and back…with a Verizon Ripoff

May 27, 2009 · Posted in Tech, Uncategorized 

UPDATE: It worked!

So I have been too busy/lazy to write a post in a while. Something today made me so angry that I had to write something to try to get some support.

Verizon Wireless is changing their Federal Universal Service Charge (FUSC). This amounts to a 4 cent increase per line per month for me. Not to much right? However, their contract states that if they change their fees, you have a right to withdrawal from the contract. This would allow you to go month-to-month (I was mistaken, you cannot go month to month), sign a new contract to get a new free phone, or leave to get that iPhone you want.

I used the instructions provided at Crastinate and in Ely Rosenstock in his YouTube video below.

I will reprint two passages of the Customer Agreement you will need to use this technique:

Your service is subject to our business policies, practices and procedures, which we can change without notice. UNLESS OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY LAW, WE CAN ALSO CHANGE PRICES AND ANY OTHER CONDITIONS IN THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME BY SENDING YOU WRITTEN NOTICE PRIOR TO THE BILLING PERIOD IN WHICH THE CHANGES WOULD GO INTO EFFECT. IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE YOUR SERVICE AFTER THAT POINT, YOU’RE ACCEPTING THE CHANGES. IF THE CHANGES HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON YOU, HOWEVER, YOU CAN END THE AFFECTED SERVICE, WITHOUT ANY EARLY TERMINATION FEE, JUST BY CALLING US WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER WE SEND NOTICE OF THE CHANGE.

also:

You agree to pay all access, usage and other charges and fees we bill you or that the user of your wireless phone accepted, even if you weren’t the user of your wireless phone and didn’t authorize its use. These include Federal Universal Service, Regulatory and Administrative Charges, and may also include other charges related to our governmental costs. We set these charges. They aren’t taxes, aren’t required by law, are kept by us in whole or in part, and the amounts and what’s included are subject to change.

In the second passage they acknowledge that they set the Universal Service Charge. (Even though they lied to me until I quoted them this). In the first passage they say that if they change the fee and it has a “material adverse effect” you may cancel the contract if it is within 60 days that you received notice of the change.

So this is the situation I am in. They re offering to credit me the difference of the FUSC. However they are in breach of their contract. Nowhere in the contract does it say they may simply credit the difference. It says you may opt out of the contract.

So I have spent one hour on the phone arguing this point. I will call back tomorrow and the day after until I find someone. Might even take my case in their store. They need to honor their contract or will likely find themselves on the receiving end of another class action lawsuit pertaining to their early termination fee.

Anyone want to help me drum up some support?

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Comments

2 Responses to “and back…with a Verizon Ripoff”

  1. Matt on October 16th, 2009 12:28 am

    Sir, I am in the same situation except I was flat out told by an associate director my etfs would be waived. But when I called back to pay my final bill the csr said the associate director didn’t make the notation to my account only the csr did. What should I do?

    Ps I recorded our Convo on my webcam and u can plainly head the man say my etfs were to be credited

  2. Chance on October 19th, 2009 9:30 am

    Honestly, it seems to just be a game of roulette.

    If you have gotten them to close your account, then the ETF fee is automatically added by their system. Your best bet is to call and try someone new and explain the situation. You may have to start form scratch walking them back through the contract. Make sure you get each person’s name and extension and make a note of if they were receptive to your argument.

    It really depends on having someone willing to listen. I have had people slam the door in my face and I called back later to get someone that was willing to listen. Once I convinced someone in the cancellation department they called the billing department on my behalf and got the fee waived while I was on the line.

    One piece of advice: do not call near closing time for the call center. Then they only want to get you off the phone.

    I know that is not much advice, but I hope it helps.

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