Complaint Review: Verizon Wireless - New York New York

Previously, I was using Verizon wireless for probably more than ten years. I was a regular customer and always paid my bills on time.  As far as I know, I had no late payments except one, which I will explain. 

I have two major complaints with Verizon which I will address here:

1) Several years ago I lost my phone.  I was due for an upgrade and picked out a Samsung Juke SCH U470. It was tiny and cute. I never really fingered out how to use it very well—the juke box at least. After a while I started to notice lumps on and (mainly) around (behind) my right ear—where I usually held my phone (up to listen/talk).  The lumps were painful and it felt like a hole was being burnt into my ear. The more I used my phone, the bigger and more painful the lumps became.

I’m not sure if it is related to my ear problems, but I started becoming sick around the same time I started experiencing pain and seeing painful lumps around my ear.  I was unable to keep food down—throwing up and I broke out into a rash all over my body.

Due to health and other reasons I was unable to pay my bill on time. I didn’t use my phone for over two months and I noticed the lumps on my ear were getting smaller and burning less. I was so scared, that I immediately throw away my Samsung Juke phone—wanting nothing to do with it, as it was obviously causing me health problems and pain. 

I wasn’t due for an upgrade yet, so (thanks to the help from my friends) I purchased a 200 dollar LG phone from Verizon and told them I wanted to change my plan. I decided being that I was experiencing health problems as a direct result of using Verizon Wireless cell phone(s), rather than carrying on and sign another contract with that company, I choose to switch to a month-to-month plan.

I always talked on speaker phone from then on, and still do.  However, I started having problems with the new LG phone I purchased as well. Weird things were happing with that specific phone—it would announce  that someone was calling via the caller ID and then someone else would be on the line when I answered—sometimes peoples voices would sound muffled—their voices and words blurred and twisted.  I would get weird distorted texts, phone calls and voice messages that didn’t make sense. --As with the lumps on my ear, my phone experiences were (regularly) particularly frightening to say the least. This was happening a lot. The LG in my possession—purchased from Verizon Wireless hand all kinds of practical malfunctions, which caused me much distress--Including relationship problems with my family, loved ones and friends.  Additionally, I began to get outrageous bills from Verizon—that did not reflect my phone calls. I no longer have the phone and therefore have made no phone calls with it—being that the phone was destroyed and parts discarded several years ago. Consequently, I did not renew my contract with Verizon Wireless.

Late 2011 --I went to a Verizon Wireless store in Richmond KY and I asked Verizon (in person) to please turn off my phone, and close my account, as I no longer wished to give the company business due to the fact I was being repeatedly overcharged, the technical problems I was experiencing with my phone(s) --chiefly the LG, and the health problems as a result of using the phone(s)—particularly the Samsung Juke SCH U470.

Prior to that, I called Verizon Wireless numerous times to complain of faulty phones, faulty services and over changes. In the past, I went to various Verizon stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts (I was traveling a fair amount at the time) to speak with Verizon Wireless representatives (as far as I can remember, not only did I requested in person via the Richmond store, but I also called Verizon) regarding similar complaints while in Kentucky.

Even though I was no longer using my Verizon Wireless phone-- It was no longer around and thus, no longer in use, and even though I had told Verizon that I didn’t wish to remain a customer, I continued to get bills via email. I sent a letter to Verizon via email March 27^th 2012 reiterating the fact that I no longer wished to be a Verizon wireless customer –mentioning how months before I went to a Verizon store and told them so in person. I requested once again that they please close my account and stop harassing me with bogus bills.  Additionally, on April 5^th 2012 I sent another letter via snail mail (once more) explain the various problems I was having in the past and repeating the fact that I no longer wished to be a Verizon Wireless customer—I was no longer using their service and I requested yet again, that they please close my account and stop sending me bills.  At some point, I stopped receiving bills via email.

December 2013, I thought the matter was resolved; I called Verizon because my cousin had an old Verizon Blackberry Bold, no longer in use.  I was curious and wanted to know how much they were charging for a month-to-month plan for that phone.  Come to find out, my previous contested bill which was $ 200 at the time, (and which I thought had been resolved—meaning Verizon had agreed that I was no longer responsible for those charges—because of the numerous complaints I had made via phone calls to them contesting the bill and the other complaints I had made to them in person, on the phone, as well as via letters I had sent them,) had now been raised to $400, apparently the matter had not been resolved at all, and Verizon had sent my so-called-bill to a Collection agency.  They stated (via the phone late 2013) that because I supposedly “didn’t specifically mention” that I “wanted my account closed,” when I made my complaints, it remained open and they kept charging me. --Which is ridiculous, because I can prove that I did in fact request (not once, but numerous times) that my account be closed and I contested the bill and asked them to stop billing me.

Not only that, but it has been brought to my attention...

2) Apparently, many years ago, I had some problems with one of my Version Wireless phones.  A picture was sent and posted somewhere online via my Verizon phone--without my knowledge, or consent. This apparently happened moments after I took the picture on my Verizon phone—the picture was personal. I took it for personal use and I had no intention of sharing it with anyone.  The contents of the picture—the fact that it was personal, and the fact that it was sent without my knowledge, or consent was especially devastating and still is. It caused me much torment, embarrassment and was essentially so devastating, that I would rather not go into detail here as it is a private matter and I fear my privacy has and continues to be invaded and my rights violated. I have not discussed this second problem regarding my Verizon phone with anyone for that reason. To this day, I don’t even know if that photograph is still visible on the internet, or not.  I have been so utterly distraught by this, that I have not been able to discuss it with anyone, or seek help.  Not to mention, I didn’t even know it happened for the longest time and by then, it seemed like everyone knew except me.

At this point I am at a loss as what to do. I know I’m not the only person who has suffered because of Verizon Wireless.  I believe my phone number still exists and I was told by a Verizon representative that my account was never closed as requested.    Verizon wireless did not acknowledge my numerous requests, complains and concerns, or even my letters although, I was a valid customer of theirs for over a decade  and even though my health, happiness, my relationships with my family and friends and my reputation and future success was/and still is in jeopardy because of them. In fact, they outright denied the fact that I requested they close my account even though I can prove otherwise.  

Verizon wireless ought to acknowledge my valid complaints and concerns and take responsibility by not only resolving the matter of the unpaid bill and additional charges, so that I am no longer responsible for that but also close my account as I repeatedly requested. Furthermore, they should compensate me for the horrible damage they (their phones and services) have caused me, my health and my interactions and standing with others, and my overall wellbeing and happiness (currently and over an extended period of time.)