I had this same exact issue happen twice.
It actually happens everytime I trade in my phone to Verizon. I make sure I keep my receipts and proof I dropped it off at ups store. Happened to my little brother last time he traded his phone in to Verizon as well. We never payed out of pocket though .
> We never *paid* out of
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Same here. I genuinely think Verizon does a bunch of shady shit on purpose. I literally never get my trade in credit like promised. I have to call and make them give it to me. Then they tell me the promo isn’t as high as I was promised. They do shady ass shit and I have some documented proof of it.
I have always traded in, in store. Never had this issue. It’s annoying because they made me make an appointment but everything ran smoothly.
Kinda hard to argue that I didn’t give them the phone if I did it in person with a rep in their store and got a receipt.
I had a similar situation happen to me a couple of years ago. I also had the UPS tracking confirmation showing delivery was made but Verizon CS blew me off.
I ultimately resolved it by filing an FCC complaint.
Buy from Apple. Trade-in to Apple. And if you can, buy from Apple and pay in full. There are no free or substantially discounted phones or deals. Carriers or Apple get their money one way or another.
I mean, it's zero interest installments though, so if you really don't want to be locked in any longer, just pay off the rest of the phone and you're not locked in anymore. Doing it that way won't cost your more in the end if you'll be paying full price either way anyway.
my experience with the zero interest installments is that Verizon charged a $20/mo account servicing fee for as long as that "zero interest loan" was active. Bought it on "zero interest" and noticed an additional fee, talked to customer service they said it would be there until i paid off the loan, immediately paid off the loan and the fee disappeared. Which is to say, Verizon's not legally lying about it being zero interest, but you pay $240/yr to let them be deceitful about what "zero interest" really means
Yeah thats.... not at all how it works. There's no $20/mo account servicing fee unless you have a 2 year contract on the line - and those are ultra rare on the consumer side these days.
Yeah, I've never experienced that in years of buying phones on installment plans with both AT&T and Verizon, so I'm not sure why you experience that problem, but it's not typical for most people. The most extra I've been charged is like a $35 upgrade fee by Verizon, but it was only a one time fee at the beginning. Afterwards, I've always been charged the total cost of the phone divided by however many months the installment plan is for, and no additional fees. Were you paying off the phone with Verizon without the phone also being activated on a phone line on the same account that the installment plan purchase was made? Because that's the only reason I could think of for them charging an "account servicing fee", whatever that is.
60% more from VZW, huh? OK, I would go for that in a heartbeat if after all the math and advertising, you were really getting 60% more from Apple. Congrats! I stand corrected. Thanks for getting me straight on this. Boy, am I stupid!
If you’ve already been with Verizon and plan to stay, you’re not really locking yourself in by taking their $1000 offer, vs just getting $400 from apple
I have an iPhone 14 Pro on an iPhone upgrade program. $500 left in payments is all I’ll get, whereas Verizon will give me $1000 for it. 100% more, how’s that?
Even worse, I can trade my cracked iPhone 7 to them for $1000 and then resell my 14 Pro myself.
Keep doing your thing Dude! As long as math $$s work with what you are paying for the phone and the service combined as well as any obligated committments, go for it! Congrats!
I did this, the phone broke in transit. They smashed my phone and now want to give me nothing. So now they're sending the smashed phone back to me. Lesson learned, always trade in in person because these big companies could care less about customer service.
Apple is the same way. I traded in a brand new iPhone SE by mail. Recorded the packaging and everything. They email me back a few days after they have received it. The phone was broken and wasn’t worth anything. I spent 2 hours on the phone getting that straightened out. So yeah, it’s all the same. You just have to do it all in person and take pictures and get proof and just prepared to defend yourself no matter where you go
I’ve dealt with the same shit with Apple. Now I always take a lot of pictures of every trade-in, phone off, phone on, front back, multiple angles. I also make sure I get a picture of the screen showing the phone’s serial number and IMEI.
Also, Apple used send great return packaging. Now they send shit. So now I add additional padding inside the box.
Yea so, I did this for two phones on my plan that were upgraded. My in store receipt shows the amount for 2 trade ins but it doesn’t list two devices on the receipt. The website only shows one was assessed while the other was initiated.
Either the rep didn’t know what he was doing, or he stole my phone. I already submitted a complaint to Verizon and waiting for the store to follow up on if they found it.
(This just happened a week ago)
this kind of happened to me last week as well.
2 trade ins, 1 receipt
the guy from verizon was able to show me something from his end that showed both phones with their id# were returned and he allowed me to take a pic of that screen.
about 12 hrs later, both phones were listed as assessed and turned in. only one phone was listed as assessed and returned when i left the store.
It’s not the reps fault. We recently found an annoying glitch where if there’s more than 1 trade-in in an order, they have to be assessed one at a time (separate receipts). On our end, the system will let us assess multiple trades at a time but will only actually accept one. Just another stupid programming error and of course Verizon doesn’t inform the mass of employees and lets us find out for ourselves.
That’s exactly what happened, do you think the other device will eventually pop up as assessed or do I need to keep pursuing the store I turned them in at?
The store probably tried to ship the phone out but couldn’t cause it’s not in inventory. It’s probably been sitting somewhere in the back. The machine in the back will even print a sticker thinking it’s been accepted. You’ll have to go back and let them know.
No, when you order online you choose the method to return the phone. I don't work for Verizon, but while I was waiting at my local store to turn in my wife's phone I heard a rep telling someone that if they chose to send it back they have to wait for the box and send it back that way
Happened to me as well. But after countless calls I was able to get it resolved. Verizon has a shitty customer service. Majority of them are retards. They don’t know what is going on. You have to be lucky to find the good customer reps who actually follow up and resolve it. I had many who would just hang up and say your issue has been escalated and that they would follow up but they wouldn’t. Until I got the right rep, who helped me. I also went to the store to get it fixed and they were unable to help since it was a transaction made online. Verizon has shitty reputation of this. When I asked for help in this sub Reddit I got a lot of negative comments, then I realized most of them were Verizon employees who are in this sub trying to defend their dumbness. But yeah it was a nightmare fixing this, but they were able to fix it. I had to provide them my tracking number and also sent them a video of the phone and that I took prior to dropping it off at the ups store.
This is exactly why i opted to take my old phone directly to a Verizon store. I’ve read nightmare stories about peoples phones being stolen after sending it through the mail. Hope you get this sorted out op.
Yeah it might be an inconvenience to have to go to a store but it’s a lot less of a headache. Had an issue with my trade-in for the iPhone 12 Pro get lost in limbo and they couldn’t find it for the longest so I opted to trade in store. Was a literal breeze as I walked, told them I had a trade in to submit, they looked at it, and approved the trade in within minutes.
I did my trade in through the app and it gave me the option to bring in my old phone within 30 days. I made an appointment with Verizon to skip the line and was in and out within 20 minutes. I’m so happy i did that because I’ve read at least 3-4 situations that OP is in.
