Here is a Verizon saga - if you still have them as your carrier - leave now! Stay safe!
I have been with Verizon since 2000 when I was still in high school. Fast forward to 2025 when it was time to upgrade my phone. I went to Verizon in Clarks Summit, which I have learned is just a fake out store that tries to sell you nonsense. I had a Galaxy/Google watch and wanted to switch to an iPhone. The young man at Verizon (who called men “my guy!” Red flag right there) told me that the watch and an iPhone would absolutely work!! So I got an iPhone! I brought the new phone and old watch home and couldn’t get them to pair. So I go back a few days later. “My guy” is working with someone else so I get a different guy who tells me to download an app on someone else’s phone to get an app on my phone or something along those lines. Overall takeaway is that he again told me, “it will work! Do not be afraid!” And I was a bit afraid, but I went home and tried what he told me. It again did not work.
At this point, I put my watch away and forgot about it because I am a mom and this quickly fell off the list of importance.
Fast forward to 2026, just a few weeks ago. I was fed up with Verizon - my bill was $150 even with a teacher discount - and I had only one line. And I’m not fancy, I don’t need much so $150 a month seemed out of control. So I decided to choose a different provider who told me, “There is a $288 charge in your Verizon account.” Then I called Verizon to see what this charge was for.
It was for ending the watch line early! The watch I was told would definitely work with the iPhone. That did not. So I complain to the folks on the phone. I tell the story over and over, getting transferred around to folks who are very difficult to understand. I finally get transferred to a “manger” who sweet talks me, tells me he will take care of this specially for me - he doesn’t do this for just anyone but he will take care of the bill for me and it will go away. (This was after 60 plus minutes on the phone.)
Then a few days later what do I get? A bill! So I again call and get transferred around and tell my story and after 45 minutes I get a woman who tells me (after a long time on hold) that if I just return the watch, the bill will go away. I won’t have to pay the bill.
So the following week I get some time to visit some Verizon stores. I went to one and no I couldn’t return the watch there - they weren’t a corporate store! So I tried another one and they couldn’t either because they weren’t a corporate store! I had to go to the store where I bought the watch. So I go to that one in Clarks Summit where this all started. My guy is no where to be seen thank god, but don’t worry, both guys who do work there are on the phone when I arrive and no customers are in the store. One was on a personal call and I still stood there for 5 minutes waiting, only to find that - you guessed it! They couldn’t take the watch! I had to go to a corporate store! At this point I’m wondering - what are all these other stores??
So yesterday I went to a corporate store and the guy there tells me - everyone you talked to on the phone lied to you and no! You can’t return the watch anywhere and you have to pay the bill! I broke a contract (I didn’t realize I had a contract with the watch because I forgot about it because it didn’t work!)
I pass this along to all of you to beware of Verizon. I realize I ended a contract early but all of the lies along the way speak to what a terrible company this is. If you still have them, I urge you to leave.