Complaint Review: Verizon Wireless

I am sorry, but something is very foul with Verizon lately! My 11 year old daughter's phone had a charge of $4.49 for a "Hot Hunks" subscription download. My biggest complaint with Verizon is the very deceptive way they bill this- "data". That's it! So of course it goes unnoticed a copuple of months until I call Verizon and ask exactly what "data" is. They explained to me that it was a Get It Now download for Hot Hunks. I tell them MAJOR PROBLEM, because as a "third party biller" they need to be a little more deatiled on the bill! I would have called AS SOON AS I SAW HOT HUNKS on my bill- very SNEAKY. I am pretty sure they must profit from these downloads, eventhough they claim they are merely performing billing for some outside company!
But here is the real problem with this download- I told the CSR that my 11 year old has absolutely no interest in HOT HUNKS, nor does she know what a HUNK is! She nicely explained to me that kids get "curious" sometimes and that she heres this from a lot of parents. She went on to tell me the exact date and time that HOT HUNKS was downloaded. I told her that there was no such download on the phone (I had it infront of me at the time). She then told me she would find it from her end on my daughter's phone and give instructions on how to navigate the menu and find it. A couple of minutes of him-hawing goes by and she tells me SHE COULD NOT FIND IT! FURTHERMORE, the date and time she gave me, my daughter was in school and I HAD THE PHONE (she only has possession of the phone while at away from home at friends houses etc- no cell phones are allowed on school campus)!!!!!
She could not explain how this could happen. I told her it was because it NEVER HAPPENED! Something REALLY WRONG is going on at V-Wireless, I told her- I see a class action suit on the horizon, because I have heard too many similar stories from friends and relatives!!!
And to add insult to injury, she gave me a credit for all erroneous charges, including the HOT HUNKS, but failed to CANCEL the HOT HUNKS, so it is on my bill again this month!!! I am so SICK of calling Verizon Wireless, that I am tempted to pay the early termination fees and switch to AT&T- it would be totally worth it at this point (and I have been a V-Wireless customer for over 9 years)!!
In addition to this problem, I have also been a victim of the "premium Text" subscription for $9.99/mo- also billed as "data" only. In this case, they would only credit me one month (apparently i had it for several months) and told me I had to call the company (Flycell) to cancel myself. Now how in the heck should I have to call and cancel when I never called and started the service in the 1st place??? The CSR explained that I probably subscribed to it unknowingly because it came to me as a text message and that when I opened it, I agreed to the terms and subscribed automatically- HUH??? AGAIN, THIS IS SO WRONG! Verizon Wireless has to stop letting this happen!
3 words: CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!!!
Sincerely,
TSM, Apple Valley, CA

I am sorry, but something is very foul with Verizon lately! My 11 year old daughter's phone had a charge of $4.49 for a "Hot Hunks" subscription download. My biggest complaint with Verizon is the very deceptive way they bill this- "data". That's it! So of course it goes unnoticed a copuple of months until I call Verizon and ask exactly what "data" is. They explained to me that it was a Get It Now download for Hot Hunks. I tell them MAJOR PROBLEM, because as a "third party biller" they need to be a little more deatiled on the bill! I would have called AS SOON AS I SAW HOT HUNKS on my bill- very SNEAKY. I am pretty sure they must profit from these downloads, eventhough they claim they are merely performing billing for some outside company!
But here is the real problem with this download- I told the CSR that my 11 year old has absolutely no interest in HOT HUNKS, nor does she know what a HUNK is! She nicely explained to me that kids get "curious" sometimes and that she heres this from a lot of parents. She went on to tell me the exact date and time that HOT HUNKS was downloaded. I told her that there was no such download on the phone (I had it infront of me at the time). She then told me she would find it from her end on my daughter's phone and give instructions on how to navigate the menu and find it. A couple of minutes of him-hawing goes by and she tells me SHE COULD NOT FIND IT! FURTHERMORE, the date and time she gave me, my daughter was in school and I HAD THE PHONE (she only has possession of the phone while at away from home at friends houses etc- no cell phones are allowed on school campus)!!!!!
She could not explain how this could happen. I told her it was because it NEVER HAPPENED! Something REALLY WRONG is going on at V-Wireless, I told her- I see a class action suit on the horizon, because I have heard too many similar stories from friends and relatives!!!
And to add insult to injury, she gave me a credit for all erroneous charges, including the HOT HUNKS, but failed to CANCEL the HOT HUNKS, so it is on my bill again this month!!! I am so SICK of calling Verizon Wireless, that I am tempted to pay the early termination fees and switch to AT&T- it would be totally worth it at this point (and I have been a V-Wireless customer for over 9 years)!!
In addition to this problem, I have also been a victim of the "premium Text" subscription for $9.99/mo- also billed as "data" only. In this case, they would only credit me one month (apparently i had it for several months) and told me I had to call the company (Flycell) to cancel myself. Now how in the heck should I have to call and cancel when I never called and started the service in the 1st place??? The CSR explained that I probably subscribed to it unknowingly because it came to me as a text message and that when I opened it, I agreed to the terms and subscribed automatically- HUH??? AGAIN, THIS IS SO WRONG! Verizon Wireless has to stop letting this happen!
3 words: CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!!!
Sincerely,
TSM, Apple Valley, CA

