person at the store should have accepted the phone when I tried returning it to him. I do not know their policies and I was instructed on who I should mail it to. I assumed that since he worked for verizon and wouldn't take the phone that I had to mail it to the other company which was Asurion. The supervisor stated she would call me back but it has been 2 days and I haven't heard from her.

I called customer service today and I was on hold for 20 minutes waiting for a supervisor. The worker stated she emailed someone of authority to call me back. I am very upset that I have to go through this. If you can assist, it would be greatly appreciated thank you

My son's phone was promptly lost or stolen at school. We replaced it, and he managed to lose the 2d one as well. Someone made $75 worth of data downloads on the 1st phone, and then $170 worth on the 2d phone, all before I even got the first bill that included the $75 data download charge, which alerted me to what was going on, and to the fact that the phone had these capacities, that Verizon charged these whopping fees, and that these services could have been blocked. So this makes $145 worth of charges I have to pay, which would not have happened had Verizon clearly explained the fee system upfront.

I am a substitute teacher and free lance writer who loses work on a daily basis when I do not have a phone on hand.

Yesterday my boyfriend called me saying that there's a letter from Verizon- a collection bill for almost $170 for early termination fee. I was speechless. Nobody sent me a warning letter to Poland. I was lucky that my boyfriend was still living in San Francisco so he received the collection bill. There was a number to call: 18662661445. So I called, and the person in charge of my bill--James--wasn't helping at all. He wasn't listening to me. I asked his last name but didn't want to disclose it. James told me that the only acceptable forms of proof of my new address is a mortgage letter, leasing agreement, new employer's information, or utility bill. I explained that those documents were not possible for me to get: I live with my parents now who pay the bills, their house is all paid, and I have no job yet since I moved to Poland in order to get a cancer treatment first.

James said he was sorry, and he still wanted me to get the mortgage bill. He also offered to reopen my closed account in order to continue it until the end of the 2-year contract ending sometimes this year (think it is May). I thought that was ridiculous since I have been living in another country. I asked James if the land ownership would be fine, more hospital bills, internet bill--he said all those bills would not work. At the end he asked me again "can I help you with something else?" I thought that it sounded more like an insult than sincere offer to help. A couple of years ago, I had a big problem with MCI Worldcom. Remember their customer service as willing to help on the phone--in reality creating fake bills. That situation with James feels like deja vu. The real fact that I have been living in Poland--that's more than 600 miles.

Well, I am hoping to recover from that situation and settle an agreement, however switching my calls from customer service representative over to another--sounds fishy. I feel that somebody wanted to take an advantage of me in order to sign a 2-year agreement. Even though my previous contract lasted much longer than 2 years, nobody cared for my customer rights. Can't this person understand that in such a situation, I will never again open any account with Verizon, nor anybody from my family or friends. I will spread the bad news to 10 people, those 10 people to another 10 people, etc. That's a simple rule. I would prevent my friends from situations like this. It's a nightmare.

For the past year and a half I have been receiving calls and notices demanding payment. I have called both agencies several times and every time, this case is supposedly solved. I have been dealing with so much stress. Every time I try to finance something I always have to pay outrageous interest rates because of this collection that doesn't go away. I have spent numerous hours on my cell phone, calling back and forth trying to get this account close. According to a Midland representative I am pretty much screwed! I am asking for help in trying to solve this account that was erroneously sold to a collection agency after I had already paid what Verizon Wireless asked me to pay.

Needlessly paying for charges that are erroneous and not due.

Our daughter had a $700 text messaging bill before I knew about it.

I came upon this problem by accident, as my son had an unusual bill. We pay extra money so he can have unlimited texting within his provider's network, but it does not cover text messages sent from other networks. An ex-girlfriend sent him more than 500 messages in one month, though my son did not want them. As a result, we had to pay for the messages, though he was purposely deleting them. When I asked Verizon (our provider) I was shocked to find cell phone providers all charge for text messages, whether the recipient opens them or not. Imagine if a person wanted to cause financial problems for another individual. That person need only send text message after text message to the disliked individual, and that person would be liable to pay for receipt of these unwanted, unsolicited messages. Certainly this cannot remain legal. I would really like to seen an investigation launched. I believe our government needs to intervene on behalf of the American consumer, and I have written my representative and senators accordingly.

I cannot afford to pay it at once. My concern is can they just shut off my phone without my knowlegde? I work for elderly people and I need my phone at all times. What are my consumer rights regarding their mistake?

I was told that I will pay the early termination fee for the new line. I desire to cancel all my services with them because they simply overcharge every month. I never get the service I ask for. They continue to mess up my account. This puts a financial strain on me because I get paid $9.00/hour and I go to school full time. I can't afford over $100.00 cell phone bills every month.

When I made arrangements with an employee on Feb 13, she was getting smart, and I went to her supervisor. When I checked on my acct. yesterday, they told me that made my acct. inactive before March 12, and they added termination fees along with a security deposit of $375.00 which is $125 for each number. I have 3 (includes my broadband number). I was upset and the supervisor hung up on me after telling me if I don't pay the balance yesterday (which is before March 12), they would not waive the fee. I asked her if they can wait until Friday (3 days later), but by me calling yesterday and getting upset with them, they told me it was yesterday or nothing. I told her I would seek a lawyer and tell my 2nd level of my employer, and she said "Do what you have to do". Well, I have to be quiet in what I do because I am a Verizon Communications employee of which wireless is our subsidiary.

The damage is I agreed to pay my $600 balance, but they hiked up prices and are not giving me proper discounts for being a Verizon employee, but since I reported them they jacked up my fees an extra $800. I need to do something about this.

They would not do anything and continued to tell me to pay that bill that will be due in March.

I am a paraplegic on Social Security Disability Income and would not have signed up with them if they had not made fraudulent claims to waive activation fees.

