TikTok creator gets two free Apple Watches from Verizon and a surprise $600 bill
In a video posted on TikTok (via DailyDot), creator "@Meganmauk" said that she was "scammed" by Verizon. It all started when her family went to a Verizon store to upgrade their old phones to new models. While in the process of exchanging their old phones for new ones, a supervisor at the store stepped in to give the family two free Apple Watch timepieces as part of a promotion that was going on.
The mother of the TikTok creator smelled something fishy and it wasn't the supervisor's cologne. After saying that the deal seemed like it was too good to be true, the supervisor said that the Apple Watch models being given away had no "cell gear attached to them" and they were not the "top of the line ones." With that in mind, the creator (her name is Meg, by the way) was gifted the two watches by her mother.
The family kept hearing that the free Apple Watch units they received were not cellular models
Meg planned on giving away one of the free Apple Watch units so she returned to the Verizon store with her mom and spoke with the same supervisor to make sure that the Watch SE models she was given did not support cellular connectivity, which was confirmed again by the store. The mother also noted that the cost of their plan was a little higher than expected, but the Verizon supervisor said that they shouldn't worry because it would go back down in two to three months.
@meganmauk verizon employee just scammed me (im going in to speak with the employee one last time and to return the watches) @Verizon ♬ original sound - meg
Things go south in a hurry when the first bill arrives
So the first bill arrives in the mail and the family is floored because it was $600. So once again they return to the Verizon store to complain and they find out that the Apple Watch devices they received free as part of a promo were cellular models despite being told otherwise. And now the family hears that they have to pay the $600 each month until the promo kicks in. The family didn't expect to receive the two free watches and then find out that they would have to pay extra for them on their Verizon bill.
@meganmauk Replying to @krissybdavis on my moms life i was not bullying anyone trust me as a girl with her mom alone in a store with 2 grown men i only wanted answers / clarification not problems. i even apologized at the end when i did nothing wrong because thats the kind of person i am @Verizon #verizon♬ original sound - meg
In a follow-up video, Meg says that she returned to the Verizon store in an attempt to return the two Apple Watches the family received. During that visit, while talking to the original rep who "helped" the family the first time, another rep stepped in and accused Meg of "bullying," even though she didn't insult anyone, or even raise her voice. She ended up leaving that store and heading to another Verizon location where she was told that yes, the numbers didn't add up. But all she could get from that second store was confirmation that something looked wrong with the bill and no change could be made to the monthly invoice.
It isn't clear what has gone down since Meg's last video was posted but we'd love to hear Verizon's side of the story. If we do get a statement from the carrier, we will update this article. It is possible that once the promo kicks in, bill credits will be issued to cover the cost of the watches. The bottom line is that if you are unsure about how a promo you're being offered by your carrier works, keep asking questions until you understand exactly what is going on.
You might recall that in 2021 some T-Mobile and Verizon customers were up in arms over an Apple Watch promotion that the carriers said did not exist. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman got caught up in that situation and customers complained that they didn't receive a $100 rebate that they felt entitled to. It isn't exactly the same situation that happened to Meg and her family, but it should act as another reminder to check out every great deal that you are being offered by your wireless provider.
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