Verizon Ported My Phones Out Without Authorization Or An Account.

This has been an extraordinary ordeal and I could write a novel recounting it, but I will try to condense it down to just the cliff notes.

I initially visited a Verizon-authorized franchise store to compare trade-in offers and pricing for switching from Xfinity. I wasn’t planning to switch that day, as the new phones hadn’t been released yet. During the visit, I unlocked my phones and provided the salesperson with the information he requested to evaluate the trade-in offers.

Later that day, all three of my phone numbers lost service. Xfinity confirmed that the numbers had been ported out to Verizon, despite my understanding that I had not authorized a transfer. I spent hours contacting both companies and eventually had to reactivate service with Xfinity under new numbers.

I subsequently visited a corporate Verizon store, where employees were also unsure how the transfers had occurred. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to restore my original numbers, I eventually proceeded with Verizon because I needed my numbers for work and upcoming travel.

During this process, I discovered that the franchise salesperson had added options to the proposed transaction and claimed insurance and in-store setup fees were mandatory. Corporate employees told me these requirements were not accurate. Nevertheless, the franchise salesperson refused to proceed without the insurance and setup fees, which I ultimately paid because I needed my phone numbers restored.

The ordeal involved over 10 hours in stores and more than 50 hours of calls, chats, and other efforts to resolve the situation. It also disrupted my work resulted in a canceled weekend trip and created problems with reservations on an upcoming large trip, it also resulted in additional expenses with Xfinity.

I submitted a formal Notice of Dispute to Verizon. Since then, Verizon has corrected several billing issues, removed two returned phones that remained on my account, and credited me for an incorrect bill and the setup fees.

However, Verizon refuses to reimburse the $168 Xfinity bill I incurred in connection with the incident. They also haven’t meaningfully addressed my request for additional compensation for the disruption and time involved. They also won’t take accountability for the number port or explain how it was even possible.

At this point, I’m looking for advice on my options. Is it worth pursuing the dispute further? Are there effective consumer-protection complaint channels, or what would be the reasonable next step?

Location: Indiana, USA