Verizon FreeUp Misrepresentation, stalling, still no return box, no refund, etc
3 weeks ago I ordered a $99 FreeUp phone from the Verizon Wireless online store. I had to imput my zip code to see if it was available in my area and according to their website it was. The ad stated the phone would come with either a $30 mail-in rebate or a $50 free-up card.
The phone arrived and the 1st thing I noticed was the rebate form ($29.99) had expired so I called Verizon. I was told the rebate had been extended. When I asked them why the form stated I would need a 1 or 2 year contract (which you don't get with Free-up) I was asked for the UPC numbers off the phone box. The numbers do not qualify for the rebate! So I asked about the $50 Free-up card -- they knew nothing about that. I later found out that the $30 rebate is a $50 freeup card (I still can't figure that one out). There was no $50 Freeup included in the box.
I decided to forget about the rebate and get the phone turned on. Fisrt thing I noticed was it said "DIGITAL ROAMING". I called Verizon again and asked if it was normal for a phone to say Roaming BEFORE it's activated. I was told, "yes". I didn't want to activate the card if I was not in the service area (According to their terms i would not be able to get a refund on the phone if I did). So I tried calling *611 to get it activated. 3 times I was disconnected. Once again I called Verizon to see what the problem could be. The CS Rep had me scratch off the Start-Up card and tell him the number. He could not get the phone to activate. He had me take the battery off the phone and read him off some numbers, he then had me go into set up, do a few things and finally had me dial a number which gave me a message about being on the ALLTEL network. The Rep. put me on hold and made a call. He came back on the line and told me The service is NOT available for my area. He told me I should not have been able to order and that I had been "misled" in ordering. WONDERFUL!
Now, over the next 2 hours I had to try and be patient while trying to find out how to do a return. I was told they would "rush" out a return box to me. That was 2 weeks ago. They told me it could take 6 weeks for a refund once the phone was returned. UNACCEPTABLE! I finally found a CS Rep who said they would track the shipment and refund once it arrived back to them. So last Monday I called again and they once again told me a box was being sent. Still not here, they still have my money and I'm tired of waiting on them to send a box.
I'm getting so fed up. I bet I have talked to 15 - 20 reps, spent more than 2 hours on the phone. I've also emailed the Executive office (2 weeks ago) and they have not returned any of my emails. This has been the worst experience I've ever had with a wireless carrier, or any company for that matter.
As for thier website. If I put my zip code in it still says I can order. Even though I have told many people over there that the service is NOT available here. Their site still says $30 mail in rebate or optional $50 Free-Up card. Seems to me this whole transaction has been nothing but false advertising.
I'm giving them until Tuesday and I'm returning the phone FEDEX at my expence and, calling my lawyer.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Augustine
Port Jervis,New York,
A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE - CORPORATE THIEVES
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, September 19, 2002
DISPUTE - CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
ACC NO: (914) 850-XX\\\
Adjustment Details
Adjustment Type Debit
Adjustment Code Breakage Collected
Amount $111.62
Balance Before $111.62
Balance After $0.00
Adjustment Date 09/14/2002 6:38 AM
THE BREAKAGE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED UNTIL 2400-HRS (12-MIDNIGHT)
I activated an older model phone at Radio Shack for the VERIZON FREEUP service.
It cost $25. and I gave the phone to my wife, so she would have a cell phone.
Initially she received about 300-daytime minutes and about 2000 night/weekend minutes.
For the first two or three months we had no problem, but as we started renewing the purchases, we received LESS and LESS minutes in the plan. When we renewed the service on the 22nd of the month, the time expired two months later on the 21st, then it expired on the 20th, 19th, 18th, 17th, 16th 15th and this week Sept 14th.
The phone was supposed to be connected until 2400-hours (midnight). We got disconnected in the morning on the 14th of Sept. Before September 14th my wife had over 600/MINUTES AFTER 9-pm, OVER 300-DAYTIME MINUTES and over 2000-weekend minutes credited on her account.
THESE WERE MINUTES THAT WE PURCHASED - PAID FOR IT WITH US-AMERICAN DOLLARS - CASH. $111.62.
THESE MINUTES WERE STOLEN FROM US IN A CORPORATE SCHEME TO DEFRAUD CONSUMERS, BY VERIZON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS INC.
I fell for their deceptive and misleading ads, and purchased a $50-unit, which now gave my wife about 100-minutes /daytime and 500-weekend minutes. THE COMPANY STOLE HER PREVIOUS 3000-MINUTES THAT WAS SAVED UP ON THE ACCOUNT, THAT WE NEVER USED. THE COMPANY PREMATURELY DISCONNECTED OUR SERVICE ON SEPT 14TH, PRIOR TO THE MIDNIGHT DEADLINE OF EXPIRATION, THEN THEY CONFISCATED ALL AVAILABLE SAVED MINUTES WITHOUT A VALID AND JUSTIFIABLE REASON. THIS CONSTITUTES "THEFT BY DECEPTION". $111.62
As a former law enforcement officer I have to reasonably conclude, that VERIZON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS INC,(FREE-UP) is engaged in operating a criminal enterprise in which thousands of consumers are victims of an intentional scheme to defraud financial scam.
Submitted for your information and any action deemed appropriate.
Augustine Jr & Elizabeth
Port Jervis, NY 12771
(845)858-XXXX
Complainants & defrauded consumers.
cc; NYS. Attorney General
cc: FBI NY Field Office
cc: Federal Trade Commission
cc: Federal Communications Commission
cc: US. Department of Justice
cc. NYS.Public Service Commission
cc: Governor George Pataki
cc: Internal Revenue Service
Augustine
Port Jervis,New York,
A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE - CORPORATE THIEVES
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, September 19, 2002
DISPUTE - CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
ACC NO: (914) 850-XX\\\
Adjustment Details
Adjustment Type Debit
Adjustment Code Breakage Collected
Amount $111.62
Balance Before $111.62
Balance After $0.00
Adjustment Date 09/14/2002 6:38 AM
THE BREAKAGE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED UNTIL 2400-HRS (12-MIDNIGHT)
I activated an older model phone at Radio Shack for the VERIZON FREEUP service.