Fast forward to my first bill. My son asked my permission to download a few ringtones, so I was not at all surprised by the extra $20.00 charge for the downloads. However, I was completely shocked by the more than $130.00 EXTRA charges for megabyte usage. Of course, I called the company to dispute the charges. As it turns out, any time you connect to the web, you are charged $1.99 per megabyte of information that you see. Not download--just view. So any time you check your account balances, or browse through new ringtones or other activity, you are charged. Excessively, and sneakily.

I have been over-charged on everything, given the run around, had charges put on my credit card illegally because they were never authorized to use my credit card, treated very nasty, told I had a security code on my phone service I knew I never did, double charged in Dec.07 and I was told that I would be able to call the Verizon Wireless phones from my home phone and it would be in minutes. That was a lie and it made me go over in cell minutes and incur a large cell bill.

It is 4 months later and I am still being overcharged on the $99.99 bundle.

I lost $30.00, which isn't the real issue. Folks who use a pre-pay plans already pay more than the standard fees probably because they can't afford the cost of a contract. THEN, they are penalized further by not having any recourse to be refunded money already spent for services not received.

Lost of $326.01 and no use of my phone. Charges on my American Express ending for a duplicate phone go through every month. My first call was 25 Nov regarding the lost balance $326.01. I called 10 times in December. I called 23 Jan. They tried tried to remove and reinstall auto in Nov and 1 Dec, 28 Dec. I requested a phone call and the balance restore. If more than a day would like to have an inconvenience restoration of $20, immediately. I have emailed Corporate 12 times, with no results.

The following day, I called and was told by Erica that her boss was in a meeting, but that she would reimburse the full $100 and have her boss call me back in an hour. I said that would be fine, because I needed to discuss the matter of overdrafts this caused in my checking account. 2 1/2 hours later, I called AGAIN and immediately asked to speak with a supervisor. I was put on the phone with Tanei who told me, We can't do anything for you, because a DEBIT card was used. You'll have to take it up with your bank. I asked to speak with his supervisor, Pam, who basically just backed up what I was just told. I explained that, according to my phone record online, there were no calls made using *611 and no evidence of a payment received, just a sudden increase in available airtime. I suggested a possible glitch in their system and was told, Our system didn't mess up. Someone probably called the 1-800 number and made the payment. And, Our system isn't set up to refund on debit cards. The system had no problem TAKING my money with the debit card.

So,now I am getting nothing. This has caused 6 different overdraft fees at $32 each. This, along with the initial $100 has Verizon owing me a total of $292.

I was told that it takes 2 weeks for a payment to be processed, and it has been two weeks already.

I don't want this to go to collections, but they are threatening that it will.

3 dollars verizon surcharges every month for last at least 2 years plus free phone upgrade costing me 85 dollars, I want a total of 157 dollars refund.

Because verizon mistakenly withdrew the bill money again the day after I paid my bill, it caused $90.00 of overdrawn fees at my bank. I called in to Verizon to get them to deposit double payment back in to my bank account along with $90.00 over drawn fees that THEY caused and was told it would take 5 to 7 days. Verizon also wanted to keep the funds toward my next bill which I told them this was not acceptable because I needed the money now along with the overdrawn fees. After several calls they told me 5 days was the soonest they could deposit it back. It has been 12 days now and not a single cent has been replaced in to my account. I have called them numerous times and keep getting the runaround and I am now ready to hire an attorney.

Due to their actions they have reduce my over all credit score, prevented me from obtaining financial assistance and continue to harass me for unnecessary reasons.

I work hard for my money and when its time to pay my phone bill I make sure I pay them on time and this is what I get for being a loyal customer. First of all I don't even use my phone that much. Second, what made me more furious is that the palm treo 650 is the worst phone and should be taken off the market and Verizon has the nerve to send the same exact phone that's giving me problems in the first place as a replacement. I am very disappointed and by next month I will be switching to another company. I have alot of family with verizon and will make sure they switch over as well!

After fighting for over 7 months to get the contract nullified, (calling several times each week and being promised call backs that were never received), Verizon refused to even lessen the early termination fee of $175. Consequently, my wife and I are going with AT&T due to the audacious manner in which Verizon mishandled a long-term customer's account.

I have severe frustration over the six months of constant struggle to get it straightened out.

I wasn't happy with Verizon so we went to a different wireless company. Then I got a bill from Verizon Wireless for $460. I called and was told that it was for early termination fees of $170 for each phone. I finally got to talk to a supervisor, he checked it out and told me that I was correct, the contract had ended and he would have the early termination fees removed.

In December I got a letter from Verizon threatening to turn me over to a collection agency if I didn't pay the $460. I talked to the Nebraska Public Service Commission and finally was called by Verizon's Office of Executive Relations. He said that my contract didn't end until December and that I owed early termination fees. He offered to pro-rate it.

I thought that three different Verizon people telling me the contract had ended in August was a good enough reason to believe that it had ended before I switched companies.

This company has harrassed me for over a year with complicated bills and charging me for services not requested. They are specifically designing a program that will confuse in order to frustrate a customer into paying.

When I contacted Verizon I was told by, Susie Ext: 3839, I would be charged $175 early termination fee due to the fact that the phone was on a one year agreement. She said the contract expires next month in January. I advised her the phone wasn't on any contract. It was purchased as a PRE-PAID phone and later added to my plan as an add a line. I also advised her that I was aware of the $175 early termination fee for my other 2 phones on a 2 year agreement. I was not canceling either one of them. She said when I added the PRE-PAID phone, it automaticly is added under a 1 year agreement. I told her I was not advised of this and I did not sign anything physicaly or electronicaly. She then gave me her supervisors number (Bonnie 1-800-254-7835) who was off work and she said Bonnie would call me back tomorrow.