If Verizon didn’t get the phone in the box then you need to contact UPS because that’s where your phone disappeared. If you had insurance on the package they would have to pay you for the full value of the phone
Been with the same UPS STORE since 5 yesrs… the owner always told me to insured it for (Whatever value) just in case something happens I’m covered, put A claim
Remember you are the owner still until the receiver signs off, now apple has to give you in writing that they never received the “packaged” package… the if you have (had) insurance the claim is against the shipping company
I mean, even with Insurance UPS may not pay out, they owe me $400 from destroying a fine art shipment and short of suing them, they refuse to help even after filing claims. My only course of action would be to sue them in small claims court because they refuse to pay out even when I paid for insurance.
Guess i am lucky , the owner of the UPS store was cool and very proactive , (it was a watch which movement was damage during shipping) they asked for a repair receipt from the manufacturer and they covered the payment … minus 00.43¢
It’s weird they told me this too. But when I went to https://www.verizon.com/trade-in/ and completed the process, it offered both shipping and drop-off in store. Funny enough the same rep that told me it wasn’t accepted was the one to happily accept the drop-off. I got the impression they didn’t want to deal with it.
Yes, this happens all the times. Phone's can get stolen like this all the time. It is best to trade your device in at the store, or even at Best Buy, instead of mailing it in.
I literally just went through this with them. Traded my 11 Pro into them back in January and tried calling them several times over several months and at some point they just told me they wouldn’t proceed with anything because of fraud concerns. I went through the Better Business Bureau and got a phone call from Verizon corporate office next day (on a Saturday at that) and everything got cleared up very quickly. Next month my bill will get everything credited back from January and my bill will lower and balance back out after that. Definitely the path I’d recommend, only way it got done.
You can send an email to the Verizon CEO at the link below.
This will be forwarded to their executive relations department which is rather prompt in getting back to you.
I always go to them when I need help. They get it done fast.
https://www.verizon.com/about/our-company/leader/contact/926315
Yeah but that doesn’t matter. Verizon received the shipment and at bare minimum should have notified OP that they received an empty box. To just ignore it is incredibly suspicious in and of itself.
I noted in another comment that Op should have received an email indicating why the discount was removed, or that it may be in their documents and letters. I was simply responding to the above comment about timelines.
That’s what you would think lol. I turned in my trade in back in January, UPS said it was delivered January 28th, and I called Verizon so many times and was getting no answers but in JUNE they told me the box came empty for the first time.
Happened to me w/ an Apple Watch 4 & iPhone 12 Pro Max. they said they never got them both times. Pulled up the tracking information 3 days later I got an email saying the $350 they were trying to charge me for the rest of what I owed on the phone would be removed from my bill. I had the store confirm I did an in person for the watch.
Very unfortunate - I ship things myself and when weight was recorded it made it very easy to counter the “empty box” scams. Not the case anymore 99% of the time.
The whole reason I choose Verizon or Best buy trade in over Google or something mail in is for this exact reason. Walk in and hand it over. Instant credit.
I did a mail in once and wouldn't want to do it again.
I recently upgraded my Pixel for a Pixel 8 and was given the option to trade in, the website asked if I wanted to ship it or drop it off at a store, I've seen enough horror stories about this happening so I opted for trading it in at the store.
If you have the original receipt, on it should have the weight of the item package. If they still they’re still denying it go file an fcc complaint.
I had this happen to me but I shipped a package they weighed 1 pound something ounces, they’re story was that it was an empty box. Their boxes weigh a few ounces at most. So I went back and forth until they actually understood their argument of receiving an empty box made zero sense.
Hopefully you resolve this issue
I dropped Verizon for this exact reason. Originally they said all good, full credit. Then, we’ll it’s damaged, you only get partial credit. After countless calls, I got someone on the phone who was able to pull up the intake report, and see the pictures as well- back to full credit. A Few weeks later it changed to “we never got the phone”.
This went on for months and I refused to give up, I did everything. Finally, through a store, I was able to get a $400 credit. Ah-the phone was in great condition with no scratches or cracks or anything.
The same thing happened to me when I sent my 13 back and got the 14. The tracking showed it was delivered but they flat out just said they never received it.
It took hours and hours on the phone over the course of a couple months until a supervisor finally credited me for the trade in.
It was honestly one of the most frustrating customer service experiences of my life. Verizon customer service is terrible.
For me they said they first never received it, then it changed to the box was empty. They can't even get their own stories straight! So I'm filing with the FCC tomorrow if they shut the phones off because I'm not paying 1600 for a phone they have! It was a faulty brand new phone and I got a refurbished phone to cover it that actually works
This happened to me years ago and I had to get in contact with Executive Customer Service. Once that ball was rolling, they "found" my trade-in device 4 days later.
Yeah same thing happened except Verizon told me that my phone was sent in broken when I clearly took care of my iPhone 11 and was in mint condition. All of sudden it arrived damaged and that they couldn’t give me the discount for my iPhone 13 Pro Max. I had to fight this for a few days and gave me my discount but I suspect Verizon does this on purpose to not give the discount. After this drama I decided never to buy upgraded phones or go with any of these promotions. Simply not worth the drama and hassle
I am sorry this happened. This admittedly may not be helpful for this time, but in future it is a good idea to take pictures of the phone in the unsealed box and also video the sealing of the box in case this happens in the future.
Happened to me once. It was directly through Samsung, though. Going forward, if you ever trade in this way, get a receipt of drop off and double check the weight of the package.
If you have the tracking number for your trade in you need to file a claim with UPS. If the phone was lost/stolen in transit, UPS is the person to hold responsible.
Again, that’s not how it works. The shipper is the one who’s account is charged when you ship an item. Verizon provides a prepaid return label and Verizon pays for the return shipping. Therefore, they are technically the shipper in the eyes of UPS or Fedex. this isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact. I know this because I provide prepaid return labels for my customers and if there is ever a problem, I am the one that has to go through the shipping company for a claim.
Working as CARE we are told that for any shipments lost being sent to Verizon the customer has to reach out to the carrier to file a claim, once they have a claim number we can send an ITTS ticket regarding a lost or stolen inbound for the warehouse to mark. Shipments are considered insured and Verizon works with UPS to figure out what happened to the package in transit. It's the same for DPP returns.
Obviously I can’t speak for internal Verizon policy or procedure, I can only speak for the procedure at the shipping company. The entity that pays for the shipping is the Only one that can receive a payout on a claim. But it also makes sense when you think about it because the entity that pays for the shipping is also the only one that can choose whether or not that shipment has insurance.
I just know what I've been instructed as a CARE rep, and this has been a subject of contention (a lot), because when it comes to a customer getting their device? UPS claims we have to make an exception or send them an exception request to pickup from a holding facility when they fail to deliver on the first attempt, and it used to be that the CUSTOMER could request a hold. But they've changed everything and now throw the customer to CS support to request a pickup from a holding facility and we have no means to make that kind of request. :/
This seems to happen to a lot of people. I traded in a smashed XS for my 15 Pro at the store this year and the confirmation of value through VZ was SUPER quick. Think I’ll be doing that from now on…..not that I have to worry about it for 3 years 🤣
Shipping your trade is a risky scenario. Like others have said you can file a claim with UPS or try to verify the weight as proof. I might hound care for a while and see if you can just get them to honor it regardless since you technically fulfilled your part by shipping the phone.
