Update: 8/19/11 We were put in contact with a wonderful store manager who did the right thing and helped us out. We're done with Verizon and have moved on.
Update: 8/18/11 We were told by 2 tech's that since I could make calls it didn't really matter if voice would drop constantly and I'd have to keep calling the person back. Because I was still able to actually make calls. This is the last straw for me.
Small Update: 8/18/11 6pm EST. Not really much of an update, but I thought I'd put it in here anyway. Now they have opened ANOTHER trouble ticket and said that they escalated it. This is the THIRD time we've been told that we had an "escalated" trouble ticket. They are still doing nothing different than they've done the past 3 months to resolve this issue. So, to sum this up. They are continuing to give us the run around. I'm not backing down.
I will attempt to make this as brief as I can.
We've had an ongoing issue with my line that Verizon Wireless has not resolved/fixed for over 90 days now. I lose voice constantly. Sometimes I can't even make it 2 minutes without voice loss and having to call the person back. It often happens repeatedly.
We have tried 5 different devices (a couple different models/makers as well), ruling that out. It is clearly not the device. Over the last 3 months we have bent over backwards doing EVERY SINGLE THING tech support has asked us to do. Multiple devices, multiple sim cards, us marking calls etc. We all know it is not the hardware.
The network people keep coming up with theories and each one has proven to be wrong. At one point I was told that when 4G opened up in our area it would probably go away. It has not. At this point, the tech support and network engineers have told us that there isn't anything different for us to try. We've already been to the top network engineer in the area and back. My line continues to be a major issue and since VZW can't fix it, we have decided it's time to move on so we can get service that works properly.
To give you an idea of how bad the issue is, in about a 20 day period there were about 500 voice losses/drops. This is documented with VZW. They had me marking the calls, this is how we know how many there actually were. Verizon Wireless refuses to let us out of our contract without paying the ETF (Early Termination Fee) for the issues, despite it being ongoing with no resolution for so long. This service is absolutely unacceptable and there is no reason they will not allow us to terminate the contract without paying the ETF. This issue is their fault, not mine.
SO, since they are refusing to help for that reason... We decided we wanted to exercise our right as customers as stated in their Customer Agreement to cancel our contract without paying our ETF due to them changing our contract and it having a material adverse effect on as as customers. They raised our regulatory fee. Here in the paragraph below.
Can Verizon Wireless Change This Agreement or My Service?
We may change prices or any other term of your Service or this agreement at any time,but we'll provide notice first, including written notice if you have Postpay Service. If you use your Service after the change takes effect, that means you're accepting the change. If you're a Postpay customer and a change to your Plan or this agreement has a material adverse effect on you, you can cancel the line of Service that has been affected within 60 days of receiving the notice with no early termination fee.
This is where the CS rep got dirty. She said that because it is stated that those fees can change, the above paragraph did not cover us. However, I do not see where it states the regulatory fee is
excluded, do you? I don't. Here is the paragraph she cited below.
What Charges Are Set by Verizon Wireless?
You agree to pay all access, usage and other charges that you or the user of your wireless device incurred. For Postpay Service, our charges also include Federal Universal Service, Regulatory and Administrative Charges, and we may also include other charges related to our governmental costs. We set these charges; they aren't taxes, they aren't required by law, they are kept by us in whole or in part, and the amounts and what they pay for may change.
Again, I do not see where the regulatory fee is stated to be
excluded from the changes that have a material adverse effect on customers, allowing us to terminate without an ETF.
Now, there
IS a part in the contract that specifically states that it is NOT considered a material adverse effect. Which would exclude it from the paragraph that states that a change they make to your contract that has a material adverse effect allows you to terminate without paying the ETF. The section citing the regulatory fee, does not state this. The below quoted paragraph is where they specifically exclude something from being a material adverse effect.
Am I Eligible for Special Discounts?
If you're a Postpay customer, you may be eligible for a discount if you are and remain affiliated with an organization that has an agreement with us. Unless your discount is through a government employee discount program, we may share certain information about your Service (including your name, your wireless telephone number and your total monthly charges) with your organization from time to time to make sure you're still eligible. We may adjust or remove your discount according to your organization's agreement with us, and remove your discount if your eligibility ends or your contract term expires. In any case, this won't be considered to have a material adverse effect on you.
It is absolutely reasonable to conclude that the regulatory fee is in fact considered a material adverse effect on the customer when the fee is raised. With it being a material adverse effect it allows the customer under the Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement to terminate their account WITHOUT paying the ETF, as it is not stated to be excluded in the contract.
Verizon Wireless is refusing the adhere to their own contract with us. All we are asking is to be released from our contract without paying the ETF so we can get properly working service elsewhere.
That's it. I just want a reasonably reliable line and VZW is clearly unable to provide this for me, despite us paying our full bill every. single. month.
To add insult to injury, last night, when my husband asked to terminate our contract without paying the ETF because of the serious line issues being unresolved after 90+ days, he was flat out lied to. A manager told him all he had to do was go and have our numbers ported elsewhere and then they would remove the ETF from the account. My husband called CS back to confirm this and was told that is absolutely NOT how it's done. He was blatantly lied to and it could have cost us nearly $700 in ETF's had he not called back and found out she lied to him. This is one of many lies we have been told over the past 3 months. As customers of 10+ years, this is disappointing on so many levels. We don't just WANT to leave VZW, however with them being unable/unwilling to fix my line, we don't see how we have much of a choice.
Below are screenshots of the contract with the previously cited paragraphs marked. Click on them to view them larger.