If you’re a Verizon customer, you’re probably aware that the provider had a major outage recently.
On Jan. 14, many Verizon customers found that their mobile devices suddenly could not connect to the network. This outage lasted for most of the day. No one is sure of the exact numbers, but it’s thought that the outage affected tens of thousands of customers.
Now, Verizon has released a statement to customers saying that they are “sorry for what you experienced.” Additionally, the company announced that impacted customers could claim a $20 credit on their next bill, provided they followed certain steps.
As many people rely on their mobile networks in order to do their jobs, some customers felt that $20 was not enough to make up for a day without service. Now, one user on TikTok says that there’s something you can do about it.
What’s The Deal With The Verizon Payout?
In a video with over 663,000 views, TikTok user Guillermo (@guillermounfiltered) explains how he felt that $20 per account was not enough to repay a day of lost service.
“So, I called Verizon,” he explains. “I spent about 37 minutes on hold, and then I finally got ahold of someone who was quite lovely. … I said, ‘I understand that you’re getting a lot of phone calls today. I’d love an explanation on what caused the outage, and I would love to know how we can talk about this account credit, because I don’t think that 20 dollars is gonna justify it.”
According to Guillermo, the employee said that they did not know what caused the outage. This is reflected in reporting; so far, the company has only stated that it was a “software issue.”
“The other thing is that they know that $20 is not enough,” Guillermo states. “And so, they already have an automatic justification, if you call, to get an additional $10 per line. That is something that they have the authority to do.”
Can You Get Even More Money?
Guillermo states that, while the extra $10 was appreciated, he still felt that it was not enough.
“I had two phones that used Verizon in order to work. I have two people that are in the gig economy in my family plan. So, it could be an Uber driver, a Lyft driver, DoorDash, any of those individuals that use cell phones to work—and I talked about the fact that there’s a loss of income that they faced,” the TikToker explains.
While Guillermo says that he did not expect Verizon to fully compensate for a day of lost wages for two people, he expected more than $30 for an account with two such earners.
Consequently, Guillermo said the employee escalated the situation. The employee also asked him what he believed was a “justified number.”
“I did not have that number, but I made it very clear that what was currently being presented was simply not enough,” he shares. “I explained how much money the Uber driver lost yesterday, and I explained how much the DoorDash driver lost.”
Guillermo does not reveal what amount was eventually offered to him.
Does This Really Work?
This TikToker isn’t the first to suggest doing this to get a bigger payout. In fact, across social media, many users have claimed to increase the size of their payout by chatting with customer support.
On X, one user alleged they were able to get $20 off their bill each month for a year, resulting in a savings of $240. This user says they told their agent that the outage affected their ability to earn money.
Other internet users have also found success by talking to support. For example, a Redditor claimed they were able to get $20 per line for 5 lines.
That said, many other internet users said they had issues getting credit, both the initial $20 credit and any possible additional credits.
@guillermounfiltered $20 account credit wasn’t enough in my opinion, so I called Verizon. Here’s what you should know!
Commenters Say It Works
In the TikTok comments section, several users affirmed that they were able to increase their payout by talking with support.
“Verizon gave me a total discount for yesterday of $60. They also gave me $20 off per month for 12 months,” wrote a user.
“I called them after watching your live – my account didn’t get escalated. I spoke with a person, and my phone bill is being comped for next month!” exclaimed another.
“They gave me 40… I lost $600 in work,” countered a third.
BroBible reached out to Guillermo via TikTok DM and comment and Verizon via email.