What's up with corporate America?

[BboogieXVII]

Car dealerships are the worst; one time while helping a friend buy a car we noticed the final contract they brought out to be signed had no correlation to what was agreed upon earlier. This happened not only once but the second contract was fudged as well. Finally got the agreed upon price written up correctly. Car dealerships do this ROUTINELY and get away with it. Certainly true, buyer beware.

 

[MJ5150]

What do you suggest I do differently? I'm all ears.

In this case, go to a Verizon store. Not an authorized reseller/retailer, a real VZW store.

-Mike

 

[austinrick]

It's the New USA, man, and there's nothing you can do about it.

My latest encounter with American corporate lies: AT&T agent told me the data plan I called about included web, email, etc. I signed up, waited a month for the next billing cycle to begin, then on Day 1 yesterday when I couldn't get email to work, called and learned that email in $5-6/mo extra. I cancelled the data plan instantly. It's not my first time to be lied to by them.

The New USA.

 

[corndog]

Yeah, buying a car and a cell phone are two of the crappiest purchase experiences one can subject themselves to.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Up till this point I've been using Virgin Mobile. Reception leaves a bit to be desired, but I buy the phone for the price plus tax, and pay the bill for the price plus tax. And it's been $35 a month, no hidden anything. I just upped it to $45 for unlimited everything. Nobody trying to get over on anybody there.

 

[two fingers]

It's the New USA, man, and there's nothing you can do about it.

My latest encounter with American corporate lies: AT&T agent told me the data plan I called about included web, email, etc. I signed up, waited a month for the next billing cycle to begin, then on Day 1 yesterday when I couldn't get email to work, called and learned that email in $5-6/mo extra. I cancelled the data plan instantly. It's not my first time to be lied to by them.

The New USA.

Somebody heard a new catch phrase he needed to practice using today.....

So, one company didn't inform you of an email fee and suddenly the whole country has gone to hell?

I guess the next time a store is out of your beer the entire interstate highway system will have collapsed.

I guess the next time your microwave burns your leftover burrito the engineering education system in Japan will have been knocked on its butt.

Melodrama much?

Honestly, I think overgrown four year olds throwing hissy fits and blaming "the system" every time something smacks of dishonesty is "the new USA".

 

[leegreenman]

Up till this point I've been using Virgin Mobile. Reception leaves a bit to be desired, but I buy the phone for the price plus tax, and pay the bill for the price plus tax. And it's been $35 a month, no hidden anything. I just upped it to $45 for unlimited everything. Nobody trying to get over on anybody there.

Kinda besides the point, but I've found that he best deals on cell phones can be had at Best Buy. They also do a good job explaining any fees etc. They should be able to tell you exactly what you'll be paying per months.
I agree with your overall point though. Salesmen can be shady as f@ck, and advertised prices can't be trusted!

 

[hdracer]

It's the New USA, man, and there's nothing you can do about it.

My latest encounter with American corporate lies: AT&T agent told me the data plan I called about included web, email, etc. I signed up, waited a month for the next billing cycle to begin, then on Day 1 yesterday when I couldn't get email to work, called and learned that email in $5-6/mo extra. I cancelled the data plan instantly. It's not my first time to be lied to by them.

The New USA.

BS
I and my family have been with AT&T for 10+ years.
A data plan is a data plan. It doesn't matter what the data is, web, e mail or whatever. I have three e mail accounts on my phone.
I pay $198 a month for 3 iPhones with 900 minutes and unlimited data and text taxes & fees included.

If people want to complain, how about all the stacked up government fees and taxes. The Al Gore tax is the worst.

 

[Gorn]

I spoke with 3 separate people, in 3 separate departments at Verizon, and text chatted with a 4th. None of them could or would tell me what my final monthly charge would be and only told me I'd have to pay tax plus a surcharge that could be up to 45%. I told them I wasn't going to switch providers if they couldn't give me an exact number. They told me "sorry then". I'm not switching.

What do you suggest I do differently? I'm all ears.

I don't know man. I asked and they answered. The bill corresponds with their answer. Verizon is a big company. Lots of dumb people and some smart ones that know it's in their best interest to do right by their customers if they want me stick around for a few decades.

 

[basslayer]

Glad to see we're not going to be melodramatic about this.

Melodramatic, or the basic function of this and all other "free market" economies. What I described is the a depersonalized version of most of the comments on this page. It would not be up to the consumer to figure out which lie a seller is telling if the interests of consumers and sellers weren't in opposition to one another.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I don't know man. I asked and they answered. The bill corresponds with their answer. Verizon is a big company. Lots of dumb people and some smart ones that know it's in their best interest to do right by their customers if they want me stick around for a few decades.

They just started running some new deals. Ones that seem too good to be true. I think that may have something to do with. The deal that caught my interest was a new iPhone (for $199), they said I'd get a $150 discount for switching and keeping my old number, $35 startup, $60 a month, and I WOULDN'T be financing the iPhone. With their switching discount and startup fee an iPhone 6 would wind up costing me $85, and the monthly plan would only be $15 more than what I'm currently paying. Of course I'll do that. But they won't tell me what my "mystery" surcharge will be. Only that it can be up to 45%. And once I agreed, there'd be no turning back.

I just advertised for them, for free, didn't I?

