After a nationwide service breakdown disrupted calls, texts, and mobile data for countless users, Verizon is offering a small but notable gesture of compensation. The telecom giant is giving a $20 account credit to customers affected by the recent outage. Read on to learn how to claim your credit — and make sure you don’t miss out.
How Verizon is compensating customers after the service disruption
Verizon announced it will issue a billing credit to customers impacted by a midweek network outage that temporarily disrupted voice calls and mobile data service for users in multiple parts of the country. Acknowledging the widespread frustration caused by the total loss of voice and data connectivity, the carrier addressed customers directly on social media, writing, “Yesterday (January 14), we did not meet the standard of excellence you expect and that we expect of ourselves.”
Verizon said eligible customers will receive a $20 account credit, which can be claimed through the myVerizon app. “To help provide some relief to those affected, we will give you a $20 account credit that can be easily redeemed by logging into the myVerizon app.”
While the payout serves as a gesture of goodwill, it won’t be credited instantly. Impacted subscribers should keep a close eye on their phones for an official notification. “You will receive a text message when the credit is available,” Verizon said. “On average, this covers multiple days of service. Business customers will be contacted directly about their credits. Business customers will be contacted directly about their credits.”
The telecom company was candid about the fact that a small sum of money cannot fully repair the inconvenience of a dead network, but emphasized that the move is an essential step in rebuilding customer trust. “The credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can. But it’s a way of acknowledging your time and showing that this matters to us,” said the company.
How widespread was the network outage?
According to the outage monitoring site Downdetector, more than 100,000 reports were submitted at the height of Wednesday’s disruption. While this number reflects user submissions and may not capture the full scale of affected customers, it underscores the significant impact of the outage.
Verizon confirmed that the service interruption had been resolved by Wednesday night. Following the announcement, Downdetector reports dropped sharply overnight and remained low on Thursday, though a small number of users still reported lingering connectivity issues.
Still experiencing connectivity problems? Here’s how to fix it
Verizon advises that if your service is still acting up, the quickest way to reconnect is to restart your device—power it down and then turn it back on. “If you’re still having trouble connecting, please restart your device (power down and power back on). This is the fastest way to reconnect your phone to the network,” the company explained in its social media post.
Beyond the quick fix, the carrier issued a final note of regret, promising to prioritize network stability moving forward to prevent a repeat of this week’s technical collapse.
“We are sorry for what you experienced and will continue to work hard day and night to provide the outstanding network and service that you expect from Verizon.”
Verizon’s major network outage in 2024
This latest disruption isn’t the first time the carrier’s reliability has come under fire. Just over a year ago, in September 2024, Verizon was hit by a similar nationwide crisis that knocked over 100,000 users offline. During that incident, iPhone users were famously trapped in “SOS mode,” while others dealt with a wave of dropped calls and data failures.
Source: Fox Business