Demand arbitration. Make them pay.

An arbitration lawyer will take such a case on contingency, provided the tracking number checks out.

I'm currently invovled in such a case. It's been hell.

Although I know customer support is often incompetent and malicious, somehow I get the idea that the customer in this case was an abusive asshole, and probably deserved everything he got.

This is one of many reasons I don't sign a contract. Pay as you go all the way baby.

this guy doesnt seem very smart. its fairly easy to goto the fedex website and pull up your tracking number along with signature information/notification of delivery

Verizon is a pack of weasels.

I had a similar issue with another company. Even with the tracking number and print out of the signature of the person who signed for it they were still trying to drag money out of me.

Same thing happened to me..

Bought a defective phone, went to get a new one withing the first 15 days. They told me they would ship me a new one, and to return the old one with the box and label they were sending me. They also mentioned that I would have a $400 dollar equipment charge for the new phone, which would be removed when they received the old one. Got the new phone, sent back the old one, and after a month the $400 dollar phone charge was still there, and they were threatening to suspend my service and take me to small claims court. I gave them the tracking number, and told them I would not pay them a cent until they resolved this. Got transferred about 100 times, and finally talked to someone with some sense, and the charge was gone.

Verizon sucks.

goodness, he spends $350-$450 a month in cell phone bills...

1) Dear Verizon: Kiss every inch of my black @$$. If you want your money, you can find me in small claims court where I'll be waiting with my FedEx track number.
2) Dear AT&T: Send me 6 Blackberrys or iPhones, plz.
3) Profit?

Verizon Sucks. Their business model is to try and sell crappy iPhone-wannabes to gravy-sweating hillbillies using a business model that went out of date in 1993.

I'll think about switching to them when they provide SIM-card-based cell phone service. And then laugh my ass off because I must be tripping.

/Verizon can lick my wrinkled, smelly sack

bhcompy: this guy doesnt seem very smart. its fairly easy to goto the fedex website and pull up your tracking number along with signature information/notification of delivery

He gave them that information. Verizon insists that even though they lost the phone, he should have to pay for it.

Excen: gravy-sweating hillbillies

Now there's a mental image that requires bleaching!

robmilmel: Excen: gravy-sweating hillbillies

Now there's a mental image that requires bleaching!

I came here to say the same thing.
Will have to find a way to work that into my daily language.

bubbaprog: bhcompy: this guy doesnt seem very smart. its fairly easy to goto the fedex website and pull up your tracking number along with signature information/notification of delivery

He gave them that information. Verizon insists that even though they lost the phone, he should have to pay for it.

they're insane. i hope he does take them to court, and i hope he wins punitive damages. i can dream.

Geee, glad I dumped Verizon 2 months ago.

I have probably read a less interesting link, but I'm struggling to think when.

$350-$450 a month for bills?

WTF.

1. Don't pay your kids' phone bill. Get them to work in the summer to pay for them.
2. Use pre-paid for your kids' phones.
3. Use a condom.
4. Earn enough to not complain about a $350 charge, or earn enough to hire a personal assistant who will complain for you.

Ya know

Every write-up I read on the consumerist is the same

"I am loyal customer"
"I politely did everything super politely"
"I'm the best human being in the world and am the most honest person ever"
"Evil company is evil"
"Everyone please attack evil company because I have cancer and am dying so I'm the saddest, most pathetic thing in the world and you should all stroke me."

I'm not saying the problems are bull, but seriously... every write-up there just adds to my "Entitlement Theory" that is killing our country.

aerojockey: Although I know customer support is often incompetent and malicious, somehow I get the idea that the customer in this case was an abusive asshole, and probably deserved everything he got.

Please share your inside information with the rest of us. As much as I like calling people I don't know anything about assholes, I generally like to have somewhat of a reason for doing so.

I'm in charge of all cell phones in my company.

My predecessor was negligent in keeping track of who had what phone, and I've been tasked with the detective work, so I gotta read our 100+ page, 13k monthly bill. I guarantee at least 20 of these phones are drained, sitting in someone's desk that hasn't work for us for a year or more. We also have around 30 broadband data cards, and I imagine that 10 of those are being billed, but not in use.

Good times.

TexasPeace: Demand arbitration. Make them pay.

Do NOT play along with the arbitration game. Many if not most wireless agreements at least allow for small claims court. Go that route instead.

There is only one reason why companies are so fond of mandatory arbitration, and it's *not* because it's consumer-friendly.

gund: $350-$450 a month for bills?

WTF.

1. Don't pay your kids' phone bill. Get them to work in the summer to pay for them.
2. Use pre-paid for your kids' phones.
3. Use a condom.
4. Earn enough to not complain about a $350 charge, or earn enough to hire a personal assistant who will complain for you.

Yeah, earn more! Decent customer service is only for the rich you 'tard!

I'm still giggling about gravy sweating hillbillies!

I'd shiat if I had a $350 phone bill a month. Good god - put those kids to work you knob!

