We all know that sneaky reps trying to meet their monthly performance goals will add screen protectors, charging accessories, wireless Bluetooth earbuds, device insurance, and other items that you did not request to your invoice. But avoiding carrier stores does not mean that you won’t become a victim of what is known as “cramming.”
Verizon customers, check your paid invoices to make sure that you are not a victim of “cramming”
What brings this up is a social media post by a Verizon customer who posted on Reddit under the username of “Embarrassed-Sea-3281.” He wrote that he discovered that Verizon started charging him for device insurance he didn’t request starting on December 1, 2025, and he hadn’t noticed it until he received the most recent bill.
The carrier acted like it was doing the customer a favor for removing an item he never asked for
When he called Verizon to ask what was going on, the customer service rep made it sound as though the company would issue a refund and remove the insurance coverage “as an exception.” So if this Verizon subscriber is telling the truth, the wireless provider acted as though it was doing the customer a favor by removing from his bill an item that it had been illegally charging the customer for, one he never requested.
Verizon CEO Dan Schulman. | Image by Verizon
Interestingly, Verizon asked the customer to tap a link to confirm that he wanted the device insurance removed from his account. The subscriber told the customer service rep that when they added the insurance plan to his account, they didn’t ask him to tap on a link for confirmation. “What kind of scam is this?” he asked.
Half of the rep’s co-workers at this Verizon store don’t make a check
It is the kind of scam that has become more pervasive in the industry. As a result, regardless of which wireless provider you use, it might be a good idea to make sure that you are not getting ripped off by a rogue rep taking credit for something he never sold you.
Things are so bad at this store, this rep states that the other reps end up battling over an in-store pickup. But here’s the thing, he isn’t complaining that the problem is lower traffic inside the store. He is blaming the reduction in reps’ commission checks on Verizon‘s obsession with rewarding reps for getting new and existing customers to add new lines at the exclusion of everything else.
Verizon rep explains why customers should avoid visiting the carrier’s stores
He also complains that Verizon no longer listens to its reps and that it hasn’t surveyed its reps in over a year. He also has something to tell Verizon customers who wonder why reps treat them badly when they ask a dumb question. He says that reps will snap at customers who do this because Verizon does not pay them to deal with this.
He also warns Verizon customers to stay clear of the retail stores except to pick up devices you’ve already paid for. This way you will avoid upsell attempts by reps “because you will end up with a line you didn’t ask for, and you’ll think you’re getting a deal.”
