BEWARE Bait and Switch Tactics

To Whom It May Concern: 

I am hoping you can forward this to the appropriate person in escalations. 

I saw a promotion for buy-one-get-one free on Christmas Day and decided to contact your sales dept via chat.  After comparing plans, the difference wasn't sufficient to motivate us to change wireless providers.  I had been with Verizon for over 15 years and have been happy with the service they provide.  I was told that we would get an additional $300 upon trade-in for each of our phones.  The rep seemed eager to win our business and we agreed to make the switch. 

I activated the phones yesterday and took them into the store (per instructed). 

The first location told me they were an authorized dealer only and that I needed to go to a corporate store.  It was 40 minutes out of the way but I thought I could be a little inconvenienced since it was a bargain offer.  After waiting 30 minutes, I was told that the system wasn't allowing them to do it and that I had to quote "call in and fight with somebody" (despite the fact that I had a written transcript printed and in-hand as proof).  I dialed Customer Service and was transferred 3 different times by representatives.  Each one assured me they would take care of me.  They didn't.  There was no careful hand-off from one to the other.  Every time I had to start all over.  The last individual told me to call Secondary Sales.

01/17/2017 - 08:18 pm to 10:11 pm

Spoke with JT, employee ID # 101262404.  After nearly 2 HOURS of intermittent holds, she was told she couldn’t help me and transferred me to the Loyalty Dept. 

01/17/2017 - 10:11 pm to 10:45 pm

Spoke with Michelle, employee # GTK3TH4.  She told me to go to the help-you-switch link and to upload my last bill from Verizon to facilitate the credits.  I asked her if we would be getting the promised amounts.  We looked and it said $75 only.  She encouraged me to contact the Support Desk for the Switcher Program Processing Center.  I told her I was weary and asked what my options were if they didn’t follow thru.  She said I could cancel without penalty.  No restocking fees. 

01/18/2017 - 10:46 am 

Spoke with Mary, employee # 6527.  She said that the entire process takes 30-45 days and went over the requirements.  When I told her I went to the help-you-switch link and the offer said “up to $75” not the $300 I was promised.  She told me I have to take the phone in for an appraisal (this AFTER the fact I told her I drove to 2 stores yesterday with a printed chat transcript and was turned away).  She said that I have to speak with the Trade-in Dept.    

01/18/2017 - 11:15 am

Spoke with Mary.  I didn't get her employee ID.  She told me I have to take it up with the Trade-in Dept.  I asked for a supervisor and spoke with Mike, employee ID # 5904.  He asked me if I owned my phones out-right and wasn't tied to a contract.  I said yes.  He said we don't qualify for the Switcher program.  I asked for an email to escalations and he refused to give it to me. 

01/18/2017 - 12:05 pm

Spoke with Sandra in the Trade-in Dept.  She said we will get $75 in-store credit upon mailing our phones in and then 3-4 weeks later receive a $225 Visa gift card for each device quote "used however you choose".  I told her that that's not what the site says; it reads "up to $75".  She said "but that comes from the Switcher Dept.  We are a 3rd party company called Hyla, not AT&T".  I want to SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!

2 days.  7 hours of run-around and still NOTHING resolved.  To top it all off, my wife lost all her contacts, messages, photos et cetera during the transfer (over 600). 

Did I make the wrong decision?  Do you encourage your sales department to engage in bait-and-switch tactics, then turn the other way once you've hooked the client?  Where are your ethics?  I am a regional trainer for Terminix.  I oversee a 500-man body of salesman.  We were considering a move to AT&T from Verizon but now ..... I am not so sure.  My personal experience has been ABYSMAL.

You have a very short window to fix this before I go to the Better Business Bureau.