I don't know how Verizon does it but Sprint's equipment replacement department was in India and staffed by incomprehensible lunatics. I sometimes wondered if some business owner just took over a mental asylum, put in a bunch of cubicles, and put the patients to work.

bubbaprog: bhcompy: this guy doesnt seem very smart. its fairly easy to goto the fedex website and pull up your tracking number along with signature information/notification of delivery

He gave them that information. Verizon insists that even though they lost the phone, he should have to pay for it.

all it states is verizon says that the tracking number is invalid, not that he did any more homework on it(like verifying the tracking number, calling fedex for signature proof, etc). i used to handle this shiat all day as an admin assistant dealing with fedex and dhl. someone says shiat aint received, grab the tracking number/packing slip, call the shipper/check the website to get the name of the person that signed on it, be done with it. verizon isnt SO incompetent that with physical proof of someone actually taking in the package they would still pursue this as far as its gone

robmilmel: Excen: gravy-sweating hillbillies

Now there's a mental image that requires bleaching!

Just like your anus.

/It was unremarkable until I got done with it!
//And it needs a wax. . .

I have 6 phones total with them and my phone bill is anywhere from $350 to $450 a month.

I have to join everyone else here going WTF?

/have no home phone service, only cell
//still only $25-$30 a month

Smiths: Ya know

Every write-up I read on the consumerist is the same

I'm not saying the problems are bull, but seriously... every write-up there just adds to my "Entitlement Theory" that is killing our country.

If most corporations actually did things that made sense all the time, perhaps that would be valid, but entitlement is wanting things you probably dont deserve. Not wanting to pay for something there is no reason you should be paying for is not a overdeveloped sense of entitlement.

Customer service reps for almost every company in the world are fairly close to brain dead, and the more that other people see how retarded they are, the better chance that things may actually get fixed.

FTA: ...They asked me if I kept the receipt with the Fedex tracking number, which I had, because they needed to look it up. I am told that the tracking number is invalid.

This guys story stinks like my ex-wife's hairy ax wound.

Hmmm.. have been with Verizon wireless 10+ years.. only 2 major problems w/ customer service, one of them very recent.

Renewed my contract, & got a new "rugged" G'Zone verizon phone from their website. After a couple of weeks, decided to return it because of poor battery life, loose construction, & missed calls.

Waited a little long to return it.. "I'm sorry, you're 3 days out of the 30-day window to return your phone."

Found the bios for Vz Wireless executives on their page, each of which had a "write to me" form. Emailed 2x of them, and got a call from "executive customer service" within 4 hours. Problem solved right away.

This is why you work with real people in stores. Never buy a phone over the net or over the phone. When this kind of crap happens it's better to have someone you can see in person to get your stuff fixed. A store will have more pull over what can be done than some no-name idiot in the call center.

You may pay more for a phone than the latest "online dealllzzz!!", but it's better than losing out on this kind of crap.

bubbaprog: bhcompy: this guy doesnt seem very smart. its fairly easy to goto the fedex website and pull up your tracking number along with signature information/notification of delivery

He gave them that information. Verizon insists that even though they lost the phone, he should have to pay for it.

Something doesn't add up though. In his letter he never mentions anything about having "tracked its progress as FedEx delivered the package to Verizon" as stated in the intro. All we know is that Verizon told him the number was invalid. Sounds to me like the guy did not track the package and did not write down a correct tracking number...that's his problem.

The saddest part about this is that Verizon Wireless customer service is much better than Verizon landline customer service.

mialynneb: I'm still giggling about gravy sweating hillbillies!

I'd shiat if I had a $350 phone bill a month. Good god - put those kids to work you knob!

So sponsor me. I've never had a hot chick buy me a proverbial drink before, and I'm basically the Fark equivalent of one of those idiots you see standing behind the velvet rope in front of a club.

/I ain't bribing the fat, no-necked mongoloid with the clipboard, dammit!

/

Weak middle management at Verizon.

This is boring, can we talk about Humboldt Squid instead?

vicejay: Hmmm.. have been with Verizon wireless 10+ years.. only 2 major problems w/ customer service, one of them very recent.

Renewed my contract, & got a new "rugged" G'Zone verizon phone from their website. After a couple of weeks, decided to return it because of poor battery life, loose construction, & missed calls.

Waited a little long to return it.. "I'm sorry, you're 3 days out of the 30-day window to return your phone."

Found the bios for Vz Wireless executives on their page, each of which had a "write to me" form. Emailed 2x of them, and got a call from "executive customer service" within 4 hours. Problem solved right away.

This was not Verizon's fault. You badgered them into giving you something you didn't deserve.

Excen: robmilmel: Excen: gravy-sweating hillbillies

Now there's a mental image that requires bleaching!

Just like your anus.

/It was unremarkable until I got done with it!
//And it needs a wax. . .

how rude yall probably ain't had a gravy sweating hillbilly stompin a mudhole in your bigoted ass maybe yall oughta learn a little respect for your fellow man. until then don't turn yer back there might be some gravy sweating hilljack behind ya thinkin it'd be perfectly fine to stomp yer ass n teach ya some respect!

skinink: I know a lot of people have had problems with Cingular/ATT Wireless, but I've never had any problems with them.

