VERIZON WIRELESS BUSINESS PRACTICES
Last September, I moved my wireless number from my previous employer to my personal liability, when I had to leave the company. During the phone call to transfer the number, the Verizon support personnel asked me about the plan that I need etc. I told that I will go for the 3GB per month data plan. There was no device
purchase by my employer for this number and I did not buy one at that point as well. She did not mention about any contract or agreement or signature. I wanted a month-to-month plan and my understanding at the end of the call was that I have got the same.
During March this year, I moved my number to Project Fi. I got a bill from Verizon in April for the last month's usage plus an 'early termination fee' of 165$!!!
I was totally shocked and called them up. They said there was a contract between Verizon and my previous employer and that was ending just two weeks after I moved my number. I told them that I was never informed about this during the transfer to personal liability. They said "Apologies for the personnel not informing, but we cannot do anything about the termination fee and that you have to pay that". Very shocking again!! I can accept their apologies for not informing, but pay 165$ for that?
I did not accept for the same and requested them to escalate this internally and go over the phone conversation recordings if needed, and waive off the termination fees. The person I was talking to agreed for the same and said that the case will be reviewed and that I will be contacted back within two days. This whole call took 1.5hrs of my time with all the transfers between different departments and a conference call with my previous employer's wireless helpdesk. There is no reply yet after ten days.
In between, the bill was moved to a collection agency and they had sent a mail that I need to call within 30 days if I am disputing the charge. So, I called them up yesterday and informed that the case is being reviewed internally at Verizon and that I am waiting for their response. The collection agency personnel said that he could see some mention about internal review, but there was no message for them to pause on this. And in fact, he went on to say that this bill will move to a third party debt collection agency anytime now and if that happens, it will affect my credit history. Totally appalled that they will keep moving this forward even though its being reviewed. I get a feeling that the internal review process is a hogwash and that they were expecting that people would just pay off anything that is forced upon them, fearing the credit history.
TOTALL DISAPPOINTED :( :( :(
