What the H*ll, read this about VERIZON

[SLJ6974]

I am STEAMING mad. Next month I read that Verizon is going to start charging you to pay your bill online and/or over the phone. $2. Corporate greed at it finest!!!!!!!!

 

[LocaRoja]

Stay calm; it's only for 1 time payments. They aren't charging the fee if you have re-occurring monthly payments setup.

 

[MomToOne]

Figures.

First companies wanted everyone to pay online. "Go paperless and pay electronically" they said "because it's cheaper for us not to have to mail out bills, process the mailed in checks, etc. - going paperless/paying electronically will help us keep our rates low".

Of course, now that everyone is used to doing just that, they decide it's a "convenience" that you should now pay for.

All the more reason I love my pay as you go plan

(The news media seems to be picking up this story pretty heavily - maybe Verizon will back down over the bad press?)

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

That will annoy me, too. I'll have to start having my bank send a check instead of paying through my phone. I've had too any incorrect bills from cell phone companies to let them take it out automatically.

 

[DVCLiz]

Figures.

First companies wanted everyone to pay online. "Go paperless and pay electronically" they said "because it's cheaper for us not to have to mail out bills, process the mailed in checks, etc. - going paperless/paying electronically will help us keep our rates low".

Of course, now that everyone is used to doing just that, they decide it's a "convenience" that you should now pay for.

All the more reason I love my pay as you go plan

(The news media seems to be picking up this story pretty heavily - maybe Verizon will back down over the bad press?)

You have the details wrong, so your rant is inaccurate. They will charge only for one time payments, not recurring ones the customer has set up. I'm sure it's because that is a more expensive, time consuming way to process payments.

 

[gracie1]

So unless you have automatic bill pay they will still charge you $2 to do bill pay online even though their direct debiting your account?

Is this just for Verizon Wireless or would this be the same for verizon fios too I wonder?

 

[goofyredraider]

Ick. I don't do any sort of recurring payments...don't like things attached to my accounts, and I like the freedom of paying my bills when *I* choose, not a preset date (and I always pay on time).
Guess I'll be mailing a check or going in every month and paying instore.

 

[momtosam]

Ick. I don't do any sort of recurring payments...don't like things attached to my accounts, and I like the freedom of paying my bills when *I* choose, not a preset date (and I always pay on time).
Guess I'll be mailing a check or going in every month and paying instore.

Ditto!

 

[Maddies Mama]

I also won't do auto-pay, especially with Verizon who I've been burned by before, long ago when I had auto-pay set up. Looks like I'll have to utilize my bank's free online bill pay to pay the bill. Annoying, but whatever.

 

[DVCLiz]

So unless you have automatic bill pay they will still charge you $2 to do bill pay online even though their direct debiting your account?

Is this just for Verizon Wireless or would this be the same for verizon fios too I wonder?

No, if you have a direct debit set up you won't be charged. This only for one time payment methods, like forgetting to send a check in in time and going online to pay that one bill.

Obviously, Verizon wants its customers to set up a recurring payment method. It's more efficient and saves them money. I've never had a problem with mine.

If you are the kind of person who won't do this in the future then Verizon is sending you a clear message that you'll have to pay extra for the convenience of doing it your way instead of their way.

 

[maggiew]

I also heard that administrative fees are going up a few dollars a month. Does anyone know anything about that?

Maggie

 

[yeahdisney]

Hmmmmmmmmm. I just called to pay this month's bill so I asked if I continue to call in my payment each month would they charge $2? Employee stated yes. Darn cause sometimes our snail mail takes 10 days to get a payment somewhere. I don't know why it sometime takes 10 days to get a piece of mail somewhere, but for us it does - which is equally a pain. Hmm what to do.

 

[MomToOne]

You have the details wrong, so your rant is inaccurate. They will charge only for one time payments, not recurring ones the customer has set up. I'm sure it's because that is a more expensive, time consuming way to process payments.

Actually, I have my details completely right. I also don't feel my post was "rant". Perhaps you confused me with the OP.