I've had a positive experience with them as well. My first phone was from Cingular in 2000 and I ended up just sticking with ATT after they bought the company. Complaints I hear about ATT are typically limited to coverage area but that's improved exponentially. Customer service has been pretty good from my experience.

I hope this link is "Sponsored," Drew.

AntiNorm: TexasPeace: Demand arbitration. Make them pay.

Do NOT play along with the arbitration game. Many if not most wireless agreements at least allow for small claims court. Go that route instead.

There is only one reason why companies are so fond of mandatory arbitration, and it's *not* because it's consumer-friendly.

This.
Arbitration is only ever fair when both sides have the same standing. Little guy vs big company? Forget it.

Yes, but, please think of the poor, widdle SHAREHOLDERS....

They are so, so, delicate, sensitive and just so easily upset.
If they don't see you raping your customers and laying off employees they will get a hissy fit.

And head straight down to the nearest stock market and PERSONALLY see your stock is devalued as far as it can go.

Poor liddle guys. We can't have them lose their dividends, can we?

They'll have no money left to buy yachts and bribe politicians

I worked for Sprint a few years ago, and the call that made me quit was a call like this. A lady from Florida had a broken Samsung phone, she sent it in to get it replaced because she had insurance plan on it. Midway through the process, she was told she could find a similar phone and Sprint would cover it, so she did, but she didn't like the phone, so she returned that phone, now Sprint couldn't find that phone. I got ahold of a bunch of my bosses and none of them would touch it with a 20 foot poll, I was on the phone for 45 minutes before the mod desk (fugly witch looking lady who monitors how long calls are going on for). she stormed up to me and started screaming at me to get off the phone, the lady on the phone asked "is everything alright?". Sprint wants CSRs to resolve issues in one call, but only if it only takes seven minutes or less (including upselling). Another 15 minutes go by, my main boss walks up to me biatching, yet wouldn't help me with the call. The lady finally just demanded for supervisor and that was the end of that, I cannot ever suggest supervisor, because that's not "right", and I cannot deny a supervisor request. She was very friendly with me the whole time, but I literally had a panic attack while waiting for supervisor.

This is why Sprint has the worst customer service, we don't know answers to 90% of the questions, we don't even have the tools to track shiat (maybe things have changed but I doubt it), and we were required to sell services on every call or else you get in shiat.

I never was able to retrieve her phone, what I wanted to do was issue her a $300 credit to get a new phone, but I could only credit up to $20, which sucked. I hope that lady found a better carrier, Sprint treats their customers terribly.

I have a tri-band GSM Nokia brick phone that is going on about 10 years old now. It even has the original AT&T Wireless (pre-Cingular) SIM card. Now and then, I debate about upgrading. However, I really like having my contract free and clear. I've thought about pre-paid accounts, but losing my nights, weekends and in-network freebies would push my bill much higher than it is today. However, AT&T Mobility is now shutting down many of the older AT&T Wireless and McCaw Wireless SMS gateways. So, I may no longer be able to get pages from work.

Since my number was originally ported from an AT&T Wireless D-AMPS (TDMA) account, I've been told that upgrading my account would be "difficult". I may loose my phone number, especially since I no longer live in the state that my phone's area code is for (unless I fly back, I was told). I'll probably lose my grandfathered contract. Even though I told their rep that my phone is unlocked, that it may be incompatible with their new SIM card codes (which I know is BS).

Sweet baby jebus, it seems that with every mobile provider out there, the second you try doing anything that is remotely difficult, you end up receiving an unlubricated mental fark through your ear. With all of the technology out there, is it really that difficult to deal with this stuff? Or are call center personnel really just that retarded?

vicejay: Hmmm.. have been with Verizon wireless 10+ years.. only 2 major problems w/ customer service, one of them very recent.

Renewed my contract, & got a new "rugged" G'Zone verizon phone from their website. After a couple of weeks, decided to return it because of poor battery life, loose construction, & missed calls.

Waited a little long to return it.. "I'm sorry, you're 3 days out of the 30-day window to return your phone."

Found the bios for Vz Wireless executives on their page, each of which had a "write to me" form. Emailed 2x of them, and got a call from "executive customer service" within 4 hours. Problem solved right away.

Uh... 30+ days is twice "a couple of weeks." It's not their fault you're a moron who waited too long to return a shiatty phone. Congratulations on being an entitlement-complexed idiot.

Hyatus: This is why you work with real people in stores. Never buy a phone over the net or over the phone. When this kind of crap happens it's better to have someone you can see in person to get your stuff fixed. A store will have more pull over what can be done than some no-name idiot in the call center.

You may pay more for a phone than the latest "online dealllzzz!!", but it's better than losing out on this kind of crap.
The N79 I just bought was through Amazon, but I bought a laptop through Newegg that had an issue. It was fixed pretty fast by the manufacturer.

I know it's just my view, but of all the things I've ordered over the net only a few have had problems (and I ordered a 26" LCD tv that had no issues). On the other hand I've had a Best Buy salesperson tell me all kinds of wrong info about a camcorder I wanted to buy. He didn't even bother to check the specs before giving the wrong info.