Expert: DebiN - 3/2/2011

Question
QUESTION: I am the administrator on my verizon account.  I have been with verizon for over 5 yrs. and do not have a history of excess data charges.  My son shares this account is 20 yrs old and responsible in regards to usage since 15 yrs. old. I have recently encountered $800.00 of data charges.  This all started the day my son had his phone stolen around the 24th of Dec. 2010. He contacted a verizon outlet in person and had his line suspended, and under insurance ordered a new one.  This is when the charges began and continued on his number until I checked my account of course was shocked to see the present bill and amount. I proceeded to block the data section of the phone.  I have been to 2 local verizon outlets to investigate this charges, and have spoken to a service representative along with a supervisor by phone.  The local outlet personnel were very informative giving info that the phone administrators where hesitant to answer.  Under new law I was never alerted to abnormal usage behavior happening on this line, verizon is very quick to note that I not believe my son who they feel acted negligent, and have been given conflicting information from some of the information I have received from the representatives at the local outlets.  I do not feel it in my best interest to talk further with verizon since we they will not accept any answer of a quirk in their system as opposed to negligence on my son's part.  Just a quick note on the data charges.  There is no cohesiveness to the downloading. It all looks like random buying.  Not a pattern that one would use even if they where looking to download games, music etc.  Could you help me to further investigate my rites and ability to research this to establish what it is that cell providers don't let you know about the mistakes in their own system.  The phone in question is a Motorola Barrage  
         Thank You Frank

ANSWER: When your son's phone was stolen and he had the line suspended and then he received a new phone, did Verizon then disable the ESN number of the old phone? It sounds like somehow the old phone's ESN has stayed active in the system or perhaps it has been cloned and is being used by someone else and being charged back to you. Has Verizon investigated where the data is being originated, i.e., something that would prove that the charges were not where your son is? Is Verizon forcing you to pay these charges? I'm assuming that you didn't have a data plan on the account so you are being charged per kb usage and that's why it is so high? Or are these charges for purchases specifically versus just data usage? If they are purchases, you don't get alerted, but if actual data, then you should have been alerted. You have the right to research this without question. Even though got more help from the store, it's the people at Verizon (611 on your phone) that should be helping you. I would call them back and have them help you investigate this further and I would not pay these charges unless they can prove that they are yours (which obviously they aren't). It's doubtful that Verizon made a mistake and more likely that someone cloned the ESN, but it's still their responsiblity to catch this and to not charge you. Contact them again and don't give up until you get the answers you need. Don't have a conversation about your son or any of those details, just that there is no way that those charges could have been incurred by your family and that you need detail regarding them. I hope this helps.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank You.  The only thing verizon customer care and their financial services are concerned with is payment on this account.  In the last week I have had service suspended twice, even though I am in constant contact with verizon, and have made 3 payments in order to keep my service on.  Prefect proof that I am working with these jerks.  One hand does not know what the other is doing and it is verizon who does not want to talk about anything more than I am responsible for these charges with no regard that something else may be present that has created these erratic charges. (ex. the cloning the ESN #).  In what form do I request a statement to investigate the turn of events on my billing other than my billing statement itself?  I realize that I should not be paying these charges but it is the only way to keep my phones in service(verizon is real good a pushing you into a corner) and not risk my credit history.  I am in the process of filing a complaint with consumers protection, and plan on filing a small claims proceeding.  I am not in the position to change my phone service around and would rather settle this with verizon.  Even though I am paying on this bill I am making it perfectly clear that I do not admit to these charges and asking them to document every phone conversation.  Verizon will not provide me with a case number concerning these calls or will they give me a employee identification number so that I can refer back to these calls and the contents.  They are making some more complications such as after guaranteeing that my phone service would not be interrupted it was.  After requesting computer generated calls regarding my account be stopped they were not, and now to add insult to injury they have charged me a reconnect fee of $15.00 a line twice after interrupting my phone service when it was agreed that they would not interrupt the service. Upon hearing that I said thank you very much, now Verizon has created 2 disputes. I am trying to work with these jerks and have actually paid money when I know I should not, but I don't have the power, time and my patience to remain diplomatic with my conversations in running thin. I may be wrong but by filing a complaint and small claims I may later be able to recoup these charges in the form of credit providing my case overrules in court. Thanks for your your previous help and would still appreciate anything you may offer in addition.

Answer
Wow! I so feel for what you are going through and am really disappointed to learn how badly you are being treated in this case. I am sure that Verizon's executives would not be pleased to learn this either. You have the right to get the detail of these charges, you have the right to dispute them and you have the right to an investigation of the charges. I would do the same as you to pay the charges and then dispute them so that I don't risk being cut off. What doesn't work with the carriers is shortpaying your bill, so you are doing the right thing, believe me. I don't know where you live, but you may want to see if through your local newspaper you have someone who does troubleshooting when all else fails. Where I live, we have someone like that who can try to help you get things resolved when all else seems to fail. Perhaps it's the pressure of the media attention, or maybe just connections that work in these cases, but you may want to see if you have access to someone like this. Ivan Seidenberg is the Chairman and CEO of Verizon. Verizon's email addresses are typically the first name, then dot, then last name @verizonwireless.com. You may want to try to email him. Or Lowell McAdam. Here's a Media Contact also Jeffrey Nelson
Verizon Wireless
Jeffrey.Nelson@verizonwireless.com
908-559-7519

I would suggest trying someone higher up to see if you can get someone to help you. Let me know what happens.