Complaint Review: Verizon Wireless - Internet Internet

We have been Verizon Wireless customers for over 5 years, originally transferring from Cingular back in May of 2005. When we signed up, we agreed to a two-year contract with 5 lines of service for a total cost of $231.69 which we have been on-time every month since May. While signing up at the Verizon Wireless Retail Store in Stuart, Florida we informed the representative that our business would be paying for this service, as this was to be a business account, used for business purposes.

(1st mistake) This representative ported our numbers from Cingular and signed us up under a Verizon Wireless Family Share plan, rather than a MAA or Major Account Agreement, which is available for any business with 5 or more lines of services. I had never heard of this terminology until February 20th, 2010.

So over the past 5 years we have been using and enjoying our Verizon Service, almost with no problems besides the Blackberry Storm 1 which was just a nightmare of a release and a yearlong uphill battle trying to make Verizon understand how terrible this phone was, we eventually had to pay $300.00 to upgrade to the Storm II.

On February 18, 2010 we decided that we needed an additional line of service for a High Speed Data Card; we called Verizon Customer Service using the 1-800-256-4646 as we always did for our issues, asked for sales and began speaking to a representative about adding this card onto our account.

I first asked, how a 6th line would be possible to add to our account because my previous understanding was that 5 lines was the max on any share plan (note we are still on the same family share plan, under a business name that we originally signed up for in 2005). He said well I see you have a business account here and I said yes our business pays for telecom charges; and he explained to me that I did not have a MAA or Major Account Agreement, so naturally I asked what that was...

"A MAA is a contract behind a small business and Verizon Wireless stating that Verizon Wireless will create a business account for your company, to allow you to purchase wireless service and equipment at corporate discounts, provided you maintain five or more lines of service on your account, and I see here you are eligible for an 8% discount on your account" I am thinking $$... (63 months of service @ 233.61 per month = $14717.43 * 8% = $1177.3944) + applicable accessories and phone discounts of 25%, I didnt have a calculation in mind for all of that but we have purchased 26 phones over the past 5 years so it is another substantial 4 digit figure.

I responded to the representative saying, well I originally signed up at a Verizon Wireless Retail Store, why was I not informed of this information originally? of course he said he did not know, and then asked me if I still wanted to sign up for a new line of service and I said no, let me make a few phone calls...

I first phoned the store manager of the Stuart, Florida Verizon Wireless Retail Store, who opted to not talk to me and offered to call me back instead, unfortunately I guess he forgot to call me as well..the representative who answered the phone asked what I needed help with and I simply said, I am calling to find out how to receive my MAA discount; he said I dont know what that is and I said that is unfortunate.

Wasting no time, I quickly called Les Gunter of Verizon Executive Relation in Chicago and explained to him the situation, which he also did not know what a MAA was or how or why I should be receiving an 8% discount on my service. He asked if he could call me back and I said sure, he said it will be by the end of business 2/19/2010. Well wouldn't you know it, he never did call me back. I called on 2/22/2010 and asked for him, his assistant said he was in a meeting, go figure. I called later that afternoon and was told he was still in a meeting...before I had a chance to call back I received a phone call from a Tracy Waldon who was also with Verizon Executive Relations in the Southeast Division, who said she would be handling my concerns from here.

I explained to her the situation, to which she also informed me that she would have to conduct further research before returning my phone call but that I would be contacted by a Business Sales Representative within one business day to add this MAA onto my account so that we could begin receiving the discount that had been owed to us for five years.

2/23/2010 - No phone calls, I called and left a message for Tracy.
2/23/2010 - Received a phone call back from her, in response to my voicemail regarding a call back from the business account representative, I said no, no one has called me.
2/24/2010 - Nothing
2/25/2010 - I received a phone call from a new Verizon Wireless Retail Store that recently opened this past year in Port Saint Lucie, Florida; interesting I did not receive a phone call from the original store I signed my original contract agreement with.

This phone call was from the store manager, who simply was following Tracy's instructions to sign me up for this MAA, which is an electronic document, not able to be found on their website as it is INTERNAL only and is not able to be faxed, emailed, or printed unless at a Verizon Wireless Retail Store or by a Verizon Wireless Business Account Specialist. I drove to the store location, signed this agreement and I asked her would she be responsible for taking care of the money that is owed to me? She said no, Tracy would be handling that.

3/2/2010 - I called Verizon Executive Relations this morning and spoke to Tracy and asked what is going to be done regarding the money that is due to our account, as I would prefer a check rather than a 4 digit positive account balance. She explained that Verizon would not be crediting or dispersing any funds to me. She then explained to me that the 8% discount I was to be receiving was not off the bill itself but only the primary line of service which equates to $7.00 x 63 months  =  $441.00 not $1177.
So I said ok, if that is what the contract states then I would like a check for that amount in addition to applicable costs incurred for equipment purchased over the last five years. She offered me a one year credit of $84.00, no equipment reimbursement and not even an apology or the admittance of Verizon's mistake. I explained to her that I thought this was a lot bigger issue then just $84.00 is, lets say this went public and she then said we are trying to make things right, and I said you are? By offering me $84.00 and scamming me out of the rest of our money, while Verizon is making 50 billion a year in revenue and youre counting pennies? I said I want my contract dates removed as Verizon failed to hold up their end of the agreement by failing to provide me with the all of the terms, discounts and publications necessary to make a legal decision when I originally signed my contract. She then said, Verizon does not have to offer any customer or business, nor inform them of any discounts that may or may not be made available, at any time.

That is where the conversation currently is sitting, I personally know a lot of businesses that are not receiving this discount, here locally in our small town; which begs to ask the question, if a small town of less than 100,000 people are getting ripped off by the multi-billion telecom provider, there is certainly others that are as well.

Thank you for your time.