When a payment is made online, there is no cost difference in it being a one-time payment vs. a re-occurring one. Either way it is handled on the Verizon end completely by computers, no human is touching it. The credit card transaction costs are the same to Verizon either way. And since they are going to allow you to still make a one-time payment via electronic check, they seem to be trying to argue the "increased costs" are from the credit card handling. Which makes no sense, since they are allowing the credit card payments on re-occurring setups. If the credit card charges were the problem, then they should also be trying to charge the fee on anyone using that method with a re-occurring setup. But if it was the overhead of having to program for one-time payments, then allowing electronic check one-time payments shouldn't still be free. Their PR mumbo-jumbo about increased costs simply doesn't pass the "smell test"

Verizon is also still "allowing" you to send in a check for free - there is definitely an increased cost associated with that since a human must handle that mail. They are also allowing you to walk into a Verizon store and make a payment there, taking employee resources. How come no fees for those two ways? Saying a one-time online payment is more expensive than either of those methods is bogus.

 

[edk35]

What if we pay it online through web bill pay?? I pay my bills thru my bank online?

 

[DVCLiz]

Figures.

First companies wanted everyone to pay online. "Go paperless and pay electronically" they said "because it's cheaper for us not to have to mail out bills, process the mailed in checks, etc. - going paperless/paying electronically will help us keep our rates low".

Of course, now that everyone is used to doing just that, they decide it's a "convenience" that you should now pay for.

All the more reason I love my pay as you go plan

(The news media seems to be picking up this story pretty heavily - maybe Verizon will back down over the bad press?)

Actually, I have my details completely right.

When a payment is made online, there is no cost difference in it being a one-time payment vs. a re-occurring one. Either way it is handled on the Verizon end completely by computers, no human is touching it. The credit card transaction costs are the same to Verizon either way.

Verizon is also still "allowing" you to send in a check for free - there is definitely an increased cost associated with that since a human must handle that mail. They are also allowing you to walk into a Verizon store and make a payment there, taking employee resources. How come no fees for those two ways? Saying a one-time online payment is more expensive than either of those methods is bogus.

I was referring to your first post in which you said that now that people were used to paying electronically Verizon had decided it was a convenience people had to pay for. I was just pointing out that there was a difference between paying electronically as a one time transaction versus a recurring debit or draft.

I think it's pretty obvious what Verizon is trying to do. If you are the kind of customer who has access to a computer they want you to set up a recurring payment so they can be more sure of getting your payment on time.

They also know a certain percentage of customers won't use a computer for payments so they are willing to accept walkins and paper checks because they don't want to lose that cellular business totally.

But when there is a choice it is cheaper and in their best interest -even if technically it "costs" the same - to get people to do recurring payments.

 

[gracie1]

I don't have it set up as a recurring payment so I guess I will be sending a check in every month! I'm definately not paying $2 a month.

I guess I will start doing this for Verizon Fios as well, because I am sure that will have a $2 charge as well.

I guess the next fee they will impose is sending you statements in the mail.

 

[MomToOne]

I was referring to your first post in which you said that now that people were used to paying electronically Verizon had decided it was a convenience people had to pay for. I was just pointing out that there was a difference between paying electronically as a one time transaction versus a recurring debit or draft.

Verizon themselves have termed this fee a "convenience fee", so I'm not sure what facts you think I had incorrect. Verizon has for years encouraged people to pay online because it was cheaper for them as a company and they wanted to keep costs low. So people paid that way. Now Verizon has decided that is a convenience in certain situations, and people should have to pay for that privilege of saving Verizon money. Someone making a one-time payment online is going to still be cheaper than the cost of having someone handle mail or a walk-in payment at a store. So all the talk of "increased costs" is just Verizon mumbo-jumbo.

If Verizon wants to get people to go to automatic payments because it is more effective than one-time payments, instead of arguing it's "more expensive" and charging a fee, they should offer an incentive like a $10 account credit like AT&T did for signing up for automatic payments.

 

[Planogirl]

These companies charge so many taxes and fees now that I'm surprised that they didn't just bury these fees in with the rest.

 

[omghidanielle]

I don't get all the heat.

All the utility companies in this area charge a $3.50 "convenience fee" for these kinds of payments and have been for years.

Just mail a check or use online bill pay? You can also set it up as recurring on your debit card, (or a credit card that maybe you don't use??) and if there's a problem one month, you can just cancel the card.

 

[MickeyManiac]

There is no way I trust Verizon or any other cell company enough to set up automatic payments. I always do a one-time online payment. My Verizon bill is my second highest monthly bill (after my mortgage). I refuse to give them another dime. Looks like I'll be stopping into the store every month. Grrrr