In the mean time, I had the phone disconnected and waited for Bonnie to call. Bonnie never called. The number given to me by Susie doesn't work. Two days later I called Verizon again. This time I spoke with Tasha EXT: 6061. Tasha advised me also that when I added the PRE-PAID phone it is under a 1 year contract. So I said the contract ends next month correct. She said yes. I then said that it would be best to pay the 10 dollars and cancel it on the contract end date next month instead of the $175 early termination fee. She agreed. I then asked if the phone could be turned off and I keep it on the contract until it expires next month. She said yes it would cost me $15 dollars to do it. I said nevermind, Turn it back on and I just want it to turned off on the contract end date next month. She said ok. After a while I got to thinking that I didn't ask if unlimited text was on or off. So my wife calls Verizon and spoke to a Service rep. I dont know who she spoke with. The rep said it was on and if it was turned off it would cost me over $700 in past text messages. I guess they wanted that extra $10.

In July, I demanded that the issue be escalated to engineering, and was assured that I would be contacted by the engineers/technicians and was issued a troubleticket. No one called. The final straw was in October when I tested the download speed again and found it to be 12KBPS, which is slower than dial up. I called Verizon Wireless AGAIN, and again spent hours troubleshoooting and finally escalated to another trouble ticket, and again NO ONE called back. So I threw out the broadband card, and bought satellite. Which has worked beautifully.

I fear the constant calling at my job could jepordize my employment

I cannot afford to wait for account credit, and do not appreciate being told I would be charged late fees if I don't pay a bill which is the result of THEIR error and THEIR inaccurate claims!

I'd have to pay a $175 fee to cancel my contract. In addition, the retail cost of a replacement phone is in excess of $200, even phones that have fewer features than my current phone.

So, today I called Verizon yet again, and I was told, oh well too bad, we told you how to unsubscribe and you must not have followed the instructions. When I replied that the gal stayed on the phone last time with me, so how is it I didn't follow instructions, I was told, sorry, the most we can do is refund HALF the charges this month! That's completely unacceptable! Ironically, while I was on hold with Verizon, their ad which plays said they strove to resolve any issues on the first phone call to their customer service (note this was my 3rd call), and that they offered a worry-free guarantee (false advertising?). After I file this complaint, I plan on filing one also with the FCC. As far as I'm concerned, it is Verizon who bills me, then my complaint is with THEM. The 3rd party messages come from 77877 for the record.

Unbelievably, with all the money I pay Verizon each month, they are battling with me over under $30.00! However, if they want a fight, they have one now!

My credit will now be affected, and I have spent hours dealing with this situation. I have received harrassing phone calls from the collection agency.

I got the following reply from their website: "I apologize that no one informed you that the Juke does not work with Mac computers. In most cases if the customer advised the sales rep that they have a Mac computer they would advise the customer that the phone will not work with Mac computers. Also currently at this time Verizon Wireless does not have any plans on making this phone compatible with Mac's."

More recently I asked them to removed a text-messaging plan from my son's phone. I have had to make two calls so far, since the charge was not removed from my most recent bill.

While waiting on hold I heard them say that they pride themselves on resolving your question in one call. Apparently that applies only to ADDING charges, not to removing them.

Here is a tip: If an employee will not get a supervisor, ask that employee to list all the features of every new phone for you - just in case you may want to upgrade. Then they'll find a supervisor!

We are being forced to pay $113.00 for 4 days of service. We would refuse to pay this, but know that Verizon will attempt to ruin our credit. This really isn't fair what they're doing to us and it should be stopped.

I just want Verizon to give me my old number back, or a new number, or my $30.00! I am disabled, can't walk, and need my phone.

Recently I noticed a $10 charge for some sort of message supposedly sent to my phone. I contacted Verizon and the customer service representative would not give me any identifying information or badge number of tell me his location. He said they did not know the nature of the charge and could not credit me for it. Upon checking the history of my account, I determined this was the second time Verizon charged me $10 for some unexplained message. It has been explained to me that my older cell phone would be canceled and not reactivated if the account balance were to fall to zero. It would appear that in order to pressure me into buying a new phone, they are randomly charging my prepaid account with unexplained and unanticipated charges--and attempt to deplete my account so the phone can be shut off. I have acquired an new cellphone, but it is NOT Verizon. I am in the process of suing them. I have found hundreds of similar complaints which will be presented during legal proceedings.

I have been inconvenienced by unexpected cell phone service terminations, by the necessity of acquiring a new cell phone and having to advise family and friends of a new replacement cell phone number.

I haven't paid the bill yet, but if I'm forced to, I'm not going to have money to pay for anything else for at least a month.

I COULD USE THIS MONEY AND THEY ARE HOLDING IT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

I'm really tired of calling them and not seeing anything done about my account. It's stressful, and now I want nothing to do with them. I have never had such a bad experience with a company that has no idea what they are doing. Somebody should audit them.

Economic damages: #1- An unusable cell phone. #2- 80 hours pre-paid cell hours lost.

The payment I sent was received after hers, but Verizon still turned off our service, this was in late February 2007. This caused a $306 credit to my account. I have been contacting Verizon since for the reimbursement of these funds, and to date have not received them.

They said there was no way to tell this info and that I should go and replace my phone again. Well in the meantime of doing this I have been billed for Vcast on my phone which I told them when I bought it I don't want it.

I had switched my service plan from a simple, low-tech LG phone to a Treo 700w in December, 2006. My bill for March, 2007, includes a data usage fee for approximately $700. My calls to customer service took hours at a time, and during my attempts to resolve the matter, my phone service was cut off due to lack of timely payment.

During my customer service discussions, I learned that my specific, emphatic requests for the store location service representative to completely disable my plan's ability to access the Internet or any other data service had been ignored, and that the customer service representatives at the call center made condescending implications about the likelihood of my misunderstanding of the cell phone's buttons, about my likely confusion with my very simple service agreement, and about my assumed dishonesty during that very phone call, implying that, because their own records showed them to be entitled to my money, it must be the truth, and that I must be lying to escape my rightful payment to them.

