- Report: #337826
Complaint Review: Verizon Wireless Rebates - Virginia Beach Virginia
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Verizon Wireless Rebates
verizonwireless.com Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.A.
Phone:
888-826-4932
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Verizon Wireless Rebates Verizon Wireless Rebates Are Crap!! Virginia Beach Virginia
BEWARE: Verizon Wireless Rebate Offers Are Crap!! I ordered (2) LG phones in April from Verizon Wireless. The LG Voyager & the LG EnV, a combined total cost of $472.48 paid out of pocket. One of the reasons I decided on those two models, was the rebate offer of $100. I waited two weeks for the phones to arrive (when I was told it would be 2 days). When they finally did arrive, the EnV had issues and would not connect to any online functions.
After hours of calls to an incredibly condescending tech support, we took the compromised LG EnV to a local Verizon Wireless retailer. After another hour or so at the store, they determined the phone was indeed, defective. They offered to replace the phone at no charge & we waited a total of an hour & 1/2, while they transfered the information, etc. When the transfer & updates were completed, they handed me the new phone and said "have a nice day". I asked them if I needed any type of documentation or the box; to which they responded "No, you are free to leave with the phone."
Flash forward a couple of weeks when I am reading over my rebate forms & I'm gathering all of the required information to submitfor my (2) rebates: Original Receipt- dated between 3/30/08 & 6/15/08- (got it), Bar Code Labels (cut from the box)- (don't have it). I realize that the Verizon Wireless retailer never gave us a box for the new phone when we switched it out. I also realized that the other box is nowhere to be found in our home. I called the Verizon Wireless Rebate Department phone number (888-826-4932) & got an "automated runaraound' for about 30 minutes.
First you go through the automated menu & then if you actually get to an applicable subject, they assume to know the ONLY (2) questions you might possibly have & only give you answers to the (2) possible scenarios. Don't bother hitting "0", "#", "*" or any other trick that will normally get you out of an automated menu & to an associate. This system will just loop the same choices & information over & over again. Finally, after 30 or so minutes of getting nowhere, I gave up for the night.
Today, I was on the phone with a Verizon Wireless customer service rep (for an unrelated issue dealing w/ individual megabyte charges @ $1.99- resulting ina $288.71 bill- which were never explained to me when I "changed my priceplan" to accommodate the new LG phones- what a racket). Anyhow, she was actually very helpful and reimbursed my megabyte charges for the billing cycle. Because she was so helpful, I told her about my rebate issue & how I had contacted the Rebate Department and could not get a live person. She offered to contact them on my behalf and within minutes had a Rebate Center rep on the phone.
The customer service rep excused herself & left the Rebate Center rep and I alone to discuss the situation. Before I could even explain the WHOLE situation, the new rep was reiterating some sort of canned response about how I am no longer "eligible to receive the rebate without the barcode cut directly from the box". Excuse me, I was ELIGIBLE when I PURCHASED the PHONE and PROMISED a REBATE! Box or NO Box! So, I politely asked her why the box barcode was so important, when I tremendous amounts of OTHER documentation proving that I had indeed PURCHASED the phones (i.e. both of my original receipts, my credit card receipt showing verizon wireless charging my credit card in the exact amount stated on the Original receipts, my verizon wireless account which clearly documents my purchase of the phones & the fact that I am FREAKIN" CALLING HER FROM THE PHONE IN QUESTION!!!) Her (again, canned) response was that without the box barcodes, I could easily return the phone after I had claimed the rebate. I said, well, isn't the fact I'm CALLING you on this phone PROOF that I have NOT returned it? Not to mention the basic fact that I NEED A PHONE in the first place- so have NO IDEA WHY I would return it, just to collect a freakin' $50 rebate?? So, all of a sudden I'm reduced to some sort of untrustworthy thief!
Also... it is quite easy for a Verizon Wireless rep to do a remote test check on the phone from their location and see what product I am calling from. Every phone has an encrypted unique id & identifier- in fact, the technical support rep had to do this in order to gain access to the LG EnV when we were having techical issues, so I KNOW it can be done!
