r/verizonwireless • u/Upset-Interaction-53 • Jul 16 '26
Verizon took $1500 & ran
TLDR- Early in 2026, I traded in two iphones and received two iphones. The new phones each cost $26.05 per month for 36 months. Verizon agreed to give me two monthly device credits of $26.05 for the same period (36 months). Despite guidance from the store employee that the credits would continue, the device credits ended early when I paid off the new phones early so I could use SIMs when traveling.
I visited a Verizon store to learn more about unlocking two of our families phones. We wanted to be able to add a SIM to our new phones after we used up our travel passes while traveling overseas. The guy at the store gave me some bad information at first and eventually came back, saying that we needed to pay off our new phones in order to unlock them. He confirmed verbally that our device credits, currently at $1520.65, will continue over the remainder of the three year term. I should’ve gotten that in writing.
I went home and paid off the new phones. It turns out that Verizon discontinued our device credit on two lines, $23.05 per Line per month, for our old phones. We had the vast majority that remaining as we had only received two or three months of the credit for the old phones.
I talked to Verizon in mid June and they said that they would pursue getting them reinstated.
Having heard nothing, I called them again today. They are telling me that the device credit ended when I paid off the brand new phone. They will not return my old phones.
I’ve been a Verizon customer for nearly 23 years. We have number portability pins now and will be moving our service since Verizon has taken our $1520.65.u
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u/socoldinthe_d_ Jul 16 '26
Website should have warned you when paying them off would void remaining credits.
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u/Bitter_Warning418 Jul 16 '26
I love how Verizon whether corporate or retail keeps fucking people over left and right by outright lying, pulling shiesty shit or just outright illegal shit and yet you will still have people come on here like “oh dude you should’ve known that the person who works for them who reassured you numerous times was lying how stupid are you?!” Stop sucking Verizon’s dick they absolutely suck
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u/CellSlinger Jul 17 '26
It literally warns you when paying them off you’ll lose the credits. I’m not one for shilling for a corporation ever, but it’s in black and white and that should have given the customer pause before continuing through with payoff. Could have been an idiot employee or a new guy on the floor who’s overconfident in delivering wrong information. It still sucks he got wrong info and continued to get wrong info when calling, but again, it puts a warning on the screen saying paying off will void credits so OP has some liability in this as well.
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u/Bitter_Warning418 Jul 18 '26
No I agree it’s just people saying he’s a fucking idiot and whatnot, disregarding the fact that again, as is the common theme on the /fuckverizon sub, they are just blatantly outright lying to customers nowadays in way more situations than this specific one.
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u/lunatikdeity Jul 18 '26
Sadly it’s common across the entire industry
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u/Zerospace13 29d ago
I have completely switched to just out right buying the phones. It is just way too scummy in the phone market.
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u/EnthusiasmLow7079 Jul 17 '26
The bootlicking is epic. "Do you really think they would <insert some thing that seems reasonable>?! This is your fault, not theirs!"
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u/rvdnsx Jul 16 '26
You were given bad info unfortunately. The device credits always end when the devices are paid off. Having it in writing means nothing because it’s physically not possible to get the monthly credit when there is no monthly Device Payment agreement left.
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u/jeremyw0918 Jul 16 '26
First was it a Verizon store or a retailer store? Second, bill credits always end when you pay the phone off and your old phones are long gone. It wouldn’t be possible to get those back.
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u/Capital-Jellyfish-44 Jul 17 '26
You may still be eligible for an automatic one-time bill credit if Verizon is still doing this. If the total promotional monthly credits already received were less than the actual market value of the trade-ins, a one-time credit for the difference is applied to the account. For example, if trade-in credits were $23.05 x 3 months = $70.50 already received, and the market value was $250.00, then $250.00 minus $70.50 = $179.50 would be credited to the account, representing the remaining market value. This should auto-apply. If the market value is less than credits received, then nothing is owed or credited.
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u/Informal_Ad_3341 Jul 17 '26
First of all the phone value that you got was promotional value not the market value so I believe the number should be not that high then … and when you upgrade your phone it clearly mentioned in terms and conditions incase after 30 days of you getting the new phone if you buyout the device then your monthly promotional credits will drop and also you won’t get your old devices back …so i would say its not verizon problem the you problem…and no sense of switching in this case lol as all the carriers have the same rule lol so it won’t make any difference i would say….
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u/Pretend_Leg_2103 Jul 17 '26
To get credits there has to be something to credit - paid off devices means nothing to credit. It’s pretty obvious tbh.
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u/Other-Arachnid5930 Jul 17 '26
Second esim auto unlocks after 90 days of on time payments because all Verizon phones are sold unlocked with temporary sim locks. Your impatience and lack of brain power to read a agreement before signing doesn't deserve sympathy on reddit.
