Verizon Wireless Plans Reviews

by TAHEEN LOPEZ -- July 30th 2007 -- San Diego, CA

My wife and I just recently switched from Sprint PCS to Verizon Wireless and our phones and their service works like a charm. We've also been with T-Mobile, Nextel, and Cingular and we didn't like those since their coverage and call quality lagged, but so far Verizon has been the best Wireless carrier yet and I don't think we'll ever switch again. So I highly recommend Verizon to anyone who is thinking about switching to another cell phone company.

by Kelly -- September 2nd 2006 -- Fort Worth, TX

Money usually drives me to make decisions and Verizon is pushing me away with their costs. I am a mild user of the cell phone, probably 30 min or less during the week days only...so they offer nothing for this type of user. When I am at work I have an office phone and on the weekends I have my home phone. I pay about 78.00/month w/ taxes and fees for a single line and use 500 of my 900 minutes. I hate that I pay for 400 min that I never use and don't get the benefit of rollover or some other type of cost benefit. I have been a customer of Verizon since it was Primeco, but I still get stuck in their contracts which seem to drag on forever. I always feel like I have the oldest phones around and spend way to much for them. I will be paying to cancel my contract with them for 175, just so I can move on finally. Waiting 2 years for a new phone or to get a 100 discount is ridiculous, cell phones are like computers now, once you get one in a years time they are dinosaurs!

by john -- August 15th 2006 -- Los Angeles, CA

I love verizon. It is by the far the best phone company. I never have any dropped calls.

by homer -- November 18th 2005 -- rogesville, TN

Verizon is the best! The customer service is great and the phones are great.

by Erik -- June 20th 2005 -- Berkeley, CA

I moved from San Diego to Berkeley to attend school equiped with Sprint service. It was horrible. I switched to cingular the next year, which was worse. I switched to AT&T the next year, which was even worse than the previous two. I switched to Verizon Jan 2004 and it is by far, hands down infinitely better than all of the above for the entire bay area. I now live on the peninsula (redwood city) and have had almost zero problems with Verizon. It's not the cheapest but you get what you pay for. I will especially never use AT&T ever again. I could count the number of times that I DIDN'T drop a call (over a one year span) on two hands. Yes, it was that bad.

by J -- December 3rd 2004 -- Bay Shore, NY

Ever since I switched my service to Verizon Wireless from AT&T. I don't have calls dropping in my house, when I go to school on campus my calls don't drop as much, customers service is nice and their a big help they discuss my bill with me and all. The coverage area is great! If you don't have Verizon Wireless now, that's sad!

by N.V. -- March 30th 2004 -- Upland, CA

Verizon Wireless no doubt has the best coverage. I have never lost a call except once when I was at the base of the mountain. I can even receive and make calls inside crowded buildings. Coverage is excellent in Southern California. Call quality is great and I think it is, in part, due to the phone you select. My phone offers great call quality. No static, can hear perfectly. My other friends have other carriers and they're always breaking up, have static, or sound muffled. Customer service has been good so far. They respond promptly and offer decent information. I have yet to have a complaint. The cost for Verizon isn't exactly the most competitive or comparable really. They do have the best coverage and so demands you pay for the quality and quantity of their services. In the end, you must choose a plan best suited to your needs and I thought Verizon provided a decent price for my needs.

by Rudy -- August 5th 2012 -- SCS, MI

Pluses: coverage is great, and call quality is good. Minuses: very many. First of all 4G-LTE very unreliable. In some cities it works great (it was unbelievably fast in Indianapolis at 15Mbps, and always worked) yet back in my home town, 4G rarely connects, drops often, and when it connects the speeds barely make it to 1Mbps. Second, thanks to all the added fees they slip in, our monthly bill is $40 or more the agreed-upon contract price. Their only response is, basically, nothing: pay the bill or lose your service. Third, I'm grandfathered into the unlimited data plan, so the second line can never be upgraded to unlimited and we're stuck providing our own phones if we want to remain with them. Or, get reamed even more by being billed a lot more per month. Fourth, VZW is the ONLY company that totally locks down all of their phones. Takes forever to get Android updates, sometimes a year or more after an OS is updated. At least the hacking community finds ways to root these phones despite VZW locking them down. Poor device support, in other words. Looking to upgrade phones now as we are out of contract, and we're shopping all the alternatives. It's too bad they are all highly flawed in one way or another.

by rodney -- July 10th 2012 -- peoria az, AZ

Worst customer service I KNOW. Very rude and inconsiderate. Staff is pushy and not very knowledgeable, all they do is push phones looking to make the big buck. Stay away!

by brandon hopkins -- June 25th 2012 -- youngstown, OH

by jd -- June 7th 2012 -- SF, CA

These people are a dangerous combination of incompetent, arrogant and grossly insensitive! I spent considerable time during two calls to them and followed-up with emails to make sure they'd set my phone so it'd would work when I got to Europe for my vacation. So, with my arrival delay disrupting my planned meeting at my apartment rental I was stranded alone at 10 pm in a neighborhood I didn't know, no way to make a call no knowledge of the transit available, and nowhere to go. Finally made it back to the center of Rome and found a hotel room around midnight at considerable added expense. They have yet to acknowledge their inexcusable and incompetent handling of this or apologize for my extremely stressful experience. It took them 5 days and my sending them two more emails before they finally sent me the info I needed to make my phone work. They're excuse for all this -- they were busy!! When I now call to vent and tell them they owe me for what they've put me through, they told me I'd have to wait for a supervisor to call me back in 24-48 hours. I've never been stonewalled and disregarded like this! If you think this is acceptable customer care, then this is the company for you!

by john -- April 21st 2012 -- all over, SD

I'v been with Verizon for over 10 years now. I'm happy to say they are awesome. Never had a problem with them. I get a corp discount through the company I work for, not much, but it helps. I have the $30 unlimited data plan, my data plan will never expire, nor will never be forced to change data plans/voice plans. I'm grandfathered into my data and voice plan.

by mark friedman -- March 25th 2012 -- andover, NJ

Impossible to get live person-press zero and they say sorry you are having problems and hang up on you-this is absolutely unbelievable

by frasier -- February 25th 2012 -- Los angeles, CA

I tried Verizon prepaid for one week - while still maintaining my account with another major provider, just in case. My experience was that not only was Verizon's coverage in my area nowhere near the competition, but their customer service was non-existent. Getting a live person on the phone when you have an issue with prepaid service is virtually impossible - I had to call their sales line (where you *always* get a live human being) and ask to be transferred to tech support every time. When I mentioned I was a prepaid customer, they began addressing me in a very different fashion...like I was unworthy of their time. I started off calling them about an issue I hoped to resolve, and *2 hours later*, after being bounced around to like 5 different people and being on hold for more than half the time - I became so frustrated that I told the person "just cancel the account"...which they were obviously reluctant to do. Very odd style of customer service Verizon has - I'd suggest avoiding them at any cost.

by Chuck -- February 17th 2012 -- Northridge, CA

I have been a verizon customer for over 10 years. I have had 4 droids all die. My upgrade date is next week. I wanted to upgrade to an apple product. They said NO WAY, apple has a no exceptions policy. EVEN if my phone is broken (it won't make calls) they would rather send me a new phone for a week and then have me throw that one in the trash. In a week I can upgrade to the iphone. The rep said it was crazy but could do nothing about it. This is the worst customer service ever!

by birj -- February 7th 2012 -- east windsor, CT

Here are the cons with verizon 1) no minutes cary forward (AT&T does) 2) no data plan less than @30 (AT&T does) 3) corporate discounts (AT&T is more - 23-25%) 4) activation is charged for corporate plans(AT&T waiveoff for corporate plans) so, overall AT&T is the best which I had earlier, by mistake transferred to Verizon and suffering now.

by Cyril -- February 7th 2012 -- sheepspring, NM

by Cyril -- January 20th 2012 -- sheepspring, NM

by Cha Cha -- January 19th 2012 -- Raleigh, NC

With a medical emergency forcing us to finally get cell phones, we went to the Verizon store on Capitol Blvd right before Wake Forest, NC and ended up walking out with nothing after being sneered at by the man working there for wanting just plain phones with no bells and whistles. Everything in the store, from devices to plans, was priced significantly higher than online. Because we live in the middle of nowhere, Verizon is the only provider we could go with. If not, the unpleasant time spent in that Verizon store would have kept us from ever doing any business with them. We went online, found the cheapest plan that met our needs, sent off for them and they were here two days later. Setting them up was easy and we can actually get some reception. The quality of the call isn't the best; in fact, it's got an echo but I didn't really expect it to be that great, considering it's just a phone.

