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Verizon's decades-long bond with customers is cracking, and you might not be surprised why

Verizon's decades-long bond with customers is cracking, and you might not be surprised why

Phone Arena3 days ago
Verizon still wears the crown as the largest phone carrier in the US, boasting 115.2 million wireless retail connections as of July 2025. But August's numbers might tell a different story – especially after the company's recent (and very unpopular) move to scrap loyalty discounts. That decision has already pushed plenty of longtime customers to jump ship and find a new wireless home.And it is not just the loyalty discounts that have people packing their bags. Many frustrated Verizon customers are heading for T-Mobile, AT&T, or smaller MVNOs like Mint Mobile, US Mobile, and Google Fi because of unhelpful customer support, too. Forums are buzzing with posts from users saying they've finally had enough.
–nanohead, Reddit user, August 2025 This particular customer had been with Verizon for 26 years – sticking around because things used to get fixed, support was solid, and service was reliable. But now? In their words, it's a "train wreck." The final straw? Verizon 's TravelPass feature failing completely, with no fix in sight.
I get charged, but the phone does nothing, so I have to buy a 3rd party SIM just so I can do basic stuff. I've spent probably 40 hours on chat, phone, with "escalated' tech support, and still nothing. Not fixable, lots of boneheaded excuses, and of course, they just try to upsell me on stuff I don't need. I don't want streaming, I want my damn phone to work. Same with other phones in the family, data drops, no international service, etc. The latest stunt is they added a $500 charge for changing phones (1 of my kids' phones died, so she replaced it, and activated a new phone).
– nanohead, Reddit user, August 2025 It seems Verizon 's customer service couldn't do much to solve this longtime customer's problems, so they've decided to take their business elsewhere. And, as is often the case with phone carriers, once one person shares their story, plenty of others jump in with similar experiences.
– CaptainK718, Reddit user, August 2025 It's wild to think about people walking away after decades of loyalty.
– realitytvmom, Reddit user, August 2025
However, despite the many issues Verizon is facing right now, it still earns solid praise for offering the most widespread coverage in the US, at least when it comes to 4G. | Image credit – FCC And of course, Verizon isn't the only carrier dealing with unhappy customers – all of the big players have their own customer service headaches. T-Mobile , for instance, has become known for stories where users feel let down by reps who either don't help much or push too hard to sell extra stuff. AT&T hasn't been free from mistakes either, with plenty of missteps in its customer service history, too.
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