I am very upset with Verizon, because I found out toward the end of many conversations, that after me calling they decided to extend the contract end date out 3 months, fom 2/2008 to expire 5/2008 AND not refund the overcharges. And they said the extension of the contract is not negotiable. Verizon purposely over charges customers and then says theres nothing they can do and attepmts to put it back on the customers for not catching their mistakes. Even admitted mistakes arent corrected. They said they are going to charge my credit card on file as well, so I have contacted my credit card company, not to accept a charge from Verizon. Citibank said if and when the charge comes thorough, they will automatically dispute it. I would like to bring this to the attention of anyone who will listen as these business practices are creepy.

I called to ask why the internet access was still readily available and still was not told that it was "pay as you go", until I got the bill of about eight hundred dollars. I called to complain and then was told that when canceling the unlimited service another plan was put in instead of it, which was the "pay as you go" plan. After it was changed I had no internet service. Then when the next bill came and I found out it was about one thousand dollars.

I called customer support because I STILL cannot see a breakdown of all charges. They gave me a rude, brief description of the charges. I asked if there was anything I could do or any adjustments they could make - they told me absolutely not and were very rude. I promptly told them I would then have to close my own account and they charged me another $175.00 per line for closing the account. I hadn't even had it opened for thirty days! Now my bill is 2500.00 - got another invoice today. Have no idea where the extra couple hundred came from.

When the number was ported, I was charged $175 early termination fee and at this same time my other cell phone plan was changed to .45 cents a minute, regardless of the time of day/night/weekend. I was even charged this rate for in-network calling which had always been free. This 2 year contract was to end on 09/04/06 which only left about 2 weeks remaining.

I spoke with several different people trying to resolve this problem with no success. I was told many times if I would sign a new contract they would wave the early termination fee but I did not feel like this was right when they ported the number without speaking to me.

I used the phone to listen to internet radio and watch television over the internet. My first month's bill was $375. The bill came to a clinic that provides the phone so I never saw it. My second month's bill was $888. The clinic then sent me both bills.

I'm guessing I used the phone for six hours and now have a bill for $1264. I think anyone who gets one of these phones is likely to get a HUGE bill if they don't get the unlimited plan, and feel I should have been warned of the likelihood of a huge bill.

I talked to a manager and he assured me that he would take care of it and I would receive credit for the full 6 months I had the phone. When my next bill arrived I started receiving my discount but I did not get credited for the previous 6 months. I called customer service and Patricia said there was no way I would get 6 months credit and refused to let me speak to her manager.

They have turned our account over to their collection dept. and they are saying they will file a report on our credit report, if we dont pay. The last time we called customer service, we were told a manager was not available to talk to. We were formaly contracted with Sprint and never missed paying a bill for 3 years. We honestly dont know what to do about this.

In late August 2002 we returned to California. We stopped by my mother's home to find she'd received a letter from a collection agency hired by Verizon Wireless. They were seeking to collect the balance on the California account prior to my husband's move to Wisconsin (which we have long since paid) as well as monthly service fees for the California phone number for May, June, and July 2002, plus an early termination fee.

Since August 2002, we have been fighting collection agencies and Verizon Wireless regarding the remaining $285.65 that Verizon claims we owe them. In February 2003, I contacted Verizon Recovery which was recommended by one of the collection agencies and I spoke with a representative named Carol. She told me she would reverse the early termination fee of $175 but that I would have to get the collection agency to reverse the remaining charges that I contended were duplicate monthly service fees. To this date I have spoken with at least 4 collection agencies and Verizon Wireless regarding this matter and despite being told the $175.00 would at least be reversed, it hasn't been. We have extensive documentation proving not only that we should not owe this balance, but that we have tried over and over again to communicate with both Verizon Wireless and its various collection agencies. (We even stapled a check to one of these packets and the collection agency cashed the check but at the same time claimed they never received our documentation disputing the balance!).

Now I discover that my bill is $938.05, through 11/24/2006. Customer service says that their system converts Aim messages into text messages and charges kilobyte hours for all messages exceeding the 500 limit.

I was at the door when they opened on 11/24/2006 to return the phones and cancel the service. During my previous visit, Roger repeatedly told me that I would have 15 days to exchange phones if I didn't like the phones I had chosen, AND I would have 30 days to cancel the contract without cancellation fees. NOW, the customer service rep told me that the time frame to cancel the contract was 15 days, not 30 days. Finally a manager authorized cancellation of the contract and return of the merchandise without cancellation fees.

I have been calling them for three days now, but I always get the same recorded answer "because of unusual call volume we cannot answer your call at this time please hang-up and try to call us later". Same story any time of the day and night. If you have technical issue or billing issue they connect you to the representative almost immediately, but once you pick the disconnect service option, you get the above message instantly.

The tech support people or the others cannot help you with closing your account, so they transfer your call to the department that always has an unusual call volume, and that hangs up on you after a minute on hold. They never reply to email, and the live support chat does not close the account. All I want to do is return the equipment, close my account and get my money back.

The consequence to us, being lead to understand that our txt/pix package would allow us to send and receive a limited number of pictures and text message. However, we are now being told that there is additional charge for each picture we send or receive. This has cost us hundreds of hard earned dollars.

I owe Verizon about $500 in charges I expressly forbade them to all to be made, and they have credited me only about $90. I want them to foot the bill for their own incompetence.

Each time they would tell me to pay only the amount I owed and disregard the increased amount. Ultimately, I was charged late fees. And now they are telling me I have to pay the late charges and the bill is still wrong. I would like to sever all ties with Verizon at this point because I feel the billing will never be correct again.

Dealing with them has been ridiculous. They promise to fix the problem and they have done nothing but add increased fees.

All they did was to send a second bill that listed the same charge but not what it was for. My emails have been ignored.

Two weeks after purchasing the phone it started to have major issues. The keys wouldn't work, the phone would freeze, and it wouldn't dial out. I had the phone for one month's time and I had to replace the phone 3 times. I told Verizon Wireless I no longer wanted the Q because it was ridiculous how big of headache this phone was. They told me I couldn't exchange for a new phone that I would have to sell the Motorola Q on E-bay and purchase a new phone for full retail.