by Matthew -- December 28th 2011 -- Denver, CO

Overall I've been happy with my original droid but the coverage in Colorado is quite spotty and I regularly drop calls in the city of Denver or am limited on their 1G network. My phone will say 3G with 2/3 bars but the second I do anything with it the coverage drops off their 3G network. They do give decent discounts for educators

by Frank Halkiadakis -- November 19th 2011 -- Flushing, NY

by samantha csey -- November 5th 2011 -- cambridge, OH

by micaiah scott -- November 1st 2011 -- arlington, WA

by shanequa -- October 30th 2011 -- cairo, GA

by marvin barrett -- October 22nd 2011 -- baltimore, MD

by Barb -- October 11th 2011 -- Bourbon, IN

I have been a long time Verizon customer. I am now being forced into selecting a different plan in order to upgrade my phone because they no longer want to offer the unlimited data in their package. I am currently shopping around for different carriers that include unlimited everything. I am very disappointed because Verizon is higher priced but they do have great coverage.

by Cinnamon Allen -- October 10th 2011 -- Wilson, NC

by Steve -- September 16th 2011 -- Valparaiso, IN

The phone specs are great; however, they really don't do much good without a signal. Both my wife and I work at the southern tip of Lake Michigan and neither of us (in 2 different cities) can make a phone call. According to the coverage map, the signal drops from best to nothing (within feet) right when the water starts. We both work right at the edge of the lake. Verizon has the most expensive plans of all of the carriers and being in a city, I expected more. And the personnel at the Verizon Store in Valparaiso Indiana have the "I don't care" attitude when you walk out when you can't get any customer service. We have 14 days to get out of the contract and return the phones with no penalties so I am shopping around for another carrier.

by Roger -- September 3rd 2011 -- Concord, NC

I had been with Alltell for about 12 yrs, once Verizon took over things went downhill. I moved to a new location and wanted to change my number. I was told that I could not keep my same plan and change the number by a customer service rep at a Verizon store. I went ahead and changed and went to a plan that was not as desirable as the original plan. Then after talking to a phone rep, I found out that I could have kept my plan and changed numbers. The moral of the story, Verizon reps don't know what they are doing and telling customers. I am stuck in a 2 yr contract now, and I will be leaving Verizon as soon as my 2 yrs are out.

by dominick -- August 29th 2011 -- riverton, WY

by brian -- August 19th 2011 -- dallas, TX

If you are looking for coverage you can't get better than Verizon. But if you are looking for a reasonably priced plan or any measurable amount of decent customer service, run as fast as you can. To add insult to injury, when they respond to an issue you have logged via their website, they consistently end the message with a sales pitch.

by Philip -- August 17th 2011 -- Fargo, ND

I love Verizon we looked at all the companies like AT&T etc. and the cell phone didn't work so then we finally went to Verizon which was the only 1 left. And the cellphone actually worked!!!!!!!!!

by CJ -- August 8th 2011 -- Los Angeles, CA

Switched from Sprint to Verizon..I understand the differences in network size, but unfortunately that hasnt been a positive experience for me. Prices are ridiculous. Can hardly make and receive a call consistently inside my apartment as in many areas I work in (405,malibu,manahattan beach). Device has been swapped 5x in the last 3 months I've had Verizon. The internet experience just isnt as consistent regardless what test they posted on their site. It just hasnt worked for me. Moving back to Sprint in September.

by pearl east -- July 2nd 2011 -- carmel, IN

Constantly drops calls.

by Linda -- June 21st 2011 -- Rhinelander, WI

I had cell service with Alltel for over 10 years - and was very satisfied with the service and the phones. Verizon took over Alltel, and it's been all down hill since then. I have been lied to by customer service agents, and when I suggest that they listen to their quality control recordings they tell me that "that's for quality control..." Yes, and being lied to by your agents isn't a quality issue?? Our local Verizon people are wonderful, unfortunately the company they now work for is horrible, so I will be taking my business elsewhere.

by Holly Bator -- June 7th 2011 -- Stamford, NY

Although their prices vs service are quite high, my dissatisfaction relates primarily to the way phone hardware problems are handled. A company should stand behind their devices. I opened my 5 month old flip phone and the top half popped out of the hinge area. It still worked fine. I called customer service and they advised not to try to fix it myself (pop it back in) because it would be deemed "user damage" (he told me that his call just prior to mine was for the same reason). I sent it back and was sent a factory refurbished replacement. I then received an email stating that I have been charged $ 99 for the replacement "refurbished" phone due to "user damage". I spoke with three customer service reps who were "very sorry" for my problem. I was told that I CAN NOT return the refurbished replacement for a $99 (or any other) credit and reactivate my older phone that worked fine prior to my upgrade only 5 months ago. The one I sent in can't be returned to me. I was told to use their trade in site to get some $$ back (a coupon for sending your old phone in to use towards another). Using their trade in site, I was told that my replacement (5 month old model) has " 0 " value! I then tried to find what the cost would be to upgrade to a different phone. I am free to purchase a new one at full retail pricing. Be very careful with your hardware. Unless it doesn’t power on at all, try to fix it yourself before sending it in because chances are, it will be the result of user damage. Other than the hinge, my phone was flawless in appearance - looked brand new and was only 5 months old. Their service reps are polite. But, heads up. For any reason other than the device not powering up at all or a bad battery, don’t look for a warranty or responsibility for the device you purchased. The device I sent back? Will probably be popped back in and sent out for another $ 99.

by Teresa -- May 4th 2011 -- Garland, TX

I purchased two new Droid X phones from Verizon in late January, 2011. After approximately 90 days, one of the Droid X phones began turning off and eventually could not be re-started. I contacted Verizon customer support and they immediately agreed to send a replacement phone. When the phone arrived it was a "refurbished" Droid X. Note, in Paragraph 1, that I purchased a "new" Droid X phone. The "refurbished" replacement phone arrived in 24 hours. However, it also did not work. It could be powered up; however, it immediately went into a "re-boot" loop and would not stay on. I again contacted Verizon customer support and they again said that they would send a replacement phone. I advised them that a "refurbished" phone was unacceptable because I had purchased a "new" phone and that I expected a "new" replacement phone. The representative adivsed that he could only send a "refurbished" phone and that I could contact the cell phone insurance company, pay my deductible, and receive a "new" phone. I feel that this is EXTREMELY poor customer service. My Droid X is not 1, 2 or 5 years old. It's less than 3 months old and should have immediately been replaced with a "new" and operable Droid X.

by Nohemi Amador -- April 27th 2011 -- Yorba Linda, CA

I called Verizon regarding one of their computers back in January. I was debating whether I bought that or an IPAD. The rep at that time was really nice and helpful and told me I can try it for 15 days see if I like if not send back. So that obviously helped, however he failed to mention that if I did return it I would be CHARGED $75.00 RESTOCKING. I would have never tried it if the REP would have been honest and disclosed it. I talked to CS and even though I have been their customer for over 10 years and never ask them for anything they said SORRY. I think they should not be sneaky they should listen to my phone order to see nobody disclosed that info and be HONEST by crediting my account.

by Craig Long -- April 19th 2011 -- ogden, UT

I needed a new cell plan because the company I was with was discontinuing the plan I was on and I needed modifications. I bought a Verizon plan in good faith believing the salesman at his word. I chose a phone that was advertised as no data plan required, my wife saw the ad, the salesman told me no plan was required. Imagine my dismay when I received a bill for the maximum data plan they had. I called and was told I needed to have a data plan with that phone. I was flat out told that the phone I had needed a data plan even though the company had told me and advertised that phone did not need a plan. At that time I was still within the time frame that I could have changed phones to a non data phone but did not. The woman who helped me change the plan to the cheapest one told me it would cost total $15.00 a month. It didn't. It cost $15.00 per phone for a total cost of $45.00 per month. I was told originally that the tax would be about $15.00 -$20.00 per month total for the plan. It is 3 times that. I filed a complaint and received a phone call from a rep. I missed the first call, he left a message stating he would like to work a phone trade with me. I called him back and he did not answer. I left a message letting him know I called. He returned the call the next day and left a message saying he could not do anything for me and I was stuck with it. I believe Verizon to be dishonest in their business dealings, they cheated and lied to me until I was out of the return policy time, they have done everything possible to make sure I was sucked dishonestly into a bad situation. As soon as I am able I will be leaving Verizon. I only hope that the ATT T-mobile buyout will take much of their business. I will do everything I can to let people know how I was treated and discourage them from joining Verizon. I was with T-mobile and was delighted with them. My changing needs simply necessitated a change. Here is a link among others to another Verizon customer with a similar problem: http://www.mathyooo.com/2011/02/verizon-first-they-lie-then-they-just.html Meantime, here I am stuck with a stupid plan from a dishonest company. If you are considering Verizon, run away very fast.

