Who holds Verizon employees and management accountable and where can I file a complaint.

Question

I feel that writing this letter is a waste of time, but I feel the way customer service reps (not all) as well as their managers (again not all) need to held accountable for lies and disrespectful business practices they place on loyal customers.  This is a long and confusing issue, but in as short as possible, I have been a loyal Verizon Wireless customer for several years. This past September 2014, I along with about 200 other loyal customers waited for several hours in anticipation of the IPhone 6 being released outside of a big box Verizon Store located at 7790 Montgomery Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45236, phone number [phone]. Because of my early arrival, I was number two in line and number two to enter the store once opened.  At approximately 7:30 a.m., Verizon Store employees and an unknown woman claiming to be a manager came from the store with flyers in hand and explained the purchase process.  She advised customers were able to buy a maximum of three phones, but could only buy one phone at retail price without contract.  I informed the manager that I was not eligible for an upgrade at the time, as my wife and I still had about a year of service left on my current contract.  At that time I was told “too bad, there are a lot of customers here for the same thing, and if you want the iPhones you will have to add two lines of service.”  I had about $2000.00 in my hand willing to pay full price for phones and have them swapped out for my current devices and was told “too bad.”  Well after waiting in line for the amount of time I had, I pretty much had no other choice, entered the store, and paid for two new lines of service in order to get two IPhone 6 plus devices with 128 gb of storage. 
Immediate upon returning home, I contacted Verizon customer service (phone call one 9/19/14) and requested to terminate both lines, and move the IPhone 6 plus phones to my original lines.  Upon explaining the situation to the customer service rep, he was confused as to why I was told I had to open two new lines, but complied.  Later in the night, I had realized service was still not activated on the lines after switching the IPhone 6 plus to my original numbers and call customer service again (call two 9/19/14).  After explaining the whole situation over again, I was again informed that the store was wrong and should not have made me add two new lines.  This customer service rep informed me of the cancellation fees ($350.00 per line x 2), which I told her I was aware, and had planned to pay $950.00 per phone originally so had no problem paying the termination fee.  The customer service rep again told me that all had been completed and the lines would be turned off.
On Saturday September 20, 2014, I signed on to my Verizon wireless.com account and saw that I still had two lines (previously told were shut off) still active on my account, with no phones associated with the numbers.  Again, upon contacting customer service (call 3 9/20/2014) I had to explain the entire situation all over.  At that time I was advised by the customer service rep, that because I was not returning the phones and just wished to pay the termination fees, that I would need to wait until after 14 days of service to call in and cancel the lines, and also have to request a refund on the activation fees (should be waived if canceled within 72 hours of activation) and any service charges associated with having two lines with no physical phones actually being attached to them.  At this point I thanked the customer service rep and was informed that all notations to the account were visible in the account to anyone I spoke with.
Friday October 3, 2014, I again contacted Verizon customer service (call 4 10/3/2014) to cancel these lines.  Upon explaining the situation again to the customer service rep, I was informed the store I got the phones from (A VERIZON WIRELESS OWNED STORE) had lied to me in that I needed to add lines.  At this point, the female representative informed me the activation fees would be waived, along with any other fees, and the lines were cancelled. 
Saturday October 4, 2014 I again logged onto my Verizon Wireless.com account and saw that the lines I was told had twice been removed, were still active and alive with no physical devices actually being associated with the lines of service.  AGAIN, calling customer service (call 5 10/4/2014) I spoke with a gentleman and expressed my frustrations as to being misinformed several times thus far.  At this point, the customer service rep, after keeping me on hold for about 45 minutes, returned to the phone and advised my that the lines were set for cancelation, but not until my next billing cycle, and that I would need to call in again once all service, activation, and whatever else charges were put on my account to have them removed.  During the conversation, (without me asking for a single thing at any point during the conversation except just to have the lines turned off and refund the fees) The customer service rep informed me that he was sorry and his manager was sorry for inconvenience that VERIZON had caused me, as a small toke of VERIZON’s appreciation, VERIZON would waive any and all fees associated with the two lines I was forced to add, to include any and all early termination fees.  Again, I never once asked for anything, but was offered by VERIZON employees and a VERIZON manager.  I was also informed that when I did call back in, the next customer service rep would see all of these offers in my account notations and would comply.
