Daniel P.
Verizon: Profiting from Misleading Low-Income Consumers and Damaging Credit
In December 2022, a Verizon representative came to my boarding house and informed me that I qualified for free internet service under the Affordable Care Act program. I was assured that my bill would be brought to zero after enrollment. Despite this assurance, I immediately began receiving bills from Verizon. I raised this issue with the original representative, who stated she was having trouble resolving the billing problem and was working with her supervisor. Shortly after, she stopped returning my calls. When Verizon installed the equipment, I already had an outstanding bill, even though I had been promised the charges would be waived. Because the issue remained unresolved, I removed the equipment the next day and returned it to Verizon. From December 2022 through 2023/2024, I made countless phone calls to Verizon customer service. Each time, I was told that the bill was an error and would be removed. Despite these assurances, the balance was never cleared. Verizon eventually referred the account to a collections agency, damaging my credit. I was then told to call/physical mail TSI a company in Pennsylvania (I reside in New Jersey) that was supposedly handling the matter. That company also assured me that the account would be corrected, but nothing changed. In 2025, I received a settlement offer by mail regarding the disputed account. Wanting to clear my credit report, I accepted the offer and paid approximately 50% of the balance. Verizon then reported the account as “paid in full for less than the full balance”, which still appears as a derogatory mark on my credit report. This was misleading. I entered into the settlement with the understanding it would be reflected as “paid in full” without derogatory language. In August 2025, I filed a complaint with the FCC. Verizon contacted me following that complaint. I explained the entire situation again. After an internal review, Verizon told me the reason the bill was not set to zero was that I had been “emailed and told to set up the account myself.” However, this is not what I was told by the original Verizon representative. She stated explicitly that she would handle the setup. At every stage, Verizon representatives acknowledged the billing issue and repeatedly assured me it would be resolved. Despite my returning the equipment promptly and making multiple attempts to resolve the matter, Verizon has refused to correct the derogatory reporting. Result: My credit report continues to show a derogatory remark from Verizon that should not exist. I was misled into believing the account would be resolved and later misled into paying a settlement that did not remove the negative reporting. This has caused ongoing harm to my credit. So after years of repeated calls, promises, and a settlement payment to clear my credit, Verizon has refused to remove the derogatory mark — a small correction that would cost them nothing but continues to harm me. It is unscrupulous that such an exceedingly wealthy company profits from misleading low-income consumers and refuses to correct errors, even after taking money for a service I never used.



