Can anyone suggest anything?

[anewvance]

My sister and I have a Verizon cellphone account. She's decided the past 2 months to have fun and overuse her minutes and text to her hearts content and download this and that. Our bill is $392 and I only owe $92 of that. They won't even turn our phones on again until we pay $164 with the promise we will pay $164 again within the next 2 weeks. She is saying that she just doesn't have the money. Well I knew this was all a bad idea but now it seems there is no way out of it. And the WORST part of it is that the bill is in my husband and my name, aka our credit. She is not taking any blame in it, saying the bill is wrong and she can't afford what she doesn't have. Too bad she didn't think of this when she was talking her head off and texting till the cows came home... oh she's not a teenager either, she's 28 years old!

So now I am without my cell phone till who knows when. It's the holidays, I don't have an extra $300 bucks just hanging around. Sheesh!

I called Verizon, they said nothing can be done.. once she pays the bill, I can go with her to the store and have her put her phone in her own name and get her stupid overages and junk off of my account. But she's never gonna pay the bill, only the very minimum as long as she can go.

We each have 250 minutes.. I usually use around 175 and do not text or download anything. She uses her 250 plus my left overs and then $90 more then that! Plus texts and down loads worth $10. But she doesn't see it! On a normal account after taxes and fees, we should each be paying $42. Last month I ended up paying $70 and the month before that I paid $82!!!

There is nothing I can do I guess... except sit here and complain. I'm sorry!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I suggest you pay that sucker off and cancel her. Ruining your credit history really is not the way to go. That follows you for 7 years and it will always show up on a credit history.

Not worth it!

 

[Chicago526]

So sorry! Having problems like this with family is the worst.

Well, I say make her pay her full share. In the meantime, you can get a pre-paid cell phone for pretty cheap. That will give you access to a cell phone until your sister gets her act together. Once she pays off Verison, you can get her off your plan, then give her the pre-paid phone to use, and she can buy her own minutes as needed (or as she can afford).

 

[mickeyboat]

I suggest you pay that sucker off and cancel her. Ruining your credit history really is not the way to go. That follows you for 7 years and it will always show up on a credit history.

Not worth it!

I agree. And put her on a payment plan so she pays you back the money she owes you.

Denae

 

[anewvance]

I honestly just don't HAVE $300 hanging around to pay it off, boy do I wish I did. We just had to come up with $2000 to put a new motor in our van :-(

 

[MBeds]

Wow, that stinks!
Can you pay it off with a credit card maybe?? At least that way it's paid off and you're not getting bad credit...Then i would take your sister off the account and tell her she needs to make payments to you until her 300 dollars is paid off...

 

[cherylp3]

try posting at http://groups.google.com/group/alt.cellular.verizon

Or call back verizon and ask them if you can cancel the account and work with them to get you on a payment plan.

 

[RadioFanatic]

did you know this about her before you joined for a phone together? this doesn't seem like a personality trait that would just happen. that's why I would NEVER join up on something like this with anyone but my dh.

sorry this happened - it stinks and I know it's stressful - good luck.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

start looking around for stuff you can find to sell on EBAY.

It is a huge babysitting month. Put a sign up in your local grocery store that you are available to watch kids at your house on Friday and Saturday nights. Alternately, people are always looking for petsitting, housecleaning, and help to serve at Holiday parties right now if are ever available Saturdays or weekends.


don't let them turn her phone back on!

 

[anewvance]

I do sell on ebay... it's my part time job. It's paid for our Christmas after dh had to pay the $2000 for the car. We don't have credit cards, we paid them off when we got our house, I think dh has one because it's good for our credit or something but he would in no way in heck PAY for my sister's debt... they don't have the best of blood. And why would I work my butt off to pay her debt when she won't even take blame for it? If she came up to me and said i'm sorry I did this and help then maybe but she's being totally nasty about it all! I'm figuring she'll just HAVE to pay her part of the at least $166 at some point here really soon, as long as we pay something they wont go to our credit with it. I figure it worse comes to worse, we always get $100 for Christmas from my grandmother and she'd totally just hand it over to me to pay the bill if she knew the situation, but I can't even call her, NO PHONE (house phone line is shorted out, phone company is scheduled to come look at it at some point)! It's just all lousy ya know?

 

[mickeyboat]

And why would I work my butt off to pay her debt when she won't even take blame for it?

Because it is a threat to your credit - one that you unfortunately allowed to happen. You're right, it stinks.

Denae

 

[Christine]

I think dh has one because it's good for our credit or something but he would in no way in heck PAY for my sister's debt... they don't have the best of blood. And why would I work my butt off to pay her debt when she won't even take blame for it?

Okay, this is just plain bad to think this way. YOU DO NOT WANT TO RUIN YOUR CREDIT BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO BAIL YOUR SISTER OUT AND YOUR HUSBAND AND HER DON'T GET ALONG. Sorry to yell. This is YOUR credit. Get your DH's credit card, pay that bill off, and dump your sister so fast. Tell Verizon you want her phone cut off now. Pay the bill. Just do it. You are the only ones who are going to get hurt here.

 

[anewvance]

Actually if I cut her phone off, it's another $175 disconnect fee. I didn't post to be yelled at, i'm not worried about credit because if we pay the minimum then they won't touch our credit. It's just not fair to have to pay for her stupidity.

 

[Christine]

It's just not fair to have to pay for her stupidity.

This is true. It's just one of those situations where, I guess you learn life lessons, about getting involved with people (including family) and money. Even though it sucks and its not fair, sometimes you just have to cut your losses to protect yourself.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I know it stinks - and I bet you've learned the lesson too.

I've heard of cell phone companies putting out lists of non-paying customers, which will also affect the ability of you and your husband to get another cell phone eventually. It will also effect your credit rating, could cause your car and house insurance rates to increase and do all kinds of nasty things to your life. Go that route and it could easily end up costing you much more than $300.

Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn't count on ever seeing that money from her. You and your DH pretty much have two choices, pay the bill or don't pay the bill. I guess you are going to have to decide which set of consequences is less painful.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

If you can, and when you can, pay it off and then have her removed and she can pay for the phone herself.

 

[anewvance]

It's not like she's some horrible woman who is in and out of our lives... we are twins, grew up together and have been best friends since birth. We hang out 4 times a week and have the same interests and all. So it's just very surprising she is acting this way about the whole thing....

 

[dg39]

When/if you have your sister removed from your account, is Verizon going to charge you a fee? I wanted my dd off my account and Verizon told me they would remove her, but, there is a $175.00 fee. This wasn't cancelling my account, just getting her name removed and her phone cancelled.

 

[Christine]

When/if you have your sister removed from your account, is Verizon going to charge you a fee? I wanted my dd off my account and Verizon told me they would remove her, but, there is a $175.00 fee. This wasn't cancelling my account, just getting her name removed and her phone cancelled.

Yeah, she said earlier in the thread that it would cost $175 to remove her sister from the account.

 

[anewvance]

Christine... OMG I love your last tag from the tag fairy. It's so true!

Sorry to be laughing, I have a small bladder and gotta go all the time but hold it cause i'm busy on the computer... I just thought it was hilarious!