by Nancy -- March 23rd 2011 -- chatsworth, CA

The phone I have is a GLOBAL smartphone purchased for the purpose of use internationally. It is a Blackberry and requires a data package for it to work. Without notice Verizon changed its plans and no longer offers unlimited data internationally AT ANY PRICE! They say this is to stay in line with other companies, however this is not the case. The present plans are based on Megabyte usage (which the consumer can not control because it depends on the website opened and the graphics displayed...so it is not like a phone call you can time for say 10 minutes). The largest plan that they have is for $100 for 70 MB. After that you get hit with overage charges to the tune of $5 per MB. This should be illegal because they can reach in your pocket and take hard earned money without you having any control over how it is spent. If someone emails you something it will eat up your MB usage even if it is SPAM. NOW TO COMPARE AT&T has a plan for $199 for 200 MB with overages at $2.50 ish per MB...so how can Verizon say they are changing to be "in-line" with other industry standards. Apparently they do not consider AT&T to be industry standard. My complaint is that they are not considering ANY of my recommendations after being a customer with them for over 20 years!

by Ronald Howdeshell -- March 23rd 2011 -- Bedford, KY

Even though my employer receives a discounted rate, I am not eligible, since I am using a family plan. The family plan is considered promotional.

by Shawna Edwards -- February 5th 2011 -- des moines, IA

Verizon is horrible! First, they sold me a used phone! Then proved several times over that they have horrible customer service. They never did give me the new phone that I bought when I got my contract! I have had several dropped calls. The phone is falling apart and a piece of crap. You are paying out of butt, for a phone, and service that does not live up to what they offer. I am switching as soon as my contract is up!!

by Michael -- January 30th 2011 -- Columbus, GA

by Small Business Owner -- January 26th 2011 -- Chicago, IL

For the first 12 months, my main complaint was poor voice quality and numerous coverage charges. But in the last month, the service in the Loop has become unusable: very poor cell reception; very high percentage of dropped calls; extremely poor customer service.

by mildred hoover -- January 18th 2011 -- Mcminnville, TN

Love Verizon phones but the service sucks they tell you one price and you end up paying lots more I mean come on everyone expects to pay taxes but let's face it a 150 dollar plan should not be over 200 hundred bucks especially since we don't have any extras

by mary v white -- December 29th 2010 -- olean, NY

by no thanks -- October 10th 2010 -- No Thanx, AK

by mark mitchell -- October 6th 2010 -- glenside, PA

They do not honor their mail-in rebate. No matter what they may tell you at their retail store when you purchase one of their phones, please note: THEY DO NOT HONOR THEIR MAIL-IN REBATES! YOU WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED!

by madhu -- September 2nd 2010 -- atlanta, GA

Verizon doesn't have 1. Conferencing 2. Good Signal Strength 3. The call quality is poor 4. There are too many dropped calls 5. Cannot change our own phone, which means no SIM card and hence cannot be changed. 6. High plan rates 7. Worst Consumer satisfaction and they tell lies that they cover more than 90% of USA, and Rule the air... 8. No good phones to select

by Lindsey -- August 29th 2010 -- Brownwood, TX

My family has been customers of Verizon for at least 6 years, and we're getting completely tired of them. The service areas for Verizon are extremely unpredictable. In a rural area where we used to live we had service, but in a populated area where we live now, we have to go out in the yard to talk on the phone. It also takes me 10 minutes of walking around my house looking for a signal to send a text. We have been told that it's because the closest tower to us is about a mile away. Other people who have different service providers who have been to our house have no problem getting service. Also, I attend college in Brownwood, Texas. Anyone who has Verizon here can't text or use data services. According to a Verizon employee, AT&T "blocks" Verizon's data use in this town, but I've also been told by a Verizon employee that it's because Verizon has no towers out here, so it uses Sprint's towers which don't allow data to be transmitted to Verizon users. I have a problem with this situation not only because it's frustrating to not be able to use the full capabilities of my phone, but also because I've apparently been lied to by at least one Verizon employee. Also, every time I complain or try to seek help about my problem, I'm sent in a circle of tasks. First, I'm told to update my software then call *228 (which doesn't even work here), then I have to call customer service, then I have to call them from a landline, then they tell me that there's nothing I can do but take my phone to a store to be seen by a sales representative. Then it stars over again. The sales representatives always find a way to give me false hope about my phone being able to text while I'm at college, but it never turns out to work. The weirdest thing about this situation is that my friend who had Alltel (which was bought by Verizon) can still text and use her data services. She's even had a phone upgrade with Verizon, and she can still use data. It's so frustrating to have to deal with this problem because people try to text me, but it simply never gets to me. It doesn't tell them that it's not getting to me which is the worst part. It makes me look extremely rude and unprofessional. I would highly recommend anyone who is interested in Verizon making sure that they will have coverage in any area they are planning on using it. They may say that their coverage map is better than AT&T, but as an experienced customer, I would beg to differ. Also, other wireless companies seem to have a better idea about how to run their stores. At Verizon, I had to sit around numerous times waiting for someone to pay attention to me at all. But at AT&T, an employee had a list of customers in the order they arrived, so at least there was contact with someone to show me that I would be helped when a new sales person opened up. At Verizon, I felt like I was waiting around for no reason because no one acknowledged my existence.

by Benjamin Longobardi -- July 12th 2010 -- Braintree, MA

This is an email form customer service. Craig, I am done calling the company, the service quality is very poor were I live at 105 Livoli Avenue Braintree and the surrounding area if you want to put a ticket in go ahead. I have called and attempted to resolve this issue in the past to no resolution so you my friend are the last contact I am going to make to our company about service, the next call I make will be to hang up on Verizon Wireless for good. Thanks for the same perfunctory reply I normally get. Sincerely, On Jul 12, 2010, at 9:24 PM, VZW WFM NE IRT wrote: Good Evening Mr. Longxxxx, Thank you for contacting Verizon Wireless through our website. My name is Craig, and I am sorry to hear that your service is not working up to our company's standards. I empathize with your frustration and I apologize for any inconvenience that this matter has caused for you. We are pleased to inform you we offer coverage in Braintree, MA. At Verizon Wireless, we make every effort to meet and exceed your expectations. The difficulties you have encountered can be the result of many factors including the area traveled, structural restrictions, network service issues, or the wireless phone itself. Our System Performance Team continuously monitors our network; however, the valuable feedback we receive from customers such as you, often leads to improvements you will see in the future. We encourage you to contact us from a landline telephone whenever a problem is encountered. We then pass this information on to our System Performance Team so that we may investigate and resolve the issue within our abilities. To file a Trouble Ticket to be submitted for your area please call us from a landline phone at 800-922-0204 and have the following information available: · Brief description of the problem · Most recent date the problem occurred · Approximate time the problem occurred · Nearest cross street/intersection of where the problem occurred · Recordings you hear Please have your wireless phone fully charged and available when you call, for trouble shooting purposes. I hope that the information provided has been helpful. We appreciate your business and thank you for using Verizon Wireless. Should you have additional questions or concerns, please reply to this e-mail. Sincerely, Craig Verizon Wireless Customer Service If you have received this e-mail in error or are not the intended recipient, please notify us immediately by replying to this e-mail and deleting it and all copies and backups thereof. If you are the intended recipient and are a Verizon Wireless customer, this response is subject to the terms of your Customer Agreement.

