What the H*ll, read this about VERIZON

[NYCDiane]

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

What about people who don't want to set up autopays??? I would never set up autopays for anything because it's too easy for a mistake to be made. I pay all my bills online as they're due. So now, Verizon is going to charge me an extra $2 to pay THEM??? Maybe I should go back to paper statements and start mailing in my checks?

First, they stop unlimited data (it's now $30 PER PHONE for 2GB data plan!)
Second, they don't rollover your minutes
Third, they now charge you to pay your bill.

My contract is over the first week of January. AT&T, here I come.

 

[NYCDiane]

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

Doing "billpay" through your bank is just like mailing them a check. All "billpay" does is cut a check to the company and mail it just like you would.

 

[edk35]

Doing "billpay" through your bank is just like mailing them a check. All "billpay" does is cut a check to the company and mail it just like you would.

Oh okay thanks

 

[starwood]

I saw this on the news last night (nice of them to tell us). I always paid with my credit card for the points but now I'll start paying online from my bank. I'm guessing if I pay from my bank they won't charge the $2 because they don't have to do anything but accept the money.

I also noticed on this last bill that they are increasing their administrative charges for "voice and email plans" from .83 to .99.

 

[Swimalie]

What about people who don't want to set up autopays??? I would never set up autopays for anything because it's too easy for a mistake to be made. I pay all my bills online as they're due. So now, Verizon is going to charge me an extra $2 to pay THEM??? Maybe I should go back to paper statements and start mailing in my checks?

First, they stop unlimited data (it's now $30 PER PHONE for 2GB data plan!)
Second, they don't rollover your minutes
Third, they now charge you to pay your bill.

My contract is over the first week of January. AT&T, here I come.

You can set the bill up to automatically charge on your credit card each month. Then, if there is a problem, you can dispute it with your credit card company as we ll as Verizon. I wouldn't do auto-debit any other method (debit card, drawn from your bank, etc). With the other forms of auto-payment, the only recourse you have if the auto-withdrawl is incorrect is to get the money back from Verizon, or any other company. The credit card method protects you. I have done this with Verizon only for about 5 years now with no problems. I still get the bill in the mail before it's due but it says "do not pay, this will be charged to your credit card on XX date. This method will not incur the $2 monthly charge, either.

By the way, I'm not talking about bill pay which is when you tell your bank to send a check. That is safe as well.

 

[sam_gordon]

What about people who don't want to set up autopays??? I would never set up autopays for anything because it's too easy for a mistake to be made. I pay all my bills online as they're due. So now, Verizon is going to charge me an extra $2 to pay THEM??? Maybe I should go back to paper statements and start mailing in my checks?

First, they stop unlimited data (it's now $30 PER PHONE for 2GB data plan!)
Second, they don't rollover your minutes
Third, they now charge you to pay your bill.

My contract is over the first week of January. AT&T, here I come.

AT&T doesn't have unlimited data either.
You're only being charged if you pay your bill a certain way.

I also GUARANTEE that one of two things will happen...
1) Verizon will have so many people cancel on them (or threaten to cancel), they'll rescind the new fee.
2) There won't be much of a fallout, Verizon will keep the fee, and other cell phone companies will institute the same fee.

My suggestion is to give this 6 months before doing anything. You don't HAVE to have a contract to have service. See what happens. If the fee's still around in 6 months, I'm guessing you'll know if ATT is implementing it.

ALSO (and more important to me), I wouldn't go back to ATT because their service is terrible (compared to Verizon) in my area. Your area may be different. I'd rather pay more for better service.

 

[amylynne01]

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

I pay all my bills except one from their respective websites, and I never pay a "convenience fee".

Guess I'll be paying Verizon from my bank's bill pay to avoid the fee. The store is 25 miles away, so that $2 savings is eaten up by gas.

 

[ssawka]

Looks like they will start getting checks from me. Let them pay the extra expense of processing my check and not getting paid right away. I know it's only $2, but I'm sick of these companies charging you more and labeling it a "convenience" charge. Who is it convenient for? Them, not us!

 

[starwood]

Let's see .44 to mail a check or $2.00 to pay online. I don't think they will be making much with this new fee.

 

[Irin997]

I don't get what the big deal is. Either sign up for automatic bill pay, pay through your web bill pay from your bank, or send a check. That's the only way I pay any and all of my bills except rent.

Found this doing a quick search: http://www.pcworld.com/article/247119/verizons_2_bill_payment_fee_sparks_outrage_online.html

Verizon says the fee offsets costs incurred by the company for customers who make single payments through what the carrier calls "alternate payment channels," namely via telephone or the Web. You can avoid the $2 fee by paying by electronic check or enrolling in Verizon's automatic payment system that automatically deducts your bill from a bank account or credit card. The fee also won't be charged to those who pay in person at a Verizon payment kiosk, online through a bank, by mail using a check or money order, or online using Verizon Wireless gift and rebate cards.

 

[SLJ6974]

Ok, so can you pay with an "electronic check" each month yourself and not get charged? I do pay with an "electronic" for my utility bill every month and I do not get charged a stupid fee. I just wonder when the banks realize that they need to charge for the electronic checks like they do a plastic transaction. I think its just a matter of time. I will not do autopay, never with Verizon. Prepaid Smart talk is looking even more interesting as time goes by here.

