Verizon customer service, only lip service, no help

Question

Last December we went through the process of changing the primary contact on our family plan.  We did this in order to get a discount through our daughters place of employment.  There were a lot of hoops to jump through, but we got through the credit checks, proof of employment, etc.  Verizon proceeded to start a NEW account and switched ONE of our five lines.
Twelve days later, after receiving a billing, we realized not all of our lines had been switched and the billing was not adding up.  I called Verizon, and after an hour of waiting and talking, I was told that all the lines were now switched and that it would take 24 hrs to update.  You guess it, 24 hrs later there was no update.  I called again,  spent another hour on the phone, was told the lines were now switched and that I should be patient and let  the debits and credits on our bill settle out.
The remaining lines did get switched, but the billing was still a mess thanks to:
          - closing the original account
          - opening a new account
          - a new billing cycle (which involves partial crediting of the original account, and paying a month in advance on the new one)
          - the original error of just switching one line
          - a fee for using too much data ( we each lost half our data allowance when they credited us a half month on our original plan)
What it all boiled down to was that we were double billed for the time period when only one line was switched and the rest were still on the old plan.  I didn't initially understand where the problem was because I received 4 to 5 bills over a two month period that were difficult to figure out.  I called Verizon again (spending at least another hour of waiting and talking) and told them the bills weren't adding up.  I was told that unless I could show them the exact problem, they couldn't help me.  A manager said my account was fine and that he would text me after I hung up, so that if I had further concerns I could text him directly.  Of course there was no text, he just wanted to get me off the phone.
I buckled down and found where the error was and called Verizon again (taking at least another hour).  I explained exactly where the problem was.  She agreed that there was a problem, but she would have to call me back after she figured out why it happened.  She told me it would take two days and we set a time when she would call me back.  Of course, no phone call.
Finally I went to the local Verizon store which is 15 miles away.  The first person I talked with got a glazed look over his eyes, but did connect me to a manager.  Finally, after agreeing I'd been over charged, she instantly gave me a refund.
It amazes me that it took 5 attempts, and at least 5 hours of my time, to get this corrected.  Customer service by phone fails in helping you and excels in giving you the brush off.  I truly believe Verizon counts on customers not understanding their bill, and trains  Customer Service  to give a bunch of lip service and no help.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, when you sign a contract you are legally bound to the terms. You can't expect Verizon to break the terms because it doesn't suit your exact wants. A contract is a contract.
If your daughter's line has an upgrade and you want a new phone for your line you can upgrade her line and use the new phone on your line. You can then activate your old phone on her line. If you have no upgrades on your account there are other ways to get phones to use. You can try eBay or Swappa. Keeping in mind that these phones are sold by individuals and are most likely used.