Avoid online device trade in, GO TO THE STORE.

Question

This has been posted about numerous times already but I feel the need to add more information to what seems to be happening with these device trade in issues.  specifically, the claim that the power supply has an error and the phone wont power on.
I had an iphone 4s in pristine condition, my wife used it and kept very good care of it.  I was expecting to get the offered $200 for the phone when I created the application online, so I wiped it (after itunes also decided it needed to install IOS7 first), charged it, and sent it out in the envelope they issued me.
a couple of weeks went by with no status, and then finally my submission info changed to indicate that it was being evaluated.  the next day the submission status was changed to the infamous "Phone does not power on - Power Supply Error" message, and the reduced value offered was to be $26.00.  I called the trade-in support line and asked for details regarding my submission and what could have caused this error, they said their computers were down and that I should call again so we could get this resolved.  no biggie, that happens.
I called again the next day, and was told that my submission ticket was "locked" meaning it was currently being updated.  the operator was very friendly and actually told me that they had a large volume of calls and complaints regarding this specific problem, and that it was an issue with the way apple phones are modified when updated to the new OS.  I am assuming this means that the "find my iphone" setting is turned back on or the like, but she did not know specifics.  The FAQ indicates that this error can be attributed to the "find my iphone" service, so I felt comfortable that after my phone was reevaluated, the value of the trade-in would be corrected.  as a side note, the "find my iphone" service was disabled on this phone, at least under IOS6, so i'm not sure if it was reenabled by IOS7 or not, I literally waited for itunes to update the phone so I could wipe it.  the phone powered up fine and asked to create a user, so it was definitely in working order after the new OS when I shipped it.
The $26.00 trade in value was removed from my submission status and for a couple of days remained blank.  then, suddenly it was back, but this time it was $36.00.  Same error message, same wording, no real justification for the bump up in value.  I called the support line again and was told that a support technician would have to give me more details, so my information was taken for them to give me a call back sometime that week.  that was over 2 weeks ago.  no calls, however, I didnt really expect one.
I called the trade-in support line yet again and asked if there was any way they could gain access to my submission ticket information.  surely, when the technicians analyze and appraise the phone, they log more information that the one-liner on my submission update about a generic power supply failure.  what were the dates of their analysis of the device?  does the phone show any signs of booting?  is there any physical damage to the phone?  is it an OS lockout?  most specifically, what is the justification for the $10.00 bump in value? The operator was friendly and informed me that they do not have access to this sort of information and that a technician would have to call me back.  I asked if the technicians have some separate ticket tracking system than the operators, and if so why?  why can't the operators view the full history of the submission in detail?  The operator told me that when the technicians call me back they are going to tell me the same thing, and that there isnt any more information; simply that they can describe this general error more specifically.  This really bothered me.  if there is no information tracking of the device beyond tossing the phone into a bucket and moving on, then there is a serious flaw with the trade-in program which is harmful to the consumer.
no justification information for the minor increase in value, no specifics regarding the nature of the error.  nothing preventing this bucket of phones from being hard-reset and fixed, to be sold again at full price.  the phone cannot be returned to me (to be honest, I'm doubting they could find it again given the shoddy nature of their tracking system), all I want to know truly is what happened to so severely reduce the value of this phone? 
the communications with the help-line are one way disguised as two way, or there are only one or two technicians, since I have had my information taken 3 times and not received a call at all from anyone in over 2 weeks.  the operator indicated that there is no way to contact or email a technician directly, which is understandable, but then the operator needs to have more information given to them if it exists.  VERIZON WE NEED YOUR HELP.  I am not the only one with this issue and this looks very bad from the outside.  please tell me there is a reasonable explanation for these issues.
who can we contact now?  I feel as though there is no way to escalate this.
sorry about the rant.  thank you.

Answer 1

    I appreciate you reaching out to us here in the community forums, barfhead. We want to help you to get the best value for your traded in phone and I'm disappointed to see you haven't received a call back about the investigation yet. It does normally take at least 7 business days for the information to be reviewed. While we don't have the ability to see the details of your trade in here, you can reach out to the Verizon Device Recycling Program customer support by phone at 877-247-3846 or by visiting www.vzw.com/tradein and selecting the Contact Us tab to send an email.
Thank you
JenniferH_VZW
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