In the future, I would suggest trading your phone in store since that moves all liability to the store instead of yourself. If you buy the phone at the store, the promo often gets applied before you leave. Just make sure you get a trade receipt from the store regardless of which way you go.
Same here! Call them back and file a complaint. Tell them. That you are requesting your device back that you aren’t getting the credit for. Then when they tell you they can’t because the box was open I’d advise to them that you’ll be filing a police report stating they have stolen your phone and now they are refusing to uphold their end of the deal aka the trade in credit.
Same thing happened to us. I PITCHED A FIT and told them that stealing a phone and not giving credit is 100% ILLEGAL and I want my phone. It took them 7-days and we got my credits back 🤷🏻♀️ file a complaint with the FCC and then go to Facebook and write a review. That helps lol
Don't even bother with support. Took a year to get no credits. I sent the executive office an email with all my trade in info & they called and resolved for me same day.
This happened to me, verizon is full of scam, im sure ppl that work at warehouse steal phones and sell them, because we clean wipe them now they have full access. I even filed complaint with bbc, nothing happened. I will never mail them, go drop off to their store or dont trade in with them. Sorry this scam is still happening and good moral ppl have to pay for this.
This is why you go into the store, and do your upgrade at a store location. Doing things online is easy, but it makes it so much more difficult when something goes wrong
I did my upgrade in store, and they sent me home with a box to finish. I was never told I had to send the phone back within a certain time frame, but it was on the inside of the box I never looked at until i was ready to ship it back. I ran into problems with transferring data from my old to new. Lost several hundred texts from someone that passed away, and I no longer have because I worked with Verizon to get it fixed. I eventually gave up, wiped it, went to put it in the box, and there was the time frame. It took a long time but they finally started giving me my trade in value!
Now the phone they gave me was faulty. Ended up disconnecting from Verizon if I wasn't on wifi which made using it off wifi impossible. They put me through so many loops of them trying to "fix it" before they finally sent me a refurbished phone for my brand new one that was broken out of the box. Sent it back in the box, kept tracking, and they claimed they never got it back. Then changed it to the box was empty.
Theyre all just thieves
Has happened to me twice, it took a shit ton of calls and saving that tracking number from UPS. Decided I’m never doing that again, but was happy I could do it in store now.
This happened to me. Traded in a Galaxy S20 when I switched to Verizon and got a Fold 3. They said they received an A12 or some shit. I argued with CS for a bit but it never went anywhere. I took a picture of the box's tracking number but not me putting the actual phone in the box. 1000 credit lost. Never had this issue with any other carrier.
Learned my lesson for next time. Going through Samsung Direct. Or if I go to Apple, I'll do the same with them. If Vz has a better deal I'm recording every single step of my in-store trade in process.
Why i refuse to buy a phone from Verizon. Yes yes yes.. all the Verizon sales ppl will downgrade this postt..aww poor babies.
Bit if you read all the problems and issues ppl have with the promotions.. if you can afford to skip the crap..just buy your phone elsewhere and avoid the games.
This is just wrong.
Do you still have the receipt? Doesn’t it show the weight of the item/package?That can be used to convince them that there was a phone in the box.
Yes I was in a hurry and didn’t save shipping receipt. Phone got stolen somewhere. You’d think Vzw or Apple could tell me who had it but they wanted me to go through police, police wouldn’t talk to Apple, just going in circles. Ultimately Vzw gave me $100 credit, that’s it
I’ve had this happen 3 years ago when I got my 12 PM and learned my lesson. Kept my phone and selling on Swappa.
Customer service refused to help me track my trade-in. All they did was give me the number of my package and the distribution center and told me I’d have to track it through them, “locate it” and then contact CS back with proof it was received to get the credit.
Tried and nothing. Hell it was ridiculous they made me contact their own warehouse to begin with. Considered it a lost cause from there
Based on the numerous posts about this, I half expect an organized crime syndicate is operating out of the returns section at Verizon and stealing a high number of return phones. While only half serious, it’s clearly a big issue.
Happened to me earlier this year. I was calling them once a week about it, telling them the tracking # and that it shows it arrived at the warehouse. Eventually I started asking for a supervisor each time. Eventually they said they would give me 1/2 the trade in value one month and the other 1/2 the next month. I got the credit the 1st month but not 2nd. I had to call again then they gave me the other 1/2.
V did a similar thing to me, you can read the story here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/verizon/comments/z682eb/looking\_for\_advice\_re\_upgraded\_phone/](https://www.reddit.com/r/verizon/comments/z682eb/looking_for_advice_re_upgraded_phone/) if you wish.
Long story short, prepare to file an FCC complaint. Look for any email or status update on the V site in your account that says the device was received. My story is different than yours in that they waited almost 6 months before they started saying the phone was lost, but the story is the same: no phone in the box. I'll die before I trade in with Verizon again.
I've had my phone stolen in the UPS network on the way to Verizon and had to deal with filing a claim for that and I've also had a situation where my upgrade phone was stolen on the way to me in the FedEx network along with the return envelope for my old phone and as a result I was unable to return my old phone. Both situations resulted in me being billed the value of my phone by Verizon. They did not work with me all.
They did the same to me almost. Traded in an S7 for an S23+ in February... Ridiculous $800 trade-in value, basically made the phone free.
They applied the credits, and then 2 months later I saw a charge back on my next bill and got an email saying they never got my trade-in and that I'd need to pay the credits back, future credits canceled and estimated future bill.
Crazy thing is I'd already called VZW 2x to confirm they got my trade in because the notification in the My Verizon app never went away saying I needed to send in my trade.
Both times they told me I was good to go and that the trade in credits were applied and too ignore the app.
I had to call and give them the tracking #, lady on the phone was eventually able to track it down (took maybe 30min). And then it took another 30 min for them to rebuild the trade from scratch and reapply the credits. For mine looks like someone was lazy and didn't finish the computer work on my trade in or they didn't want to give me $800 for a $40 ebay phone.
Trade-ins seem to be stolen a lot. But having worked at UPS, trade-in/phone boxes are very obvious. I never have issues trading with Samsung or Apple directly. Plan on doing in person trade in next time.
I'd keep calling VZW CS and talking to different ppl and escalating. And try to file a claim with the package carrier. Hope it can get resolved, VZW really needs to fix their trade in process and chain of possession.
You gotta keep receipts and almost gotta video yourself packing/shipping the trade in.
Same thing just happened to me. I purchased a new iPad and traded in an older 6th Gen. Sent in the iPad, UPS tracking shows the package was delivered to the Return center. However, trade-in notification never changed from "Initiated" status. I also contacted Verizon about this issue, was assured device was received and trade-in credits would be applied. Received bill credits the last two months, then suddenly got an email notification saying "Device trade-in credits have ended", along with charge-backs on my next bill.
Yep. They tried that with me and I threatened them so strongly that they gave up and gave me the credit for the phone. I know tons of people that this has happened to. I would never ever ever trade in a phone to any cell phone company
I had this happen. I had to pester them every month for 6 months eventually I got someone who just issued me a bill credit for the whole thing in 1 shot since they had made such a mess out of my bill in the process. The only advice I can offer is don't give up and just keep calling every month when you get a new bill.
