Verizon Wireless America's Choice Plan Bait & Switch- promised to refund phone costs & activation fee upon receipt of two yr contract, charged double & did not refund as promised. Los Angeles

On Feb 22, 2002, I called America's Choice plan in response to a flyer that came in the mail. I ordered the family $55 plan, and roadside assistance for both phones. The deal included two v120 phones at $49.99 each. The sales person told me that if I signed a two year contract, the activation fee and the phones would be free.

I agreed to a two year contract, but was told that I would have to pay for the phones and the activation fees until they received the signed two year contracts. They would send me the two year contracts and when I signed them and returned them, they would credit my Visa account for the full amount. I received the phones and the contracts. I signed the two year contracts and returned them to verizon.

When my 1st bill arrived, I was not on the America's Choice plan. Instead, I had been enrolled in a plan that cost twice as much as the America's choice plan. In addition, I was charged an additional activation fee and was not signed up for the roadside assistance plan. When I called their customer service number, the rep, backed out the additional activation fee, put me on the America's Choice plan and reversed the over charges. He also told me that he would activate the roadside assistance plan.

When I later called the roadside assistance number, I found that the customer rep had enrolled me in the worldcom roadside assistance plan and that my account was invalid. When I called back to Verizon, I was told that the roadside assistance plan was not available in California.

As of this date, Verizon has not credited my Visa account for the phones as well as the activation fees. Every time I call the customer service number, I get a different story.

I am surprised that a company as large as Verizon can get away with this type of bait & switch scam. It appears that their sales people will tell you anything to get you to sign up for their service, even if a service, like roadside assistance, is not available.

Samuel
Indio, California