Verizon Wireless Verizon wireless screwing soldiers deployed to Iraq Nationwide

I really knew better than to go back to Verizon Wireless, as they have serious customer service issues, but this one takes the cake. I recently deployed to Iraq, and left my two phones back in the states, one for my wife, the other for my daughter. My daughter's cellphone was stolen, but the theft was not reported at the time, as she assumed it was misplaced in the house. A week before I got the bill, my daughter told me that her phone was stolen and recovered. My wife initially tried contacting Verizon by phone, but they would do NOTHING because she was not on the account, EVEN IN THE EVENT OF A STOLEN PHONE!! I immediately sent an email to Verizon customer support explaining the situation. I was advised in a series of form letters that there is absolutely nothing they can do about the huge ($400 total) bill I got from them, and that I should have reported the theft earlier. Even after I explained that I have internet communications with family members only, and that I could not have reported the phone stolen any earlier because of that fact and mission requirements, they turned a deaf ear and sent yet another form letter telling me the same thing. After many years of loyalty on my part, I would think that just a courtesy credit would be in good faith. I encourage all Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen to boycott Verizon Wireless, as they make customer service (especially online) extremely difficult. Their attitude is that you owe, no matter where or what you are doing, or what the circumstances are. I encourage anyone and everyone to WRITE LETTERS to the companies that wrong them. Remember, they may only be screwing YOU out of a small amount, but multiply that by ALL the customers they are screwing and see who is getting rich off of who.

Following is the series of emails bounced back and forth between myself and Verizon, edited to remove my personal information only.


Dear Jared ****,

Good afternoon Mr. ****. Thank you for contacting Verizon Wireless through our website. My name is Renee, and I am happy to assist you regarding your bill charges. I am sorry to heat that your daughter's phone was missing. I cam happy to hear that the phone was recovered.

Mr. ****, I completely understand your position, with regard to this most unfortunate situation. However, it is the responsibility of the customer to notify us immediately, when equipment is missing or stolen. If this requirement is followed, we can credit back the first 48 hrs of useage. Since this requirement was not fulfilled, we are unable to credit back any of the useage.

If necessary, please contact our Financial Services Department, at 800-999-3955, between the hours of 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, for assistance with your bill. You may visit our payment website, at: vzw.com/paymybill, to make payments and payment arrangements.

Also, when corresponding with us, please provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number, as displayed on your account.

Your continued patronage is greatly appreciated.

We appreciate your business. Please contact us at our website for any of your future needs. Again, thank you for using Verizon Wireless products and services.

Sincerely,

Renee
Verizon Wireless
Customer Service

If you have received this e-mail in error or are not the intended recipient, please notify us immediately by replying to this e-mail and deleting it and all copies and backups thereof. If you are the intended recipient and are a Verizon Wireless customer, this response is subject to the terms of your Customer Agreement.


Original Message Follows:
------------------------



Form Message
MAIL_ADDRESS:
(((redacted)))
Market ID:
Tennessee
Zip Code:
37042
First Name:
Jared
Last Name:
****
Full Name:
Jared Fox
Email Address:
(((redacted)))
Daytime Phone Area Code:

Daytime Phone Prefix:

Daytime Phone Suffix:

Daytime Phone Extension:

Fax Area Code:

Fax Prefix:

Fax Suffix:

Account Number:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mobile Area Code:
217
Mobile Prefix:
855
Mobile Suffix:
XXXX
SSN:
NV
Primary Subject:
Billing
Secondary Subject:
Payment and Balance Questions
Message Body:
To whom it may concern: I will be referencing the billing period of Mar 22-Apr 21 and all call usage until line 217-855-XXXX was suspended. I was informed on or about 24 April that the phone I designated for my daughter (217-855-XXXX) had been stolen some time ago. My daughter thought that she lost the phone in her mother's house and failed to report said phone as stolen. As it turns out, the phone was recovered from the handbag of her best friend, who had been using the phone to make a massive amount of peak and off-peak calls, as well as data calls. I contacted my wife at my earliest opportunity via internet messenger to call Verizon customer care for suspension of that line. I understand that I am responsible for the timely payment of charges to this line. As I am currently deployed to Iraq, I was and still am unable to report the theft to authorities, as I have only internet access, with no reliable access to telephonic communication. I was quite satisfied with my wireless service before I deployed and am looking forward to that same standard of excellence upon my return. I am writing in the hopes that we can find an amicable solution to this situation. It would be greatly appreciated if you could adjust the package minutes of the billed month (Mar 22-Apr 21) and the following days/billing month until the phone was suspended to cover the excess minutes used. As the phone has been recovered but not returned to my daughter, I wish for the suspension to remain in effect, and it is my understanding that I will continue to be charged monthly access, etc for that line. Your prompt and compassionate response to these extenuating circumstances is greatly appreciated. Please send all correspondence via return email, as I have no telephonic access at this point or in the foreseeable future. Thank you. SPC Jared *** U.S. Army (((redacted)))
That was the first letter, nice enough, I just asked that they understand my situation and adjust my package (put me in a higher minute usage plan) to cover the overages. I wasn't very satisfied with the response, so I sent a reply asking that my situation be reviewed by her supervisor.