This made absolutely no sense to me considering I just paid $350 for the Q and extended my contract for two years. Now I have to sell the garbage they sold me and purchase the new phone for full retail. Where is the customer service??

I feel this is totally unfair because I, in effect, transferred the old number to the new number.

Not true! It turns out, you have to purchase the $39 plan to get that. Also, anytime I sync my phone to the computer I am charged. I was not told this either.

I feel that the salesman at Verizon misled me, mainly about being able to call my friends on Verizon for free.

On 8/14/06 I checked my Verizon Wireless account like I periodically do and found they had CREDITED my account for the $400 WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR APPROVAL. I called on 8/14/06 and spoke with customer representative Tori who assured me that my account was not credited and that I would be receiving my $400.00 check in a couple weeks. On 8/25/06 I again was online checking my Verizon Wireless Account and found that now my account is $352.89. Instead of sending me a bill they automatically took out what I owed for the next billing cycle WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR APPROVAL. I called on 8/26/06 to discuss this and the customer service representative, Pam, told me if there's a balance on the account when the security deposit is released they deduct that and then the balance is sent to me. I should be receiving a check IN A COUPLE WEEKS.

As of 8/27/08 I have not received the $400.00 security deposit that I should have had back in June 2006 from Verizon Wireless.

I have to manage my account very carefully now. I get 5 hours a month which I normally use up prior to the renewl date. My guess is this way they can charge people more but it's not in my paperwork, I'm making less calls during the day. At night I still get unlimited....for now.

Well 4 hours later she called back and said that it was such a mess that she turned it over to her supervisor, that it would take a couple of days to get everything taken care of and charges would be taken off and credited to our account, that it would show on our next statment. Well before our next statement arrived our service was cut off, and on July 27th called to ask why and Shelly of verizon informed us that we still owed $900.00, and that they had no record of the June 18th conversation, for us to get service turned back on it would be $690.00 and that they would then look into the problem and get back too us.

Requested to talk to a supervisor was informed there was none available, as if there was a number for conflict resolutions, she said they did not have a phone # but they Verizon had an address to send complaints. The address is Verizon, Exec Relations 777 Big Timber Road, Elgin, Illinois 60123, but as stated before they would not give us the phone number. It seems every month there is some sort of a problem with our bill, because they keep saying that they made a mistake, that it would be corrected, but never is.

For example, a phone that cost $149.99, a new customer can purchase it at the discounted rate of $119.99. But existing customers who want to buy the same phone as an upgrade are being charged $259.99. It's the same case with every phone they have. One real price for new customers, who are given a discount, and a much higher price for existing customers.

I refuse to pay for text messages sent to me that I did not know there would be a charge for. Threatening to sue me. They have taken to a bill collector and will affect my credit.

Then a friend suggested trying to use an air card. I am using a desk top, so I had been told by a few so called savvy computer tech's that you can't use an air card with a desk top. After a few more opinions I did find out that I could use an air card with a desk top if I added the board that the card plugs into which was available from Comp. USA I also found a Verizon air card I could get from another party for about $30 opposed to the $100 Verizon wanted. I then called Verizon and spoke to one of their agents about doing this. The agent informed me that I was looking at $59.95 a month on a one year contract. I gave him all the information including technical info on the card and board I would be purchasing which he confirmed would be fine. I also had 15 days from hook up to try the service out before getting hooked into a 1 year contract. I again called Verizon for a second time and spoke to another agent to verify all this info which once again was confirmed.

After receiving the card and board and down loading all the necessary soft ware to make this happen, I called Verizon to get the process happening. I was then told that it was going to cost me $79.95 a month on a 2 year contract instead of the $59.95 a month I was told prior to purchasing the equipment to make this happen. When I explained to the agent what I had been told, I was told that I was mis-informed with an apology and my only option was the $79.95. I figured it was time to go at that point before I lost it. I called Verizon back the next day to file a complaint or at least talk to someone about this. I was then told that I could get the $59.95 on a 1 year contract if I set the account up on my existing cell phone account.

I called Verizon and requested that they mail me a new adapter and I would mail the defective one back to them. They said that was not possible and I would have to return it to the store. The store is not right around the corner and I asked that I please not have to wait on the long line and they explained they could not do that. They also proceeded to tell me that they fixed the phone and charger (replacing them with refurbished parts) and that it was tested prior to being given to me....and that it broke in my possession. But it did not work from the moment I plugged it in.

All I have to do somedays is walk from my car into my house and I lose a call the signal strength disappears and wham. Other times I walk from my living room into my kitchen and the signal strength is gone and I lose the call. I am of course locked into a 2 year contract with Verizon which I feel is unfair due the problems I am continually having. I never experienced problems with my Verizon Service before moving. I even got a different phone because the previous phone I had was 2 years old and they no longer make that particular model.

I was lied to, it was underhanded and sneeky the way they bill. Then they told me they could not send me any back up documentation without court order. I was over chargede $300.00

November 2005 our contract ran out so we went back to the same office to renew and exchange our old phones. In the process of filling out the contract I asked the clerk about our new phones that were promised to us two years before. We were abrubtly told they no longer offer that and if I wanted a new phone I could get a $100 credit on my account to put towards a new phone, and that was that!

i explained to them that the refill card i purchased was advertised $50.00 for 1020 minutes. they said they don't offer it even though i have the card and the brochure that says they do. the customer service rep told me i would need to take it back to the store, it wasnt their issue and that they couldn't do anything about it. I asked to speak to a supervisor or someone who could handle this complaint because I only wanted what i paid for and what was advertised. he gave me an address that I could write to. they have a policy that once you have used any minutes or placed them on your phone you can't have a refund. how would i know that I didn't get what was advertised until I actually put it on my card and the real amount wasnt told to me until i called them and they told me that it wasnt a mistake and it was the stores problem. their name/logo is on the card i would assume they have someone in charge of that so they must know they aren't giving what they are advertising

No question it's an outrage. But there's some question about the remedy. Certainly, action on abuses of this kind is long overdue.

