Stay Connected Wireless Stay Connected Inc, Stay Connected Wholesale,  Stay Connected Verizon, Verizon Wireless Stay Connected Authorized Dealer Deceitful, Scam Artist, Bait and Switch, Unethical, 651 Lexington Ave New York, 10022 New York

I went into what I believed to be a Verizon location on August 28, 2013, to replace my damaged Samsung Galaxy 3 because I had cracked my screen. The location seemed to be a Verizon store as they had a big VERIZON WIRELESS logo centered directly over their door on the storefront and all over inside the store. So I went in and used an upgrade I had on my existing family plan. I paid $130.66 for the phone and $32.66 for activation to an associate and was sold a Samsung Galaxy 3 cell phone that I was told was brand new. The store associate let me know that there was a $50 re-stocking fee if I decided to return the phone. I understood but having already had the phone, knew I would not be returning it.

I had the phone for several months when in January of 2014 certain buttons stopped working making the phone unusable. I did not have insurance but the brand new phone came with a 1 year manufacture warranty- so I contacted Samsung the maker of the Galaxy 3 over the phone. After giving them the serial number they told me it was NOT in fact a brand new phone- but a refurbished device. There was nothing Samsung could do since the phone had no warranty. I was upset I was lied to in the store so I contacted Verizon customer service over the phone. Verizon said they would exchange the phone, no problem, and apologized about my experience in the store and sent me a new phone in the mail. They let me know I would have to send back the refurbished phone to avoid charges. I waited to receive the new phone in the mail.

While waiting for the replacement phone to come in the mail, I felt deceived and taken advantage of by Verizon and decided that I no longer wanted to do business with them. T-Mobile had an offer that if I were to trade in our Verizon phones they would pay the cancellation fees associated with my Verizon account. I went into a T-Mobile location near my home and traded in the "refurbished Galaxy 3 phone" along with an I-phone to T-Mobile. The "new Galaxy 3 phone" that had come in the mail I returned to Verizon using the return postage that was enclosed in the box. After being a loyal customer of Verizon for 9 years, I was now a T-Mobile customer.

Over five weeks went by when on February 20, 2014, Rose Bang on behalf of "Stay Connected Wireless" called me. Rose Bang claimed I owed $500 or the return of the Galaxy 3 phone because I had cancelled my Verizon contract and didn’t keep the device for 180 days. First of all, I was confused who they were because I believed I had been dealing with Verizon this entire time. It was then that Rose Bang informed me Stay Connected Wireless is an “authorized dealer” and that I had made my purchased from them. Rose Bang claimed I had signed a contract with Stay Connected Wireless not Verizon. I informed Ms. Bang that her company had sold me a refurbished phone and not a new one like I was told. Rose Bang did not care about Stay Connected Wireless’ foul practices and told me because I didn't have their refurbished phone for 180 days that I am liable for $500 in charges. I was even more confused as to how this company can demand a phone back that I paid for and used my upgrade credit, Rose Bang offered no sympathy. I no longer had the refurbished Galaxy 3 as I had traded it in to T-Mobile 5 weeks prior. Rose Bang said I had the phone for 146 days and even though I was lied to and sold a refurbished device by the store I was still liable to uphold the 180 day contract. Rose Bang said the only way that her company, Stay Connected Wireless, would waive the fee of $500 would be for me to reconnect my service with Verizon for another 180 days! I was outraged!

After receiving the call I went back to the “Stay Connected Wireless” location the same day, 2/20/14. As I said earlier they have a big Verizon wireless sign and logo on their storefront and off to the side, a sign half the size and in much smaller writing “Stay Connected premium retailer.” I went in and spoke with a man claiming to be a manager by the name of Jerry Defrank- who has no idea what customer service is let alone that it even exists. Jerry Defrank refused to show me the contract that Stay Connected Wireless is claiming that I signed with them. Jerry Defrank refused to produce any receipt of mine. Jerry Defrank refused to let me speak with the business owner and refused to release his name or phone number to me. Jerry Defrank would not release the associate’s name that sold me the phone that day. After leaving the store I called back to speak with Rose Bang and she refused to give me any information as well. Rose Bang again tried to get me to reconnect service for 180 day or “just pay the $500 penalty.”

Stay Connected Wireless is claiming I broke some sort of contract with them- when in fact they breached the contract from the very first day. This company purposely misrepresented itself to me. They sold me a refurbished devised when they claimed it to be brand new. As I am no longer in possession of the refurbished phone, they are demanding payment of $500 or to reconnect for another 6 months. Rose Bang on behalf of Stay Connected Wireless is threatening to report the $500 debt to the credit bureaus.