Verizon Charging $2 fee to pay bill

[WVRed]

You'd think more companies would learn from Bank of America:

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-ti...3-d57b08857932

I've been looking into switching from Verizon to AT&T but the only way you can get out of a contract is if a new payment is implemented that would breach the contract. I would have to think this would qualify, wouldn't it??

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by WVRed

I've been looking into switching from Verizon to AT&T but the only way you can get out of a contract is if a new payment is implemented that would breach the contract. I would have to think this would qualify, wouldn't it??

The clause you're looking for in the service agreement for Verizon is this one:

If you're a Postpay customer and a change to your Plan or this agreement has a material adverse effect on you, you can cancel the line of Service that has been affected within 60 days of receiving the notice with no Early Termination Fee.

Where they're probably going to get you on this one is that they aren't technically changing anything about your bill or your plan -- they're just charging you an added fee depending on how you pay your bill every month. My understanding is that you can avoid this new fee entirely if you sign up for automatic bill pay through Verizon. Thus, Verizon would be able to argue that this change does not have a "material adverse effect" on you because it's entirely your choice to pay in a way that makes you subject to the fee.

Having said that, if you're looking to get out from a Verizon contract, it's at least worth a shot here. Call up Customer Service, ask for Retentions, and give it a go.

[GAC]

Paying a fee to pay the bill online?? Have these companies completely gone off their rockers?? ATMs were brought in to save money from tellers and the next thing you know there are ATM fees. Online bill payment was brought in to save processing costs for paper bills and now they want to charge for that??? Someone wants their online presence to have a bill pay "revenue" stream apparently. Unbelievable.

Yep. It is ridiculous that VZ somehow wants it's customer to believe that paying a bill online, or by phone, with a credit card, costs them more than processing a hand-written check or money order that is sent to them through regular mail.

Yet one of the options where the fee is waived is if you sign up for their auto-bill payment using a credit card/electronic check? Doesn't someone still have to process the transaction either way? And I don't do this not only because I want to be in control of any transaction; but also don't want my personal information (especially CC, checking acct) saved, or on file, by anyone for future use. And we read all the time where a companies database has been hacked, and your personal information stolen. No thank you.

I love internet banking. Companies have gotten the public hooked on it because of it's convenience and speed, and have figured they can do this with little uproar. I pay my VZ bill on-line, while also paperless. Fine. I'll change it back to where they have to send me the bill in the mail (how does that save them money?), write them a check, and go back to stamps.

[MrCinatit]

Originally Posted by GAC

Yep. It is ridiculous that VZ somehow wants it's customer to believe that paying a bill online, or by phone, with a credit card, costs them more than processing a hand-written check or money order that is sent to them through regular mail.

Yet one of the options where the fee is waived is if you sign up for their auto-bill payment using a credit card/electronic check? Doesn't someone still have to process the transaction either way? And I don't do this not only because I want to be in control of any transaction; but also don't want my personal information (especially CC, checking acct) saved, or on file, by anyone for future use. And we read all the time where a companies database has been hacked, and your personal information stolen. No thank you.

I love internet banking. Companies have gotten the public hooked on it because of it's convenience and speed, and have figured they can do this with little uproar. I pay my VZ bill on-line, while also paperless. Fine. I'll change it back to where they have to send me the bill in the mail (how does that save them money?), write them a check, and go back to stamps.

I don't think anyone would have to process the transaction. It is an automatic transaction, hence it is automatically pulled from your account, and their computer processes the payment.

[Caveat Emperor]

The argument, I believe, is that forcing customers to enroll in auto-pay will reduce the number of late payments and make payment schedules more predictable -- as opposed to now, where payments come in at any and all times prior to the deadline.

[Reds4Life]

Verizon is already the highest priced carrier in the US, then they pull this. The must have the same customer relations firm as Bank of America.

I am getting a work issued iPhone next month, probably time for me to dump my own phone all together, will save me $100 a month.

[LoganBuck]

Originally Posted by Reds4Life

Verizon is already the highest priced carrier in the US, then they pull this. The must have the same customer relations firm as Bank of America.