My wife and I are now fighting with Verizon, and the Credit Bureaus, because Verizon violated her rights and the law by reporting a disputed debt and causing her interest rates on her credit cards to be increased and we could not get the more desireable interest rate on our mortgage.

We would suggest that Aubree a.) not use the new phones; b.) discontinue using Verizon Wireless service immediately and c.) send a certified, return-receipt-requested letter that says something along these lines:

You are hereby notified that I do not intend to renew the contractural agreement between us which expired on (date).

We do not wish to do business with you in the future. Your employees, (name) and (name), represented to me that a service plan that met my specifications was available but subsequently, your company has denied that such a plan exists. Thus, Verizon has withdrawn its offer to me. There being no offer from you and, therefore, no acceptance from me, there is no contract between us, any oral representation by your employees to the contrary notwithstanding.

We will be happy to return any equipment you may have sent us if you will supply the address and any other information that may be needed to process such return.

Signature and typed name, address, account number, etc.

Salem, OR 97301-4096

She is now being required to keep the contract until October 2003 or it will cost her $175.00. They also said that she received a new phone and that "automatically" reactivated her account on October. But this referenced "new" phone was not a new phone but a replacement phone due to the original phone being defective. She has a good credit rating and handles her account on time.

Jose should write a letter setting forth the facts of the matter, have his mother sign it and send it to Verizon via certified mail, return receipt requested, with a copy to the Florida Attorney General.

Later that day, I called customer service to confirm this number. When I simply asked how much I owed on my bill, the representative told me the exact same amount. We then proceeded to pay that amount thinking that the confusion had been taken care of. Shortly before we received our next bill, our cellular service was disconnected due to a past due balance. I then got online and payed the full amount they were asking for because I needed to have that service and in order to have it reconnected that was the only way.

Susan should send another letter -- this time certified, return receipt requested -- including a copy of her earlier letter, stating once again that she is not under an obligation to continue paying for Verizon service. She should send a copy to the Attorney General and Public Utility Commissions in her state.

For example there is no mention of Verizon's obligations in these so called "contracts". Additionally, I doubt Verizon could actually produce our phone conversation in an action. I have disputed the report with Trans Union but I am not confident that it will be removed. What are my remedies?

The consequences of this is, my cell phone, which I need for work has been disconnected twice for non-payment. I also am on a budget and was told my monthly bill would be X and it has always been much more.

We wanted out of the contract due to the fact that Verizon wasn't meeting their contract. And, we were told no, it would cost us $300 to cancel before the contract was up and too bad for us. So, we cancelled one phone for $150 and got a phone from AT&T; that does work 180 miles from L.A. We are just waiting for the contract to expire to get rid of the other Verizon cell phone. We will never recommend Verizon to anyone we know.

I live about an hour from this mall and that night when I got about 30 minutes from where I live, I had no service. Come to find out Verizon Wireless doesn't even have phone coverage where I live. The very next day I took the phone back very upset because I asked the girl several times about service in my area. The girl didn't even apologize for being wrong, then she told me she could not give me back the $150.00 I had put down on the phone. I was told it would take up to 3 weeks before I would get my money back, because it would have to go through Verizon.

I have talked to Verizon because they are the ones who have my money and are responsible for returning it to me. I have called about 5 times in the last few weeks and every one tells me a different story. I cannot get a straight answer from anyone. As the weeks go by I feel like my money is not coming and there is no one I can talk to that is willing to help me.

Can a cellular telephone company apply a cancellation fee if they never honored the contract from the start? If I violate the contract I am liable for a cancellation fee, however is the cellular telephone Company liable for any damages to me if they breach the contract?

When we first signed up for service, we were helped by a salesperson who informed us that this was her first day on the job, so I was patient with her while she made numerous mistakes. What disturbed me is that there was nobody there to supervise her and she had to continually call another store for help. I was there for quite some time while she was walked through the procedure. My name was put on the contract wrong, which I was told could not be corrected, but I felt this was minor.

We were told that we would have the family plan, where we would be able to get the second phone for half again as much as the first phone. First mistake - it was half again more a month for the service. By the time that was clarified I was already well into the process and had been there a long time. I didnt know how to deal with it, so I just said okay.

The second mistake was that we were told that there would be no roaming charges. We specifically explained that we do some traveling for work and that we needed a phone that could handle that aspect. In reality, the plan did charge a roaming fee, which I found out when I got the first bill.

Another mistake...we were told that the first 3 months of caller i.d., voice mail and call waiting were free on each phone. After a couple of weeks, when my phone didnt receive voice mail, I called customer service and they said that my phone hadnt been set up that way and that my salesperson did not give me the free trial period. He said he would adjust that. My next bill charged me for those free services! Again, I called customer service, this time a lot angrier than before. They did credit me the charges.

When I discovered that I had been given such a slew of misinformation from the beginning, I called and complained. After several weeks of not having people return my calls (not even the manager, because he left the company and nobody told me) I finally got my original salesperson to credit me for the entire year for the overcharges that I would incur during the life of the plan. While this seemed okay, it left me with a much higher monthly bill than planned, messing me up.

We went into the Verizon store again, asking to be switched to the new plan and also for one of the phones to be transferred into my husbands name and social security number. We were separated at the time and this made more sense for us. The salesperson explained the whole plan to us and while all this time we had kept thinking we were going to cancel our service, we went ahead and switched. By the way, the only reason we hadnt cancelled service altogether is because of your unethical early cancellation fee. I guess this is the whole purpose Verizon establishes this fee, but it is sad that it wouldnt just be peoples happiness with the service that would stop them from cancelling, that they actually have to be intimidated not to cancel.

