In a fight with Verizon, any tech industry customer service experts around?

2.5 weeks ago the WiFi Antenna went out on my HTC Droid DNA. It couldn't connect to WiFi anymore, but it also wouldn't stop trying. Force Stop, Factory Reset...etc, no option would work to stop it. This was crushing the battery, from full charge it was under 30% in about 45 minutes. I spoke with a rep on the chat service on their website, and he said that I didn't really have any options outside of maybe using an upgrade, or paying the deductible for a new phone($99). I ended the conversation to try and figure out what I wanted to do.

I then talked to another Verizon rep to ask about an early upgrade, but was told that she had a deal where she could get it replaced through insurance without me paying a dime. As I have come to learn that different Verizon offices can do different things, and have different regulations, it did not seem implausible that she could do something he couldn't. I even discussed that with her, and she said that she didn't know why he didn't offer it. I explained to her that the screen was severely cracked, and asked if that would be a problem with swapping it out. She said that it would not be an issue because that was not the reason I was sending it in. Since she insisted it would be free, and since I didn't like any of the current free/cheap upgrade options. I decided to go the insurance route.

Here is the issue. I received an email today telling me that because the phone was physically damaged, it was not eligible for the free replacement through the factory warranty, and they added a fee of $299 to my account. I was never told she was doing this through the factory warranty, I thought it was through Verizon's insurance which I pay a monthly fee for. She reiterated, multiple times, that it would absolutely be free. There wasnt even a chance I would be charged a dime. She implied it was some sort of a temporary deal they were running.

I just got off the phone with verizon and they are sending it to some department that is supposed to look at the chat records and figure out what I was told. Supposedly they might honor it, but it sounds more like they are going to just take off $200 and charge me the $99 insurance deductible. I would have never, EVER, even considered doing the deal if I thought there was even a chance I would be charged a dime. Much less $299, or even $99. Would have taken a crappy free option before then.

I have a huge issue with all of this. I have been a customer with Verizon since 2004. Their customer service used to be the best in the business, but it is severely declining. This whole thing is incredibly frustrated. Am I going to have to start taking screen shots and recordings of all my conversations with reps? Freaking ridiculous.

Before I pay the fee I will simply buy out my contract and go elsewhere. Sprint for example will cut my bill by $30, I will get brand new phones, and they will pay my buyout. Their cell service isnt as good, but that is a pretty good deal.

Do I have any recourse here? Just push them hard on our leaving Verizon? Especially after 11 years, never having missed a payment in that time? Or based on the fact those conversations are in writing, do you think they will do the right thing and honor what I was told?

tl:dr Verizon=