A Verizon evil...

[Wetstuff]

I had four accounts with Verizon. Two hardwires, a cel and DSL. They are history. I do not care if they are the local monopoly, have 3% better coverage, etc .. I simply will not deal with a company that steals from me.

I never paid much notice, 'till one day I saw a note on my business bill...about 'Other Providers', 8 lines down on pg.1 ...back on pg. six (seriously, how many of people get to pg. 6?) there was a charge for about $15 for dietclubsonline or somesuch. "Are you S___g me?!"

When I called I was politely told; "They have FCC permission to act as billing agents for other companies. I must have given my approval for their services." I am a Type 1, male person who's far from overweight. I would never subscribe to such services.

Fast forward .. it's now been a number of months since I have had my business phone thru Comcast, ATT does the iPhone and iPad .. and have Net10 for a cheapo cel ..that rolls over - up to nearly 3k minutes now.

...and you know what? ..those annoying robocalls and phone banks in India have stopped calling?! There was something like Internet Yellowpages calling at least 2X a week. (As soon as I hear 200 people in the background or "Please hold for this important call." - Clank.) ...but I would bet $100. - the companies that were calling also had an agreement with Verizon to collect their fees. None of those people are calling today.

You'll notice that Verizon never sent me a confirmation request, to make sure I wanted this added to my bill .. 'They're not crazy!' They, like slip-and-fall lawyers, probably get 40% of what they collect. And as long as nobody looks on pg.6 .. the CEO in NY will get his $385,000 weekly paycheck. But none from me. F'm.

Jim

 

[JasonG]

Yup. Verizon rips you off. Didn't happen to me to that extreme, I only had a cell phone with them. But my bill always went up for no reason at all

 

[sting7k]

That sucks but did you not look at your bill each month and see when the rates changed from what you had been paying? Someone on your account authorized that diet club thing probably without knowing what it was or what they were doing.

 

[imwjl]

I'm sorry if I end a crying or rant party, but billing agents or third parties and fees have been with us since the 1980s AT&T break up.

On to the next post: The phone bills go up for a reason and they are typically similar across phone companies.

Wireless and wired service is not exactly the same and what you pay and see on a bill can also vary if you have a LEC or CLEC firm.

 

[Wetstuff]

im, Understand clearly what you are attempting to blow off; a form of legalized theft. "They have been able to steal since the 80's.. What's so bad about that?!"

Verizon is permitted by Washington, and State regulators, to add fees to your bill - never having to verify the validity of the charge. In fact, it is against their direct interest to verify that I wanted this service. Not only would it have taken time and the attendant expenses, but had I said; "Not me." ..they would have lost out. Better you insert a line on pg.1 'Other providers' and then bury their code names on pg. 6

Can anyone here name a service that is added to their landline as 'Other Provider' that they requested? In the age of apps and the internet, what would $15 a month 'phone service' look like?

I have completed the research and within the past year they only got me for about 6 months. The next challenge is to see how well they deal with it vs. the final bill.

.... and im, understand there is no other local hardwire option. Up 'till just a couple of years ago, this 'cable telephone' was not an option. Phone companies are run like third world governments - they feel entitled to do whatever is in their best interest. Not this time.

Jim

 

[anaphora68]

And you think AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile are any different? Buyer beware. You paid that bill for months without checking, as such, how is that Verizon's fault? Any time I've had a billing issue with them, I've been polite, and they have adjusted the bill.

Buyer beware, pure and simple. If you think AT&T honestly cares about you as a consumer, I have a bridge made of ice-cream to sell you.

 

[hpcomputergeek]

I thought Verizon was cheap!

 

[dmt316]

i have cell line, 2 are iphones, and fios for home phone, tv & internet, i get a 20% discount on my primary cell line through work, and our monthly bill for everything is about 300.00

 

[BewitchedWitch21#AC]

How is Verizon evil if you didn't look at your bill?

The charges you received were considered "premium" messages. These can occur to your cell phone on ANY carrier. Premium msgs can be from the facebook iq test, the ads on mtv to get your favorite song as a ringtone (like you text b6 to some 5 digit code,etc). You would also see the charges if you donate to the Red Cross (they make it very clear that you'll be charged though). Those are just some examples.

I know Verizon will block premium messaging charges, and I am guessing other carriers would too.

 

[Fausty82]

im, Understand clearly what you are attempting to blow off; a form of legalized theft. "They have been able to steal since the 80's.. What's so bad about that?!"

Verizon is permitted by Washington, and State regulators, to add fees to your bill - never having to verify the validity of the charge. In fact, it is against their direct interest to verify that I wanted this service. Not only would it have taken time and the attendant expenses, but had I said; "Not me." ..they would have lost out. Better you insert a line on pg.1 'Other providers' and then bury their code names on pg. 6

Can anyone here name a service that is added to their landline as 'Other Provider' that they requested? In the age of apps and the internet, what would $15 a month 'phone service' look like?

I have completed the research and within the past year they only got me for about 6 months. The next challenge is to see how well they deal with it vs. the final bill.

.... and im, understand there is no other local hardwire option. Up 'till just a couple of years ago, this 'cable telephone' was not an option. Phone companies are run like third world governments - they feel entitled to do whatever is in their best interest. Not this time.

Jim

Two words: Caveat emptor. You got the bill. You didn't read the bill. You got charged for 6 months running. Sorry, but no one to blame but yourself. And yes, I review my cellular bill in detail each month - all 13 pages. If I have questions, I call. I go online and review the usage details. It's my money... my bill... therefore I am responsible. Stop crying about it and own up to the fact that you missed it and now want to blame the company for charging you the fees. Time for you to put on your 'big boy pants' and own this one.