Tuesday October 7, 2014, I was able to view my bill and had observed the added charges associated with account activation, and lines of service.  At that point I again called Verizon customer service (Call 6, 10/7/2014) to have these charges removed.  Upon calling and AGAIN explaining the two weeks of hell VERIZON had caused me, I was again apologized to, and informed that the last customer service rep had notated everything as I had explained and was informed and exactly quoted by the representative from VERIZON “We are nothing without our integrity at VERIZON, and VERIZON told you we would waive all of these fees (as notated in my account) VERIZON will stand by our word.” At that point, I was told I would need to be placed on hold as the charges and fees were large (about $263.00 in service fees and $700.00 in early termination fees) it would take a while for the customer service rep to work with his manager to have these charges removed (and in the case of the ETFs, not post to the account at my next billing cycle).  After one hour of sitting on hold, I was again in contact with the customer service rep and told, he and his manager had put in for every single refund and credit, the VERIZON MANAGER had approved all, but one final approval was needed which may take a day or two.  AGAIN all of this is notated in the account as to offers and promises made by VERIZON wireless employees and managers, and again I had NEVER asked for a single penny refunded, but was offered.  I AGAIN was completely willing to pay for the phones and the ETFs without problem, but was again and again offered such refunds and credits by VERIZON employees.
Wednesday October 9, 2014, because of the continual misinformation I have been given by VERIZON employees, I contacted VERIZON customer service again (call 7, 10/9/2014) to check on the status of the credits and refunds.  At that time, I was informed, that many of the credits had been approved, but both ETF fees were denied and would only be refunded if I returned the devices.  As frustrated and confused as I was, I calmly explained every single thing that was offered to me again by VERIZON and was confused as to why a MANAGER for VERIZON would offer such things and then they would be denied.  The female customer service rep informed me that she was unfamiliar with the situation, would message the male customer service rep and or manager I spoke with on October 7, 2014 and have them reach out to me to explain. I was also told I would hear from them within a “few hours.”  This call was placed at about 9:00 a.m., and by 6:00 p.m. I had still not heard anything back from VERIZON.  At that time I again called VERIZON customer service (call 8, 10/9/2014) and spoke with another customer service rep.  Again for the 8th time explained the entire VERIZON lying situation, and was told that he (VERIZON representative) saw was I had been offered several times (refunds and credits) in the account notations and “too bad, VERIZON does not offer refunds or waivers of ETFs.”  At this point in the conversation, without completely cursing out the representative, I asked to speak with his supervisor and was turned over to another supervisor to speak with.  Upon speaking with the supervisor, I was informed (for the first time) that although VERIZON WIRELESS employees / MANAGERs had offered me refunds of ETFs, WHICH WAS DOCUMENTED NUMEROUS TIMES BY VERIZON in my account details, VERIZON simply could not waive these fees.  I again informed the manager that I didn’t care about the fees and was willing to pay, but I was tired of being LIED TO.  At that point in the conversation, I was again apologized to over and over again and as a token of apology from VERIZON, he a VERIZON MANAGER offered me a $70.00 bill credit in order to help with the ETFs.  Again, I never once asked for anything, but was offered time and time again from VERIZON EMPLOYEES and MANAGERS.  I thanked him for his offer and the call ended.
October 10, 2014 (AGAIN after repeatedly being lied to contacted VERIZON customer service to check on the status of my credits (call 9, 10/10/2014).  At that time, I spoke with a female representative and again explained the entire dilemma caused by VERIZON.  Again, I was apologized to countless times and was informed that a bill credit for $70.00 was pending as I was informed on the previous night by a VERIZON WIRELESS MANAGER, but she did not have access to see any further details.  After again apologizing countless times, the customer service representative seemed to be frustrated that I had been treated so negatively and informed me she was going to address this with her manager.  Upon her return to the line, and again without ever asking for one single thing, the VERIZON representative with her VERIZON MANAGER offered to meet “half way” with regards to the lowest ETF fees associated with my accounts and provide a $235.00 bill credit to help me and as a token of “sorry for VERIZON’s screw up and constant lies.”  I was also told I would be contacted by her manager within four hours at approximately or before 2:00 p.m.  5:00 p.m. on that same date, after not hearing anything back I again called VERIZON customer service (call 10, 10/10/2014) spoke with another customer service rep and told her the entire story over again.  I told the rep I wanted to speak with a manager right at that moment and was placed on the phone with a woman named Linda I believe. Linda informed me that the credit I was previously told I would be given earlier on that date was rejected and I would not be given it.  Again without completely going nuts, I calmly explained my complete disgust with VERIZON and the constant lies I was being told.  Again after countless apologies from another VERIZON MANAGER, she politely explained to me again the whole VERIZON cannot offer such refunds or credits associated with ETFs and was appalled that anyone in VERIZON would offer such things knowing they could not be given.  While working with her, she informed me the best solution to saving money was to cancel my original phone accounts and keep the two new lines that were pending deactivation, which would result in a $250.00 reduced ETF as opposed to a $700.00.  I agreed based on her advice without argument and was informed it may take a few hours for the new numbers to be placed back on the IPhones.  Two hours later, my phones still not turned on, I contacted VERIZON again.  I had also noted that every single bill credit previously applied to my account was back on the account.  At this point being as furious as I was, I again called VERIZON WIRELESS (call 11, 10/10/2014) demanded to speak with a MANAGER and was placed on hold.  After waiting for an hour on hold (no exaggeration) the customer service representative returned, apologized for everything including the wait time, and placed a male MANAGER on the phone. After explaining the entire three plus week VERIZON lying dilemma, which he was able to see in the account notes where every VERIZON employees acknowledged the misinformation of the previous employee I had spoke with, he again apologized and explained that I did not lose the bill credits, but because two lines had been canceled, the credits were instead applied to my unbilled ETFs, and they would appear on my next bill.  He also informed the SIM cards in my devices would still require more time to activate and that they should be turned on by 7:00 a.m. the next day.
