Verizon FUSE update
This is an update to my previous post about attempting to end my Verizon contract due to a change in the Federal Universal Service Fee. Follow the video’s instructions.
Persistence Pays Off!
It took me three different calls and talking to four different service representatives to get my service changed.
Call 1: Spoke to someone that said they were not authorized to cancel my account do to a FUSE increase. Transferred me to a supervisor that said “Nobody has ever been let out of a contract due to an chance in FUSE.” (LIE!) After 45 minuts of explaining that this increase violated a clause in THEIR OWN contract with me. He kept trying to credit me the difference. I explained their was no provision for this in their contract and that a credit was not my desired resolution. I gave up.
Call 2: I was basically given the run around. Transferred etc. due to a call center closing for the night. Gave up.
Call 3: Spoke to a very nice guy. Succeeded!
Notes from call 3 to help you. The rep I spoke too had not read the contract and was genuinely not familiar with with the service agreement. However, he was patient while I pointed out the relevant clauses. It took some time for him to read over it and consult with someone, but he agreed that Verizon was in the wrong. He gave me three options: Credit the difference of FUSE (I turned down, he was polite and only offered this once instead of harping on it), immediately terminate my contract (lose number), or have my number ported to another company before my next billing cycle (effictively terminating the contract).
I took option three because this would allow me to keep my number. I tried to go month to month (iPhone 3GS was still a month or so away), but he informed me that they are not allowed cancel contracts early to go month to month. He even volunteered that this made no sense because “Even if we cannot keep you committed for a contract obviously we should want to keep you another month.”
Make sure you get the persons name and extension becuase there in a chance that the charge may still appear and you have to call back to get it removed. He explained that they make notes on the account but the process is automated so sometimes it does not get automatically reversed.
The end result: a six cent increase in FUSE got be out of my contract penalty free. The same tactic can also work for an increase in text message fees. Watch you bill, fuse is adjusted quarterly so there is a strong chance you might have seen an increase.
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This will make you late for work.
On my way to work today there was a huge backup on I-185. Stuck in non-moving traffic for 15 minutes I thought “This had better be good, not some idiot rubber-necking at a parked cop on the other side of the road.” Needless to say, the traffic was for a good reason.
I shot this on my iphone (converted to flash for size reasons):
Some stills.
Hope the driver made it out in time.
NASA
Earl and Fiona
This image from the GOES-13 satellite, taken at 10:32 a.m. EDT on Sept. 3, shows a huge Hurricane Earl northeast of North Carolina with cloud cover stretching over the northeastern U.S. A disorganized Tropical Storm Fiona is located in the bottom right of this image. Image Credit: NASA/NOAA Goes Project
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