Autopay and customer service
labbies
Newbie

Has anyone else had to deal with this kind of issue?  Months ago, I signed up for autopay but signing the stub of a bill that you return with your check payment.  They then get your routing information off of the check.  For some reason, the autopay didn't work and it wasn't because there weren't funds (customer service confirmed it was because they couldn't find the account, which means something got screwed up either with their systems or with the routing number entry).  We tried to straighten this out for two months.  By then, however, Verizon's systems registered us as having two returned checks because that's how the non-routed autopayments were coded.  This put us into "cash only" status. 

For at least four more months, we have been calling customer service explaining this to the agent.  Usually, you get two completely obnoxious reps who tell you it's either a) your fault; or b) that they won't help; or c) they will have a fictitious supervisor call you who then never does.  Finally, we get a person who says they've taken care of it.  But sure enough, the next bill comes as "cash only" and you end up wasting another three hours on the phone doing the whole dance again.

After again doing the dance this month, I finally got a person that didn't just want to argue with me or be rude to me.  He recognized we'd been paying our bill like clockwork up until the autopay fiasco and says it should be fixed.  I hope that's true, but my confidence is not high.  

Verizon is the worst.  I didn't think I was asking for the world here.  I just want a bill I can pay by check as obviously autopay is useless.  I don't need the reps to act like I am some loser who doesn't pay my bills or lectures me on why it's my fault not their's (I think they interpet it as a personal attack on them when I say it was a Verizon error, which is completely neurotic).  As soon as I can change services without losing money, I'm ditching Verizon like the plague even though I've had service with them for years.  It's not worth the amount of time and energy I've had to waste with them.

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Re: Autopay and customer service
labbies
Newbie

What I'm wondering is whether they still have autopay set up, then once we are put back off cash only status, they try and debit with the misrouting issue, another returned check is registered in the system, and we get bumped to cash only again.  I know I've told them I do't want autopay anymore but it's a possibility.  I can't figure out why we keep ending up in this status over and over and over even though supposedly they lift one of the "returned checks".  Hmmm.  Has that happened to anyone?  If so, how did you resolve it or did you just give up?

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Re: Autopay and customer service
bevross
Contributor - Level 1

Yeah, I've had numerous problems.  Set up autopay and after 6 or so months it stopped deducting.  Called to get it reinstated and it still  didn't work. (several months of not working)  Numerous phone calls to billing and nothing helped (though 1 person offered to extend a $10 a month reduction off my bill for 2 years -- sweet!)

So I cancelled autopay and, for a few months now I've been paying online.  Now -- I scheduled a payment for 6/9 and as of today (6/12) it hasn't been taken out.  I'm afraid the merry-go-round has started up again!?  Something is very wrong with the software system that is set up to try and automate this for people.  No wonder FIOS gets absolute black marks from Consumer Reports on billing issues!!

Verizon -- can you hear me now???!!!

Re: Autopay and customer service
mhattaway
Newbie

I had autopay and they continued to charge my credit card for 6 weeks after my initial call to disconnect. They finally disconnected mid-April and back dated the disconnect to my original call. I've been waiting for my refund check ($250) and it still has not come. I called today to inquire, and they let me know that they wait 90 days before sending a refund. Nevermind that the initial mistake was theirs. I am disgusted and will never use Verizon again (cable, internet, wireless) Way to go Verizon!

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