Complaint - Poor Customer Service in Store and Inconsistent Communication

Question

I am writing on this discussion board in hopes that my complaint will be reviewed and communicated to those in a position to make a change so that other Verizon customers will not have to experience what I did yesterday. On June 24, 2013, I had an exceptionally bad experience with Verizon. My iPhone 4S completely shut itself off while I was reading an email on my way into work. It had a full charge and I wasn't doing anything differently with it, simply scrolling through emails before it shut down. When I got into work, I attempted to connect it to my charger to see if it would recognize it, which it did not.
On my lunch break, I went to the closest Verizon store to my office, located at 209 S LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60604 (312.658.3900) to speak with them about my options. They looked at the device and informed me that thye couldn't read anything from it. They also noted that there was no water damage and the device was intact - no cracks or anything of that nature. Knowing that my upgrade date was a mere 22 days away, I asked if there was any way they could please bump it up so that I could upgrade to the iPhone 5 and have a working phone. John-Paul, the individual who I spoke with, informed me that I could go to the Apple store and see if they could help revive the phone, and if not, I could call Customer Service (800.922.0204) and ask if they could bump up my upgrade date because, "Customer Service are the only ones who can do that."
In order to be proactive, and knowing that I might not have a working phone to call Customer Service with later last night, I went back to my office and called  Customer Service to see what my options were. I spoke with an individual named Gabby at around 12:30 PM - 1 PM CT who was very helpful. She was baffled that the store hadn't helped me since there was a Corporate offer (Eligible Device Offer Upgrade) taking place throughout all of Verizon which offered customers the opportunity to upgrade for the discounted price of the phone, so long as they were upgrading from a 3G to 4G device, which I had been trying to do when I went in the store (since my phone is a 3G and the iPhone 5 is 4G by default). She asked for the store's contact information that I had just been in and put me on hold while she called them and told them that I was eligible for an upgrade and could receive the iPhone 5 at the upgrade price. She informed me that she had spoken to John and that he had located the promotion code, and suggested I go back to the store before he left for the day since he was the individual she had spoken with about my particular situation.
I immediately walked back to the store and found the John she spoke with << Full name removed >> and he was very helpful. I confirmed that I could upgrade to the iPhone 5 at the upgrade price, knowing there was an additional standard $30 upgrade fee, in addition to taxes and insurance. When he went to get me the phone, however, he informed me he had just sold the last black one of the GB size I needed. He informed me that another store in Chicago had 9 iPhone 5 devices in black in the GB size I was looking for.
I left work at 5:45 pm CT and walked to the Verizon store located at 36 S State St., Chicago, IL 60603(312.726-8277) to purchase my  upgrade. However, upon entering the store, I was immediately told they couldn't promise me anything and that they might not be able to upgrade me for the price I was quoted, but instead, only shave off $50 from the phone. I asked to call and speak with a Customer Service rep while in the store since I had been told earlier in the day, by a Verizon Customer Service rep, that there was an Eligible Device Offer Upgrade promotion currently taking place that I could take advantage of that would allow me to purchase the iPhone 5 at the upgrade price. I was troubled to hear that the Customer Service rep on the phone was now telling me something differently - in fact, there was no promotion, and the only promotion I could take advantage of was the one in which $50 would be shaved off the phone's full price. I asked the individual who was assisting me at the store to call the LaSalle Street store to see if they still had the iPhone in the size I needed in white (at this point, I didn't care about the color, so long as I had a working phone) while I continued to speak with Customer Service. I was told by the CSR on the phone that it is each store's manager's individual choice to decide if they can override the upgrade date, which I told her I had been told the EXACT opposite in the LaSalle St. store earlier in the day by John-Paul. She explained that individuals in Customer Service have much more extensive training than those in the store, implying John-Paul might have misunderstood the policy. However, I asked her if they received such excellent training (and I would have to assume the same training), then why was I being told something completely different than what I had been told by a Customer Service Rep earlier in the day. I was obviously frustrated at this point as I'd been given the ring-around all day and still had no working phone, which again, was NOT my fault - the device simply died.
I hung up with Customer Service and was informed that the LaSalle St. store had now told the State St. store they didn't remember telling me they would be able to upgrade me at the promotional price, and had only said they would give me $50 off the phone. I was more than upset at this point as I had clarified three different times the total cost of the phone while I was at the LaSalle St. store earlier in the day, and they had confirmed it would be the promotional price. A manager at the State Street store informed me I had three choices: buy the iPhone 5 at the full price and they would only shave off $50; go to the Apple store and see if they could fix the phone; or buy the iPhone 5 with a music bundle. Know that the price of option one was out of the question, I asked how much my third option was, and after looking over my outfit, the handbag on my wrist, and the jewelry I was wearing, he asked me, "How much did you bring to spend?" I was appalled that he had the gall to even ask this and told him that I had brought in enough to cover the price of the phone at the promotional price that was quoted to me by a CSR, as well as an individual in the LaSalle St. store. He told me he couldn't help me and suggested I go to the Apple store to see what they could. When I brought to his attention that the phone had simply died and not due to anything I had done, and my upgrade date was only 22 days away, and the most recent CSR rep I had spoken to said that it was up to the individual manager's discretion to override the upgrade date, the manager tried to tell me the exception to that rule was the iPhone. I was utterly flabbergasted since every conversation I'd had was either in person (where an individual could see me with my current iPhone 4) or on the phone where I stressed I had the iPhone 4S and wanted to upgrade to the iPhone 5.
I left the store feeling frustrated and disrespected. At the end of the day, I had been strung along by Verizon, being told different things by different people, and quite frankly, was lied to and manipulated by their representatives. I would suggest that respect, communication and customer service be re-evaluated and stressed to those that work for Verizon, no matter the level.
Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

Answer 1

Apple does not allow?? If you or I walked into an Apple Store and plunked down full price they will assist you to no end.  I pay full price for my devices, however when I visit the Apple Store near me the purchase price is something like 16 GB for $199, 32 GB for $299 and 64 GB for $399.   Strange since I don't purchase on contract and pay the $700 out right. Me thinks Verizon is trying to get my Unlimited Data and lock me into a contract. However that is not going to happen. So sorry Verizon   I have been looking at T-Mobile as of late. Was thinking of putting my emergency phone on their network just to try it out.