Verizon Wireless (long)

[Lynnvt]

Has anyone else had frustrations with Verizon Wireless Customer support? I just wanted a new phone...mine is old, the battery is not working properly and I wanted a new phone. Well, not so easy. There apparently was a password on my account which I never used and was set probably 10 years ago when I got my first phone. Okay so we change or delete it, right? Not so easy. First you have to navigate their front end system, layer after layer of "push one", "push two", etc. then being put on hold for over half an hour! Now I am ready to kill. Finish the call with no result. Calm down for a week and try again. Now at the store they said we needed to call customer support. Customer support says we have to go to the store. Finally after two layers of supervisors we managed to get the password removed. For a communications company, they have THE WORST customer support that I have ever encountered. Only with threats of leaving Verizon Wireless did I get to a level of customer support that was able to remove the password. I hope that once the new phone arrives, activating it will be much easier. Are all wireless companies this bad?

[Lynnvt]

Has anyone else had frustrations with Verizon Wireless Customer support? I just wanted a new phone...mine is old, the battery is not working properly and I wanted a new phone. Well, not so easy. There apparently was a password on my account which I never used and was set probably 10 years ago when I got my first phone. Okay so we change or delete it, right? Not so easy. First you have to navigate their front end system, layer after layer of "push one", "push two", etc. then being put on hold for over half an hour! Now I am ready to kill. Finish the call with no result. Calm down for a week and try again. Now at the store they said we needed to call customer support. Customer support says we have to go to the store. Finally after two layers of supervisors we managed to get the password removed. For a communications company, they have THE WORST customer support that I have ever encountered. Only with threats of leaving Verizon Wireless did I get to a level of customer support that was able to remove the password. I hope that once the new phone arrives, activating it will be much easier. Are all wireless companies this bad?

[Tom N]

Is it Verizon's fault you forgot your password??

Why didn't you go to a Verizon company store??

Don't you have "new every 2 years" on your plan?? If not get it when you sign a new 2 yr contract. It's free and Verizon gives you a choice of a free new phone every 22 months!

My 17 month old phone stopped working. I took it to my local Verizon store and they had the same model reconditioned phone overnighted by FedEX to my home. They included a free mailer to send my broken phone back. All FREE and I did not have phone insurance.

I use my phone connected to my laptop for internet service through Verizon's National Access. NA is twice as fast as the fastest dialup speed. And this is free during nights and weekends and durning business hours all it cost me is minutes of use the same as a voice plan.

Verizon always has treated me very well. Verizon is the best cell provider for internet access and they have great coverage.

[Doris]

I had a problem with my password (I lost it) and I clicked on something that said "forgotten your password?", after I tried to guess, and they sent it to my email address. I'm glad I found that, and didn't have to call in.
When it was time for my upgrade (I had the new phone every two year thingy, but I loved my phone and didn't want to change over all the stored phone numbers) after keeping my phone for 5 years, I found going to our BJ's was best for me. No one else there, one on one explanations, and I was able to settle on a phone I loved. They activated it at no charge, so I didn't have that problem to worry about.
Hope you love your new phone as much as I love mine!
PS when my Time Warner guy was here yesterday, he used his computer to call up my records, an dhe was using the Verizon internet. I just thought that was funny, since I just dropped my Verizon home phone and have a phone, cable and Road Runner internet with them. He said they didn't offer it yet, for on the road, so until they do, they use Verizon LOL!

[Lynnvt]

Tom N,
We did go to the V-store. They told us we had to call customer service. No, it's not Verizon's fault that I forgot and that is not my complaint. My complaint has to do with the way the company handled this situation. The front end menu of their customer service has at least 5 options and none of them seemed to be where I needed to be, passwords. Under each of those five options, there were another 5 options. It was lengthy and confusing. When I first complained to the supervisor, I said that I was not complaining about the password or their requirements for security but about their process and phone menu. We were put in a loop, customer service says to go to store, store says call customer service. In rural VT it's not always that easy "to go to the store". It's an hour drive each from where I work. Not complaining, just a fact.
And the link on the "forotten your password" now just leads you to the customer service phone number. You can't do anything online without the password.

[Tom N]

I went to a Verizon company store that had a tech on staff. I'm near Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh is the home of Verizon. THe stores with a tech are listed on Verizon's website.

Also, when I click on "Trouble logging in" on http://www.verizonwireless.com I get the message below asking for my Mobile Phone Number, last 4 digits of my SS and my billing zip code.

For your account security, we ask for certain information before we assist you with accessing your User Name and/or resetting your Password.
User Name

Your User Name will display on the next page.
Resetting Your Password

If you opt to Reset your Password (on the next page), you will be asked to create a new password. After you've created your new password, you can login. We will send you a confirmation via a free TXT message to the mobile phone number on the account you enter below.

[Lynnvt]

Thanks for the info Tom. We have it all taken care of now. I was just posting my experience. Unfortunately it wasn't as simple for us as it you have outlined here. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because we hadn't used the password in such a long time.

[Retird2Golf]

Hear Hear, Tom, been a verizon user for 6 years.
Only one time a problem which they corrected.
New every 2 is great, good user programs and
USA coverage. A happy Camper

[TXiceman]

I have Verizon on my work phone and generally you can get a problem resolved, but you do have to go a a supervisor level as the first responder does not have much authority.

My wife's phone is Cingular and I like their customer service much better. Cingular also has much better coverage than Verizon in the areas that we normally travel.

Ken

[Lynnvt]

I don't get a new phone every two years because I like the smart phone that has a pda. Keeps things consolidated in my purse but they are not free. So I change when they get old enough not to work well. So I have only had 2 phones in my "cell phone" life.

[Tom N]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lynnvt:
I don't get a new phone every two years because I like the smart phone that has a pda. Keeps things consolidated in my purse but they are not free. So I change when they get old enough not to work well. So I have only had 2 phones in my "cell phone" life. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You can either get a new phone every 2 or $100 off any other device, including the new phone/PDAs! No charge just ask for new every 2 on your account.

I've been with Verizon longer than 6 years. I have used over 9000 (most off peak) minutes a month online via my laptop/cellphone and Verizon's National Access (up to 144kbps) all an no additional charge over my America's Choice voice Family Plan. I never paid more than $73.11 a month for 2 phones and America's Choice 400 minute plan. And I send all my mail through Verizon's smtp mail server, vzwmail.net, even when on my DSL line at home.

I have two LG VX6100's and 2 lines and my "new every 2" is up October 9th. I'll be getting 2 new LG The V PDA phones @ $100 off each device.

Tom
a loyal Verizon customer

[rebelsbeach]

Tom and I are probably in the minority here,but I actually LOVE Verizon....

A word of caution..... I ALWAYS use the REAL Verizon COMPANY store and not those contract Verizon stores run by Cellular Sales,Inc...

I have three phones on my account, plus an aircard and we've never had an issue....

[Tom N]

I did get a bill 4 years ago for $3700 and I have direct debit payment form my checking account. We were in FL for the winter and I called Verizon and they told me there must be a problem, they would not debit my checking account and that they would investigate the problem and to keep using our phones as we usually do. 5 months later they got my billing corrected and gave me 5 months at no charge. They told me there were 2000-3000 system billing errors such as mine. Been OK ever since.

["007"]

Thanks Tom & Bob I'll get my check next month.