Verizon cannot find returned equipment. What a shock.

I had Verizon FIOS.  I moved and Verizon advised me to I get a new account (so that the on sight sales person would get credit) and I might get a better deal.  OK.  I would get new equipment, which was something I wanted anyway.  I returned the old equipment following Verizon procedures.  When Verizon did not send acknowledgement of receipt (UPS had warned me that Verizon misplaces its stuff), I sent proof from UPS that Verizon had received its equipment: date/time, location, person.

For my new home I ordered the Verizon Home Monitoring service with some extra stuff and when I got a big bill I figured that it was for that new stuff.  Who can decipher Verizon bills anyway plus I was consumed with the move.  Wrong.  Verizon had charged me $650 for not returning the equipment that I had returned.  Foolishly, I paid $580 thinking it was for the new stuff.  HUGE mistake.  Now Verizon wants another $606 due early November.

After being jerked around for weeks Verizon finally acknowledged, kind of, that equipment had been returned.  No mention of what equipment or how much money was involved.  Here is a message that I just received:


Dear K. Matinale,

Thank you for choosing Verizon. I have received your email dated 11/02/2012 regarding the unreturned equipment charges. I apologize for any frustration or inconvenience this has caused. My name is Janis, and I will be happy to assist you.

I understand your concern about the unreturned equipment charges. 

According to the records, we do show equipment processed back on 9/14/2012, 10/24/2012 and 10/29/2012.  You should see a final bill generated reflecting the returns processed with a refund check to follow.
____________________________________

My reply:

"refund check"?  Is this a joke?  I paid online.  Credit my current account as requested ... immediately, you know, like when I pay.

"refund check" mailed to where?  My current address?  My previous address?  When would this paper check even be mailed?  And when/if I receive it I still need to wait for the funds to clear.  So what, maybe ten days from now, if I'm lucky and the hurricane diminished U.S. Postal Service forwards mail from my previous address?

Fix this NOW.  I called this morning and wasted five minutes going through the call prompts before hearing that Verizon only answers calls Monday-Friday.  What, your system doesn't know this is Saturday when the call comes in and cannot inform the caller immediately that no one will answer?

Verizon does everything to obfuscate, delay, discourage.