Verizon charging for customer service?

I heard that if you call in or go into the store (to me the same thing) they will charge you to change ESN numbers. The ESN change can be done online for free. I think it's because VZW wants to cut down on traffic in it's stores and less calls in the call centers. Which to me it's understandable if you can do such things online for free. I heard that there is some issue when changing from a VCast enabled phone to a non-VCast phone online in which you can't do it and you have to call it. I think under those circumstances they fee will be waived.

This is all the info I have been able to get online. Anyone else feel free to add or correct. =)

 

If it will help lines and call wait times then I dont care.

 

A lot of people still hog up representatives by insisting on making bill payments with a live person. Most stores even have cash machines for people paying with cash.

You can pay your bill via check, debit card, or credit card over the phone or internet. Why wait an hour in line?

I believe VZW could cut down on some overhead by clearing out some some unnecessary traffic.

Still, this will undoutedly make some people mad. Some customers like to be babied or waited on hand & foot. These people will not be too happy or they'll just have an excuse to setup their accounts online. What a concept?

 

If VZW charges for an ESN change, I hope the online function is working. I'd rather do it from my PC instead of speaking with a rep who asks me what kind of phone it is, where I got it, etc.

 

This reminds me of my mother in law, who drives around to pay her phone and electric bills. The stamp would be cheaper than the gas. Some people like to get a receipt.

 

starting july 18th, 2005 vzw will charge a $15 service charge for the following transactions:

*change of mobile telephone number
*early upgrades
*esn changes at customer requests (doesn't apply to lost/stolen phones as well as lockline replacements)

...everything else has no charge (new every two, my account online esn changes, upgrades within 10 or 22 months, etc)

Really it isn't that big of a deal. If you have to have your esn changed go to an indirect retailer like radio shack and they can do it for free.

 

Early upgrades? So are you talking about if a VZW customer decided to buy the latest phone out. That person pays full retail price and they will still get charged a fee or am I misundestanding you? If I am right, why couldn't the customer just buy the phone and go change the ESN online at home?

 

$15 for an ESN change? Hahahahhaha! I've seen it all now.

When I was in service, an ESN change took about 30 seconds of typing on the keyboard. If your logged directly into the switch, its even faster!

I reckon they can charge for anything they want...but thats just crazy. I can see charging for things that actually inconvenience the company, or hinder the process or actually require work.

 

Ouch!!

I'm gonna be pissed if the online ESN function doesn't work now.

 

Not sure if i remember correctly but does Verizon also charge now to transfer your phone contacts to another handset?

 

yep
I think it is $10

That is probably why they don't want you to have a R-UIM card in your phone :devil: :rant:

 

That is true...I guess they're not making enough money in store. I mean it sounds clever to charge for certain in store transactions to ease store traffic, because in my local stores, people always come in for stupid things, and I have to wait for something that has to be done at the store, but on the other hand, customer service should be free.

 

I don't pay too much attention to what the stores do. I did notice that they installed one of those payment centers last week, they have been spending time training the customers how to use it...more time on that then actually taking the payment would have taken, but once customers are used to it, things should improve.

They do charge for phone book transfers...I'm not certain, but I believe the vendor charges Verizon by number of transfers per month. Plus those transfers take quite a few minutes, most people with big phone books don't mind spending the ten dollars to keep from having to do the work themselves.

 

I've seen payment centers around Verizon stores in my area for quite a while now. Doesn't seem like anything new in my area. I am wondering, though, why customers make their way to the store, instead of paying their bill online or over the phone with Check/Debit/Credit Card, of course unless they don't trust it that way or want to pay cash. I just know that I would never waste my time going to the store to make a payment.
I didn't know the vendor charges Verizon for phone book transfers, that's interesting to know. So the equipment isn't theirs or how does it work?

 

Thats strange, I'm not sure how they are doing the transfer. We use Cellebrite equipment which we own. Every store has one.

 

i would love to charge for phone numer transfers, the customers are capable of doing it themselves