Cell Phone abuse

I rently decided after having car trouble with no way to contact AAA...to get a cell phone. Little did I know my nightmares were just starting. I called Verizon since I had once before had a cell phone with them. I talked with a supposedly bright guy and ordered a phone. He made me listen to a statement about me paying late fees and early termination fees. I got the phone by Fedex a couple days later. Following the instructions I called numbers to activate the phone.I was told the information had not be put into the computer yet. This was four days after I ordered it. I called the next day when the number still didn't work. I was told to hold while I listened to the lady typing ...my information I assume... Then she told me that that department was four hours behind and I said I would try the next morning. Next day I tried the number again...still didn't work. I called customer service and got a rough sounding woman which turned out to be abusive and harse talking...Told her that it still didn't work. She acted like it was my fault and said she could tell me how to activate it. She gave me numbers to dial...the phone said Activation not complete....again she said try...After several times she yelled..." You gotta dial the numbers fast" I tried again and again....She said..." Dial the numbers within ten seconds....I could have dialed twenty numbers in that time...she had me dialing thre or four...Then...she got really harse and yrelled...You gotta take it to a store...." I told her I was not goin to drive 70 miles round trip to a store...She said hold...A tech rep came on and tried the same things the monster woman did...he tried several different set of numbers...it still didn't work....he then said there must be two towers down...I got very irritated ...this was one of the largest communication companies in the US and they could not make my phone work. I then told the guy to switch me to the customer service again...I was going to cancel the contract and service...I talk to the woman and she again speaking very harsh ...serveral times told me I was responsible for any charges on this phone and to send it back. I told her thast I was paying no charges since they could not mak the phone work...I had paid about $15 for te simple phone and it was never credited to my credirt card. I returned the phone two days later which was well within the ten or fifteen days for early termination.
About two weeks later I recieved a bill for $205....no explanation ...just a bill...I called and complained...Was told no reason for charges...perhaps was activation fee...I went thru my story with the lady...she wanted to know when I was going to pay the bill...I hung up ..steamed a day or so..called back and to make a long story short finally got someone with a brain. She said she would take care of it. Two days later another woman called asking when I was going to pay the bill...I told her that the other lady was taking care of it...Finally it was over ...
This experience proved to me that all cell phone companies are crooked ...They make you listen to a statement about what THEY will do to you if you terminate early or etc...NO MENTION OF WHAT THEY WILL PAY YOU IF THEY FAIL....you have to listen to this to get a phone and agree to pay them about 500-700 a year for a few minutes...Then they charge you a " one time fee of 36 dollars to activate the phone. A complete rip off to only get more money.
We should all gather together and send our complaints to our senators and congressmen....This should be stopped....We don't have to pay activation fees for redular phones etc...The whole process should be changed to them afreeing to PAY US if they fail in service or billing...A big fee of hundreds of dollars for each offense...WE should turn the tables and make them responsible ....Bet the servive and people will be better...I am going to send my letter to my senators....hope their pockets aren't buldging with phone company " contributions"...