I'm really writing this to gloat just a tad bit because I feel like I had a huge win over Verizon wireless. For those of you who own Samsung devices you will be happy. I'll start by saying a couple months back I almost lost my note 3.
So I figured that was the time to venture over to Samsung.com and set up the find my phone feature. After an hour of not being able to get it to work, or being able to find the remote control setting in my device I called Samsung. A very brief conversation with the Samsung rep gave me the knowledge that Verizon has removed this feature.
I then called Verizon and was informed it had been removed, and that the cost of my monthly insurance on my device had been lowered to $8 a month from $10. But I was still being charged $10 to cover the $1 a month charge for Verizon mobile security, and $1 a month for Verizon version of find my mobile. I, like many of you would, found this unacceptable. That Verizon would remove a free feature and add a paid service in it's place. I demanded a refund of $2 a month for the six months they have been charging me for a service that I was never informed about and they obliged.
So I then filed a complaint with the BBB and FTC regarding this practice. Verizon responded, and I had a couple conversations with a senior representative and demanded nothing short of returning the feature to my, and all Samsung devices. As was expected, he refused on behalf of Verizon wireless. He then responded to my complaint on the BBB website and I rejected his response.
After another round of this through the BBB Verizon's response to my complaint was found to be not satisfying to the BBB and an arbitration hearing was scheduled. I now have all the paperwork filled out and ready to send to the BBB to begin the arbitration hearing.
This evening I received an update for my note 3 which takes it to 4.4.4. And in that update, low and behold, is the remote control feature, previously removed by Verizon wireless. I'm stoked. I just find it curious that for an undisclosed amount of time Verizon has been blocking this free feature, and charging you, it's customers $1 a month for there find my phone service. On a personal level $12 a year is tiddly winks to me. But on the grand scheme of things, this is millions of dollars a year Verizon is extracting from it's customers without anyone ever catching on, except me. So to all you Samsung people, this one is for you. For every one else, stay vigilant, as Verizon is a sneaky lizard trying to nickel and dime us, so that that little bit of chump change they get from each customer, will add up to a rather large sum of money.
To Verizon, thank you for returning the feature to my device, but no thank you for forcing me to take time out of my busy life, to call you out on your shoddy business practices. The feature should have never been removed in the first place.
Yeah vzw sneaky greedy lizard. Those prices are now $11 &$9 btw. But you can use several free apps to gps the phone like android device mgr . I have the tec and use mobile recovery app. If I didn't have insurance I could use one of the free apps.
That's what Verizon kept telling me and that was unacceptable. My complaint compared this practice to removing find my iphone and then charging $1 a month for its replacement. Verizon claims no responsibility for firmware updates, yet reserves the right to add and remove features? Unacceptable and my complaint stated this. I know need to contact the BBB and inform them Verizon has given back the feature.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
