When customer service doesn’t help, you can use consumer arbitration to present your case in front of a neutral, third-party arbitrator.
Your Verizon Wireless contract includes what is called an arbitration clause which prevents you from suing Verizon in most courts and forces you to bring any large or otherwise complex claim through a process of binding arbitration. Arbitration can be a good option for you especially given how time-consuming small claims court cases in.
It usually takes a few months to conclude but most of the process can be done through emails or speaking with an arbitrator over the phone. You can do the process yourself, or you can file with a claim processor like FairShake to simplify the process for you.
Here’s what you need to know:
Before you begin this process you have to make sure that you have a very clear and concise description of what your issue is, and what you want as relief or compensation. You will have to provide this information when you file your claim.
Verizon Wireless contractually requires that you send them a description of your claim at least 30 days before you file for binding arbitration. According to the terms of your user agreement, Verizon Wireless has 30 days to try and resolve the claim before you file for an arbitrator. You can report your claim to Verizon Wireless here.
Your Verizon Wireless contract requires that you initiate binding arbitration through the American Arbitration Association, the organization which administers arbitration and appoints neutral arbitrators to resolve the disputes. You can download the filing form for an AAA-administered Consumer Arbitration here.
Enter a description of your dispute and the relief that you want in the provided space at the top of the form. Then, enter your contact information, and subsequently enter the contact information for Verizon Wireless:
Verizon Wireless HQ Dispute Resolution Manager,
One Verizon Way, VC52S417,
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920-1097
Now you have to calculate the amount of money you will have to pay in order to start this process. Your contract says that they might reimburse you for the filing fee under certain circumstances but regardless, you have to pay it upfront to initiate arbitration.
The AAA provides a document that lists all of its current filing fees here. Your fee will vary based on the size of your claim.
In order to file for arbitration you will have to provide the AAA with a copy of Verizon’s arbitration clause. This can be found in your user agreement:
https://www.verizon.com/legal/notices/customer-agreement/
Once you have the user agreement, download a copy of it and save it under the new title “Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement with Arbitration Clause”.
Now that you have all of the documents and information readily at hand, it is time to file your claim with the AAA. To do so, go to the AAA’s “Fast File” option available at the following online address:
Enter your contact information in the provided boxes, and specify that you are requesting arbitration. Then use the final box at the bottom of the page to upload the Demand for Arbitration that you prepared earlier as well as your Verizon Wireless contract that you downloaded.
Finally, enter the filing fee that you have calculated at the bottom of the page.
After you submit all of the right documents, the AAA will reach out to you with a confirmation email that contains all of the information you submitted. This might take a few days but once you receive the email, print a copy and send the hard copy to:
Verizon Wireless HQ Dispute Resolution Manager,
One Verizon Way, VC52S417,
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920-1097
Within a few weeks of submitting your demand for arbitration you will be contacted by someone from the AAA, who will also contact Verizon Wireless to arrange an arbitration hearing. They will reach out to you by email. They will also help make sure that you submit all your documents in a timely manner, and help you and Verizon Wireless to schedule any necessary meetings or phone calls.
In the end the arbitration process will take several months to complete.
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