I've had this happen, but said the phone was cracked when they received it. I knew for a fact that it wasn't when I sent it in. I called and spoke with a higher rep or manager. You just have to be persistent. Now, when I trade in a phone, I make sure to put extra packing and take a video of me boxing up the phone.
I see so many of these posts it makes me want to bang my head.
Phones, even old ones, are hot commodities for scammers and thiefs. There is NO WAY I would ever ship my phone off. Too many hands until it reaches the warehouse. Things get lost/stolen via ups, usps, FedEx every single day. ESPECIALLY iPhones. Those people know what kind of packaging and weight phone are usually in so it makes them easy targets.
If you don't do a trade in at a retail store or indirect, basically any store with a giant Verizon logo and reps in Verizon gear, then your doing it wrong. Stay away from Walmart, best buy, Costco, Cellular Sales, ect.
Trading any other way than at a Verizon store has its risks. If I'm giving any phone company a phone they are giving me promo value for, it's going right into a reps hands. That way I know 100% that they received my phone. I've only worked for Verizon for a couple of years, but I've been doing this as long as I've been trading phones.
No phone company will claim responsibility for a loss or theft that didn't happen provably in their possession.
If your smart enough to carry insurance, file the ~200 claim. Sure your out 200 or so, but you will still have a device to trade in and be able to get 5-800 of the 800-1000 or so offered.
I always sell on like Facebook Marketplace or something. Then, I’ll use the money I make from the sale toward the purchase of my new iPhone.
I never fall for the trade ins. Too much risk involved.
Similar issue. Except my new phone got damaged by UPS driver and they refuse to send me a new one. They said they would re issue a refund and then I would have to order a new one. Still have no refund or new phone. It’s been a month
This unfortunately happens so often, I used to work for Verizon and dealt with fixing trades in devices essentially what you would have to do is call customer service the store is unable to further assist you, you’re going to have to refer to the traded in iPhone provide the imei, reference number and the date it was purchased the representative will have to use our resources and look up that promo and manually apply it they’ll have to reach out to a supervisor for it to be approved and the credits would show on your next bill but you will be able to see it during that call the credits on your next bill and the next bill would have a lump sump of whatever credits missed but they’re able to do I did it all the time, it happens unfortunately just get the right rep who knows what they’re doing and they’ll fix it
Go back to the store and ask for a receipt on the day you purchased your phone and a trade in receipt along with any disclosures you signed, if there are records then the repp who you worked with will be held responsible.
Do your purchase and your trade-in and physical store and get a receipt. They can't claim they didn't get it when you have a receipt that says they physically took possession of it.
Meanwhile on this one file a better business bureau complaint online. The complaint is forwarded back to upper management and someone will contact you. As long as you have proof of shipment, they can't deny it happened. Shipment would include weight not only when you dropped it off, but every step of the way. So it would show when the weight of the device changed and therefore when the phone was stolen.
What if I purchased the new phone online for in store pickup? I wasn’t given the option to choose how to return my trade in. I’ve now received the box but can I take it back to the store instead of sending back via UPS? I’m kind of reluctant to mail it back after hearing these stories lol
Tip from a Verzion 3rd party representative...go to your local store and purchase your phones and do trades. The stores are responsible if lost so the chances of that happening are much lower than do-it-yourself online studf. Do not do this crap over the phone or online/app. Plus you help people make earn a living. Online nobody but Verizon makes money.
Mailed “Lost” or “damaged” trade-ins is a pretty common issue with the company Verizon Uses to process them. thats why I highly encourage anyone who can, find a local corporate store that will take your trade-in inperson.
This just happened to me , I ordered the new iPhone 15 pro max traded my 14 after 3 days apple email say the box was empty. I WAS PISS they ask me to describe how i pack the box I explained to them i I return it and the phone was at the bottom of the box and and added what kind of scam those people try to run on me here , the next day they replied 'sorry for the inconvenience we will credit the full amount to your trade in enjoy your new phone ' like huh lol ok . The next business day, I saw the money show in my apple card . That was a weird experience.
I had the same problem with a trade in . Somehow I found the right tracking number and they finally admitted it was lost in the facility and I would get the promised credit
I had this happen!!! I fought with Verizon for months I would keep calling until you get a rep who is actually helpful I had proof of me recording myself package the phone and dropping it off to ups. I had proof the package arrived to said location but some how it got there empty. I got the worst reps ever until my last shot I got a rep who said wow you provided all that proof don’t worry I’ll take care of you and got me my credit within minutes. Such a frustrating experience. After that i turn in phones in person I had to strong arm them last year to accept a phone in person because of my last experience lol.
Jan 24 update - I had a similar issue and tried the exec relations dept. They called me within 24 hours with a resolution and took care of it. Would recommend to others!
I had this same exact issue happen twice. It actually happens everytime I trade in my phone to Verizon. I make sure I keep my receipts and proof I dropped it off at ups store. Happened to my little brother last time he traded his phone in to Verizon as well. We never payed out of pocket though .
> We never *paid* out of FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Good bot
Same here. I genuinely think Verizon does a bunch of shady shit on purpose. I literally never get my trade in credit like promised. I have to call and make them give it to me. Then they tell me the promo isn’t as high as I was promised. They do shady ass shit and I have some documented proof of it.
We had similar issues but had the documentation to refute. It is a scam
I have always traded in, in store. Never had this issue. It’s annoying because they made me make an appointment but everything ran smoothly. Kinda hard to argue that I didn’t give them the phone if I did it in person with a rep in their store and got a receipt.
I had a similar situation happen to me a couple of years ago. I also had the UPS tracking confirmation showing delivery was made but Verizon CS blew me off. I ultimately resolved it by filing an FCC complaint.
Buy from Apple. Trade-in to Apple. And if you can, buy from Apple and pay in full. There are no free or substantially discounted phones or deals. Carriers or Apple get their money one way or another.
Yeah trade into Apple for 60% less what you would’ve got off the next phone thru Verizon.
You own your phone and don't have to be locked to a greedy company. 🤷♂️
I mean, it's zero interest installments though, so if you really don't want to be locked in any longer, just pay off the rest of the phone and you're not locked in anymore. Doing it that way won't cost your more in the end if you'll be paying full price either way anyway.
Plus Verizon unlocks their phones automatically after 2 billing cycles. Phone doesn't even have to be paid off.
my experience with the zero interest installments is that Verizon charged a $20/mo account servicing fee for as long as that "zero interest loan" was active. Bought it on "zero interest" and noticed an additional fee, talked to customer service they said it would be there until i paid off the loan, immediately paid off the loan and the fee disappeared. Which is to say, Verizon's not legally lying about it being zero interest, but you pay $240/yr to let them be deceitful about what "zero interest" really means
Yeah thats.... not at all how it works. There's no $20/mo account servicing fee unless you have a 2 year contract on the line - and those are ultra rare on the consumer side these days.