It cost $25. and I gave the phone to my wife, so she would have a cell phone.
Initially she received about 300-daytime minutes and about 2000 night/weekend minutes.
For the first two or three months we had no problem, but as we started renewing the purchases, we received LESS and LESS minutes in the plan. When we renewed the service on the 22nd of the month, the time expired two months later on the 21st, then it expired on the 20th, 19th, 18th, 17th, 16th 15th and this week Sept 14th.
The phone was supposed to be connected until 2400-hours (midnight). We got disconnected in the morning on the 14th of Sept. Before September 14th my wife had over 600/MINUTES AFTER 9-pm, OVER 300-DAYTIME MINUTES and over 2000-weekend minutes credited on her account.
THESE WERE MINUTES THAT WE PURCHASED - PAID FOR IT WITH US-AMERICAN DOLLARS - CASH. $111.62.
THESE MINUTES WERE STOLEN FROM US IN A CORPORATE SCHEME TO DEFRAUD CONSUMERS, BY VERIZON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS INC.
I fell for their deceptive and misleading ads, and purchased a $50-unit, which now gave my wife about 100-minutes /daytime and 500-weekend minutes. THE COMPANY STOLE HER PREVIOUS 3000-MINUTES THAT WAS SAVED UP ON THE ACCOUNT, THAT WE NEVER USED. THE COMPANY PREMATURELY DISCONNECTED OUR SERVICE ON SEPT 14TH, PRIOR TO THE MIDNIGHT DEADLINE OF EXPIRATION, THEN THEY CONFISCATED ALL AVAILABLE SAVED MINUTES WITHOUT A VALID AND JUSTIFIABLE REASON. THIS CONSTITUTES "THEFT BY DECEPTION". $111.62
As a former law enforcement officer I have to reasonably conclude, that VERIZON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS INC,(FREE-UP) is engaged in operating a criminal enterprise in which thousands of consumers are victims of an intentional scheme to defraud financial scam.
Submitted for your information and any action deemed appropriate.
Augustine Jr & Elizabeth
Port Jervis, NY 12771
(845)858-XXXX
Complainants & defrauded consumers.
cc; NYS. Attorney General
cc: FBI NY Field Office
cc: Federal Trade Commission
cc: Federal Communications Commission
cc: US. Department of Justice
cc. NYS.Public Service Commission
cc: Governor George Pataki
cc: Internal Revenue Service
Augustine
Port Jervis,New York,
A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE - CORPORATE THIEVES
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, September 19, 2002
DISPUTE - CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
ACC NO: (914) 850-XX\\\
Adjustment Details
Adjustment Type Debit
Adjustment Code Breakage Collected
Amount $111.62
Balance Before $111.62
Balance After $0.00
Adjustment Date 09/14/2002 6:38 AM
THE BREAKAGE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED UNTIL 2400-HRS (12-MIDNIGHT)
I activated an older model phone at Radio Shack for the VERIZON FREEUP service.
It cost $25. and I gave the phone to my wife, so she would have a cell phone.
Initially she received about 300-daytime minutes and about 2000 night/weekend minutes.
For the first two or three months we had no problem, but as we started renewing the purchases, we received LESS and LESS minutes in the plan. When we renewed the service on the 22nd of the month, the time expired two months later on the 21st, then it expired on the 20th, 19th, 18th, 17th, 16th 15th and this week Sept 14th.
The phone was supposed to be connected until 2400-hours (midnight). We got disconnected in the morning on the 14th of Sept. Before September 14th my wife had over 600/MINUTES AFTER 9-pm, OVER 300-DAYTIME MINUTES and over 2000-weekend minutes credited on her account.
THESE WERE MINUTES THAT WE PURCHASED - PAID FOR IT WITH US-AMERICAN DOLLARS - CASH. $111.62.
THESE MINUTES WERE STOLEN FROM US IN A CORPORATE SCHEME TO DEFRAUD CONSUMERS, BY VERIZON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS INC.
I fell for their deceptive and misleading ads, and purchased a $50-unit, which now gave my wife about 100-minutes /daytime and 500-weekend minutes. THE COMPANY STOLE HER PREVIOUS 3000-MINUTES THAT WAS SAVED UP ON THE ACCOUNT, THAT WE NEVER USED. THE COMPANY PREMATURELY DISCONNECTED OUR SERVICE ON SEPT 14TH, PRIOR TO THE MIDNIGHT DEADLINE OF EXPIRATION, THEN THEY CONFISCATED ALL AVAILABLE SAVED MINUTES WITHOUT A VALID AND JUSTIFIABLE REASON. THIS CONSTITUTES "THEFT BY DECEPTION". $111.62
As a former law enforcement officer I have to reasonably conclude, that VERIZON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS INC,(FREE-UP) is engaged in operating a criminal enterprise in which thousands of consumers are victims of an intentional scheme to defraud financial scam.
Submitted for your information and any action deemed appropriate.
Augustine Jr & Elizabeth
Port Jervis, NY 12771
(845)858-XXXX
Complainants & defrauded consumers.
cc; NYS. Attorney General
cc: FBI NY Field Office
cc: Federal Trade Commission
cc: Federal Communications Commission
cc: US. Department of Justice
cc. NYS.Public Service Commission
cc: Governor George Pataki
cc: Internal Revenue Service