Verizon Overbilling

FYI. I have a smart phone with data plan with Verizon but my wife doesn't want any part of a smart phone. Flip phone to make and receive calls. We have a pay as you go plan with Verizon for her phone and instead of $20 or $25 for minutes that expire at the end of each month we pay $104 for 400 minutes that are good for a year. Works out to about $9 a month. She has yet to run out of minutes. I renew every year using her phone without talking to anyone.

Bill.Satellite wrote:
It seems hard to believe that calling 611 from your phone did not get you to a real person, even without a PIN.

x2.

Also I would think setting up a PIN would be rather easy.. easier than what you're going through without it.

It seems hard to believe that calling 611 from your phone did not get you to a real person, even without a PIN.

Thanks to all you guys who offered info - we've decided to change and are doing a bit if research between T-mobile and a pay/go phone ... so much out there its difficult to "get it" ... so will move on from Verizon just on principle as it won't even allow me to see my account at the moment ...

As long as folks can keep the same phone number, then it will always leave all of us with choices ... a good thing. Will let you know what we do, but at the moment, looks like T-mobile is the front-runner ...as per wa8yxm advice earlier.

T-Mobile is offering a very good plan for those 55+. Take a look if you want something more than an emergency phone.

ncscz wrote:

monkey44 wrote:

...

Anyway, I just wanted to get info, and end up ranting instead because its so frustrating -- thanks for the comments ... will deal with this change-over to new carrier Monday.

Easy solution - go to WalMart, Target, etc. and buy a pre-paid phone, there will be several different providers - Tracfone, AT&T, Verizon, StraightTalk and others. Phones will cost from $20 up, you pick what you want. Just be sure which cellular network the phone uses. Tracfone and StraightTalk can use AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile depending on which phone you get. If your usage is like you stated, you would be paying $20 every 90 days at Tracfone.

As soon as you successfully transfer your number to your new phone send to the Verizon billing address (there still is one - some people get a paper bill and pay by check) VIA US Mail (return receipt with signature) a check for what you owe Verizon with a written letter showing how you arrived at the balance.

A written letter bypasses all the call center problems and goes to the payments processing directly to someone who can correct the problem.

I planned on sending a letter, real, on paper after Monday - but I can't get into my account to see what is the problem, so I can't even compute it - this is not the first time I've had this problem. Ten years+ with Verizon with minimal issues - this is several times in the past year or so, and I've spent hours with limited resolution each time - this one is it, it's over - either T-Mobile, or a pay-as-you-go phone as long as I can transfer my number ... When I have to jump thru this many hoops just to talk to a person about an issue, I'm gone ...

monkey44 wrote:

...

Anyway, I just wanted to get info, and end up ranting instead because its so frustrating -- thanks for the comments ... will deal with this change-over to new carrier Monday.

Easy solution - go to WalMart, Target, etc. and buy a pre-paid phone, there will be several different providers - Tracfone, AT&T, Verizon, StraightTalk and others. Phones will cost from $20 up, you pick what you want. Just be sure which cellular network the phone uses. Tracfone and StraightTalk can use AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile depending on which phone you get. If your usage is like you stated, you would be paying $20 every 90 days at Tracfone.

As soon as you successfully transfer your number to your new phone send to the Verizon billing address (there still is one - some people get a paper bill and pay by check) VIA US Mail (return receipt with signature) a check for what you owe Verizon with a written letter showing how you arrived at the balance.

A written letter bypasses all the call center problems and goes to the payments processing directly to someone who can correct the problem.

Larry-D wrote:
In all my years with Verizon and their previous name, Cellular One I've never not been able to speak with a live person. We've called them a lot over the years and always found them pleasant and most helpful. We have asked for a lot of favors over the years and have never been let down.

I have too, in past years ... but suddenly, I cannot get to my account, or to a live person without a PIN - not even to explain I don't have a PIN ... and this is the umpteenth time they have over-billed me ... and it takes me months to resolve it, and time, and time, and time. It bills me for services I don't have (Like Hotspot, which I cancelled months ago after we returned home (September) until next summer. And I keep getting billed for it ...

Anyway, I just wanted to get info, and end up ranting instead because its so frustrating -- thanks for the comments ... will deal with this change-over to new carrier Monday.

In all my years with Verizon and their previous name, Cellular One I've never not been able to speak with a live person. We've called them a lot over the years and always found them pleasant and most helpful. We have asked for a lot of favors over the years and have never been let down.

AsheGuy wrote:
I don't doubt the OP has a real and frustrating problem with Verizon. However, pin numbers and related security things protect us from being hacked and the OP would be equally upset if his account had been hacked. It certainly is not good that he cannot contact anyone in Verizon to get his account access straightened out.

My experience with Verizon is that they are very responsive whenever I have had an issue (I do have a pin but don't remember being asked for it in normal interaction with Verizon). We have had a Verizon account since back when our original regional cell service was bought out by Verizon. I have gone through several Verizon pre-smart cell phones and smartphones. My wife and I now both have unlocked pure android smartphones and only deal with Verizon for the cell service and data plan. I highly recommend going this route.

Like most cell carriers, I always felt robbed by their lack of carryover for unused data but Verizon now does carry over unused data for one month so that works for me. Also, Verizon allows bumping up and down monthly data limits as needed to better fit one's needs. All this and the fact Verizon is the only carrier that has service in one place we spend a lot of time has kept me happy with their service.

I understand the reason for pin numbers - security. BUT, there should be at least one way to talk to a person direct when you have a problem like this. I've been with Verizon for over ten years - I still have a flip-phone for this account. So, I never got a pin, because no one ever said "go get one" ... now, when I try to access my account to see the billing, I can't, because somewhere along this time frame, Verizon added that PIN ... and I can't get Verizon on the phone with out one so I can go get one.

It's outrageous that a customer has to come onto a forum like this to get a way to contact Verizon for a problem - and I plan to resolve this Monday - using the numbers you all gave here, or will abandon Verizon after all these years and use either T-Mobile, or maybe just buy a "minutes phone" and recharge it once a month for urgent stuff...

In two weeks this month, I used only seventeen minutes on this phone so far out of 700 allowance ... so it's an emergency use and a number to put in paperwork (Medical, utilities, etc) ... SO, I've had it with Verizon - one way or another and will get this billing straightened out before I depart for good. Don't want a billing tag following me all over, and end up on CC report... because then I'd have to file in court, which it would just on general principle - just to twist their panties because they have it coming. Betcha that gets me a phone call for sure.