Verizon — Local services in Chelmsford

I switched from Sprint/T-Mobile to Verizon a couple of months ago, and the staff at this location spent hours helping me out with a large issue I had transferring/porting my number from Sprint to Verizon. I facilitated most of my service transfer at the Apple Store, which what where my mistake started. (Always go directly to an authorized retail location to deal with service issues - NOT APPLE).

I’m going to mention names of staff here, because it’s very relevant. Cameron initially helped me during my first issues. He sat with me and called both Apple and Verizon and got me escalated up all tiers and everything he could do to help. Long story short my number wasn’t fully ported over, so I had service issues for a week. That eventually got resolved.

My next issues started 2 weeks or so ago. I went into this Verizon location inquiring about adding a new line to my plan. AJ gave us very good info and pricing, while handling issues with other customers and phone calls while being one of the only staff in the store. We left to inquire with other services, but did return after a few days to commit to adding the new line.

The next time we went in we were seen by Eric/k(?). Eric confirmed plan information with us and a promotion we qualified for and inquired about. He implied everything was good to go. I asked many questions to make sure that everything would be clear. We also specified to him MULTIPLE times we would be PORTING the phone number we were adding to my plan, not creating a brand new number on the line. He stated he ordered the phone to the store and confirmed the promotion qualified. I also purchased an Apple Watch SE as a result of this purchase as it qualified for a discount. Great!

What wasn’t great about Erik was seeing the subscriptions to Verizon Home Protect and the TWO add ons for Verizon Device Protect ($25/month) (one for both my phone and watch; around $15/month for EACH device) that I DID NOT ask about, did not want, was NOT asked about or mentioned to, or informed that this would be added on. I only discovered this by reviewing my account on My Verizon a couple days later.

Additionally, when we went to activate the phone when it arrived to the store we discovered that Eric had indeed ordered the phone under a brand new number, which screwed up my phone bill. It essentially added a phantom line to my bill that Verizon customer service couldn’t even figure out. Essentially, Eric putting these add-ons to my plan and not properly ordering a phone under the way we specified we would be adding it basically would have added an ADDITIONAL $214 on to my next phone bill, tentatively making it almost $460. Absolutely ridiculous, especially when none of what he did aside from getting the phone DELIVERED was communicated to or consented by myself. I own my phone directly through Apple, and that includes a full Apple Care+ Theft & Loss payment as well. I intended to go to Apple to purchase Apple Care for my new watch as well. I never asked or needed Device Protect, clearly.

AJ was the staff member at the store who helped us active the new line, handled the phone plan and issues I had already noticed, and made sure this phone number was ported over successfully. AJ was fantastic during this process and was extremely knowledgeable, all while offhandedly mentioning he was only 21 years old. Good for him!

I had the add-ons and home protect removed IMMEDIATELY upon seeing my plan, and Verizon had no issue taking them off. At one point I called the store and spoke with Cameron again, who remembered my past issues with my phone. He was great again.

Overall, most of the staff here are quite knowledgeable. I’ve had a lot of tech-related success with the staff I’ve interacted with which is why I plan to continue going to this location if needed. What I don’t enjoy is that a staff member signed me up for device and plan costs that I never needed or wanted without my consent. I have no idea if there are commission stipends here, but if so I highly encourage looking into the consistency of...

Honestly, that was the worst and most awkward transaction I’ve ever experienced. 08/27/22 at 2pm. I work in retail and I am not a fan of bad reviews, but this… that went above and beyond bogus!

I traded my phone for an update, and I stood there for an hour in silence, while the Verizon tech was watching videos on his phone, texting while “setting up” my new phone without eye contact or telling me what he was doing. The only times he looked at me were the few times he tried to sell me an Apple watch with more than insistance. All I wanted to do was leave because of the awkward atmosphere…

The tech also tried to have my husband get a new phone, which he declined. He then commented my husband’s refusal with a fairly loud and sarcastic “I guess…” I then asked if the charger came with the phone. The tech said “you’ll have to buy the charger” without asking if I “wished” to buy the charger. He then tells me that the chargers are not the same anymore and I would need to buy the separate charger (not even Apple branded).

So, at this point, my “new” phone is set up, and now he takes me to the accessory aisle. He asks me to pick a case, and puts a charger + a car charger in the shopping bag. We went back to the cash register, and it’s time to pay. The screen displays $272 and I feel stuck because it’s an amount that was NOT communicated prior to my “old” phone being “wiped out”.

After I paid the amount due, the Tech asked me to click on the link and leave a 5 star review, because Verizon gets on “their back” if the customer leaves a “less than 5 star” review.

I come back home and I find that the extra accessories the tech placed in my bag for purchase were the exact same as the ones I already had. (He quoted earlier the model of my phone, so I imagined that he knew the type of accessories I needed, but clearly, he did NOT).

I am wondering if I was treated that way because it was “just” a trade rather than a real sale?

Overall, pathetic experience, sad ambiance, poor customer service and NO professionalism at all.

If I could give below ZERO...

Typical sleazy salesmen and complete liars! I’ve done business at this store multiple times, opened new lines, set up Mifi, etc. This time I went in there to switch one of my lines (I have 4) to another device that I already owned, an old Galaxy S5. Now, I understand I went in there for purely customer service reasons and I wasn’t generating any revenue for the sales guys, but their service was terrible. The first guy comes out from the back in a sweatshirt and makes a joke about how he really works there. I tell him what I’m trying to do and he proceeds to tell me that I need to upgrade or open a new line; that the S5 is too old and will be obsolete in a couple months. He said the Android software wouldn’t be compatible with the S5 soon… like my phone doesn’t get software updates?!? Nice try buddy. I told him I didn’t have the money to upgrade at the moment (but would in a week when I get paid) and I just wanted to switch the line to the old device in the meantime. Then another guy comes out and takes over, still trying to get me to upgrade. He said the line I had was suspended and that’s why they couldn’t move it to the new device. Yes, one of my 4 lines I had suspended, it was the other one I was trying to switch. He just kept pushing for the upgrade saying he couldn’t transfer the suspended line (not the line I wanted transferred anyway). Again, I told the new guy I didn’t have the money to upgrade at this time. He then pulls out a Galaxy S5 and says I can upgrade to that phone and it would only be 15$ a month… didn’t the other guy just tell me that phone was obsolete? Guy #2 just brushed it off, saying no they were still selling those phones so I should totally “upgrade” and spend my $ on a phone that I already have. Bottom line, I left furious and went to the Verizon Wireless website and transferred the line myself. I will never go back there! It’s worth the 15 minute trip to Nashua to deal with the real Verizon Wireless… plus...