Note 7 recall triggered device payments on Note 5 to be reinstated/ can't trade in Note 7 until paid off
JOLOZO86
Newbie

11/26/2016

To All Those With Authority:

I am contacting you after exhausting all available customer service outlets in hopes of getting my very unique situation resolved.  In the past three months, my wife and I have spent countless hours in Verizon stores and on the phone with your company, only trying to have Verizon’s simple mistake corrected. Please see below a timeline of events:

12/30/2015 - Date we purchased Galaxy Note 5 from Best Buy Mobile.

8/18/2016 – I received a pre-order notification through MyVerizon app promoting the release of the Samsung Note 7, which stated that I had the ability to upgrade both phones on my plan without any fees.  I called Customer Service (female rep, name unknown) to verify this promotion and it was confirmed.  At this time, I upgraded both phones on my plan and received confirmation of shipment.

8/23/2016- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones received and activated.

8/26/2016 – Due to issues with one of our Note 7 devices, went to Beaumont, CA Verizon Wireless store to exchange.  At this time, we also tried to turn in our Samsung Note 5 devices, and were told that we should have had shipping labels (included with our Note 7 packages) in order to return Note 5 devices, and we had 14 days to do so.  

9/7/2016 - Date we contacted corporate (female rep, name unknown) because we went to ship the Galaxy Note 5 devices, and realized that we only had one shipping label. This rep explained that we couldn’t ship both phones with one shipping label because they needed to be processed separately. She confirmed shipment of two NEW shipping labels, and requested for us to destroy the label we had in our possession.  She also said she would note our account in order to avoid any additional charges for late return of our devices.

Late-September, Early October (Date Unknown, but account notes should be present) – I contacted Customer Service (male rep, name unknown) because we once again only received one shipping label for the Note 5 device return. This rep apologized and explained that he would be sending two labels and to once again, destroy the single shipping label as it would be rendered useless. At this time, we also discussed that my account was being charged for two devices, despite only using the Note 7, and he corrected the error by ending the payments on the Note 5 devices and issuing a credit for the unnecessary charge as well as adding 4 GB of data to my plan as a courtesy for the inconvenience.  (To date, shipping labels were never received)

10/7/2016 – Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone is recalled for safety issues, and Verizon announces the ability to return the Note 7 for a replacement phone, and offers a $100 bill credit.  As we were not experiencing any issues with our phones and are typically responsible when it comes to their care, we elected to wait until Black Friday to complete the exchange in hope of taking advantage of other promotions that may be available.

On or about 11/19/2016 – I called Customer Service (female rep, name unknown), and let her know that I still had not received the shipping labels for the Galaxy Note 5, and at this point I would like to arrange to return all four phones into store (2 Galaxy Note 5’s, and 2 recalled Galaxy Note 7’s).  After three attempts to obtain the correct shipping labels, I was unsuccessful, and quite frankly frustrated that I still had these phones in my possession.  This rep processed my request and at the end of our call informed me that I would be able to take all four phones into store for return, and pick up the Galaxy S7 Edge phones without issue.

11/22/2016 – Went into Best Buy and I was told that they couldn’t take the Note 7 phones (needed to go directly to Verizon store), and that there was an outstanding device payoff balance showing on our account.  This was strange, because we didn’t have any active devices besides the Note 7’s which were recalled, and given the terms of the recall, the Note 7s should have been exchanged without issue.  Any monies paid towards the Note 7 balance was to be refunded and there were to be no upgrade fees as the recall was not due to the consumer.

11/22/2016- Called Customer Service (female rep, “Niesha”) and explained what happened at Best Buy.  Spent 2+ hours on the phone with her as she was trying to resolve the situation.  She explained that this was a unique situation and that a form was needed to be filed.  She explained that she spoke to her supervisors and that all issues were to be resolved so that I would be able to exchange phones on Black Friday and still be able to take advantage of the ongoing Black Friday Promotions submitting a form for a “forced buy out”, as they were going to be .  Her instructions were to take the phones to a local Verizon Corporate store and inform the representative to review the notes and that everything should be handled accordingly.

11/25/2016 - We attempted to exchange the 4 devices at the Verizon store at 2105 S. University Drive, and instructed the representative to review the notes as explained.  She contacted her manager to review the notes who explained nothing could be done until the balance for the Note 5s had been paid off. At this point, I was confused as there should not have been a balance on the Note 5s as those were set to be traded in for the Note 7s (already in my possession). 

11/25/2016 - I called Customer Service to make one final attempt to correct this. I explained the amount of time I invested personally in trying to correct all of these issues that had nothing to do with any actions I took.  I explained that the only acceptable option was to return the Note 5s and the Note 7s and complete the upgrade process to the Samsung S7 Edge without penalty.  The representative attempted to explain that this was not possible and instead, said I would need to pay the $900 outstanding balance on the Note 5s, and then my bill would be credited the amount, essentially forcing me to finance Verizon’s error over the next 4 months until the $900 Note 5 balance was paid off.

11/26/2016 – I called again to explain the current situation and attempt to find out who exactly would be able to review my unique situation and issue a solution as Customer Service was clearly not an option. I was then informed that despite the phone call on 11/22/16, the Customer Service Rep did not in fact submit the form for the forced buy out.  This is an ongoing pattern of inability to complete a task. I requested that the form be reprocessed for both lines, with me on the phone, and informed the rep that I would be contacting corporate to still take advantage of the sales that were available while trying to complete this exchange, but I was not able to do so due to Verizon’s consistent mistakes.

In Summary - I upgraded my Samsung Note 5s, through a promotion offered by Verizon, to the Samsung Note 7.  Verizon failed in properly sending the return shipping labels for the Note 5s.  Samsung recalled the Note 7s, and Verizon took that opportunity to reinstate my balance on the Note 5s as there was no device payment on my bill, and made it impossible to trade in my Note 7s for a different phone.  After wasting TOO MUCH of my own personal time, I took the devices to Verizon personally, and am now being told I am responsible to pay for a mistake in Verizon’s system, while still using a device that is currently recalled and limited thanks to software updates.  This is 100% unacceptable.   Now, we are past Black Friday, and all available promotions have been exhausted, I still “owe” money on a device that I am not using, nor should I have. 

My Request - I am asking that you please review my account and see exactly what happened. I am continuously told that there was a “glitch” in the system and I should not have been able to upgrade to the Note 7s at all, but that is impossible as the promotion was through Verizon, and done so according to your program.  If this was in fact a Verizon error, this needs to be corrected. 

All I am asking is that I be able to return our Samsung Note 5s and Samsung Note 7s, receive Samsung Galaxy S7 Edges at the Black Friday special of $0/month, receive the Galaxy VR headsets as promised with purchase of a Samsung handset, and receive the $100 bill credit per phone as promised in the Note 7 recall, without having to pay off the Note 5s as we NEVER NEEDED TO, given the original promotion. 

As of now, a “forced buy out” has been applied for for the current devices, which, would essentially end the outstanding balance on the Note 5s.  Therefore, I would just need that application to be pushed through, and be allowed to still take advantage of the Black Friday promotion for the S7 edge. (Free S7, and free VR Headset, $100 bill credit for Samsung trade in per phone)

Possible solution - If need be, you are welcome to leave the monthly $33 charge per phone on my bill and simply issue a $66 credit to my account per bill until the Note 5s are paid off.  But at this point, I’ve exhausted all of my resources and the next step would involve vocalizing publicly exactly how Verizon practices business when at fault.

I hope that we can resolve this issues as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Thank you,

/s/

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