Pending / Approval of Friends and Family -- no warning, no follow up, lost on a technicality?

Question

Hi,
I recently was looking at a Verizon One-Bill (all 21 pages) and saw that we were being charged for going over minutes.  I found this odd since my wife and I looked at our calling detail in December and added the top 10 phone numbers.
When I signed on today it turns out that none of the Friends and Family changes were ever applied since I didn't log back in and approve them even though we have 1 userid and password just like every other family account, electric, auto insurance, OTHER ACCOUNTS IN THE ONE BILL PLAN.  We made the changes while looking at my wife's phone number since she uses 90% of the family minutes but it appears I had to go back to my phone # and approve.
When I call customer service the woman was nice but when I explained that we were charged hundreds of dollars even though the F&F numbers were sitting there not used and that I did not know nor was I notified that I had to approve the account.  I asked if there was any way we cold be adjusted, again, since the numbers were there in pending status and I could onto figure out why someone would maliciously add phone numbers to F&F so why would there be a reason to approve them.
The CR that we actually had 3 accounts not 1 and when I asked her why the 3 accounts have the same login and password, she seemed shocked that we only used 1 login and password when we could have had 3.  Then when I asked if there was a chance for a credit, that we have been customers for over a decade and she explained again that the changes were made on a 2ndary account and the burden was on us to know the process and apparently she thought the real issue was that I could not grasp the concept of multiple accounts under 1 family plan since she explained more slowly 2 more times.
 wouldn't say anything if there was a email or text stating I have F&F in pending but there is not and you need to check the F&F to find out.   This is despite the fact that Verizon sends text every other day and my other accounts send text for all of their payment issues, as well as emails.
Has this happened to anyone else?    Can someone explain to me how, as the CR later stated, multiple accounts for each family member is the norm and not the exception even though every internet payment account we have has 1 user id and password.. 1 account for ever other utility, service, loan account we process online.
Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Verizon does let you set up different MyVerizon log ins for each number on your family plan.  The account of the primary line/account holder has full access to all of the information on the plan, and the ability to make changes, add F&F, and generally administer the account.  The secondary accounts can only access information for their specific line, cannot make most changes to the account, and cannot add F&F numbers (they can only suggest them).  What they can do is manage media purchases and back-up assistant entries for the line that the account is associated with.
If you used BA or made media purchases for your secondary lines, you probably created those accounts (or perhaps they were created for you by the Verizon staff who helped you set up your phones?).  You may have never logged in to them again, most people don't need them very often.
It is possible for the wrong MyVerizon account to be tagged as the "owner" account, leading to the wrong login having administration priveleges.  It's pretty simple to sort out, you just have to call in and ask for the correct MyVerizon login to be designated as the account owner.
It sounds like you were logged in to a secondary MyVerizon account when you made the changes, and since those accounts don't have the priveleges to make changes to the F&F numbers, they would not have been applied to your account.  In terms of getting a credit, some reps are nicer than others, you might try again.  The long story short though is that Verizon isn't obligated to give you a credit and they may not.