I was charged over $600 for a phone I returned and it has been reactivated, but they can't take the charge off my bill.

Question

In September I was charged $650 for a broken phone that was not returned.  I took the phone to Verizon store near my home and asked what I needed to do to return the equipment.  The sales rep said all I needed to do was put it in the envelope and put it in the mail.  I asked him if there was paperwork or anything I needed to send with it.  He said again, no you just put it in the envelop and put it in the mail.  So against my better judgement I did.  October came and the charge was still on my bill.  I called customer service and they told me to wait and it should show up.  I called again a couple weeks later and explained what I had done and that I had returned the phone.  The supervisor I talked to figured out that I had sent the phone to "Hope Line"  which was a padded envelope that came in the same return box.  So basically I donated a phone $650 to Hope Line.  She reassured me that Hope Line also tracks the phones and once it showed up on their system my account would be credited.  I talked to someone on Friday and my phones-3 of them were shut off on Monday.  I called again and the new person I talked to told me the phone had been found, but they couldn't credit my account for a couple of days.  They transferred my call to billing and the guy was upset that the customer service person had even told me that.  The November bill came out and still the charge was there.  I called again and again my phones were shut off.  I called to get them reinstated the first part of December.  The person on the phone this time told me that I would have to pay the fee.  I asked if the phone had been found.  He was rude and stated it did not go back to the warehouse and I would have to pay the fee.  He did tell me that the phone had been reactivated.  So if the phone had been reactivated and someone was paying for the data plan, why did I have to pay for the equipment fee that I sent back and now someone else was using?  I asked to talk to a supervisor.  She stated that I would have to pay the fee, but she was going to talk to warehouse and see if there was something they could do to get the fee taken off-since someone else is now using that phone.  She told me she would get back to me in a couple of days.  That was the second week of December and still I have not heard back from anyone.  My December/January bill is due the 29th and still I have a $650 charge on my bill.  Any suggestions on how I can get this resolved?

Answer 1

That sounds like an idea.I've had trouble with Verizon a lot .I I switch ed back to a non andriod phone cause of the expense it took 3 months and at least that many hours of phone calls &store visits to straight in it out...there's been many times things are blocked and a month later its back on the bill,u call and are told they can't do anything ...not there problem, can't b fixed from there end,I asked to talk to a sup. At was told I couldn't then she said I'd b told the same thing I insisted...I was on hold for about 20 minutes I hung up tried to call back they would not answer, I called my daughter had her call they answered when she told them they tried to blow her off too, so she went down to a store and made a complaint.. I don't have a store in our town,the customer should not have Togo through all that trouble some of this is down right criminal... I'm going through more problems again....they won't Evan discuss it with me unless I pay what's owed and the amount has still got the internet fees they've never taken off.