I am sorry, but something is very foul with Verizon lately! My 11 year old daughter's phone had a charge of $4.49 for a "Hot Hunks" subscription download. My biggest complaint with Verizon is the very deceptive way they bill this- "data". That's it! So of course it goes unnoticed a copuple of months until I call Verizon and ask exactly what "data" is. They explained to me that it was a Get It Now download for Hot Hunks. I tell them MAJOR PROBLEM, because as a "third party biller" they need to be a little more deatiled on the bill! I would have called AS SOON AS I SAW HOT HUNKS on my bill- very SNEAKY. I am pretty sure they must profit from these downloads, eventhough they claim they are merely performing billing for some outside company!
But here is the real problem with this download- I told the CSR that my 11 year old has absolutely no interest in HOT HUNKS, nor does she know what a HUNK is! She nicely explained to me that kids get "curious" sometimes and that she heres this from a lot of parents. She went on to tell me the exact date and time that HOT HUNKS was downloaded. I told her that there was no such download on the phone (I had it infront of me at the time). She then told me she would find it from her end on my daughter's phone and give instructions on how to navigate the menu and find it. A couple of minutes of him-hawing goes by and she tells me SHE COULD NOT FIND IT! FURTHERMORE, the date and time she gave me, my daughter was in school and I HAD THE PHONE (she only has possession of the phone while at away from home at friends houses etc- no cell phones are allowed on school campus)!!!!!
She could not explain how this could happen. I told her it was because it NEVER HAPPENED! Something REALLY WRONG is going on at V-Wireless, I told her- I see a class action suit on the horizon, because I have heard too many similar stories from friends and relatives!!!
And to add insult to injury, she gave me a credit for all erroneous charges, including the HOT HUNKS, but failed to CANCEL the HOT HUNKS, so it is on my bill again this month!!! I am so SICK of calling Verizon Wireless, that I am tempted to pay the early termination fees and switch to AT&T- it would be totally worth it at this point (and I have been a V-Wireless customer for over 9 years)!!
In addition to this problem, I have also been a victim of the "premium Text" subscription for $9.99/mo- also billed as "data" only. In this case, they would only credit me one month (apparently i had it for several months) and told me I had to call the company (Flycell) to cancel myself. Now how in the heck should I have to call and cancel when I never called and started the service in the 1st place??? The CSR explained that I probably subscribed to it unknowingly because it came to me as a text message and that when I opened it, I agreed to the terms and subscribed automatically- HUH??? AGAIN, THIS IS SO WRONG! Verizon Wireless has to stop letting this happen!
3 words: CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!!!
Sincerely,
TSM, Apple Valley, CA

Wow, I used to work for the company and do not have alot of nice things to say about it, but this is really a lack of responsibility on your part. I hated getting calls from people like you, complaining about downloads and text messaging done by a teenager and even younger. Of course we were not able to state the obvious because we had to be repectful at all times.

The obvious being, that is your child, you are the one that signed the contract on the phone and gave it to your child. Why on earth are you calling in, wasting Verizons time, when you should be taking the phone away from your kid? clearly your child has NO respect for you and sounds to me very spolied. Why does a 14 year old need a phone anyway?

Bottom line, you signed the contract and you are responsible for the charges. Im certainly not saying Verizon is perfect, but for every 10 customers that would call in, 9 of them would lie and play the system to get what they want, which is sad because that really shows what the world is coming to. Its funny people always say customer service is going down the drain, well its cause and effect, people can only put up with so much crap before they become jaded. Try dealing with people like you on the phone all day.

I've had verizon wireless since the company was formed from the merger years ago. I have 2 phones. My phone (primary) can send / receive txt messages at the 10/15 cent rate. My fiancee's phone cannot! That's the way I had them set up the second phone for her.

Well, if you just can't seem to say NO to your child, you can pay vorizen wireless $5 more (alter your plan) and have unlimited txt messaging.