While doing research on the SIM issue, I found that VERIZON policy was immediate and SIMs would not require rebooting time to come out of I believe it is called “AG” or “aging” status.  Again contacting VERIZON customer service (call 12, 10/10/2014) spoke with a female customer service agent, who actually looking back was the only one not to represent falsehoods or lies, informed me that because the SIM cards were previously associated with cancelled lines, I would need to go to a VERIZON wireless store and get two new SIM cards.  At this point in the day it was about 10:00 p.m. and all VERIZON stores were closed for the day.  With no choice in the matter, I agreed, and asked just out of curiosity, on the status of the$70.00 bill credit, I was promised on October 9, 2014.  At that point the rep informed me that she was able to see that the VERIZON MANAGER had notated and put a credit request in while I was speaking with him, but then immediately cancelled his own request and closed the situation immediately following the completion of our call.  I believe at this point in the entire situation I was so fed up this did not surprise me whatsoever so who could I complain to.  The very nice customer service representative again apologized for the continued lies I was told and offered me (not a bill credit), but a data GB credit for 12 months (again without me asking for anything).  In her own words “I do not want to promise you the world and then lie to you and get your hopes up thinking it will happen as has happened to you numerous times.”    I truly appreciated her honesty and her acknowledgement of the complete disgusting actions by previous VERIZON employees and MANAGERS. 
The next day October 11, 2014 I drove with both IPhones to the Verizon big box store, explained the entire story to the employee, was apologized to for a 20 minutes, the manager came out and apologized as well, GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!  The store is located at 2028 Florence Mall Rd, Space 1139, Florence, KY, [phone] (Manager was great so was employee).  Never once offered me anything to make up for mistakes VERIZON had made in the past, which I really didn’t care because I never asked nor expected anything, but were truly grateful for my service (I am military and a Federal Law Enforcement Officer) and truly apologized for the actions of the Verizon Sore in Cincinnati Ohio (Again the manager stated the manager at the Cincinnati store lied), and especially apologized for all the lies and mis-information given to me over a three plus week time period.
            Finally, October 15, 2014, I log in to my Verizon wireless account to view my features and reactivate VERIZON’s high definition calling features and see that since September 19, 2014 (original date I purchased the IPhones) I have been charged for Verizon Cloud storage.  I HAVE NEVER AGREED TO THESE SERVICES, NEVER REQUESTED THESE SERVICES, NEVER EVEN NEW THEY WERE THERE!!!!  Again had to call VERIZON for the fraud and lies they are perpetrating on a daily basis, COMPLAIN to another customer service rep (call 13 10/15/2014) in order to get the fraudulent charges removed from my bill. 
Conclusion
            Here I sit writing this long complaint that no one in VERIZON will ever be held accountable for, no one will answer for the lies, mis-information, and disrespect employees and VERIZON MANAGERS perpetrate even though each lie was documented by VERIZON in account notations, and no one will be accountable for the lies the retail stores tell in order to increase their QUOTA to activate a certain amount of new lines per month.  I am utterly disgusted with the treatment I have received, will be requesting these notations (if they have not been deleted from my account), have documented each conversation, and recorded many of the conversations, with an end result of pretty much nothing.  VERIZON does not care about their customers and could probably care less about my terrible experience.  While there are several other cellular options available, they are all crooks and liars just as the perfect documented examples of VERIZON employees and management lying in this case.
Christopher

Answer 1

    Giogetz,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I am shocked by the many representatives that you had to speak to regarding your first request. This situation should have never gotten to be complicated and resulting in multiple calls from you. I apologize on behalf of those representatives for dropping the ball. I do agree that the representatives do need to be held accountable and I would like to submit feedback for those that you worked with. I have sent you a direct message. Please reply to the direct message so I can begin submitting feedback.
AndreaS_VZW
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