by Barbara Barham -- June 30th 2010 -- Toano, VA

I have been very unhappy with the cost of our wireless phone service. I am currently having a dispute over $4.00 worth of web access charges that I feel are being billed in error and Verizom will not credit my account. Mind you, I spend on average $250.00-$300.00 for my family plan. I am thinking about cancelling my service even though I know they will hit me with a penalty charge. Now, they won't even call me back. Terrible customer service!

by R Alford -- January 25th 2010 -- Manor, TX

I have a regular Verizon plan and have no complaints, so much better than Sprint. I went to a Verizon store and told them I had heard about a pre-paid plan where you have no monthly fees and that you just add minutes as you need them. I wanted a phone for my husband for just emergencies. We had been paying $15 a mo., our share of a family plan, and in five years he had probably used a total of 15 min. To make a long story short I was told I could buy a phone for about $30, which included 10 min. Pay .99 a day whenever the phone was used, pay the activation fee but there was no monthly charges. Ideal, even bought $40 worth of extra min. Now, 6 months later we've been told that not only have we lost $47 (he used 3 min.) but we have a choice of paying $15 a month or $30 for three months for validation. Pretty much what we had before. Be aware, their prepaid plan has a "validation" date, you'll end up spending more than a basic plan. The sales person didn't mention that. Customer service very nicely explained, apologized for the rep not understanding the plan and. So sad so sorry. Leaves a bad taste.

by Stacey C -- January 23rd 2010 -- NY, NY

I use the Straight Talk prepaid service which uses the Verizon network. The network coverage is simply the best in the States. There is no other carrier that can boast of a better or larger network. With Straight Talk I get the benefits of being on the best network but at a much lower price. Whereas Vzn charges $70 for unlimited talk and $90 for unlimited talk and texting, Straight Talk only costs $45 for unlimited everything! Yep, that's right - unlimited talk, texts, data AND free 411 calls too. This must be the best deal in wireless at the moment.

by Michael -- January 6th 2010 -- Newport News, VA

Verizon was the best carrier we've ever had. There was coverage everywhere we went and I never lost service once. But with this awesome coverage comes the ridiculous pricing for a family plan. Customer service was awful because we had added an unlimited texting plan but it was never truly added. So the bill like AT&T was outstanding. We will not be trying Verizon again. We will be looking at T-Mobile for the pricing and coverage in our area or Sprint for new coverage in our area and region.

by Mickey -- June 30th 2009 -- Victoria, TX

I have been with Verizon for about 2 years now and I came from Cingular before it was AT&T. Verizon is much better that Cingular was. The reception is great. I haven't found a place I could not get good reception yet. Customer service has been more than great. I would highly recommend Verizon to anyone.

by Keisha -- March 22nd 2009 -- Lithonia, GA

I've had Verizon for less than a year, but I love their service. I've never dropped a call and I've never been overcharged on a bill. Customer service has been excellent. My parents and my brother have Verizon and also have no complaints. I have several coworkers who swear by Verizon. The only issue I have with Verizon is their phone selection is lacking and the ringtones and ringback tones are a little too pricey. I've been with other cellphone companies and to me there is no comparison.

by matt -- March 1st 2009 -- portland, OR

I've had Verizon for seven years and don't really have any major complaints. Their coverage is superior compared to others I've seen and I know people who either have Sprint, T-Mobile or AT&T. Their customer service, in my experience, has been pretty great. A few years ago, they overcharged me for over a year, and when I finally caught it, they immediately credited me. I was pretty shocked to say the least, but the fact remains that they did it in the first place. The only complaint I have is that their phone selection is lacking.

by JC -- October 1st 2008 -- Chicago, IL

The Verizon Wireless "Nationwide Select Family Share 700" states unlimited text, picture messages, etc. However, I still pay data fees for picture messages. When I asked Verizon, they tried to spin it around, but I got her to agree that regardless of what is "unlimited", I still pay money to send a picture message. So I can send unlimited picture messages, but I pay to do so. I have the Motorola Q9c on a pay per use data plan. I am thinking that I am sort of "punished" for this because I bet if I had a regular camera phone, I could send picture messages for free and not be charged.

by Scott -- August 26th 2008 -- Las Vegas, NV

I switched from Cingular to Verizon Almost 2 years ago because I had to have the GPS VZ Navigator which I still love but it's $$$ and there are too many things about Verizon that are completely annoying which I will list: 1. No rollover minutes. 2. They nickel and dime you for everything: a. $2.99 ringtones (which are CENSORED) (and re-purchase if you upgrade phones) b. $9.99 per month VZ Navigator, plus data charges. c. $7.99 games (which you lose if you upgrade phones) d. $1.99 per month ringback tones 3. Can't send music or sounds over text message. 4. Can't use mp3's as ringtones or alarms. 5. Horrible coverage - dropped calls and low bars on The Strip in Las Vegas. 6. New LG phones have less features than the old ones. 7. New LG VX8350 and ENV2 phones have no flash. 8. No internet access except to Verizon's site (costs an extra $14.99 per month).

by Justin Hammond -- June 19th 2008 -- Orlando, FL

I've been using Verizon for probably 5 years now. I used to travel all over the United States for work - NEVER had a problem. The only place my phone won't work is in Boston in the underground parking lot of the hotel I stayed at... I can't fault them for that. I get maybe 1-2 dropped calls a month. My calls always go through - call quality is the best I have ever seen. I have used Sprint and T-Mobile in the past - there is NO comparison - Sprint had TONS of dropped calls, T-Mobile was poor call quality. The only drawback with Verizon is that you pay for what you get, you get premium service for a premium price. I'm starting to wonder if there could be an acceptable trade off if I switch, I could handle slightly worse service if it meant saving a bunch of money.... I have to say though, my Verizon phone works about as good as a hardwired land line. I also always recommend LG phones, the phone is going to determine the full benefit and quality of the service. Verizon customer service has always been pretty good - you don't get 24 X 7 customer service - BUT YOU WILL NOT get India when you call them!!!

by Renee -- March 1st 2008 -- Newport Beach, CA

Customer Service center gives you a different excuse for whatever problem you are having with the phone whenever you call in...they never actually fix the problem.....my blackberry pearl is one of many that are just plain manufacturer lemons as blackberry rim said themselves...but instead of just replacing my blackberry like sprint would have done...they keep proposing solutions to why my phones having operational errors... finally my phone's usb outlet stopped working so my phone couldn't charge. Not til then did Verizon finally send me a replacement phone...but because they waited i now have to order a 50dollar special type of bluetooth adapter just to upload my blackberry's info to my computer in order to send it to my new blackberry. I've spent 3 hours today on the phone with customer trying to get the bluetooth adapter to work only for them to tell me i need a different one... but it doesn't end there... I called Verizon shortly after purchasing my phone in November to ask if i can get a new rebate form since i lost the rebate receipt. they said i can just go to the Verizon store and have one printed out...i wanted to know much time i had to to this and the customer service agent on the phone double checked and said I have till March...I thought wow that's generous amount of time. well February came around and i went to the Verizon store to get a new rebate receipt printed out after i showed them my purchase receipt. The store manager said that i only had through December.... Well, Verizon's rebate center didn't care that they made the mistake by telling me the wrong rebate deadline . I missed out on my $50 rebate because of their mistake. That totals to be nearly $100 dollars Verizon is costing me because of their horrible customer service... Nobody is on the same page over there Nobody. Its absolutely ridiculous and I am tired of having to call Verizon at least once every week with issues. They are taking advantage of the fact they have the most customers over other cell phone carriers so they think they can take advantage of that when it comes to customer service. I can't wait to switch back to sprint!

by Kate -- November 29th 2007 -- San Diego, CA

I had a horrible experience with Verizon Wireless. I was a customer for 1yr when I bought a Palm Treo from them. I added unlimited picture messaging, but they charged me for data usage when I sent/recieved pictures because of the type of phone I bought. At no time when I bought the phone was I told that Treo users would be charged data kilobytes for picture messages. I called the company to tell them they were violating their own Terms of Service. They did nothing and continued to charge me every month. Instead, they wanted me to upgrade to a Data plan. I would not recommend this carrier if you have a palm Treo phone ... or if you want an honest, ethical phone company.

by TG -- October 18th 2007 -- Springfield, VA

Verizon is supposed to be the best of all of them, but, as I discovered recently, all they are interested in is making money. The service is very disappointing and I am now switching to other carriers.