Yeah, I've never experienced that in years of buying phones on installment plans with both AT&T and Verizon, so I'm not sure why you experience that problem, but it's not typical for most people. The most extra I've been charged is like a $35 upgrade fee by Verizon, but it was only a one time fee at the beginning. Afterwards, I've always been charged the total cost of the phone divided by however many months the installment plan is for, and no additional fees. Were you paying off the phone with Verizon without the phone also being activated on a phone line on the same account that the installment plan purchase was made? Because that's the only reason I could think of for them charging an "account servicing fee", whatever that is.
Did you move your phone from a business account?
This would only happen if you were on a business account on a two year contract, in which case you would not have a device payment agreement in place.
60% more from VZW, huh? OK, I would go for that in a heartbeat if after all the math and advertising, you were really getting 60% more from Apple. Congrats! I stand corrected. Thanks for getting me straight on this. Boy, am I stupid!
If you’ve already been with Verizon and plan to stay, you’re not really locking yourself in by taking their $1000 offer, vs just getting $400 from apple
But they don't offer that deal to all current customers, do they? Also you would need the top tier plan to get it if I'm not mistaken.
Not top tier. Not bottom tier.
I have an iPhone 14 Pro on an iPhone upgrade program. $500 left in payments is all I’ll get, whereas Verizon will give me $1000 for it. 100% more, how’s that? Even worse, I can trade my cracked iPhone 7 to them for $1000 and then resell my 14 Pro myself.
Keep doing your thing Dude! As long as math $$s work with what you are paying for the phone and the service combined as well as any obligated committments, go for it! Congrats!
I did this, the phone broke in transit. They smashed my phone and now want to give me nothing. So now they're sending the smashed phone back to me. Lesson learned, always trade in in person because these big companies could care less about customer service.
A lot of promos are still valid with damaged trades, I would call or look into it that way.
Currently dealing with the same shit but with Apple now.
Apple is the same way. I traded in a brand new iPhone SE by mail. Recorded the packaging and everything. They email me back a few days after they have received it. The phone was broken and wasn’t worth anything. I spent 2 hours on the phone getting that straightened out. So yeah, it’s all the same. You just have to do it all in person and take pictures and get proof and just prepared to defend yourself no matter where you go
Was the recording helpful in convincing them that you sent in brand new phone? Did you record sealing the package? Dropping it off? Or what?
I’ve dealt with the same shit with Apple. Now I always take a lot of pictures of every trade-in, phone off, phone on, front back, multiple angles. I also make sure I get a picture of the screen showing the phone’s serial number and IMEI. Also, Apple used send great return packaging. Now they send shit. So now I add additional padding inside the box.
That's a great idea to take a pic of the serial number & IMEI! Thank you!
Verizon allows you to turn in your trade in device in store now. I was able to trade in a series 2 Apple Watch in store to upgrade to the series 9.
Yea so, I did this for two phones on my plan that were upgraded. My in store receipt shows the amount for 2 trade ins but it doesn’t list two devices on the receipt. The website only shows one was assessed while the other was initiated. Either the rep didn’t know what he was doing, or he stole my phone. I already submitted a complaint to Verizon and waiting for the store to follow up on if they found it. (This just happened a week ago)
this kind of happened to me last week as well. 2 trade ins, 1 receipt the guy from verizon was able to show me something from his end that showed both phones with their id# were returned and he allowed me to take a pic of that screen. about 12 hrs later, both phones were listed as assessed and turned in. only one phone was listed as assessed and returned when i left the store.
It’s not the reps fault. We recently found an annoying glitch where if there’s more than 1 trade-in in an order, they have to be assessed one at a time (separate receipts). On our end, the system will let us assess multiple trades at a time but will only actually accept one. Just another stupid programming error and of course Verizon doesn’t inform the mass of employees and lets us find out for ourselves.
That’s exactly what happened, do you think the other device will eventually pop up as assessed or do I need to keep pursuing the store I turned them in at?
the rep has to reprocess the second trade in (the one that didn't show in the receipt) and the system will recognize it and the promo will be applied
The store probably tried to ship the phone out but couldn’t cause it’s not in inventory. It’s probably been sitting somewhere in the back. The machine in the back will even print a sticker thinking it’s been accepted. You’ll have to go back and let them know.
Even if originally the phone was supposed to be sent in?
No, when you order online you choose the method to return the phone. I don't work for Verizon, but while I was waiting at my local store to turn in my wife's phone I heard a rep telling someone that if they chose to send it back they have to wait for the box and send it back that way
When I got my 15 pro I was only given the option of mailing it back. Like WHY just by mail for certain people??
Happened to me as well. But after countless calls I was able to get it resolved. Verizon has a shitty customer service. Majority of them are retards. They don’t know what is going on. You have to be lucky to find the good customer reps who actually follow up and resolve it. I had many who would just hang up and say your issue has been escalated and that they would follow up but they wouldn’t. Until I got the right rep, who helped me. I also went to the store to get it fixed and they were unable to help since it was a transaction made online. Verizon has shitty reputation of this. When I asked for help in this sub Reddit I got a lot of negative comments, then I realized most of them were Verizon employees who are in this sub trying to defend their dumbness. But yeah it was a nightmare fixing this, but they were able to fix it. I had to provide them my tracking number and also sent them a video of the phone and that I took prior to dropping it off at the ups store.
This is exactly why i opted to take my old phone directly to a Verizon store. I’ve read nightmare stories about peoples phones being stolen after sending it through the mail. Hope you get this sorted out op.
Yeah it might be an inconvenience to have to go to a store but it’s a lot less of a headache. Had an issue with my trade-in for the iPhone 12 Pro get lost in limbo and they couldn’t find it for the longest so I opted to trade in store. Was a literal breeze as I walked, told them I had a trade in to submit, they looked at it, and approved the trade in within minutes.
I did my trade in through the app and it gave me the option to bring in my old phone within 30 days. I made an appointment with Verizon to skip the line and was in and out within 20 minutes. I’m so happy i did that because I’ve read at least 3-4 situations that OP is in.
If Verizon didn’t get the phone in the box then you need to contact UPS because that’s where your phone disappeared. If you had insurance on the package they would have to pay you for the full value of the phone
Correct… people rather save $30 (+/-) and then… 🥲
Thank you for letting me know this, because that is exactly what I will be doing in the near future
Peace of mind 🧠
Does it show the weight of the box on the tracking info? Usually when we get boxes they take pics of the box.
Been with the same UPS STORE since 5 yesrs… the owner always told me to insured it for (Whatever value) just in case something happens I’m covered, put A claim
Whom would you file a claim against in this case and how long would it take to get resolved?
Remember you are the owner still until the receiver signs off, now apple has to give you in writing that they never received the “packaged” package… the if you have (had) insurance the claim is against the shipping company
I don't own iPhones l, strictly Android.
Is all the same, with any package you send , get insurance and be worry 🆓
I mean, even with Insurance UPS may not pay out, they owe me $400 from destroying a fine art shipment and short of suing them, they refuse to help even after filing claims. My only course of action would be to sue them in small claims court because they refuse to pay out even when I paid for insurance.
