Verizon — Local services in Howe Township

Lack of communication, lack of knowledge, and lack of overall professionalism.

My journey started on June 28th when I walked in at Russel Cellular to trade in my prior phone for the $800 promotion for the newest iPhone. At first, I was in shock at how fast Steph Oberlin (STORE MANAGER) was at trading in, transferring, and completing the process. It wasn't until a month later when things began to fall apart. The promotion did not go through. Why? Well we contacted Verizon and turns out Steph completed the wrong paperwork as if I did not trade in my phone. When confronted about the issue, she brushed it off like no big deal. Also note, she added additional insurance to my plan WITHOUT asking me. Again, she brushed it off like nothing and stated, "Oh I must have clicked that on accident when we were talking".

Verizon now wants no parts in cleaning up this mess since the Newport Verizon store is actually owned by a third party, Russell Cellular. Steph Oberlin claims she has "done her part". However, she never contacted her General Manager nor completed appropriate paperwork to fix her mistake when she first said she would. I had to call 2 weeks later to find an update that she had not completed it.

Fast forward to almost 3 months later, nothing is settled. Steph Oberlin reports she has done what she needs to and when I explained that I felt "helpless" with this process, she smirked and said "have a good day". Somehow, I am left to clean up the mess Steph and Russell Cellular have created.

The lack of support, communication, knowledge to provide/help customers, and professionalism with the process is mind blowing (at least with the store manager and call center reps).

I am not one to complete reviews, but I feel as if this needs to be said on here for future inquiring minds. They might have a 4.5 star rating, but Steph Oberlin to my knowledge just got moved to this location and if she is the store manager and this is what she does, you might want to...

Purchased an upgrade to a new Galaxy Z flip 7 for my son, none in stock, and it would be ordered. I paid for it, explained my son was returning to his campus, I would pick up the new phone, please DON'T activate it. We will activate it when I'm able to take it to him the following weekend. I returned, picked up phone, again discussed the need for phone to NOT be activated. The two employees were busy discussing some employee payroll reporting system, and seeing coworkers commissions, and blah blah. It felt awkward, like I'd spperently dusrupted their 2 person HR meeting. A few minutes later I was given the new phone in its box, reiterated it was not activated, and left.I arrived home to an email from my son back at campus (2 and a half hours away) who suddenly could not place calls or texts, or use his phone in any way. The store was closed. Customer service at Verizon could do nothing, because it has the new esim perminant chip that can not be deactivated, and this one had already been activated... an hour ago... as I litetally stood in your store and said " Please don't activate this phone. He will do it himself". Perfect. I love a good 4 hour round trip in the middle of the night. No worries. It sure won't...

HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE Service !! Minus 10 stars ! The Newport “Verizon” store is a fake !! Not a Verizon store at all but owned by Russell Cellular. I had a Verizon acct with 2 phones and Nov 6 th I paid them off with a CC & needed a receipt for work (they didn’t accept checks)! The Newport store took my money and refused to give me a receipt saying they emailed it. TWO WEEKS later I go into the store and tell them i never got a email receipt. The two women absolutely refused to give me a receipt. The same two women told me to get out of the store that I was TRESPASSING ! I walked out and called the police. With the police there, they still refused to give me a receipt. I called the customer service number at Russell Cellular and spoke with Colton and filed a report . Colton told me there was NO EXCUSE for not giving me a receipt !! Those women are RUDE, ABUSIVE, treat customers very poorly!! If THAT NEWPORT STORE takes my money, you better be prepared to give me...