 

[eliza61]

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

Stay calm!! are you crazy? I don't want to set up a monthly arragement. I do not like giving random businesses access to my checking account. I did that once and its ridiculous the loop holes you have to jump through to get your money deposited back if they make an error.
This happen to me once, gas company was supposed to take out 75 bucks, they made an error and took out $750.00 bucks and it took them 3 weeks to put it back in there

 

[eliza61]

I don't get what the big deal is. Either sign up for automatic bill pay, pay through your web bill pay from your bank, or send a check. That's the only way I pay any and all of my bills except rent.

Found this doing a quick search: http://www.pcworld.com/article/247119/verizons_2_bill_payment_fee_sparks_outrage_online.html

The big deal is I'm sick and tired of companies making up the BS fees without offering me any additional service.

First, on verizons website they make a big deal about paying your bill on line and thus saving money (and the environment) from having to recieve a paper statement in the mail, now after encouraging those to do so now they want to charge you for the option.

just like I left bank of America, I can leave verizon.

Trac phones are looking better and better all the time.

 

[msmayor]

Stay calm!! are you crazy? I don't want to set up a monthly arragement. I do not like giving random businesses access to my checking account. I did that once and its ridiculous the loop holes you have to jump through to get your money deposited back if they make an error.
This happen to me once, gas company was supposed to take out 75 bucks, they made an error and took out $750.00 bucks and it took them 3 weeks to put it back in there

You don't have to give random businesses access to your checking account.

Set up a bill-pay through your bank that YOU control. No company can reach into your account...YOU control the amount and timing of your payments. Its done via ACH payments, not through a debit or credit card.

Its no big deal.

 

[Judique]

Stay calm!! are you crazy? I don't want to set up a monthly arragement. I do not like giving random businesses access to my checking account. I did that once and its ridiculous the loop holes you have to jump through to get your money deposited back if they make an error.
This happen to me once, gas company was supposed to take out 75 bucks, they made an error and took out $750.00 bucks and it took them 3 weeks to put it back in there

My feelings exactly - complete with exclamation points!!!

I switched from the Verizon company a year ago.

Can't trust them.

Can't speak to the same customer service person twice in a row.

They still owe me money.

I hope this greedy greedy company goes under.

 

[eliza61]

You don't have to give random businesses access to your checking account.

Set up a bill-pay through your bank that YOU control. No company can reach into your account...YOU control the amount and timing of your payments. Its done via ACH payments, not through a debit or credit card.

Its no big deal.

why? why should I have to jump through hoops to do this? maybe if people start making it a "big" deal businesses will stop pulling fees out their backside.
A company that wants my business is suppose to cater to MY needs, not the other way around.

Maybe if we had more folks who started on line petitions like the Bank of america and netflix examples the words customer service would having meaning.

Sorry it is a VERY big deal. I simply don't like people taking my money whether it's 2 bucks or 200 bucks. you want my business, then you EARN my business.

one thing this recession has taught me is that I as the consumer have a lot more power and I will exercise that power by walking.
Bank of America is finding out it is a VERY big deal.

 

[Irin997]

why? why should I have to jump through hoops to do this? maybe if people start making it a "big" deal businesses will stop pulling fees out their backside.
A company that wants my business is suppose to cater to MY needs, not the other way around.

Maybe if we had more folks who started on line petitions like the Bank of america and netflix examples the words customer service would having meaning.

Sorry it is a VERY big deal. I simply don't like people taking my money whether it's 2 bucks or 200 bucks. you want my business, then you EARN my business.

one thing this recession has taught me is that I as the consumer have a lot more power and I will exercise that power by walking.
Bank of America is finding out it is a VERY big deal.

I think the difference between BOA and Netflix and Verizon is that there are LOTS of ways to avoid this fee. With BOA and Netflix it was take it or leave it.

 

[msmayor]

why? why should I have to jump through hoops to do this? maybe if people start making it a "big" deal businesses will stop pulling fees out their backside.
A company that wants my business is suppose to cater to MY needs, not the other way around.

Maybe if we had more folks who started on line petitions like the Bank of america and netflix examples the words customer service would having meaning.

Sorry it is a VERY big deal. I simply don't like people taking my money whether it's 2 bucks or 200 bucks. you want my business, then you EARN my business.

one thing this recession has taught me is that I as the consumer have a lot more power and I will exercise that power by walking.
Bank of America is finding out it is a VERY big deal.

I'm not sure why you think setting up the payment through your bank and you controlling the payment is "jumping through hoops".

Its absolutely NO different than you writing a check. Instead of putting ink to check you're tapping a few keys on your keyboard.

You setting up a payment through your bank is NOT "people taking my money". Its YOU giving them money you should be for using their service.

Just exactly what, in your mind, is a process that would be acceptable to you?

 

[patsal]

The part that sent me on a rant was when my news came out and said this $2 fee was to hlep defer the cost of processing credit card payments--I thought that was illegal and part of the cost of choosing to do business with the CC company. If this was reported correctly, then I see a huge problem with this.

 

[pigletto]

Well I have no dog in this fight because I don't use Verizon. I would be mad at this with my own bill companies though.
It should not cost me additional money to pay on time every month. If I want to do it on the 6th.. or the 9th or the 12th.. I am still paying on time. They are already getting my money and making a profit. Enough is Enough.
I have to pay to pay for my service? At what point does it all become ridiculous?
To me.. at this point.

And if the $2 fee is to defer the cost of processing credit card payments? Bull.
If that were the case they would also charge you for the luxury of processing that payment on autopay.

And now I will bow out of this thread because I live in Canada where we have the highest cell phone plan rates in the Industrialized World. So I have other things to complain about.