by James Jennings -- August 23rd 2007 -- Watsonville, CA

We use sprint/Nextels at work, and they are the pits. They have no coverage, and my Verizon does. I also use the Verizon broadband cards. Sweet... Every place I go I have coverage. We are rural out here and so coverage is an issue. We are not in the middle of a big town that is bristling with microwave towers for cell phones. I don't get dropped calls, (sorry at&t but moving out of service is a dropped call) and my family all have the phones now. It is great to be in contact at fairs, events. Can hardly wait to get the new en-v and have real bluetooth abilities...

by Regina -- August 19th 2007 -- Riverside, IL

I have been on this planet for over 50 years, and have never been treated and spoken to so shabbily as I was this past week with a fellow at Verizon. I was out in the woods, camping, with thunderstorms and tornado warnings everywhere. My service was cut off without warning, after having made a payment on extremely high unexpected overcharges. When I contacted customer service, and spoke to them about the situation, it was literally, a "tough luck, that's your problem." I will switch carriers and will be more than happy to pay a termination fee. I will also tell everyone I come into contact and our cps teachers' union about my experience.

by Lisa -- August 12th 2007 -- Lebanon, PA

I have had vz wireless for approx. Two and a half years. The first year was great but suddenly it was problem after problem. Dropped calls constantly, no signal, couldn't make calls or send text messages, etc. I have been calling customer service and filing complaint after complaint for the past 8 months and every time I call, I am told something different. First I was told it was my phone, then I was told that they are having problems with the one tower, and so on... I'm sure you get the hint. Well, my contract came due and I got a new phone with the hopes of my service being better. Well, no luck. I called and called again - finally they told me I am located in a "low service area" and I fought with them until they told me I can get out of my contract without paying the $175 fee. The only problem now is that they won't put that in writing for me... Looks like they are trying to screw me... Watch your back with this company!!!

by K -- August 2nd 2007 -- Omaha, NE

I am extremely disappointed with the phone and service I have received with Verizon. First of all, I bought an extremely expensive palm Treo, and I expect it to work. I should have known things were not going to be good from the beginning when it took almost 2 hours in the store to activate an account for me. Then, there were "technical difficulties" with the oh so expensive phone and the voice mail wouldn't activate, after spending another several hours with the poor customer service rep on the phone. I then had to return my phone to the store and wait for them to ship in another one. I kindly asked them to call me when the phone was in, which they never did, but claim they spoke to "someone" to let them know the phone had arrived. Sorry, but nobody answers my cell phone but me!! Now, the internet fails to find the modem, and they want me to send my phone in again!!! I have only been with Verizon for six weeks, and I hate it!! The customer service is horrible, nobody in the store or over the phone knows how to help, and when complaining for my poor experience, not even a "sorry for the inconvenience..." I do expect my phone to work, employees to be knowledgeable and know how to do their job, and for people to be polite, all of which Verizon has failed at.

by Stephen -- July 11th 2007 -- Reseda, CA

I bought the lg v phone as soon as it came out. I continually experience dropped calls. In the beginning Verizon's customer service used to answer very quickly, but that has since declined. In addition, repeated phone calls about reception and dropped calls usually receives the token response of whether I want to upgrade my phone. FYI- I've had Verizon for 5 years and 3 phones during that time, it hasn't changed much. Once it was suggested to me that I send a code to Verizon's center every time I experienced a dropped call (that's not my job). I was also given the explanation that my closest cell tower was broken, it still hasn't been fixed then. Lastly, I have been offered a 25 dollar credit, which is a nice token...but still doesn't fix the reception. This does not even mention the fact that they locked my phone w/ a software upgrade, so that they could continue to nickel and dime me for services that should be free.

by kash -- July 2nd 2007 -- Billtown, PA

I've had Verizon since late 2003. I didn't have a cell phone before then. I went with Verizon because they had a good rep. I think I made a good choice, because their service is really good, and I've heard bad things about their competitor's (Cingular/at&t) service. However, as of late, Verizon's prices are going up, and they don't offer low minutes plans. I have a family share plan with my fiance and we mostly only call each other and the extra minutes only add up to about 300 every month, maybe even less now that we have "in" calling and lots of our friends have Verizon, and now the lowest plan they offer is 700 minutes. They also don't have a very broad selection of phones, not as broad as Cingular/at&t. I had considered switching, but good service is the most important, and Cingular/at&t costs about the same anyway and has bad service. Cingular/at&t phones also interfere with other electronic and audio equipment.

by Linda Doering -- June 28th 2007 -- Janesville, WI

I have used US Cellular and now Verizon. Can't say I have been pleased with either one. Contract ends in July and will try another provider. There has to be one out there that is reliable. I am continually dropping calls and there has been times when messages get lost in space and finally appear a week and even two weeks later. Go figure that one out! I contacted my daughter on Easter Sunday to tell her what time to come over and two weeks later she get the message. Customer service is ok. Not the greatest but better than cellular.

by Cody Loving -- June 21st 2007 -- Sherman, TX

I love Verizon wireless. I have had, Nextel sprint, Cingular, and have had nothing but problems and lies from all other wireless carriers. Verizon has been the best. I bought the 8830 blackberry world edition and have had nothing but wonderful phone calls. I have never had a dropped call, and their customer service is excellent. Since then, I have bought another phone for my business, PC wireless card, and a phone for my wife. Also my parents who have a family of 7 have all switched to Verizon wireless from sprint/Nextel. They have been great

by Brandon -- June 13th 2007 -- Nashville, TN

I have had Verizon wireless for a long time and for the phone service and coverage I am very happy. My only problem with this company is their customer service. My wife and I have a family share plan and she pays for insurance on her phone. Well she washed her phone. They have sent her a phone with no problem but did not send a battery. The phone was completely submerged in water. It's a no brain-er that the battery was dead as well. We pay so much to have these phones every month and we sometimes pay a pretty price for the phones we have because they go out of style very quickly. I think that it's pretty bad that a multi million dollar company can't give up a battery after all since we're paying for the insurance on the phone and the battery is a part of. I have had this problem before with Verizon wireless. They are fine until you have a problem with your phone then they back off and don't want to help you out. They just want their money.

by E. Quarton -- May 11th 2007 -- Inverness, FL

I have used the old AT&T, tried Sprint, and always came back to Verizon. Their service is dependable. The customer service could use some improvement, and their billing is fine until you have a problem, but probably no worse than the rest. They seem to all use the automated service that wastes a lot of my time. We lost a phone, and it took 20 minutes to get a live body and get the service suspended. They don't offer a good plan for me, as we are forced into more time than we could ever use.

by Jason -- April 24th 2007 -- Snellville, GA

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PRICE IS THE BEST, AND YOU CAN'T BEAT THE COVERAGE NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE!!!! I switched to cingular for the 7 night and weekends and rollover and have regreted it ever sense. Verizon is the best, just gotta watch the hidden contract extensions!!!! But overall they are great, you can't go wrong at all.

by Connie -- April 18th 2007 -- Las Vegas, NV

I have had very bad experiences with Verizon. We have had one of the phones replaced 3 times due to dropped calls. Verizon even did a check on our nearest cell tower it was so bad. I sometimes have to make 3 to 6 calls to finish a conversation and it doesn't make any difference if I am at home or elsewhere; whether I am calling another cingular cell or land line....still dropped calls (even calling Verizon)! Verizon's answer is "it is the phone", but wouldn't let me get a different phone or upgrade this one even with paying the difference. This family has serious medical conditions and needs reliable phone service...my contract is up and I can't wait to get another carrier!

by Mickey -- April 10th 2007 -- Victoria, TX

I switched both my phones (my wife and mine) from Cingular to Verizon. I cost a lot of money because we had to buy out our contracts, but it was worth it. Cingulars' service had been going downhill for a while and when it became the new AT&T it really went down. Their ad about less dropped calls are just not true and the reception was horrible. There is a reason Cingular is rated really low and Verizon is rated really high and now I know what that reason is ... Verizon has a good all around service and Cingular doesn't. I highly recommend Verizon to someone looking for a better cell phone service.