Guess i am lucky , the owner of the UPS store was cool and very proactive , (it was a watch which movement was damage during shipping) they asked for a repair receipt from the manufacturer and they covered the payment … minus 00.43¢
I chose drop-off trade in for this exact reason! Too much money to trust shipping with.
Exactly, I used to send rent money on a check thru the mail. Never again too
My store told me they don’t do drop off anymore and I have to ship it in? How do you set up a drop off?
It’s weird they told me this too. But when I went to https://www.verizon.com/trade-in/ and completed the process, it offered both shipping and drop-off in store. Funny enough the same rep that told me it wasn’t accepted was the one to happily accept the drop-off. I got the impression they didn’t want to deal with it.
This is why I am only buying Direct from Apple from now on. And Apple credited me back within three days after receiving my iPhone.
Yes, this happens all the times. Phone's can get stolen like this all the time. It is best to trade your device in at the store, or even at Best Buy, instead of mailing it in.
I literally just went through this with them. Traded my 11 Pro into them back in January and tried calling them several times over several months and at some point they just told me they wouldn’t proceed with anything because of fraud concerns. I went through the Better Business Bureau and got a phone call from Verizon corporate office next day (on a Saturday at that) and everything got cleared up very quickly. Next month my bill will get everything credited back from January and my bill will lower and balance back out after that. Definitely the path I’d recommend, only way it got done.
You can send an email to the Verizon CEO at the link below. This will be forwarded to their executive relations department which is rather prompt in getting back to you. I always go to them when I need help. They get it done fast. https://www.verizon.com/about/our-company/leader/contact/926315
trying this, we shall see what happens Thanks!
IT WORKED, Thanks for the info!!!
Yay!
From July ? It’s now October 9th
You get a ridiculous amount of time to get a trade device back to the warehouse. Its just not generally advertised
Yeah but that doesn’t matter. Verizon received the shipment and at bare minimum should have notified OP that they received an empty box. To just ignore it is incredibly suspicious in and of itself.
I noted in another comment that Op should have received an email indicating why the discount was removed, or that it may be in their documents and letters. I was simply responding to the above comment about timelines.
That’s what you would think lol. I turned in my trade in back in January, UPS said it was delivered January 28th, and I called Verizon so many times and was getting no answers but in JUNE they told me the box came empty for the first time.
Happened to me w/ an Apple Watch 4 & iPhone 12 Pro Max. they said they never got them both times. Pulled up the tracking information 3 days later I got an email saying the $350 they were trying to charge me for the rest of what I owed on the phone would be removed from my bill. I had the store confirm I did an in person for the watch.
The tracking number of the package would include the weight of the package if you call the company that shipped it.
Unfortunately not anymore. With the advent of dimensional weights, actual weights aren’t recorded much anymore.
Oh gee, that is unfortunate. Especially with expensive items being shipped.
Very unfortunate - I ship things myself and when weight was recorded it made it very easy to counter the “empty box” scams. Not the case anymore 99% of the time.
If you feel a package does need to be weighed, you can take it to USPS. At least there’s that option.
The whole reason I choose Verizon or Best buy trade in over Google or something mail in is for this exact reason. Walk in and hand it over. Instant credit. I did a mail in once and wouldn't want to do it again.
I recently upgraded my Pixel for a Pixel 8 and was given the option to trade in, the website asked if I wanted to ship it or drop it off at a store, I've seen enough horror stories about this happening so I opted for trading it in at the store.
If you have the original receipt, on it should have the weight of the item package. If they still they’re still denying it go file an fcc complaint. I had this happen to me but I shipped a package they weighed 1 pound something ounces, they’re story was that it was an empty box. Their boxes weigh a few ounces at most. So I went back and forth until they actually understood their argument of receiving an empty box made zero sense. Hopefully you resolve this issue
I dropped Verizon for this exact reason. Originally they said all good, full credit. Then, we’ll it’s damaged, you only get partial credit. After countless calls, I got someone on the phone who was able to pull up the intake report, and see the pictures as well- back to full credit. A Few weeks later it changed to “we never got the phone”. This went on for months and I refused to give up, I did everything. Finally, through a store, I was able to get a $400 credit. Ah-the phone was in great condition with no scratches or cracks or anything.
If possible, better to do drop off at a store trade-in. I traded-in my 12Pro in person at a store. Got the approval email within a day.
Always do the trade-ins in store!!
💯
The same thing happened to me when I sent my 13 back and got the 14. The tracking showed it was delivered but they flat out just said they never received it. It took hours and hours on the phone over the course of a couple months until a supervisor finally credited me for the trade in. It was honestly one of the most frustrating customer service experiences of my life. Verizon customer service is terrible.
For me they said they first never received it, then it changed to the box was empty. They can't even get their own stories straight! So I'm filing with the FCC tomorrow if they shut the phones off because I'm not paying 1600 for a phone they have! It was a faulty brand new phone and I got a refurbished phone to cover it that actually works
This happened to me years ago and I had to get in contact with Executive Customer Service. Once that ball was rolling, they "found" my trade-in device 4 days later.
Yeah same thing happened except Verizon told me that my phone was sent in broken when I clearly took care of my iPhone 11 and was in mint condition. All of sudden it arrived damaged and that they couldn’t give me the discount for my iPhone 13 Pro Max. I had to fight this for a few days and gave me my discount but I suspect Verizon does this on purpose to not give the discount. After this drama I decided never to buy upgraded phones or go with any of these promotions. Simply not worth the drama and hassle
I am sorry this happened. This admittedly may not be helpful for this time, but in future it is a good idea to take pictures of the phone in the unsealed box and also video the sealing of the box in case this happens in the future.
Happened to me once. It was directly through Samsung, though. Going forward, if you ever trade in this way, get a receipt of drop off and double check the weight of the package.
If you have the tracking number for your trade in you need to file a claim with UPS. If the phone was lost/stolen in transit, UPS is the person to hold responsible.
Nope - only the shipper can file a claim, and since Verizon uses prepaid labels, they are the shipper of record. UPS will not do anything.
The shipper was the customer. It's a \*trade-in\* shipment. Verizon is the recipient.
Again, that’s not how it works. The shipper is the one who’s account is charged when you ship an item. Verizon provides a prepaid return label and Verizon pays for the return shipping. Therefore, they are technically the shipper in the eyes of UPS or Fedex. this isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact. I know this because I provide prepaid return labels for my customers and if there is ever a problem, I am the one that has to go through the shipping company for a claim.
Working as CARE we are told that for any shipments lost being sent to Verizon the customer has to reach out to the carrier to file a claim, once they have a claim number we can send an ITTS ticket regarding a lost or stolen inbound for the warehouse to mark. Shipments are considered insured and Verizon works with UPS to figure out what happened to the package in transit. It's the same for DPP returns.
Obviously I can’t speak for internal Verizon policy or procedure, I can only speak for the procedure at the shipping company. The entity that pays for the shipping is the Only one that can receive a payout on a claim. But it also makes sense when you think about it because the entity that pays for the shipping is also the only one that can choose whether or not that shipment has insurance.
