I purchased a Verizon Wireless USB Air Card (shown above), and signed up for two years of service just a couple of weeks ago. On Saturday night I was removing the antenna from the USB port on my laptop and the metal USB attachment stayed in the port, while the plastic antenna came off in my hand. On Saturday morning, I took Air Card to a Verizon-authorized dealer and explained what had happened. The person immediately said, "That's customer abuse... I can't do anything about it. You're going to have find someone to solder it back together or buy a new one." Next stop, was the Verizon Store and customer service rep said, "I can't do anything about it. You can buy a new one." I told her to show the air card to her manager, she did so, and the result was the same as my first stop, "Customer abuse." My job is such that I need access to an internet connection at all times, so $216.00 later I have a new Air Card (which costs Verizon probably a total of $20... if that).

I am absolutely irate. Understand, I have been with Verizon for six years, and my bill each month is around $250. They are essentially telling a very loyal customer A) you're a liar B) we don't guarantee our products worth a damn C) having you spend $216 is more important than having a $2000-$2400 per year customer for another six years. I can't even think of a retailer who has treated me crappier than this over a defective product. I find it absolutely amazing that Verizon is trying to pull this off on me. I'm seriously considering going to AT&T when my main cell phone terms are up in four months over this. What an awful experience.

Sucks to hear about that. For me on the other hand, I've had nothing but great experiences with Verizon customer service and often wonder what the complaints are about. Last year I was in the process of renewing my contract and asked them if they could add more minutes or something since I was a loyal customer. The rep agreed and offered me more minutes with text. However due to my older plan not being part of their new plans, I could end up loosing minutes. After 2 hours with her on the phone it wasn't working; so she gave me a time and said she will work on it and call me the next day to see if it goes through.

I didn't think she would call back, but lo and behold, she did! She also apologized a great deal about not being able to add more minutes, but in consolation was able to get me 2 free months and a bunch off of my new phone.

I didn't get what I wanted but I was impressed with their effort and the fact that they actually called me back.

Anyway, I will still be sticking to Verizon for the time being. Plus their coverage in NYC is amazing.

Josh, all wireless carriers are shit. I've had a Sprint air card for 2 years and zip problems with the hardware. But I did have a major issue last year changing my number when I moved back from Las Vegas.

I went to a Sprint store and asked the customer rep clown if he could change my number. After jacking around with my handset for a few minutes, he said No, I can't change your number, you'll have to call our outsourced third world call center.

So I call them. And low and behold, he did change my number! AND the number assigned to my air card. It took a week to straighten out.

So instead of writing a run of the mill complaint letter, I typed a 2 page opus and FedExed (yes, I paid $17 to FedEd a complaint letter) it to their CEO.

Well, a very nice native English speaking lady from Exec Services contacted me and they wound up sending me a free MotoQ. (I had asked for compensation and said I was in the market for a PDA/Smartphone.

You got snookered, dude.

I'm probably one of Verizon's most problematic callers with nasty notes in my account because... well, that's neither here nor there. Let's just say that I've had a Verizon phone even while I had a free phone from the cellular carrier that I was designing the data network for because I like them so much. Their coverage simply can't be beat.

Back to the problematic caller thing... I'm quite sure that there's plenty of customer comments in their system about the jerk that the CSR just got off the phone with. However with a bit of persistence, they're *more* than accommodating, even if you have to spend a few minutes to work your way up the ladder to someone who can actually do something for you. And no... usually the store can't do jack unless it means a commission to the person that you're talking to. Don't waste your time going there. They have a row of phones that face the customer so that you can get right on there and ring up the same people that you can call from your house; although you do have the benefit (or curse) of the Verizon store rep standing there to confirm or refute your claim.

A previous poster was right... the front-line CSRs for ANY carrier are crap. Most of them will quite likely admit that themselves. They generally do have more latitude in giving you what you need than will ever be let on though.

Calm, cool, collected, and most of all, persistent. If that doesn't work, ask for their supervisor. If they're not available (which of course they won't be), firmly request for them to call you back. Then ask for the CSRs name once again, ask for the spelling, and then ask that they document the time and date of the call and what the call is in regard to in your customer service record. 80% of the time you'll be talking to someone who can actually do something within 5 minutes or less.

Anyhow, it sounds as though I've had to fight to get service from Verizon, and I absolutely have. But I've dealt with Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, Cingular (before the merge), and Verizon is *by far* the easiest to deal with.

Granted, the reality is that *none* of them, including my beloved Verizon, really care about you regardless of what you pay or who you are unless you're signing their paycheck.

Win some, lose some, I guess.

Whoo boy...

I have had AT&T for almost 10 years. My partner has Verizon. When he moved to Oregon from California, Verizon assigned him two phone numbers (he and his ex) that were no where near PDX but were in the 503. He did not find this out until I told him. Verizon told him the only thing they could do is start a new line and re-start his contract. He has been fighting with them over this whole issue. He finally got them to re-set the contract date on the two wrong phone numbers and they supposedly ended last month. He got the bill Friday. Lo and behold, he is being charged for three lines. Big surprise. The woman at the call center said she absolutly did cancel the two lines. I will believe it when I see it.

This is why I have been with AT&T for almost 10 years. The worst problem I have had with them was my calls would drop on one section of I-5 in Portland. Now, with my new phone, I do not drop calls anywhere in the Portland area.

Quoting JCS17 (Thread starter): having you spend $216 is more important than having a $2000-$2400 per year customer for another six years............... I'm seriously considering going to AT&T when my main cell phone terms are up in four months over this.

Put that in a letter to their head office and see what kind of response you get. You might be pleasantly surprised.

WrenchBender

Once in the midst of a customer service call - I was placed on hold for something. Then clock struck 6 pm and the system / CSR hung up on me. I called back to realize their customer service hours ended at 6 pm and there was no one to pick up the phone. From that day - I have had nothing to do with VZ - dropped every service I had with them.