To get back to this very frustrating situation, we had both phones switched to the NE plan and my husband filled out an application for his phone. I just got our new bill the other day. Numerous mistakes, AGAIN! I was charged for several items that I should not have been, it looks like they charged me for caller i.d., which was included in the plan and then credited it, realizing what was done, and I still had received both phones billed to me, even though it had been a month since we switched. When I called to complain, I was told that the next bill would reflect the switch of the second phone to my husband and I was credited for the mistakes.

Tonight I called to confirm when weekend hours began on this NE plan, whether it was Saturday or Friday night and I was told that my phone didnt have this option. I was dumbfounded. I asked her what she was talking about and I was told that when the NE plan was set up, my husbands phone had the option, but not mine. In questioning her further, we discovered that it was a matter of not having something keyed in, a huge mistake as far as Im concerned. In addition, both phones were still being billed to me, contrary to what the customer service rep had told me in a previous call, that it was separate but it wouldnt be reflected until the next bill.

This was the last straw. I asked to talk to a supervisor. When she came on the phone I told her I wanted to cancel both phones and that I had better not be charged the early cancellation fee. She said she would correct everything so my bill would be correct and then cancel, but I would still be responsible for the fee, and in fact, Id be responsible for the fee for both phones! I asked who her manager was and she told me that she would not be in until Tuesday and gave me her name.

I have never experienced anything like this before in my entire 46 years of life. I dont know whether Verizon intentionally cheats their customers, thinking they can get away with it enough times for it to be profitable, or if it is just plain incompetence. Either way, Verizon has broken their end of the contract numerous times. They should be paying me a fee, not the other way around!

As you well know, the CDM135 that Mr. G. sold to me was a model that was recalled. I would also like for you to know that on May 18, 2001, the above mentioned products were packaged and sent back to Branchburg TMK Center, 51 Chubb Way, Somerville NJ 08876, by way of Federal Express, Tracking Number 828463858030, for next day delivery before noon on May 19, 2001. It is also a fact that T. Battista signed for that package on May 19, 2001, at 10:45 a.m. I paid $30.20 out of my own pocket to mail that phone and accessory back to you.

I was sold a plan for 200 anytime and 1500 evening minutes, the DC 200 N&W; Value Plan for one year. There are roaming charges for when I used the phone in West Virginia, 20 minutes from where I live. Last time I checked, West Virginia was in the Eastern part of the United States and in my home area. I would also like you to know that Mr. G. knowingly sold me a phone in an area where there was no local Verizon wireless service, AND therefore, my phone was always stuck on analog. I was also told that e-mail was totally free, by Mr. G. He told me that there was no charge whatsoever no 10 cents nor 2 cents for incoming or outgoing e-mails. He told me not to pay attention to the Verizon web site; to listen to him because he wouldnt steer me wrong and that he knows what hes talking about because he goes to his managers meetings and he listens.

All of this he told me DESPITE the fact that I told him that he was the only one repeating this information to me, that I wanted to believe him but that it was hard because no one else who worked for Verizon was making the same unsubstantiated claims. He even went so far as to tell me, when I called back numerous times for help AFTER my purchase, that he really wasnt allowed to stay on the phone with me for more than 10 minutes unless he was selling a phone. And he needed to sell as many phones as he could because he was getting married and needed the money to pay for his upcoming wedding. He referred me to the Data Group.

My service was for one month @ $34.99; my equipment was paid for by my credit card before it arrived at my house; I returned your equipment to you and you signed for it. How in the world can you sit there and say I owe you for equipment? And how on earth can you bill me for another month of service? I am enclosing not only a copy of my invoice from when I purchased this phone and service from Verizon, but also a copy of the Federal Express airbill that I used to mail your malfunctioning equipment back to you, since I wasted two weeks waiting for someone at your Customer Service department to actually help me.

Everybody I talked to was going to send me a new phone. It never happened, until the day I actually quit your service; I didnt sign for the package that Federal Express tried to deliver. I refused the package. You were too late at that point, and I had already cancelled my service. Your track record was very poor and as far as I knew, everyone that I spoke with was being paid to stroke me, if you will; to be a Yes man or woman on the phone with me, and promise me everything, but in the end, delivered nothing.

It is very curious to me as to how I can be billed for equipment that I already paid for once and safely returned; this is documented. It is also very curious to me that I can be billed for two months of service when I didnt have the phone in my possession for thirty (30) days. And lastly, very curious to me that I can be billed for roaming charges when I was supposedly in my home area.

Verizon advertised that they could do this with no roaming fee, so last November I switched from my AT&T; service that allocated roaming charges in Iowa City. For the last 6 weeks I have been unable to receive calls in Iowa City. I have repeatedly called their customer service personnel and continue to get different stories each time I call. What was consistent was their insistence that the problem would be fixed.

However, the last person I spoke to told me that this is a known problem and that they had no idea when it would be fixed. I am tired of waiting. I need to be able to receive calls but have not been able to do so and do not know when that will change. I have asked to cancel the contract but have been told that I would have to continue to pay $25 per month. I do not understand why I am expected to keep my part of the contract when they have not and cannot fulfill their part of the contract.

We were able to cancel the plan, but we're stuck with the cost of the phones. Besides that, we weren't able to resign with the long distance carrier for the same plan as we had before. So, now our long distance calls will cost us more. I feel this was a shoddy way of doing business. They sold something and then lied about it. I even had to speak to a rep when the phones came because the number they gave on our paper and the number in the phone did not match. The rep had me call a number while I was on the phone with him and I even asked him about why it said roaming. He gave some bogus story about cell towers. I asked him if the home calling area was all of NJ and he told me yes! Funny, isn't it!

They did inform me that I would still get my refund from August. It is now Jan 31,2001 and I am still waiting for my refund from August of 2000. I was told all about billing cycles, and all sorts of red tape that excuses them from giving me my money back, but I don't care about any of that! Please! Is this how you treat customers? I will never use any of their service ever again after this. This is worse than dealing with the government!