Then came this:

Dear Jared ****,

Thank you for contacting Verizon Wireless through our website. My name is Alexis, and I am happy to assist you regarding your concern.

Regrettably, a supervisor is not available today to forward your email to.

Our policy is that you must notify us within 48 hours of the incident to receive credit for calls placed from the phone while out of your possession.

I will discuss your concern with a supervisor and follow up with you within 3-5 business days concerning their decision.

Have a great day.

We appreciate your business. Please contact us at our website for any of your future needs. Again, thank you for using Verizon Wireless products and services.

Sincerely,

Alexis
Verizon Wireless
Customer Service

If you have received this e-mail in error or are not the intended recipient, please notify us immediately by replying to this e-mail and deleting it and all copies and backups thereof. If you are the intended recipient and are a Verizon Wireless customer, this response is subject to the terms of your Customer Agreement.


Original Message Follows:
------------------------
I understand that it is my responsibility to report the loss of the phone to you, and I did so as quickly as possible with me being in Iraq. I believe my circumstances justify a waiver of the 48-hour policy, as I wasn't even informed of the theft until weeks after it happened, partially due to my daughter's irresponsibility and partially because my mission in Iraq did not afford me the opportunity to communicate daily with my family. If you could pass this correspondence on to your supervisor, I would appreciate it.
J. ****
xxx-xx-xxxx


My real concern is HOW IS A SUPERVISOR NOT AVAILABLE TO READ EMAIL? Verizon has a problem with supervisors not getting on the phone, then never calling back, or calling back DAYS after they PROMISED they would, but now you have supers that can't read email?

A week later, I get this email from Verizon


Dear Jared ****,

Thank you for your patience in this matter Jared. My name is Alexis, and I am happy to assist you regarding my supervisor's decision.

My supervisor has reviewed your account and the decision to credit the calls on your account statement dated April 21, 2007 has been denied. The charges on your account ending in XXXX-00001 are valid.

Please contact financial services to make arrangements if needed on the this balance.

Have a good day.

We appreciate your business. Please contact us at our website for any of your future needs. Again, thank you for using Verizon Wireless products and services.

Sincerely,

Alexis
Verizon Wireless
Customer Service

If you have received this e-mail in error or are not the intended recipient, please notify us immediately by replying to this e-mail and deleting it and all copies and backups thereof. If you are the intended recipient and are a Verizon Wireless customer, this response is subject to the terms of your Customer Agreement.


Now here's the meat and potatoes of it:

I NEVER DISPUTED THE CHARGES, I WAS ASKING THAT VERIZON SIMPLY ADJUST A LITTLE BIT TO HELP A DEPLOYED SOLDIER.

I CONTACTED VERIZON AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE AFTER I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE THEFT OF THE PHONE.

VERIZON WIRELESS TAKES A HANDS-OFF ATTITUDE TO CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND WHEN MY CONTRACT IS UP, I WILL BE DISCONTINUING SERVICE WITH THEM.

I CAN WALK AWAY FROM MY CONTRACT WITH THEM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I AM DEPLOYED, HOWEVER, I CANNOT LEAVE MY WIFE WITHOUT A MOBILE PHONE AND IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A MOBILE FROM IRAQ.

WAY TO GO, VERIZON, I GAVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE AND YOU MANAGED TO SCREW THAT ONE UP TOO. GIVE YOUR 'CUSTOMER SERVICE' REPRESENTATIVES A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

Jn ****
Clarksville, Tennessee
U.S.A.

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