Anyhow, my point is, it is quite easy to not only prove that you PURCHASED the phone, but that you STILL have it WITHOUT needing the barcode directly from the BOX. So, as I was explaining this (quite politely) to the Rep, she continuously interrupted me with her canned response (because she had no real rebuttal to such a common sense argument). At one point she even said that it was MY responsibilty to have forseen that I would NEED the box for the Rebate (because I do these REBATE things ALL the time & would have had a CLUE prior to READING the form?) When I told her that I had not read the form until after the boxes had been misplaced, she told me that THAT was MY fault. Wow, such customer service. As she continued in her disrespectful and condescending tone, telling me that I should have read the rebate information FIRST; I informed her that I was not interested in arguing semantics with her and wanted to know my recourse. She responded, yet again, with the same old canned response... "You are NOT eligible to receive the rebate without the barcode cut directly from the box". This is the point I said goodbye.
I then went online to the Verizon Wireless rebate site (www.verizonwireless.com/rebates) and typed in "lost the box"- THIS is the incredibly helpful information they provide to their loyal paying customers:
Rebate FAQ: I threw the box away. Can I still qualify for the rebate without the Bar Code Label?
Response: Unfortunately, you must have the entire original UPC Bar Code Label cut from the outside panel of the phone equipment box to qualify for the rebate.
Gee, I WONDER where the rep got her canned response?? So, here I sit, after a lot of energy exerted, time wasted & frustration mounting (not to mention $$$ wasted)... with NO $100 Rebate and No Recourse from Verizon Wireless.
Thank you Verizon Wireless for taking SUCH good care of your customers!!
Love,
Your #1 Fan (sarcasm, of course)
KEM
Virginia Beach, Virginia
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Verizon
Click here to read The *EDitorial: The Marketing Rebate Rip Off ...Manufactures invent reasons why not to pay the consumer
After hours of calls to an incredibly condescending tech support, we took the compromised LG EnV to a local Verizon Wireless retailer. After another hour or so at the store, they determined the phone was indeed, defective. They offered to replace the phone at no charge & we waited a total of an hour & 1/2, while they transfered the information, etc. When the transfer & updates were completed, they handed me the new phone and said "have a nice day". I asked them if I needed any type of documentation or the box; to which they responded "No, you are free to leave with the phone."
Flash forward a couple of weeks when I am reading over my rebate forms & I'm gathering all of the required information to submitfor my (2) rebates: Original Receipt- dated between 3/30/08 & 6/15/08- (got it), Bar Code Labels (cut from the box)- (don't have it). I realize that the Verizon Wireless retailer never gave us a box for the new phone when we switched it out. I also realized that the other box is nowhere to be found in our home. I called the Verizon Wireless Rebate Department phone number (888-826-4932) & got an "automated runaraound' for about 30 minutes.
First you go through the automated menu & then if you actually get to an applicable subject, they assume to know the ONLY (2) questions you might possibly have & only give you answers to the (2) possible scenarios. Don't bother hitting "0", "#", "*" or any other trick that will normally get you out of an automated menu & to an associate. This system will just loop the same choices & information over & over again. Finally, after 30 or so minutes of getting nowhere, I gave up for the night.
Today, I was on the phone with a Verizon Wireless customer service rep (for an unrelated issue dealing w/ individual megabyte charges @ $1.99- resulting ina $288.71 bill- which were never explained to me when I "changed my priceplan" to accommodate the new LG phones- what a racket). Anyhow, she was actually very helpful and reimbursed my megabyte charges for the billing cycle. Because she was so helpful, I told her about my rebate issue & how I had contacted the Rebate Department and could not get a live person. She offered to contact them on my behalf and within minutes had a Rebate Center rep on the phone.
The customer service rep excused herself & left the Rebate Center rep and I alone to discuss the situation. Before I could even explain the WHOLE situation, the new rep was reiterating some sort of canned response about how I am no longer "eligible to receive the rebate without the barcode cut directly from the box". Excuse me, I was ELIGIBLE when I PURCHASED the PHONE and PROMISED a REBATE! Box or NO Box! So, I politely asked her why the box barcode was so important, when I tremendous amounts of OTHER documentation proving that I had indeed PURCHASED the phones (i.e. both of my original receipts, my credit card receipt showing verizon wireless charging my credit card in the exact amount stated on the Original receipts, my verizon wireless account which clearly documents my purchase of the phones & the fact that I am FREAKIN" CALLING HER FROM THE PHONE IN QUESTION!!!) Her (again, canned) response was that without the box barcodes, I could easily return the phone after I had claimed the rebate. I said, well, isn't the fact I'm CALLING you on this phone PROOF that I have NOT returned it? Not to mention the basic fact that I NEED A PHONE in the first place- so have NO IDEA WHY I would return it, just to collect a freakin' $50 rebate?? So, all of a sudden I'm reduced to some sort of untrustworthy thief!