by Carole -- March 2nd 2007 -- Manchester, CT

Verizon sesrvice is just fine. I dont have many dropped calls. However, their constant nickel and diming of myself and my company is unforgivable. They are constantly screwing up the billing and adding new charges. When upgrading a plan all sorts of charges get applied even if you specifically tell them what you want and what you do not want. It takes MONTHS to straighten it out. In their defense they generally refund such charges but only after you take time out of your day to sit on hold waiting for them so you can plead your case. Literally every month since upgrading my plan in November I have had to call about one charge or another. Even the small charges add up. I think they figure they can overcharge every one of their customers at least $1 per month they can make millions and who wants to call and complain about a dollar?Think about it before going to Verizon.

by J -- February 17th 2007 -- Bloomington, IN

Verizon is just a shade better than the Nextel crap my company foisted upon us all. Dropped calls while driving through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas were so frequent as to make the phone nearly useless. rnAbout the only thing I did like about the phone was the ability to assign certain ringtones to individual clients. Made it easy to identify who I needed to call back, since most of the time, the Verizon service wouldn't let me talk and I had to resort to using my Cingular phone.

by Mike -- January 29th 2007 -- Jacksonville, FL

I was with Verizon for almost 4 years. I never had a problem with Verizon until I lost my phone on a boating trip last October. Since then, I have been totally hosed with technical billing issues with their "Auto Pay" system. Auto Pay would bill my credit card with worry-free problems until I suspended my account to replace my lost/stolen phone. Since then, I have dealt with well over 12 to 15 calls over the past three months to customer service to reinstate Auto Pay. Verizon's Auto Pay no longer works as advertised for me. After 132 "I'm sorry" statements from Verizon customer service reps, the 2 unreturned manager calls and the 3 unreturned follow-up calls to me from the "I'm sorry reps," I canceled my service. It took two days of explaining to Nick the manager out of the Tampa, Florida, call center to terminate my contract, waive the late fees, and eliminate the $175 termination fee. Be aware that some Verizon customer service reps are not properly trained, informed, and sometimes unprofessionally rude! Verizon seriously lacks standardized information to their customers. If you ask Verizon's customer service "I'm sorry" staff the same question to several reps over a given time, you will get totally different answers every time. So, good luck and be careful if you still pursue Verizon as your provider. I never take the time to write reviews about anything, but I feel obligated to inform the public about what I went through with Verizon. Therefore, I feel that I should help prevent other unsuspecting people from going through what I went through.

by Peter -- January 29th 2007 -- new york, NY

After finally making it through the line of automated menus, and I get to talk to a person, usually that person's reaction is to transfer me to another department, without explanation, generally the department from which I was just transferred. When they tell you something, whether related to the technical capabilities of the phone you are buying from them, something related to billing etc, it usually turns out to be untrue. At the end of a service call in which you express a problem and you need to persuade them to fix it, they still invariably try to sell you an additional service at the end of that service call. Avoid this company if at all possible.

by Saralina -- January 22nd 2007 -- Grand Prairie, TX

I have been with Verizon for 4 years now and have no intention of trying another carrier. Some of my friends use other carriers, and I will be the only one that can get reception in many locations. Also, their carrier will drop calls while we are talking. They all complain about theirs, but I have been happy with Verizon from the start.

by Madeline -- January 16th 2007 -- Metro Atlanta area, GA

This is not only the worst wireless company I have every used, but it is the worst company I have ever done business with. Period. At least 90% of the calls I make or receive either will not connect, cut out throughout my conversation, or are dropped. Verizon provides the worst customer service I have ever received. It is so bad at every location I have visited in Georgia that I wonder if they seek out rude individuals for their employees. I was asked by a sales representative if I wanted insurance. I said "no" point blank, but was promptly signed up anyway. It took 6 months of calls to customer service and visits to stores to have it removed and my money credited to my account. My husband was signed up for v-cast for a free month-long trial period with the understanding (from the sales representative) that it would be cancelled automatically when the free period ended. During that time, however, Verizon discontinued charging for v-cast anyway, but when the free period ended, not only was the service not cancelled, but we were charged for it, even as no one else was paying for it anymore. In short, Verizon is so horrible, that being able to pay $175 to escape the the contract seems like a dream come true.

by Hannah -- January 15th 2007 -- Bellevue, WA

Well I think Verizon is great they have alot to offer when ever I go into one of there stores I always get great help and my questions answered. I have been apart of Verizon for about two years. I have gotten 3 phones now I have a pink razor it is great has great reception and cool features. The one thing I don't like is how expensive the phones are for how little you get. For example the chocolate it is $100 for a slider phone and then you have to pay extra for the ipod as an option which they don't tell you. I also don't like if you are just tired of your phone and want a new one you have to spend $150 some odd dollars for a new plan which you probably don't need. If you can't do that then you have to wait 2 yrs so you can upgrade so you don't have to get a new plan. Well those are my two cents but overall I think Verizon is the network.

by Paul -- January 2nd 2007 -- Fremont, CA

I waited and waited for a carrier to offer the Q. When Verizon offered it I signed up. The cell phone has great features but lacks the full abilities of EXCEL. I travel all across the country and world. Stateside the coverage is generally very good with great call quality. The phone works in little to no where outside the US. Though I was in Korea recently an was shocked to see the VM indicator on! I have to say that I'm deeply disappointed in the way I have been treated by Verizon customer care reps. This is not the Verizon I knew 3+ years ago (Pre RAZR). At times they've been rude and don't really seem interested in helping fix the problems by finding solutions. I don't agree with some of their business practices either. I had some issues with a bill. I called and spoke to a rep. then to a supervisor that stated he would research the problem and call me back. He did NOT research and did not call back! I called again and was connected with another rep in a different center, though polite did not remedy the problem. Called in again and spoke with yet another rep, this time they attempted to mediate the problem which was better than nothing! After mulling over the situation I called to decline their offer. Finally after another call I spoke to a rep at another call center. He completely resolved the problem. I am only scratching the surface by my statement here. It took 3 months to finally resolve the problems. I believe CDMA is a great technology, probably better than GSM. However GSM is much more developed all over the world. I was with Cingular for 2 years and never had any major problems. I sent Verizon over $1000. in just over 4 months. I sent the same amount to Cingular over 2 years! And yes, I used just as much "data" on my RAZR and made International Calls! Be careful, seems Verizon has lots of hidden charges and they're not shy to apply them to your account!!

by Kathy -- December 19th 2006 -- Charlotte, NC

I've been with Verizon for about 2 years now, using the nationwide family share plan. All of my bills have been correct, there have never been any bogus charges. On the few times I've called customer service, they have been very friendly and helpful, and answered all my questions. Coverage is great, no dropped calls. My husband broke his phone, and the Asurion insurance replaced it with the exact same model, brand new. Our experience has been great, we will be renewing with Verizon.

by harry kefalonitis -- December 15th 2006 -- detroit, MI

They charge a lot for their service and after that they screw you all they can. My phone broke and they would only sell me a refurbished cheap phone for $99 or "allow me to purchase any phone for full retail". The cheap phone I got is the worst I've ever had with the most horrible droped calls and static I have ever experienced. My contract is up in Feb. 07, I can't wait!

by R.A. -- December 15th 2006 -- Los Angeles, CA

Verizon Wireless refuses to issue refund. Phone was never activated and no calls were ever made. Phone was returned to Letstalk.com and they promptly issued a refund - thanks. Yet verizon charged us activation fee and a couple of months in advance. The only thing they agreed to do is to close the account.rnBut we are responsible for all interim charges of $87.53 even though phone was never activated or used. Be careful when signing up with them and make sure you will stay with them. Or this can be a pretty expensive experience.rn

by Eric -- December 12th 2006 -- Albany, NY

Verizon has been nothing but a waste of my time. Their customer service is awful. I've spent hours on hold with them for simple, one minute answers. The sales people where I purchased my phone were smug and didn't even try to help, except to help me out of my money. Coverage isn't all that great either.

by Kelley -- December 12th 2006 -- grand junction, CO

I've had Verizon for 2 years and I'm not sharp enough to prove it but I swear they are ripping me off on my bill, I recently got really slammed with overage. And looking at the other plans Verizon is the most expensive and most likely to really nail you if you go over your minutes.

by Michael Osburn -- December 11th 2006 -- Millbrook, AL

I have been a Verizon customer for four years. At first everything was great, but that soon ended. The cost of my family plan for $1500 minutes is $130 + a month. They tax you for everything. I have asked to replace my phones since they are old. They stated that I could not do so unless I paid retail price. The minimum retail price for a low model phone is $200 per phone. You would think that after being a loyal customer for four years that I could get a discount on two phones. I had no problem with a contract extension or paying the minimum $25.00 cost per phone, since I have paid for insurance every month for the life of my contract. The customer service is brutal. Forget about talking to a real person, everything is automated. I am waiting for my contract to expire so I can switch carriers and upgrade my phones. A word of advice, stay away from Verizon Wireless.

