What happened to Customer Service?

Question

Background: Daughter has the Samsung Intensity 2 phone but no data plan. She texts constantly and continuously hits the Verizon web browser button by accident. She closes the browser as soon as she is finished with her text if not immediately. 
Problem: The monthly bills roll in with HUGE data usage fees ($250 the first month) so we thought she was living on Facebook and every other website out there.  Called Customer Service but gave up after 15 minutes on hold.  We went to the store but they could not tell us what websites she visited.  We grounded her and threatened to take the phone away if she posted to Facebook again but the next month - same thing.  Slightly lower over the next 2 months.  Again went to the store - still no help - "Add a data plan to solve the issue!"  Finally frustrated beyond belief - called the number and waited on hold.  Meanwhile, went onto the website and found where you could easily block all web access from the phone. Also found the other complaints about the layout of the buttons on the Intensity 2 (epiphany and guilt over the groundings and yelling at the daughter each time the bill arrived.) WOW - that would have been nice to know $500 ago!  Also foudn the link to the FCC announcement about the 2012 settlement for mystery data usage charges that were suppsed to be fixed.  Really ****** now, I was determined to wait until I got a real person (only 5 more minutes this time.)  I explained the multiple visits to the store trying to get to the bottom of the usage issue with no help and the complete lack of documentation available to the person being billed for MB of data anywhere. Nothing that says what sites where visited to create the fee or even how long the connection to the internet lasted.  The Customer Service rep explained that I could access all these really cool tools online to manage the account settings (thanks found that already) but could not do anything about the bill so I asked and she put me on hold (for another 10 minutes) to talk to her Supervisor.  The Customer Service Supervisor was aware of the Data Charge Task force that was ordered to be created in 2010 but it "really doesn't apply in this instance" since she "obviously"  has used a lot of data and we should pay for it.  I asked him if he could tell what websites she visited or for how long to justify the fees - "No but we can tell it is her phone".  No kidding, really?  I am now waiting for his Supervisor to call me back in the next 72 hours.  I can hardly wait.  meanwhile, I have put all that on hold time to use by submitting a complaint with the FCC.  It's really easy to do - www.fcc.gov/consumers.  You can find the settlement announcement there too.
The Solution:  Find another wireless provider or hope to goodness you never have an issue because you will have to find the solution yourself and will have to pay through the nose until you do. Also may want to bookmark the fcc complaint site since you will be using it often.

Answer 1

Hi,
Before you begin, do you have any idea what your account password is?
I'm not asking you to tell me. I'm just pointing out that getting where you
want to go on the phone is much easier if you know your password.
You can always call Verizon and talk to a human. Granted, their website
doesn't make them easy to find, but here are the telephone numbers:
*611 from your cell, or 800.922.0204. (I highly recommend that you put these
numbers in your contacts for future reference.)
When the first menu system comes up, you want option 4, which is "Other".
The next step is an automated voice which asks you to "say" what your
question or problem is.  What you want to say is, "OPERATOR." 
Next it will ask for your password. If you don't know your password, just
don't enter ANYTHING.
The next thing that happens is a human being will actually answer. You can
explain your problem to them.
If you have any problems because you don't know your password, go directly
to your nearest Verizon store. I highly recommend you go on a weekday before
3 pm if you can, as  that will narrow down the number of other customers.
I hope this helps.
Ian