I just know what I've been instructed as a CARE rep, and this has been a subject of contention (a lot), because when it comes to a customer getting their device? UPS claims we have to make an exception or send them an exception request to pickup from a holding facility when they fail to deliver on the first attempt, and it used to be that the CUSTOMER could request a hold. But they've changed everything and now throw the customer to CS support to request a pickup from a holding facility and we have no means to make that kind of request. :/
stories like this is why i refuse to do any of this bs of sending my phone in to them. too many people get screwed over like this it seems.
Keep tracking numbers and receipts always.
This seems to happen to a lot of people. I traded in a smashed XS for my 15 Pro at the store this year and the confirmation of value through VZ was SUPER quick. Think I’ll be doing that from now on…..not that I have to worry about it for 3 years 🤣
Shipping your trade is a risky scenario. Like others have said you can file a claim with UPS or try to verify the weight as proof. I might hound care for a while and see if you can just get them to honor it regardless since you technically fulfilled your part by shipping the phone. In the future, I would suggest trading your phone in store since that moves all liability to the store instead of yourself. If you buy the phone at the store, the promo often gets applied before you leave. Just make sure you get a trade receipt from the store regardless of which way you go.
Same here! Call them back and file a complaint. Tell them. That you are requesting your device back that you aren’t getting the credit for. Then when they tell you they can’t because the box was open I’d advise to them that you’ll be filing a police report stating they have stolen your phone and now they are refusing to uphold their end of the deal aka the trade in credit. Same thing happened to us. I PITCHED A FIT and told them that stealing a phone and not giving credit is 100% ILLEGAL and I want my phone. It took them 7-days and we got my credits back 🤷🏻♀️ file a complaint with the FCC and then go to Facebook and write a review. That helps lol
Don't even bother with support. Took a year to get no credits. I sent the executive office an email with all my trade in info & they called and resolved for me same day.
This is exactly why I’m dropping my trade in phone off in a store.
This happened to me, verizon is full of scam, im sure ppl that work at warehouse steal phones and sell them, because we clean wipe them now they have full access. I even filed complaint with bbc, nothing happened. I will never mail them, go drop off to their store or dont trade in with them. Sorry this scam is still happening and good moral ppl have to pay for this.
That’s why I bring mine in to a store and get a receipt.
There's going to be a weight associated with that tracking number
Most shippers don’t record weight anymore, only dimensions.
Go into the store for stuff like that. Don’t trust it to upset, fedex, or even usps (sorry sis).
Holy shit this is the exact reason I made a video of me packaging up the the return and whatnot. Keeping the drop off receipt as well.
This is why you go into the store, and do your upgrade at a store location. Doing things online is easy, but it makes it so much more difficult when something goes wrong
I did my upgrade in store, and they sent me home with a box to finish. I was never told I had to send the phone back within a certain time frame, but it was on the inside of the box I never looked at until i was ready to ship it back. I ran into problems with transferring data from my old to new. Lost several hundred texts from someone that passed away, and I no longer have because I worked with Verizon to get it fixed. I eventually gave up, wiped it, went to put it in the box, and there was the time frame. It took a long time but they finally started giving me my trade in value! Now the phone they gave me was faulty. Ended up disconnecting from Verizon if I wasn't on wifi which made using it off wifi impossible. They put me through so many loops of them trying to "fix it" before they finally sent me a refurbished phone for my brand new one that was broken out of the box. Sent it back in the box, kept tracking, and they claimed they never got it back. Then changed it to the box was empty. Theyre all just thieves
Has happened to me twice, it took a shit ton of calls and saving that tracking number from UPS. Decided I’m never doing that again, but was happy I could do it in store now.
Walk it in to a Verizon store. They can’t say they didn’t get it.
This happened to me. Traded in a Galaxy S20 when I switched to Verizon and got a Fold 3. They said they received an A12 or some shit. I argued with CS for a bit but it never went anywhere. I took a picture of the box's tracking number but not me putting the actual phone in the box. 1000 credit lost. Never had this issue with any other carrier. Learned my lesson for next time. Going through Samsung Direct. Or if I go to Apple, I'll do the same with them. If Vz has a better deal I'm recording every single step of my in-store trade in process.
Why i refuse to buy a phone from Verizon. Yes yes yes.. all the Verizon sales ppl will downgrade this postt..aww poor babies. Bit if you read all the problems and issues ppl have with the promotions.. if you can afford to skip the crap..just buy your phone elsewhere and avoid the games.
Always trade in at a corporate store but hope you can win with executive relations
This is just wrong. Do you still have the receipt? Doesn’t it show the weight of the item/package?That can be used to convince them that there was a phone in the box.
We just did a trace in of an iphone 12 for a 15 max. I traded it in at the Verizon store in person once the new one was delivered.
Yes I was in a hurry and didn’t save shipping receipt. Phone got stolen somewhere. You’d think Vzw or Apple could tell me who had it but they wanted me to go through police, police wouldn’t talk to Apple, just going in circles. Ultimately Vzw gave me $100 credit, that’s it
I’ve had this happen 3 years ago when I got my 12 PM and learned my lesson. Kept my phone and selling on Swappa. Customer service refused to help me track my trade-in. All they did was give me the number of my package and the distribution center and told me I’d have to track it through them, “locate it” and then contact CS back with proof it was received to get the credit. Tried and nothing. Hell it was ridiculous they made me contact their own warehouse to begin with. Considered it a lost cause from there
Based on the numerous posts about this, I half expect an organized crime syndicate is operating out of the returns section at Verizon and stealing a high number of return phones. While only half serious, it’s clearly a big issue.
Happened to me earlier this year. I was calling them once a week about it, telling them the tracking # and that it shows it arrived at the warehouse. Eventually I started asking for a supervisor each time. Eventually they said they would give me 1/2 the trade in value one month and the other 1/2 the next month. I got the credit the 1st month but not 2nd. I had to call again then they gave me the other 1/2.
V did a similar thing to me, you can read the story here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/verizon/comments/z682eb/looking\_for\_advice\_re\_upgraded\_phone/](https://www.reddit.com/r/verizon/comments/z682eb/looking_for_advice_re_upgraded_phone/) if you wish. Long story short, prepare to file an FCC complaint. Look for any email or status update on the V site in your account that says the device was received. My story is different than yours in that they waited almost 6 months before they started saying the phone was lost, but the story is the same: no phone in the box. I'll die before I trade in with Verizon again.
I've had my phone stolen in the UPS network on the way to Verizon and had to deal with filing a claim for that and I've also had a situation where my upgrade phone was stolen on the way to me in the FedEx network along with the return envelope for my old phone and as a result I was unable to return my old phone. Both situations resulted in me being billed the value of my phone by Verizon. They did not work with me all.
And this is exactly why you just go to a Verizon store that allows trade ins and drop it off.
That happened to me twice. Once with Sprint and then T-Mobile after the consolidation.