I am getting a work issued iPhone next month, probably time for me to dump my own phone all together, will save me $100 a month.

More and more people I know are going to the pay as you go plans. Boost Mobile has a nice plan, as does straighttalk. Less money, same service.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Actually this fee makes a lot of sense. If you use a credit card it costs Verizon money from the transaction fee that Visa or whoever charges.

If you do an autopayment they are fine with it because they know you are going to pay your bill on time.

There are still lots of easy ways to pay your bill with no fee and Verizon is trying to encourage that.

[Reds4Life]

Just saw an article that Verizon has dropped the fee already. The FCC threatened an investigation, and they caved.

[MrCinatit]

Originally Posted by Reds4Life

Just saw an article that Verizon has dropped the fee already. The FCC threatened an investigation, and they caved.

Just another case of the government stepping on the toes of the small businessman.

/sarcasm.

[757690]

Originally Posted by GAC

Yep. It is ridiculous that VZ somehow wants it's customer to believe that paying a bill online, or by phone, with a credit card, costs them more than processing a hand-written check or money order that is sent to them through regular mail.

Yet one of the options where the fee is waived is if you sign up for their auto-bill payment using a credit card/electronic check? Doesn't someone still have to process the transaction either way? And I don't do this not only because I want to be in control of any transaction; but also don't want my personal information (especially CC, checking acct) saved, or on file, by anyone for future use. And we read all the time where a companies database has been hacked, and your personal information stolen. No thank you.

I love internet banking. Companies have gotten the public hooked on it because of it's convenience and speed, and have figured they can do this with little uproar. I pay my VZ bill on-line, while also paperless. Fine. I'll change it back to where they have to send me the bill in the mail (how does that save them money?), write them a check, and go back to stamps.

I'm with you on these automatic payments. They scare me. Far too easy for them to screw it up, overcharge me, and not have me notice until it's too late.

I like reviewing the fine print before I pay for anything. I usually catch around half a dozen errors throughout all my monthly bills over the course of a year. Always small stuff, but it adds up. I can only imagine how many more they would be if I didn't get a chance to look them over before my payment was made.

[GAC]

Originally Posted by Reds4Life

Just saw an article that Verizon has dropped the fee already. The FCC threatened an investigation, and they caved.

Yep.

http://www.mydesert.com/article/2011...-time-payments

A petition on Change.org against the fees had gathered more than 95,000 names by Friday afternoon, a day after Verizon, the country's largest cell phone company, announced the fees. The petition was set up by Molly Katchpole, who earlier this year started a successful campaign to make Bank of America drop a $5-per-month fee for debit-card use.

[medford]

Originally Posted by LoganBuck

More and more people I know are going to the pay as you go plans. Boost Mobile has a nice plan, as does straighttalk. Less money, same service.

anyone have thoughts on straighttalk or similar services?

I have verizon, my 2 year contract passed about 4-6 months ago, so I'm a free agent so to speak. I thought about straighttalk in the past, just not sure about the quality.

Here's my cell phone situation. I basically use it as a security blanket, should I get stuck somewhere, and as a communication device w/ my wife after she drops out kid off at day care prior to heading into work. Naturally there are other calls, friends, family, etc... but most of those could be made from home, though I often like the convience of using my 45 minute commute to make extended phone calls, so I don't make a ton of those at home.

Anyhoo, I don't really text, though I'm not opposed to it, if someone texts me, I call them back with an answer. Having mobile internet would be nice, but since I spend most of my day at a computer there are few instances where it would be extremely beneficial.

Right now, I have a $45 a month plan from verizon, which gives me more than enough minutes any given month. I don't have a data plan, don't have a text plan, so those texts I get cost me a few pennies each time. Last time I looked into it, straighttalk had a smart phone plan for roughly the same $45 a month (may have actually been cheaper) which would give me the conviences mentioned above with no extra charge.

Are there draw backs? Is the service so cruddy its not worth it?

Thanks