Pushy Verizon Sales

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Nov 4, 2012
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If anyone here has ever been to a Verizon wireless store, this story may sound familiar.

So my old Motorola Droid finally died last week which meant I was going to have to take a trip to the Verizon store. Personally I'd rather have a root canal than walk into the Verizon Wireless store. So i got to the store, explained that my phone was old, and just stopped working. I wanted to get a newer version of the same phone. So they showed me the Motorola Droids and I picked the cheapest one of the bunch. I sat down while the salesman went back to get my new phone, and 10 minutes later the salesman comes out with my phone and a Samsung Tablet. Before he takes my phone out of the box, he shows me this tablet and tells me how great it is and how I could use it, and how it will make my life better, and how it's on special 70% off retail. I replied "That's nice, but I just want the phone." Salesman said "Ok" and proceeded to set up my phone. Once the phone was set up, and we started talking about data plans, he pulls out a piece of paper and adds up my out the-door-price and my monthly payment. I look carefully at it and notice the monthly payment went up significantly and the out the door price was almost $200 more than the price of the phone. Then I notice he added in the cost of the tablet without telling me. I said, "I told you I didn't want the tablet". Again he gives me his sales speech about how wonderful it is and how I need it, etc, etc. And again I told him I don't want it. Then he says "At what price would you consider buying (the tablet)?" I said "Free, I don't want it." I finally paid for my phone and before I left the same salesman started showing me some other device, I'm not sure what it was, I wasn't paying attention at this as I was so irritated, and he says how it doesn't cost anything for the device, and the service plan for it is very inexpensive. I was beyond pissed at this point and said in a pretty offensive tone "I'm not buying any more sh*t, give it a rest." After which I was finally able to leave.

I considered this sales practice extremely pushy and confusing if not deceptive. If I hadn't been paying close enough attention, they could have easily slipped that tablet in there without me knowing I was paying for it. I understand he is a salesman and he's just doing his job, but this was over the top. I was clearly not interested in what he was selling, and he was relentless in trying to sell me. And when he couldn't sell me on one thing I didn't want, he tried to sell me on something else I didn't want.

I told a few other people this story, some who are Verizon customers who told me similar stories of salesman trying to slip in items they didn't come in the store for, and a couple admitted to falling for it.
 
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Wraith

Royal Smart Person
Jan 13, 2013
1,599
4,747
113
DFW, TX
Never seen someone slipping extras in but most cell phone store salesmen seem to be too focused on the upsell and not helping the customer. I went through something similar last year and had a bad experience so I have a $800 phone I won't use, I replaced it with a Essential PH-1 that can go anywhere, anytime, any place as far as providers and only cost $400 with just as many bells and whistles.
 

pontiacgp

blank
Mar 31, 2006
29,270
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Kitchener, Ontario
those "salesmen" get bonuses for upselling but trying to scam you into something you told them you didn't want is fraud.
 
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street sweeper

Greasemonkey
Jun 12, 2017
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Central Indiana
So i will say i have had several experiences at the Verizon store. The last trip was decent but the one before i was deliberately deceived.

The salesman told me i was able to get a travel charger, car charger, case and screen protector included with the purchase of a new phone. So i asked him, they are free? He responds yes they are included. So i pick out a case i don't even like but i said what the heck its free. Next month the bill comes and i charged over $80 for all of it.

In hindsight i could have probably gone back and either returned it or made such a stink that the manager refunded me.

So my recommendation is be aware of what they are charging you for. Also from my last experience of adding my wife and getting two new phones, they want you to basically get the newest and best phones/plans. They incentivize it so that you are not much better off getting a cheaper phone or data plan.]

But none of that has been as bad as dealing with new car sales men...
 

CaliWagon83

Royal Smart Person
Nov 12, 2017
1,933
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Orange County, CA
I’ve been with Verizon for a long time. Never dealt with that level of the hard-sell. Have had them try to do the “bait and switch” on me, though. I specifically wanted a space gray iPhone, and they brought out a gold one. I ended up going to Best Buy where they had one in stock.
 

ck80

Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Feb 18, 2014
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In many things I'm slow and a "late adopter"...

I resisted the smart phone revolution until 2014. I didn't have email capability, and I DIDN'T WANT IT. Seriously, if you're over the age 35, you remember that you used to leave work, and there seldom was expectation for you to be "on call" or able to look something over until the next business day. The "Internet revolution" created so many new and heightened expectations be employers, but didn't cause increases in earnings to match the loss of family, home, and alone time.

So after having no choice BUT to have the smart phone, I bought a galaxy s5 - self replacable batteries, SD card for memory... I'm good. still using the original I bought at launch. When I dies, I bought 3 more sitting waiting to activiate.

(You're talking about a guy who had an analog service flip phone until about 2003... and stuck with versions of the motorola razor until '14... yep, I'm ok with that.)
 
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Streetbu

Know it all, that doesn't
Supporting Member
May 22, 2011
3,721
11,525
113
Central NY
On my second smart phone ever. Waited as long as I could to get one. Google Pixel 2. They had a Black Friday deal for 50% off. I was the first person in the store that day. Left within 15 minutes all signed up with my new phone. Get my December bill, it jumped drastically. Called, oh you just missed the billing cycle. Well then how did it go up? You have to wait for the rebate to go thru. January comes. Still no monthly rebate. February, Same thing. Call and really make a stink. Oh sorry sir, you had to trade in your old phone to get that deal or sign up for the unlimited plan. I was NEVER told either of those things. Too bad so sad. Bullcrao. Filed a complaint with the BBB. Had a call within 2 days from the corporate office. We looked into it and you're right, there will be some additional training going on in those stores, we're so sorry. I'll out the discount thru right now blah blah blah. Disount goes thru the next day. Next month comes, back to high bikl. Called again, oh sorry, not sure what happened we'll fix that. WTF!?!
 
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