by Barbara -- December 10th 2006 -- Santa Fe, NM

I've been a Verizon customer for at least 7 years. Because I live - and travel - in the wide open western states, I've retained analog service along with digital. (tri-mode service) I kept Verizon because they offer the best coverage of these wide open spaces. No other companies offered a contract that included long distance and roaming without extra charges, regardless of whether calls originated in their proprietary network, or were digital or analog. Now that digital coverage has extended farther in the nether areas, this may no longer be an advantage.rnrnDespite a few bumps over the years, I've been pleased with the knowledge and courtesy of their customer service representatives. They frequently go beyond basic solutions to satisfy my problems or needs. Rarely have I had to wait more than a minute or two to reach one. Between unique coverage and customer service, I've found Verizon to be tremendously valuable. I might have found a better deal if I lived in a city and only traveled to other cities. Given the constraints of my requirements, Verizon has been great!

by Michelle Dickerson -- December 1st 2006 -- Schofield Barracks, HI

I am a us soldier, I was a Verizon customer for a year before I got orders to deploy. Even though they are required to freeze my account and hold it until I get back at no charge, I ended up being charges a huge cancellation fee and they gave my phone number away. When I called customer service they said there was nothing they could do. I will never use this company again.

by Dana Washington -- December 1st 2006 -- Avon, CT

This is a horrible company to do business with and I am a long-time customer. They sell poor quality phones with their two-year contracts and when you have a problem under warranty, they refuse to change phones or correct the problem. I went to verizon stores eight times in the first year... No satisfaction. I've purchased three batteries. And now, with two months to go on my contract, they will be happy to help if I sign up for two more years. Blackmail. Calls are always dropped, no matter where I am. Ask for help and they are just short of abusive. Buyer beware!

by Tracey -- November 30th 2006 -- morrow, GA

Verizon is the worst cell phone service provider. My calls dropped like snow in the winter. Then my cell phone just broke out of the blue so now I have to go and get another one. In my opinion Verizon is just a waste of time and money.

by Steve -- November 30th 2006 -- Redington Shores, FL

I travel extensively and chose Verizon based on it's coverage; however my wife has T-Mobile and it has greatly improved in the past three years. Even in remote locations T-Mobile is now open. Combined with the fact that I plan to upgrade to a Blackberry with data options, T-Mobile is so much more affordable. After being a die hard Verizon customer for 4 years, I must admit that it is time to make the switch. For all you Verizon data users, imagine a Blackberry Pearl with unlimited data and e-mail and 1,000 minutes for $59.99 a month. It's hard to beat that deal even if the edge network is only half the speed.

by Jason -- November 28th 2006 -- coralville, IA

The Verizon call quality is always pretty good. However the customer service is absolutely brutal. Probably every bill I've ever gotten has had something wrong with it, meaning Verizon has added massive amounts of money that shouldn't be there. There only reason I gave them a two in customer service is because eventually, after hours of sitting on the phone with numerous agents, I get the problem fixed. Don't waste your time with this carrier unless you want to pay extra money.

by bob -- November 27th 2006 -- huntsville, AL

Verizon plain sucks. I just recently traveled to Florida and on the highway I had no signal. My new wife has T-Mobile and she had full signal. I don't know what the deal is. In Huntsville at my work I will occasionally receive signal and at home to my surprise I have signal. And don't even get me started with the customer service. I get billed for all kinds of stuff that I don't even do. Also what is up with sitting and waiting for a rep for 30 mins. I don't see anything good with Verizon. I have looked and examined all the carriers and I found that T-Mobile is the best in coverage and in cost. I am going to get smart like my wife and go to T-Mobile before my contract is over because I cant stand not having signal and wrong bills. Good bye Verizon and stay away from it if your smart. The 500 dollars is well worth getting out of the contract. At last I'm free!!!

by theresa -- November 22nd 2006 -- quincy, MA

I have had Verizon for a few months and they suck! Their customer service is ridiculous, they "forget" to switch your calling plan for more minutes, so they can charge you up the ying yang. The reps are condescending and very rude.The phone itself is basic, nothing fancy, calls do drop. Compared to Cingular (which I would never go back to), Verizon is worse! Nextel, although can be costly had excellent customer service, 24 - 7. I am not sure if I want to try them, now that they have merged with Sprint.I am hearing that T Mobile is okay. Let's face it, none of them are great, but I may give T Mobile a try.save your sanity and your money, stay away from Verizon. Far, far, away.

by Cindy -- November 21st 2006 -- playa del rey, CA

Poor off peak hours and poor coverage. Top quality customer service.

by Yvonne Eng -- November 14th 2006 -- Kent, WA

Even though I've been with Verizon since 1998, I'm still technically considered a new customer on a two-year contract, because I was 'AUTOMATICALLY' (without verbal or written consent from me), enrolled in the 'New Every Two Years' program. Since 2002, I've gotten only ONE upgrade and now I'm stuck with hefty early termination fees when I switched to another plan to bundle all my communication needs...remember, even though I've been a customer with Verizon for eight years...these smarmy, unctuous dudes figured out a way to get more mileage out of their contracts, with or without the customer's consent. If you've got the time to constantly monitor your contractual agreement with this company, then, yes they get good ratings for a great network coverage plan, clear signals and the least dropped calls. But, every silver lining has a dark cloud and these guys pawning off 'New Every Two Years' as a good thing, only puts you in the position of never, EVER, being able to fulfill your contract and YOU will always get smacked with the large early termination fees. You'll be held hostage to Verizon forever, unless you want to play the 'get-out-of-jail-free' early termination card...but it's gonna cost ya!

by LO. -- November 13th 2006 -- Baltimore, MD

The last time I visited a Verizon wireless store the employees were very nice and prompt. I got an LG cell phone and after the rebate It was free. I am happy with the cell phone and the service so far. Thank you all.

by MJS -- November 11th 2006 -- Sparks, NV

Verizon has the worst service that I've ever experienced. I get the most dropped calls driving thought the main part of town. I'm hearing this from other Verizon customers as well. I took my cell phone back into the store and they installed an an update but it did no good.

by Julie Gastenoff -- November 10th 2006 -- Minneapolis, MN

Excellent coverage on Verizon. Cell phone always works. Never a dropped call. Customer care is excellent. Their stores, too crowded, but who cares you can shop online.

by kiki -- November 4th 2006 -- mifflinburg, PA

Verizon was my first cell phone plan. I had very few dropped calls and I could place calls from almost everywhere. The problem lied in the bills. They overcharged consistently and never did much to try to fix their overcharging mistakes. I eventually paid the disconnect fee because I felt like I was being cheated and it felt like they were stealing my money and they didn't care at all, so long as they got their $. I'm moving on, and not going back to verizon. I don't support that kind of business. I'll take my hard-earned cash elsewhere.

by CHARLENE -- November 3rd 2006 -- ROSELLE, NJ

I've had verizon for over three years, and they do not accommodate their customers. I've been trying to upgrade my phone for over two years, and all I can get is $50.00 off; and then I have to exted my contract.

by Jeff Brandon -- November 2nd 2006 -- Richmond, VA

Verizon Wireless Plans is supposed to have best coverage but cant get a signal in my townhome 10 minutes from downtown Richmond VA. The billing policy offers uneeded interuptions for late payments which due to our travel schedule are often. There price is relatively high for my usage. My wife and I switched to Verizon in an attempt to consolidate bills and save money - that never happened (land line and wireless are different bills). Switched to Vonage for land line and very happy. Overall very disapointed with what should be the gold standard of wireless phone service. I am switching back to an older provide.

