Complaint Review: Verizon prepaid wireless - Internet

Honestly I have had many problems with Verizon wireless over the past 6 years but am now speaking out as I am completely fed up and discusted with their greed and unethical practices. Something needs to be done!

My first time using Verizon wireless services was back 6 years ago when I was trying to establish some credit. I had gone on the web site and started a family plan for myself and my 2 children. I was using the DROID and my kids I don't remember what phones I had ordered for them. We all had unlimited calles and text with all data blocked on their phones. I did have data on my phone but used it only for facebook when needed. I paid the enital $250 for all 3 phones and the start the plan, after that I was told my bill would be $25 for each oth my kids and $75 (if I recall correctly) for mine. The first 2 bills wher as they said but after that they began charging me for data on my childrens phones.

I imediatly looked at both phones and checked everything. They had not been online, no videos or pictures, no games, no data use at all I then called Verizon and questoned them about the issue in the billing statement. They tried to say dada was never blocked and claimed that my kids had used over $200 worth of data. I argued with them for over an hour and even took both my childrens phone to the Verizon to prove that no data had been used. The store assured them that the phone had no data usage on them and the store manager even attempted to access internet on the phones but was unable. Verizon refused to repair the billing error and only offered to deduct $20 from the bill. At this point I cancled all service of the plan and switched to prepaid for all 3 of us using the same phones. I paid $30 a month for my phone and just $15 a month for each of my children on the prepaid plan.

After about 1 year I decided it was time for a new phone (the DROID I originally baught from Verizon had gotten wet and the screen no longer worked properly. I baught another smart phone from my sister inlaw who had also been on the prepaid plan with this phone. All we wanted to do was change it from being in her name and phone number to being in my name and with my phone number. She had been paying the same amount as I was for my DROID, $30 a month on prepay. However, Verizon insisted that I needed to be on the monthly billing plan and said it would be $50 a month plus activation fee. My sister inlaw then began talking with them and needless to say, she was not nice (calling them liars and theives). As always, she got her way and I was back on the $30 prepay plan within 30 minutes of her talking to them.

The most rescent was just today. My boyfriend had just added a new $50 card to his Samsung Galaxy 4 on the 3rd of this month, that was just 3 days ago. Well today wile he was at work the phone fell out of his pocket and the screen was cracked and would not come on (black screen). So, after work I took him to WalMart to buy a new phone. He found one that he liked (LG Transpyre) and we came home to activate it with his original phone number. We called Verizon because we encountered problem activating the new phone due to the black screen on the old phone. It took more than an hour to talk to an actual person and when we finally did talk to someone they continually wanted our credit card numbers to pay for a new service card (another $50). When I refused they explained we needed to put more funds on the phone no matter what. She then said we could put $30 on it, when I refused she asked for $25 or even $20.

I became very suspicious and ask for her manager at this point. She agreed and placed me on hold for 20 minutes, then saying she was explaining to her manager and would be with me shortly as she placed me on hold for another 10 minutes. By the time I finally spoke with her manager it had been a total of 40 minutes and honestly I was so irritated I wanted to screem. When he finally was able to talk to me he seemed as if he wanted to help, offering other options 3 times and each time the cost was lower than the last, but I was not going to be ripped off anymore by Verizon and their scams and refused to give them another doller because we had just put $50 on the service 3 day before. By the time the conversation had ended I had made it clear that I would be contacting the BBB first thing in the morning to file a report against Verizon yet again.

My boyfriend hates the Verizon company but like the signal, that is the only reason he sticks with Verizon. Myself on the other hand have switched and am much more satisfied with not being ripped off anymore. However, something needs to be done about the way Verizon takes advantage of people and (in my opinion) steels their money every chance they get. Lying, cheating and steeling is very bad buisness ethics, yet they get away with it all because they have the funds (money they stole from their consumers) to pay expencive lawyers. These people are criminalls and should be punished the same as those of us that have no money to bribe, or pay people off.