I purchased an Audiovox CDM 9000, with insurance and service. The total purchase was $205.65. I requested a plan that offered no long distance or roaming charges since I was planning to make several business trips to Florida and was signed up for the Single Rate 150 (DS15) plan. While in Florida, I was unable to get any calls directly dialed to my phone because it wasn't ringing. The calls went immediately into voicemail, with no message waiting prompt.

I went to two different Verizon locations in the Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach areas, and technicians pushed all sorts of buttons and tested the phone, but were as stumped as I was as to why my phone wasnt ringing or prompting me to retrieve messages. In effect, my phone and the Verizon service technicians were useless. I was not happy.

My Single Rate 150 plan proved not to be so economical, and in November I went into the Manhattan store with Ms. Moore to discuss other options. Ms. Moore had a significantly different plan and we were trying to understand why I had such different options. We were told that Ms. Moore's plan was the result of a promotion in effect at the time she contracted her service. My contract was changed to the Digital 300 with free long distance (H300) and I reduced it a one-year contract rather than the two I signed up for initially.

The next problem occurred when I tried unsuccessfully to get information through voice data key prompts. I went into the nearby Verizon store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn (86th Street), and the technician reset one of the functions, explaining that the proper key tone was not being achieved.

Most recently, while driving I was using the Plantronics universal [over-the-head] headset I purchased from the Manhattan store. When I disconnected the headset and attempted to make a call on my cell phone, I couldn't hear anything through the earpiece. I reconnected the headset and could hear a dial tone, but when I disconnected it again, nothing. I took my phone into the Manhattan store on the evening of January 16th and when I explained the problem to the technician (Wendy), she advised me that the phone would have to be sent away for repair and the turnaround time was four weeks. I asked what the problem was, and she said that something was probably loose in the earpiece.

I wanted to know what I should do for cellular service in the meantime and Wendy told me that she could either give me a refurbished phone (like mine would be once it was repaired), or a loaner. I told her I didn't want a refurbished phone, that I purchased mine brand new only six months ago, and I wanted my phone back in proper working condition. I agreed to the loaner. Wendy proceeded to take an imprint of my credit card, explaining that if I did not come back to pick up my phone within five days of being notified that it had been repaired, Verizon would then charge me for the loaner, a refurbished Audiovox 4000.

The sales slip on which my card had been imprinted was prepared in the amount of $250.00, plus applicable taxes (more than I had paid for my 9000 phone brand new), and was given to me with a service agreement, to sign. I signed the service agreement, but refused to sign the sales slip. I insisted that the agreement bearing my signature should be enough of an acknowledgement that I was aware of the conditions and would abide by them. It hardly seems good practice to sign a sales slip unless you have the intention of purchasing something, especially when it's being left in a store where a mistake could easily be made, but not so easily rectified. I asked to speak with the manager who, though not with a customer, refused to come to the rear of the store where I had been speaking with the technicians.

I went to the front of the store and explained my position to Fernando, the manager of the evening. He told me that the rules required that I had to sign the sales slip as insurance that I would come back to get my phone once it was repaired (or protect them if I didn't) and if I didn't want to sign the sales slip then don't take the loaner. I suggested that Verizon owed me a phone since I was paying for service that I wouldn't have, and four weeks was a long time to be without the use of my phone. He told me I could continue to check my voicemail but there was nothing else he could do for me. At no time did anyone in that store ask me if I had insurance or offer an alternate solution.

On the morning of January 17, 2001 my friend, Traci, and I spoke with a Verizon Customer Care representative and explained the events of the previous evening. While we waited on the line she attempted to contact the Manhattan store and get the status on my phone. After speaking with four different people, she was told that my phone was being sent out for repairs but there was no indication on record of why the phone was being sent out. Fernando was not on duty at that time, but whomever the Customer Care rep spoke with confirmed my declining the loaner. The Customer Care rep suggested I call the insurance company to file a claim and referred me to this office to lodge my complaint.

On January 28, 2001 I called The Merrimac Group (888-881-2622) to file a report. Nicki listened to my story and told me that I could not get a replacement phone through the insurance company at this time, inasmuch as Verizon had taken my damaged phone and already sent it out for repairs. She said that Verizon should have advised me to call and file the claim immediately, knowing that they would have sent me a [refurbished] replacement, or should, themselves, have given me a replacement without the demand that I sign a sales slip. She said such a thing was unheard of, and she wouldn't have signed a sales slip either, without intending to make a purchase.

Frankly, I am no longer interested in maintaining service with Verizon, and I have no intention of paying to dissolve this contract. If I am forced to live out the contract with Verizon, I certainly do not want any further dealings with the Manhattan store referenced above. I question the capability of their technicians, am furious over the inappropriate demands they made, and the rude and unprofessional manner in which Fernando dealt with my situation.

I feel like I'm being cheated. If they do that to everyone, holding approximately $100-$200 per household, they are actually indirectly holding a lot of money which belongs to someone else. In addition, the customer service over at the rebate center was terrible. No courtesy, impolite and very very rude.

On Thanksgiving Day (Nov 2000) she noticed her phone was shut off. Upon contacting Verizon, she was told her bill wasn't paid. They told her they couldn't help her without a receipt. She never received a receipt so she cannot produce one for them. They refuse to do anything about this. Here is a girl, 19 years old, working for practically minimum wage and trying to build her credit and they scam her like this. Her father even went in and tried to settle this but they refuse to do a thing.

The funny thing is the girl remembers her coming in to pay 2 bills and even stated she remembered one being quite large. Now they claim Tiffany was in there and told them she lost her receipt which is not true because she told them from day one that she never got one. They are lying to try and cover up their scam or the thief they have working among them.","The consequences will now be that Tiffany will have negative feedback on her credit report. She is just sick about the whole thing as she works for around $6 an hour and it took alot for her to save to pay her bill.