The downloading is another matter. However, they do have a plan for that - if you're willing to pay for it. You might be, I believe the unlimited wireless internet is somewhere around $250 per month. You can check at their webpage.

p.s. If it were my child his/her cellphone would be GONE - end of discussion.

I'm sorry to hear that you have had so many problems with Verizon Wireless with regards to blocking features. A few things I have seen often need to be pointed out though so that you may more clearly understand what is happening.

1. It seems to be the case that you can download a "subscription" which is the less expensive option when downloading any game. Once you do this any block won't stop the charges. They will continue to bill every month until they are removed or unsubscribed from. I don't know your specific situation, I'm just saying, please realize that there are circumstances when the blocks are there, and the charges don't neccessarily stop.

2. Verizon Wireless does not design bills to "take advantage of 14 year olds." Ultimately what Verizon Wireless does is provide a service to people who are over 18. In other words, someone who is 14 can not go into a store and set up service. Verizon Wireless provides a service to anyone who can be perceived as responsible. Credit checks assure this. It is not Verizon Wireless' responsibility to dictate, however, to whom this responsible person allows to use these phones, therefore it is ultimately up to the customer to address these issues.

3. Customer Service Representatives are, in general; bright people who are trained well and usually are fully aware of every word that comes out of their mouth. Calling them names as a general rule doesn't allow them the ability to address your concerns appropriately, as they are also human and become defensive when they are attacked.

4. There is no such thing, as far as I am aware, of a "total block". Features are blocked individually i.e. Block Text Messaging, Block Mobile Web, etc. ALL of these features when added to an account will appear online at verizonwireless.com.

Well, if you have had Verizon wireless for 8 years then you should know you can use text messaging anytime with out it being apart of contract and with out ordering.. I know cause on holidays i get about 20 happy new years or happy birthdays or etc. and you are charged for them regardless of weather you open them or not.. the only ones that it doesn't cost 10cents to open and 15 cents to reply are the ones that are straight from Verizon wireless... But on my phone which i share with my mother and father if there are any overages i cause for my number, are my responsibility and always have been since i was 14....

Tell the kid If you use that crap one more time with out asking or payment you are going to ground him and whoop his ever loving *&*.. it always worked for me and my siblings lol

VerizonWireless is a good cell phone company one of the best in customer service and i have dealt with them all...VerizonWireless is okay by me and you better believe that they have made boo boos on my bills in the past but they always fixed it and yes you do attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.

i spent the days calling a million times and at times i wanted to kill the person on the other end of the line, but that happens people drop the ball and errors get made... But just because they said they disabled to features doesn't mean that you and your kid do not have some responsibilities in the error on their part.. its like ohh i can't control myself or my kids unless you turn it off...

They way i figure it your kid used the service which is what they are charging you for pay the charges and tell him again what was it oh yeah You use the services again and ill whop yo a*s.. take the phone away from him for goodness sake or go with Disney phone lol that will be so embarrassing for them at 14 to have to carry around a goofy phone ;o) and you wont have to worry about the texting or pic's cause those phones only call your number that is it lmao have a good day and i hope you problem was solved lmao

you actually have to ORDER these items.
They do not come automatically activated on the phone.
I know-I've been a Verizon customer for 8 years. I just renewed to a newer plan and was asked if I wanted these services.
So, as Norris said, either you as a parent dropped the ball or your son took advantage of the phone priviledge.
Verizon has gone more than out their way if they indeed refunded some monies.

The complaint is essentially this: they make a certain service available (blocking), and said 3 times they enabled those features, but they actually didn't.

To Verizon's partial credit, they removed some, but not all, of the inappropriate charges -- and only after spending a total of close to 3 hours on the phone.

This problem is no accident; it's by design. It's no accident that their product offerings and billing arrangements are designed to appeal to and take advantage of 14-yo types, ideally with parents that perhaps don't monitor their bills closely.

In this society, like it or not, we hold minors to a different standard of responsibility than we do adults and corporations. There's a reason for that.

The bottom line is that Verizon offered a feature, repeatedly said they activated it, but actually didn't.

I bet I'm not the only parent with this complaint, either.

You have muliple phones, a 14 year old who is so disrespectful of you as a parent that he runs up your phone bll by hundreds of dollars, and you want the cell phone company to be your police?
What is wrong with taking the phone away from the kid? What is wrong with making the kid pay for the over charges, babysitting, yard work, running errands for the neighborhood elderly, any number of ways for a 14 year old to make some change, not much, but once they have to work for their perks they will quit abusing them.

Course this approach means you have to perform some parenting skills, like discipline, setting rules, and making them abide by them, denying them of their every whim. Something you want Verizon to do for you. Take the dam phone a way from him, save yourself some money and provide him with an incentive to work toward regaining phone usage.