 

[bluesblaster]

I have a dumb phone (flip phone) has great coverage, holds a charge for a week or more and cost $10 a month...........the end.


iphone ? no thanks

 

[pacojas]

my phone company LIED very hard just to confuse me into giving-up my "Unlimited Data" plan! i'm very hard to trick, but i feel sorry for the others who give in.
it took 3 separate calls to clear this up, irregardless of the contract I had signed previously!

btw, my cable provider tried to squeeze in a "PAY PER VIEW" charge on my bill that I had already paid,.... 6 FREAKIN YEARS AGO!!!! :O

 

[nutdog]

For all the disparaging of corporate America in general and Verizon specifically, I bought a 128g iphone 6 for $8/month with a plan that averages out to about $50/smart phone/month. This little thing in my pocket (I'm referring to the phone) has more capability than the desktop I bought 20 years ago for about $2k. There are no mystery surcharges. Without getting into specifics the items labeled "Verizon Wireless' Surcharges and Other Charges & Credits" and "Taxes, Governmental Surcharges & Fees" amount to just over 4% of the total bill.


I don't know who you're dealing with or what they're telling you but my experience with Verizon has been fine.

 

[Gorn]

my phone company LIED very hard just to confuse me into giving-up my "Unlimited Data" plan! i'm very hard to trick, but i feel sorry for the others who give in.
it took 3 separate calls to clear this up, irregardless of the contract I had signed previously!

btw, my cable provider tried to squeeze in a "PAY PER VIEW" charge on my bill that I had already paid,.... 6 FREAKIN YEARS AGO!!!! :O

I'm sorry for the thread derail. I'm sorry for correcting grammar. I don't know if English is your first language. Yes, corporate America does indeed stink. Happy thanksgiving to all.

But please, please, understand that irregardless is not the correct usage of the word regardless. Never. Never ever. You don't aks a question and irregardless is wrong. Please and thank you. Enjoy your thanksgiving.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I don't know who you're dealing with or what they're telling you but my experience with Verizon has been fine.

I don't know what's up either. Maybe I should just have another go at this. Maybe the guy I initially spoke to was an idiot, couldn't answer my question, and hooked me up with other idiots who he thought could? I'd very much like to have a new iPhone and pay a little more a month than I currently do. Will most likely visit a store today or tomorrow.

 

[blue4]

Somebody heard a new catch phrase he needed to practice using today.....

So, one company didn't inform you of an email fee and suddenly the whole country has gone to hell?

I guess the next time a store is out of your beer the entire interstate highway system will have collapsed.

I guess the next time your microwave burns your leftover burrito the engineering education system in Japan will have been knocked on its butt.

Melodrama much?

Honestly, I think overgrown four year olds throwing hissy fits and blaming "the system" every time something smacks of dishonesty is "the new USA".

And HE'S being melodramatic?

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I think modern marketing and sales practices run counter to the entire premise of capitalism.

The point of capitalism is that businesses compete by either creating a better product or lowering prices, thus assuring consumers get the best goods at the lowest prices.

Welcome to the post-modern age, where companies do not compete by making better products or selling at lower prices. They compete by having the best marketing campaign: rebranding the exact same thing every other company in the industry is selling and trying to make it look sexier than the competing product.

Or they don't compete at all, instead collaborating to split up the market, letting each company sell the exact same product to different niches under different branding. Even if there isn't explicit collaboration, astute marketing directors pay enough attention to others in their industry to make all modern industries into de facto, price fixing cartels.

And it's our fault because most of us would rather have what looks the coolest than what works the best. We enjoy the high of consumerism (buying something just to buy it) over the joy and security of owning things that help us do good work and live good lives.

Ask any business owner what is the worst thing for business and he'll tell you, it's competition. Capitalism is actually about crushing your competition and gaining a monopoly on the marketplace ensuring you have full control of the prices, ensuring maximum profit.

 

[placedesjardins]

I'm starting to become incredibly cynical, and I don't want to become a bitter old man.

I just bought my first brand new car. Yay! But - got lied to throughout the grueling 3 day process by everyone I dealt with, and when I started checking reviews on all the other dealerships around, I found where I bought mine was the same as all the others. Lots and lots of furious people because they were lied to, lied to, lied to, and lied to...

I just went to sign up with Verizon, as they're offering some seemingly awesome new deals. Because I'm becoming cynical I dug a little deeper. The $60 monthly plan I was considering, I found out only after jumping through a bunch of hoops, will actually wind up being more like an $85 (possibly more) + tax plan. They had to transfer me to 3 different people as nobody would answer my direct question of exactly how much my monthly bill would amount to. Last guy I spoke to blurted out really quickly, "You'll only be charged $60, a one time $35 fee, surcharges, and tax". When I asked specifics about the surcharges he said he couldn't answer that, and that it could be up to 45%. Really!?! So they advertise $60, but my bill after taxes could easily come out to almost $100.

What ever happened to truth in advertising? Is this becoming the way of the world? BS people into buying your products or services? I know lots of other companies that pull this kind of crap, but it's really starting to get to me now.

What's up with this crap?

I've never bought or owned a brand new car.
Even then, you deal with shady transactions when buying a used car. Yes, there was the Saturn where you got a no-haggle price on a new car, and there's Car Max where you get a no-haggle price on a used car. I just try to do as much research beforehand.

When it comes to cell phones, land line phones, cable or Internet, there are so many fees and taxes, I just go for what I need and not necessarily the more expensive plan with more options in the "bundle" because I might not even use the additional options in the packaged bundle anyway.

 

[duff beer]

You would think that with all the people who complain about corporate greed, poor service, low wages, and cheap products on a daily basis, that there would at least be a few of them willing to open up a business that provides great service, pays good wages, and only sells quality products.