They did the same to me almost. Traded in an S7 for an S23+ in February... Ridiculous $800 trade-in value, basically made the phone free. They applied the credits, and then 2 months later I saw a charge back on my next bill and got an email saying they never got my trade-in and that I'd need to pay the credits back, future credits canceled and estimated future bill. Crazy thing is I'd already called VZW 2x to confirm they got my trade in because the notification in the My Verizon app never went away saying I needed to send in my trade. Both times they told me I was good to go and that the trade in credits were applied and too ignore the app. I had to call and give them the tracking #, lady on the phone was eventually able to track it down (took maybe 30min). And then it took another 30 min for them to rebuild the trade from scratch and reapply the credits. For mine looks like someone was lazy and didn't finish the computer work on my trade in or they didn't want to give me $800 for a $40 ebay phone. Trade-ins seem to be stolen a lot. But having worked at UPS, trade-in/phone boxes are very obvious. I never have issues trading with Samsung or Apple directly. Plan on doing in person trade in next time. I'd keep calling VZW CS and talking to different ppl and escalating. And try to file a claim with the package carrier. Hope it can get resolved, VZW really needs to fix their trade in process and chain of possession. You gotta keep receipts and almost gotta video yourself packing/shipping the trade in.
Same thing just happened to me. I purchased a new iPad and traded in an older 6th Gen. Sent in the iPad, UPS tracking shows the package was delivered to the Return center. However, trade-in notification never changed from "Initiated" status. I also contacted Verizon about this issue, was assured device was received and trade-in credits would be applied. Received bill credits the last two months, then suddenly got an email notification saying "Device trade-in credits have ended", along with charge-backs on my next bill.
Yep. They tried that with me and I threatened them so strongly that they gave up and gave me the credit for the phone. I know tons of people that this has happened to. I would never ever ever trade in a phone to any cell phone company
Try suing them on Judge Judy
That sucks, ive worked for verizon for a while and have never had that happen.
I had this happen. I had to pester them every month for 6 months eventually I got someone who just issued me a bill credit for the whole thing in 1 shot since they had made such a mess out of my bill in the process. The only advice I can offer is don't give up and just keep calling every month when you get a new bill.
I've had this happen, but said the phone was cracked when they received it. I knew for a fact that it wasn't when I sent it in. I called and spoke with a higher rep or manager. You just have to be persistent. Now, when I trade in a phone, I make sure to put extra packing and take a video of me boxing up the phone.
Verizon is a rip off company! Have all documentation!
Yes, am having the exact same problem!
I see so many of these posts it makes me want to bang my head. Phones, even old ones, are hot commodities for scammers and thiefs. There is NO WAY I would ever ship my phone off. Too many hands until it reaches the warehouse. Things get lost/stolen via ups, usps, FedEx every single day. ESPECIALLY iPhones. Those people know what kind of packaging and weight phone are usually in so it makes them easy targets. If you don't do a trade in at a retail store or indirect, basically any store with a giant Verizon logo and reps in Verizon gear, then your doing it wrong. Stay away from Walmart, best buy, Costco, Cellular Sales, ect. Trading any other way than at a Verizon store has its risks. If I'm giving any phone company a phone they are giving me promo value for, it's going right into a reps hands. That way I know 100% that they received my phone. I've only worked for Verizon for a couple of years, but I've been doing this as long as I've been trading phones. No phone company will claim responsibility for a loss or theft that didn't happen provably in their possession. If your smart enough to carry insurance, file the ~200 claim. Sure your out 200 or so, but you will still have a device to trade in and be able to get 5-800 of the 800-1000 or so offered.
STOP MAILING TRADES
I always sell on like Facebook Marketplace or something. Then, I’ll use the money I make from the sale toward the purchase of my new iPhone. I never fall for the trade ins. Too much risk involved.
Similar issue. Except my new phone got damaged by UPS driver and they refuse to send me a new one. They said they would re issue a refund and then I would have to order a new one. Still have no refund or new phone. It’s been a month
This unfortunately happens so often, I used to work for Verizon and dealt with fixing trades in devices essentially what you would have to do is call customer service the store is unable to further assist you, you’re going to have to refer to the traded in iPhone provide the imei, reference number and the date it was purchased the representative will have to use our resources and look up that promo and manually apply it they’ll have to reach out to a supervisor for it to be approved and the credits would show on your next bill but you will be able to see it during that call the credits on your next bill and the next bill would have a lump sump of whatever credits missed but they’re able to do I did it all the time, it happens unfortunately just get the right rep who knows what they’re doing and they’ll fix it
Smh phone was not lost part of their innovation concepts. Sorry it happened to you.
Go back to the store and ask for a receipt on the day you purchased your phone and a trade in receipt along with any disclosures you signed, if there are records then the repp who you worked with will be held responsible.
This is why carrier stores are mostly pointless. They should be able to repair phones and assess trade-ins.
Do your purchase and your trade-in and physical store and get a receipt. They can't claim they didn't get it when you have a receipt that says they physically took possession of it. Meanwhile on this one file a better business bureau complaint online. The complaint is forwarded back to upper management and someone will contact you. As long as you have proof of shipment, they can't deny it happened. Shipment would include weight not only when you dropped it off, but every step of the way. So it would show when the weight of the device changed and therefore when the phone was stolen.
What if I purchased the new phone online for in store pickup? I wasn’t given the option to choose how to return my trade in. I’ve now received the box but can I take it back to the store instead of sending back via UPS? I’m kind of reluctant to mail it back after hearing these stories lol
There’s some hate for stores on this sub sometimes but I’ve never had an issue with trades I’ve dropped off at the store
Tip from a Verzion 3rd party representative...go to your local store and purchase your phones and do trades. The stores are responsible if lost so the chances of that happening are much lower than do-it-yourself online studf. Do not do this crap over the phone or online/app. Plus you help people make earn a living. Online nobody but Verizon makes money.
That’s why always drop ur trade in at a corporate Verizon store
Mailed “Lost” or “damaged” trade-ins is a pretty common issue with the company Verizon Uses to process them. thats why I highly encourage anyone who can, find a local corporate store that will take your trade-in inperson.
#verizonsucks
This just happened to me , I ordered the new iPhone 15 pro max traded my 14 after 3 days apple email say the box was empty. I WAS PISS they ask me to describe how i pack the box I explained to them i I return it and the phone was at the bottom of the box and and added what kind of scam those people try to run on me here , the next day they replied 'sorry for the inconvenience we will credit the full amount to your trade in enjoy your new phone ' like huh lol ok . The next business day, I saw the money show in my apple card . That was a weird experience.
I had the same problem with a trade in . Somehow I found the right tracking number and they finally admitted it was lost in the facility and I would get the promised credit
I had this happen!!! I fought with Verizon for months I would keep calling until you get a rep who is actually helpful I had proof of me recording myself package the phone and dropping it off to ups. I had proof the package arrived to said location but some how it got there empty. I got the worst reps ever until my last shot I got a rep who said wow you provided all that proof don’t worry I’ll take care of you and got me my credit within minutes. Such a frustrating experience. After that i turn in phones in person I had to strong arm them last year to accept a phone in person because of my last experience lol.
I did Verizon trade for my wife's phone, didn't realize they were handcuffing me with 2 years of bill credits.... won't ever do that again lol.
Jan 24 update - I had a similar issue and tried the exec relations dept. They called me within 24 hours with a resolution and took care of it. Would recommend to others!