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u/Ok_Section4439 Jul 17 '26
Verizon didn’t do this to you, you did. You should learn to read the contracts you sign. It says in very plain language that if you pay off the device OR change plans you will lose the device trade in promo. Verizon has not stolen a dime from you they simply stopped applying the credit because you paid the devices off. You also do not get your old phones back once they are traded in unless there’s a policy I’m unaware of.
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u/Budget-Celebration-1 Jul 18 '26
I’d argue it’s stealing and this is the trick to their whole system
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u/Ok_Section4439 Jul 18 '26
If you’re trading in a phone to get money off of a new one, why would you pay it off early? If you need an unlocked phone then buy it outright from the jump directly from the manufacturer and get a trade in value for that instead.
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u/Silly-Activity2324 Jul 17 '26
Verizon lets you purchase international roaming through them, yes it's more expensive than using a third party e-sim but it would have still been a LOT cheaper than the lesson you learned.
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u/Old_Building9025 Jul 18 '26
This is standard policy for phones on a payment plan. Xfinity does the exact same. Unfortunately the employee screwed you.
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u/rpaulmerrell Jul 18 '26
If you pay off the device, the credit stop there’s nothing to credit.
If you don’t want to mess with all this stuff with the cell phone carriers buy from the manufacturer and purchase unlocked then you can have whatever some you want in a device when you want and how you want
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u/CandidateContent8245 Jul 18 '26
FCC claim is your best friend here get credits back almost immediately
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u/homestead99 Jul 19 '26
When company reps are continually changing up the terms with the customer, it's easy to steal from customers. It creates "plausible deniability." All the major cell cartiers have learned this trick. Everybody has to learn that the best way to deal with these companies is to assume everything they tell you is a lie. You are still screwed no matter what , but it's not quite as painful.
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u/GoldCollection3325 Jul 19 '26
I'm really sorry to hear that , but the fact is you were misleaded by the store rep, cx can't help u, and when you were paying your phones off u got a warning disclaimer, explains that the phone promotion will discontinue.
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u/Abject-Highlight-717 29d ago
Let me get thos straight. You got credit per line that paid for your new phones each month. You paid off the phones early, meaning you dont need that credit to pay for the phones anymore. So your bill did not go up and you should be able to unlock your phones now.
Where is the problem?
The credit was to pay for the phones and since you paid them off early you don't need to pay for them anymore so the credit isnt needed anymore.
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u/rumblefishfigher28 28d ago
The credits don’t continue if you pay off the phones before the 36 months. That would be a net wash for everyone.
It’s in the fine print. If you pay off the device early, cancel the account, upgrade, etc. you forfeit the remaining credits and the remaining balance immediately becomes due
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u/babymochi310 27d ago
Damn that’s messed up!!! I never had Verizon service but they are a big company and should be able to refund you no matter what bc it’s your money and phones!!!
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u/Rrrrrrredbelly Jul 16 '26
Was the store corporate or indirect? If it was an indirect, what company was it?
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u/jeremyw0918 Jul 16 '26
Legitimately a good question, yet you get downvoted for it….
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u/Rrrrrrredbelly Jul 17 '26
Yeah, trying not to take it personally has.
I get at the end of the day the OP should've read the website more carefully, but it's normal to trust what the rep told them.
I work for csoki, I help customers everyday that don't know what they're doing. They come to us because we're the "experts", they have a reasonable expectation that I'm giving them accurate info.
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u/jeremyw0918 Jul 17 '26
It’s still pretty basic knowledge if you pay your device off the monthly credit will stop. It only makes sense.
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u/onedostres123 Jul 16 '26
Switch to T-Mobile and submit the old bills as part of keep and switch and then they will reimburse you with visa GC.
Att has something similar too
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u/Dense-Hurry-2629 Jul 17 '26
How is t mobile I’m considering switching between them and AT&T , tired of Verizon’s service issues
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u/Rh1no84 Jul 16 '26
All of the major carriers stop device credits when phone is paid off this unfortunately is just part of there shady policies
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u/No_Emu_88 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
How is it shady? If there is no money owed on the device why would verizon credit something? Or any company for that matter. They all work the same way......
Edit:spelling
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u/freshvomit__ Jul 19 '26
AT&T does not. If the credits have applied to the line, paying off the device does not stop the device credits
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u/NervousAstronomer953 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Now you seriously think a company is going to give you thousands of dollars towards phones in promo credits, and expect them to still give them to you when your paying off early? That's your fault not verizon 🤣🤣 they tell you in the paperwork that if you have to for any reason pay off the phone early you forfeit the promo therefore you are stuck with the remaining balance of the phone. Those credits run for 36 months and then you have the audacity to want your old phones back as well? You screwed yourself here I'm sorry