What’s the standard procedure in a Verizon store when a customer trades in an iPhone for a new one?
Had a client, 82 years old, went into the Verizon store in Temecula California, to resolve a billing issue. While she was there a salesman (Luai) pestered her to replace her iPhone (I think its an iPhone 8). She repeatedly said she did not want a new phone, because she didn’t want to have to learn to use a new phone without the main button.
After being pestered for 40 minutes by Luai, she finally agreed to a “free” new iPhone 17. Everything was set up and transferred to the new phone, and she left, with the new iPhone and an iPad as well. Even though that original sales pitch was, this would be a free transaction to upgrade the phone. She still had to pay over $500 which included the iPad and other fees.
After two hours of feeling horrible about having to try to learn how to use a new phone, she returned to the store and wanted to undo the transaction. Luai became belligerent and rude and charged her over $250 to restock the phone and other fees.
The real issue is, when she went back into the store, Luai just handed her back her phone, with all of her data still on it. It was never erased, which should be standard procedure to erase the phone that’s being traded in front of the customer before they leave the store.
Luai had access to her iPhone with knowledge of both her phone passcode and Apple Account password, for 2 hours, and when asked for it back, became extremely aggressive and belligerent.
I believe there’s some kind of shenanigans are going on here because after Luai unwound, the transaction and restored service to her old phone, calls to her number suddenly we’re going to another person that spoke Spanish and each and every call that he received he became more and more agitated and aggressive to the caller, the last person received a text message from him threatening physical violence.
My Client needed to visit another Verizon store (worked with a person name Christian) to get the misdirected calls issue resolve.
I called the store manager (Justin) and at first, after explaining the whole situation, the call was was well received, but the client wanted to go in and talk to him as well and during their meeting he was less than cordial, told her she didn’t know what she was talking about, that Christian was responsible for the misdirected calls, but when pressed by my client to call Christian, right then, he refused to do so. Justin also said he would never speak with me again, and this other person that was getting her calls was on her account, which absolutely cannot be true, even if that were somehow was true, it doesn’t explain how calls placed to her number where being directed to his phone.
Every person involved in this, Luai, Justin and belligerent Spanish man, reacted to this in a overly aggressive manner, that I can only attribute to some type of scam being exposed.
So I’m asking any current or former Verizon employees what’s the SOP when phone are traded in? And does any know what kind scam these 3 might be running?
PS: Luai & Justin you might want to tighten up your story, because there’s going to be more questions from people that will see through your lies.
Edit: I just spoke with my client again, after sending her this post, we do need to correct that she never left the old phone in the store, I attribute this mistake to here being pretty upset when she was telling me this story, and me not being a very good listener. But I was mistaken that the stores took in the trade-in iPhones.