If you're thinking about using Verizon, I recommend first considering the quality of customer service you prefer.
On May 26, 2019 I placed an order on Verizon's website for a MHS900L jetpack at the price of $50.00 for the device, and $35 for the prepaid plan. After taxes and fees, my total investment was around $90.00.
The device arrived promptly, May 29, 2019. It came with a note in the box saying the device was active, and ready to go. I charged it up to 100% per the provided instructions and took it for a test drive.
(I did my research prior purchasing the device. I searched my address on Verizon's coverage map, and it showed the 4G LTE quality for my address and surrounding areas would be "excellent").
Using the device for the first time, I could tell it was acting slow. It was showing two bars, but was acting like it barely had a signal at all. Websites loaded slowly, and YouTube or any other video streaming was completely out of the question.
I decided to do a speed test, and found it was getting about half a megabit per second, (0.5 mbps) at best. I was using Ookla's speetest, (the same one technical support recommended I use after I called them the next day).
I tried to use it on my 2015 MacBook Pro, and my iPhone; (both of which I use at school and home on other Wi-Fi connections with ZERO issues).
The next day, I took it by the nearest Verizon store, which was in Jonesboro, AR. I spent about an hour there letting them look at it, doing speed tests, resetting it, trying different devices, etc. Eventually he told me that there was nothing else he could do, and advised that I call tech. support at 877.807.4646.
I called the number when I got home and spoke with a gentleman from 3:35pm until 4:30pm. He instructed me to try to connect to different devices, do speed tests, asked me how many bars it had, factory reset the device, etc. In the end, he said he was going to forward me to tech support. So, I guess there's two different kinds.
The lady I got forwarded to spent the next hour with me going though the same steps as I had already done, except for one added step: to check the device's signal strength, which we learned was around -120 dBm.
She then recommended that I return to the Verizon store in Jonesboro and have them look at it, and they should replace the device for free.
I returned to the Verizon store and wasted an additional two hours of my life.
They told me that tech support should have told me to just return the device instead of sending me back to the store.
So, I asked the lady if she could do anything to help me and she said she would take the device to the back and let the manager look at it to see if she could do anything to make it work better. I stood there for about 30 minutes waiting for her to return, only to have her tell me that they couldn't do anything about it, and that they don't carry that model in the store so they could not exchange it for another.
The only option I was given was to purchase a more expensive one, ($200.00).
I then politely made what I thought would be a VERY reasonable request: Credit $50 dollars for the dysfunctional device I had purchased, and an additional $50 dollars as reimbursement for the inconvenience I had experienced and the time and money I had wasted.
I would figure a business such as Verizon could see that as being a pretty great deal. I would also be wrong.
The lady said, "I can go back and ask the manager, but I can tell you she will just say no... but I can ask anyway if you want me to".
I replied, "please do".
The manager approached and said, "that's not how it works," referring to my $50.00 dollar credit request, (which would still end with me giving Verizon another $100.00 dollars, by the way). She instructed me to return the device online and offered to print a Fed-Ex shipping label to aid with the process. I accepted and thanked her for her help.
I decided I did not want to deal with Verizon anymore, so, before I left, I asked if I could just get a refund on the jetpack, my Verizon phone and the plan I had paid for on both of them. Again, the answer was "no" to all, which, of course, I expected.
In the end, on top of the money wasted on the data plan, (which I never even got to use, and I will likely not be reimbursed for) I've wasted about 30 dollars in fuel and at least 10 hours of my time, (between Verizon customer service, driving, and trying to find solutions on my own).
P.S., if any fellow veterans or active duty military are reading this, DON'T DO IT. It ain't worth it. Although I didn't even ask for the discount, I can see it wouldn't be worth it anyway considering how little effort Verizon will put into ensuring customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, I do not currently have any good recommendations, but I can at least say DON'T GAMBLE ON THIS COMPANY. read more