by Tim -- October 29th 2006 -- Mount Laurel, NJ

It's been 3 1/2 years that I've had Verizon Wireless as my cellular provider. I my phone was the Motorola Razr V3c. After having numerous problems, they finally upgraded me to the Razr V3m, after they replaced me with 3 V3c's. I live in Burlington County, New Jersey and I dont like the service I get with my phone. Generally I get 3 bars, on EVDO. I don't like the Verizon Menu setup that comes with the phone, or how Verizon locks out original Motorola software. I'm still having problems with my Motorola Razr V3m. The phone freezes, the Ring Styles change from Master Volume, to Vibirate without me knowing. I dislike the Customer Service that Verizon offers. They don't treat me good, and they dont understand how my phone doesnt work correctly. I don't like their texting plans, because they do not offer Unlimited Texting like T-Mobile offers. I don't like the price of the plans that they offer either. Verizon is more expensive and I don't understand why. Their cancellation fee is cheaper than other carriers; it's only $175. I would cancel, but I'm not that satisfyied with any other carrier. If you care about customer service, and the phones that work correctly, and cost benifit, Verizon isnt for you.

by Art Rutherford -- October 14th 2006 -- gladstone, MO

"Verizon wireless, worst service and coverage I have had with any cell phone. They sold me a regional plan that didn't work even after I bought a new phone to go with it. When you go to the verizon store with a problem you mostly get blank stares from the employees, and when you call with your problem they basically say, what do you want us to do about it. If you are shopping for a cell phone company you had better stay away from this one. A good example of their signal is shown by their commercial, "CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW " that is what you will be saying a lot with verizon wireless. Or you might ask them about the class action suite for selling service that they can't provide. In short if verizon wireless were the only company out there, I wouldn't have a cell phone.

by JoLynn -- October 14th 2006 -- Aloha, OR

We were with Verizon for about 10 years switched to another carrier due to phone choice. Came back to Verizon 2 years ago. Main reason for coming back was price and area coverage. I was promised coverage in the areas that I traveled only to find out that much of the area did not have any coverage - traveling on major interstate for as long an hour without coverage is not good coverage to me. When I complained I was told service was being improved - later their next solution was that my phone needed to be upgraded - of along with more $$. Phone coverage is poor out of the meto area and lots of dropped calls. Just had one of the worst customer service experiences that I have ever had in trying to find out options on service. My experience is that customer service has decreased greatly and costs increased. Also, why do these carries insist on the hand cuffs of contracts after the initial 2 service agreements. What recourse is available at their end for not meeting our expectations? At any rate, I could not recommend Verizon in Western States coverage area.

by Traci -- October 12th 2006 -- Raleigh, NC

Verizon does have some good plans for a big family. However; buyer beware. What the customer service people in the stores tell you is not always true! If you ever change you plan it extends the contract on ALL of you phones. I was told it didn't by someone at one of the local stores. Their customer service is pretty bad. It's hit or miss on whether you get someone good on the phone. Usually it's someone who doesn't know much. I also have a lot of dropped calls in an around the city.

by Thomas Timmerman -- October 11th 2006 -- Edmonds, WA

I had AT&T before this phone and it was terrible. Frustrating customer service and poor coverage drove me nuts. I have definately had a much better experience with Verizon. My only complaint is that they charge so much more for the service, I guess you get what you pay for. I'm considering switching to Tmobile, but thier coverage is a concern for me. So, overall, if you want reliable coverage and decent customer service, I would definately recomend Verizon, just be aware that while your calls may be clear and won't get dropped they are expensive.

by Roger -- October 9th 2006 -- Atlanta, GA

We recently switched over from Cingular. The reason we switched was because Cingular had some coverage problems in some of the areas we go. Their cost was reasonable and the coverage was fair, we just wanted more coverage.Unfortunately, even though we got coverage in more areas, the overall reception is bad. We get a lot of dropped calls and the LG phones we got are horrible. They often run out of battery well before the day ends, where we got a couple of days from our Motorola phones with Cingular. We are seriously considering eating the early termination cost and going back to Cingular.

by brandi -- October 8th 2006 -- vidor, TX

There is a reason why a lexus is a lexus and a hyuandi is a hyuandi, and same goes for cell phone carriers, there's a reason why verizon is number 1! Best coverage-Least dropped calls ( not just a line people use to sell u)-best phones and technology available. most reliable network, I can use my phone when I need it most, I don't have to worry about having paying for a service then I can't use it when I need it most.

by Mantas Butanavicius -- October 8th 2006 -- Baltmore, MD

I think that verizon is the best company out there right now. I have service practically everywhere I go. I have service in my basement!rnI have been with verizon since 1999 and will never change

by Drew -- October 4th 2006 -- Greer, SC

My Verizon service has been nothing but great. I always have some sort of service, and the call quality never seems to change with or without great service. The phone itself is nice, with V cast music, the ringtones sound great and the battery can last me a weekend.

by Kyle -- October 1st 2006 -- Boulder, CO

Verizon is simply the best carrier. After dealing with T-Mobile, Cingular and Qwest, I decided to switch to Verizon. I have never made a better decision. I get great coverage, even when we go up into the mountains. Never had a dropped call. Customer service is great, they go out of their way to help.

by John -- September 27th 2006 -- Orange, CA

I have been a Verizon wireless customer for 4 years. I recently have been having alot of problems with my LG phone. I called customer service and did troubleshooting and it was considered an equipment issue. THey told me i did NOT qualify for the new every two discount until november (8weeks away) and they could only give me the price of the phone at new activation rate. I cannot believe a company such as verizon having my business for 4 years can begrudge me 8 weeks. Total disappointment!!! Time for a new provider. Ya gotta love having a choice!

by Dan Simpson -- September 27th 2006 -- Fort Wayne, IN

We have been with Verizon since Verizon was GTE Wireless (11yrs). We have never been happier with a company until approximately two years ago. We are constantly finding errors on our bill and it is always a fight with rude customer service people in order to have the errors rectified. We will be changing our plan of 11 years due to the gross lack of customer service.

by Jeremiah Allen -- September 26th 2006 -- Federal Way, WA

Many problems with Verizon, and many other companies. I will detail two serious problems. First, my wife was to take a one month vacation to the heart of Mexico, and in order to stay in touch we contacted customer service and asked what they could do. No problem, they said we could get Mexico coverage added to our plan for only $20 extra for the time spent there. This would save us a lot of money in roaming fees, great! When she got down there, whenever she used the phone, it told her she was roaming, so we called back to Verizon and asked, they assured us that was because it was off the "normal" network, but it would be included. Good, no problems...until we got the $900 bill for (over $700 in roaming fees). THEY WOULD NOT BUDGE, not the csr, not the supervisor, and not the manager, attempted to call on three occasions and jump through the multiple hoops they asked me to jump through to no avail. Ended up forking it over. So we tried to cancel our service to find out that adding Mexico to our plan (and subsequently removing it) extended our contract for another year. We waited it out, vowing to cancel at the end of the contract. Well, we finally made it (with more headaches I won't go into, all involving similar issues with poor communication, and misinformation). At the end of the year, I found out that they had extended it for another year when I had gotten a new handset (externally) a few months prior. Unbelievable! We cancelled the service in Jan 2004, paid the hefty $250 fee (2 phones), and kissed cell phones goodbye. We haven't had one since, and I don't plan to until a more trustworthy company comes along (if ever).

by Jen -- September 26th 2006 -- Auburn, WA

For anybody thinking of switching to Verizon... DON"T!!! They are horrible!! From their coverage to their customer service. They are rude and they overcharge!! I paid $50 plus $109 for my monthly bill just to use my phone while I was in California making local calls to another phone on my plan. So I paid an extra $50 even when I wasn't calling long distance or roaming!! That is complete BS!! I will never sign up with verizon as long as I live!! T-mobile hear I come!!

by no good company -- September 21st 2006 -- whitman, MA

Verizon is the worst.company is crap ,no service ,no coverage.plans suck. no rollover. Why would you go with them.

by Ed -- September 21st 2006 -- Atco, NJ

My biggest gripe with Verizon is not the actual coverage, which is not bad as long as you are in the open (in-building coverage is terrible everywhere I've gone). The biggest problem I have is how they deal with customers. Recently they changed their policy so that if you make any adjustments to your calling plan you MUST sign up for an additional year of service. This is an OUTRAGES policy. The whole justification for even having a contract at all was because they were discounting the phone so much that they needed to lock you in for a certain amount of time to make a profit. If I change my plan, they have NO justification to make me re-up my contract. The customer service people were inflexible and rude. Also, call quality has ALWAYS been bad since I have been with Verizon. I tried a Cingular phone recently and could not believe how much clearer the call was. I'm switching to Cingular as soon as my contract is up!