You send me refund checks AND you send me to collections?!
dneece6
Enthusiast - Level 1

Dear Verizon – any chance there was of me leaving Comcast and coming back to you are gone.  I’ll probably go back to Directv, but I’m afraid that since I canceled my service – you’ve done everything wrong (which is a shame – we had many MANY good years together).Maybe you don’t care about ‘small fish’ like me, but I want to share a suggestion for your future customers (and on behalf of your poor customer service staff).

PLEASE fix your billing systems.  For years…and years…and years…every month I received 1 statement (for internet and phone) and for all those years I sent you 1 payment.  Life was grand.  However, when I cancelled my service – I somehow needed to predict that you were sending me 2 different bills, on 2 different billing cycles, with 2 different balances.  I somehow needed to know that when you sent me a statement (labeled “final bill”) in October for $49and then a few weeks later a statement (labeled “revised final bill”) – with a $26 refund check… I needed to predict that you were still expecting $49.  But that’s just the beginning of how things went oh so wrong.  Here’s a recap:

  • October bill – owe $49.43 – final bill
  • Weeks later - $26.63 refund – amended final bill (things are great, we’re settled)
  • Dec. 16 – I get a call from a Collection Agency – out of the blue, no warning, no past-due notice.  I tell the agency I’m paid up, they need to check with Verizon, they just say “they say you owe…” 
  • Dec. 16 – I am furious and unleash on your customer care team; after much argument I got her to admit how I could be misled by a ‘revised final bill’ that actually came with a check from Verizon!  During this call I got a lesson on how Internet is one billing cycle and the refund and statement I had was JUST for that – the bill for the phone service was on a different billing cycle and thus I still had to pay for that.  I’m still furious about being sent to Collections but at least now I know how I had a 2nd magic balance due.
  • Dec. 16 – per the customer care agent’s suggestion – I went online and paid that last $49.43.  The screen says $0 due.   (life is good again)
  • A few weeks later, I get another $0 due statement (is it phone?  Is it internet?  Who knows – but we’re good.
  • Dec.30 – I GET ANOTHER REFUND CHECK!!  It’s the same $49.43 you were threatening me with!!  I’m afraid to cash it.
  • Jan. 11 – the collection agency is calling… AGAIN

I’m not cashing your check so I consider this a wash.  I’m not dealing with your agency, I’m not dealing with you...and thanks for ruining my credit over an illogical billing practices that no one can understand.

Recommendations to salvage other ‘small fish’ and ease your helpdesk:

  1. Fix our billing system.  Be like every other service provider – 1 billing cycle, 1 statement, requiring 1 payment. 
  2. If you can’t fix your billing system, send an Overdue notice rather than sending someone to collections in a matter of weeks.  If you had just done that – I still would’ve been confused, probably frustrated…but I wouldn’t unleash on your representatives.   And they wouldn’t have to spend 20-30 minutes on the phone to figure out how I had gotten a refund but still had a balance. 
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Re: You send me refund checks AND you send me to collections?!
KH-OrnEsh1
Moderator Emeritus

I'm sorry you are having difficulty. An agent with access to your account will reach out to you directly by email, private message in the Forums and/or the billing telephone number on your Verizon account for more information or to help you resolve your issue.

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Re: You send me refund checks AND you send me to collections?!
Adam_VZ
Contributor - Level 2
dneece6,
 
I've sent you a PM to get some additional information.   Please respond to me when you can.
 
Thanks,
adam.
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