Also... it is quite easy for a Verizon Wireless rep to do a remote test check on the phone from their location and see what product I am calling from. Every phone has an encrypted unique id & identifier- in fact, the technical support rep had to do this in order to gain access to the LG EnV when we were having techical issues, so I KNOW it can be done!
Anyhow, my point is, it is quite easy to not only prove that you PURCHASED the phone, but that you STILL have it WITHOUT needing the barcode directly from the BOX. So, as I was explaining this (quite politely) to the Rep, she continuously interrupted me with her canned response (because she had no real rebuttal to such a common sense argument). At one point she even said that it was MY responsibilty to have forseen that I would NEED the box for the Rebate (because I do these REBATE things ALL the time & would have had a CLUE prior to READING the form?) When I told her that I had not read the form until after the boxes had been misplaced, she told me that THAT was MY fault. Wow, such customer service. As she continued in her disrespectful and condescending tone, telling me that I should have read the rebate information FIRST; I informed her that I was not interested in arguing semantics with her and wanted to know my recourse. She responded, yet again, with the same old canned response... "You are NOT eligible to receive the rebate without the barcode cut directly from the box". This is the point I said goodbye.
I then went online to the Verizon Wireless rebate site (www.verizonwireless.com/rebates) and typed in "lost the box"- THIS is the incredibly helpful information they provide to their loyal paying customers:
Rebate FAQ: I threw the box away. Can I still qualify for the rebate without the Bar Code Label?
Response: Unfortunately, you must have the entire original UPC Bar Code Label cut from the outside panel of the phone equipment box to qualify for the rebate.
Gee, I WONDER where the rep got her canned response?? So, here I sit, after a lot of energy exerted, time wasted & frustration mounting (not to mention $$$ wasted)... with NO $100 Rebate and No Recourse from Verizon Wireless.
Thank you Verizon Wireless for taking SUCH good care of your customers!!
Love,
Your #1 Fan (sarcasm, of course)
KEM
Virginia Beach, Virginia
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Verizon
Click here to read The *EDitorial: The Marketing Rebate Rip Off ...Manufactures invent reasons why not to pay the consumer
2 Updates & Rebuttals
C.ladydog
Rosharon,Texas,
U.S.A.
Verizon fixed my issue by:
#2Consumer Comment
Mon, January 05, 2009
I had thrown out or used a bar code that was needed for a rebate by verizon also one for another company. BOTH companies could not give me the rebate but both gave me a credit on my bill and verizon also found me a money saver while they were on the phone with me trying to fix my issue. I also MAKE COPIES of ALL BAR CODES on any thing over 50 bucks.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Not a scam..you just have to follow the requirements.
#3Consumer Comment
Fri, June 06, 2008
Since they seemed to have been helpful in other aspects, replacing the phone and crediting a charge that you did not "understand". It seems your main complaint is the rebate, but this is your responsibility. "Flash forward a couple of weeks when I am reading over my rebate forms.." -You waited 2 weeks to turn in a rebate that was that important to you? This form should have been the first thing you looked at. "Her (again, canned) response was that without the box barcodes, I could easily return the phone after I had claimed the rebate. I said, well, isn't the fact I'm CALLING you on this phone PROOF that I have NOT returned it?" - So you call her from the phone today. The rebate takes several weeks, what would then keep you from returning the phone later? "I was ELIGIBLE when I PURCHASED the PHONE and PROMISED a REBATE! Box or NO Box!" - At what point did any employee specifically say that you did not need the box for the rebate. "At one point she even said that it was MY responsibilty to have forseen that I would NEED the box for the Rebate (because I do these REBATE things ALL the time & would have had a CLUE prior to READING the form?) " - Are you saying you had no clue how a rebate works. If so would that not be even more reason to read the form FIRST.
