Verizon ripoff hidden costs that they never tell you about when they're signing you up and giving you all that mushy lovin' ..then, extreme unethical attitude ..can you hear me now! Falls Church Virginia
For the last 14 months since residing in West Virginia, I've had the typical "no Choice" in what telephone service I got. Basically, Verizon rules this whole area and being that I've had prior troubles with this same company through use of their cellular phone service, I had my quams about them right from the start.
Basically, upon setting up my new service in this house, I was quoted a typical monthly cost for having their service and ever since starting this service with them, I have never once seen that price on any of the monthly bills I've received!
It seems that Verizon has, as many other companies do, a lot of hidden costs that they never tell you about when they're signing you up and giving you all that mushy lovin' when you are just starting out with them. Of course, it didn't take me very long to see that they have many hidden charges that, upon receiving my first bill, was not prepared for.
I knew, ahead of time, that I would be seeing the initial hook up charge and that really did not throw me..It was when, upon every month after, that my bill seemingly grew in size by at least $10-$20 dollars! As I already mentioned, I have yet to receive the "average bill" in this house.
My latest, or should I say, "the straw that broke the camels' back" bill really floored me. I had made payment arrangements with them b/c of the fact that I am working a very low paying job and my paychecks barely cover the utility bills I have been seeing here.
Needless to say, I did set up a payment arrangement with a representative for Verizon and it was supposed to pay a grand total of $100.00 on the 15th of January(which was yesterday...Before I could get my unemployment checks cashed(I have siince been laid off from my underpaid job I had)and get myself up to the payment center here in town, I had found that they had already turned my phone off! Now, as you must know, the inconvenience of having the phone company shut off your service is enough to throw your whole day into toal chaos..
I was fit to be tied b/c I had already made these arrangements with them as to keep my serice in tact. Well, being completely frustrated, I made my way up to the payment center and made my $100 payment. I ran a few errands and then came home about an hour after making this payment. I came in and picked up my phone expecting to hear that normal line buzz that we all hear before starting to make a call..NO buzz..the phone was not turned on..I waited for another half an hour, thinking that they had a slow computer retrieval system..NO phone service!
Now, I was VERY angry. I now had to locate a person to which I could ask if I could use their phone to call these idiots to see what the issue was..Well, luckily, I have a friend close by who allowed me to make that call..Upon reaching a real human being on their endless computer answering service, thi mornic boob proceded to tell me that, because I didn't get the payment in before noon, I was charged another $29.87 for a late fee on the total amount of the bill!!! I could not believe what I was hearing..I also blasted this idiot because of the fact that, upon making the original payment arrangements, I had told them that it would HAVE to be after 2:30pm because my mail does not arrive in my mailbox until then! The person said that they noted this on my account info, but they failed to inform me of their 12 noon deadline!
Now I was really seething from anger...I could not believe what I wa hearing! Is this what we've come down to is constant overcharges, extra charges and enormous late charges from companies that are obviously not held accountable for at all!!??
Verizons' extreme unethical attitude towards their customers is something that I will not stand for, but, because I have the internet in my house that I use to get a job and LEAVE THIS HELLHOLE OF A STATE I'm stuck keeping their lousy, overpaid, sorry excuses for company representatives..
Oh, I'm just amazed at what we have all allowed to happen with these businesses! It's because we've unregulated them all that we're seeing the constant and unmonitored raising of rates..They're all the same..the phone companies, the cable companies, the utility companies.. they are all one in the same..Just another way to take far too much from people who have far too little money!!
Melissa
New Martinsville, West Virginia
U.S.A.
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3 Updates & Rebuttals
Melissa
New Martinsville,West Virginia,
U.S.A.
Some of us do NOT have a "MONEY TREE" growing in our back yard!!
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, September 09, 2004
To Sam in LA....
I am responding to your return rebuttel for the simple reason of your "typical Verizon mentality" to ALL of their customers!! I have been unemployed for over 9 months now and have no money,BUT NEED my phone in order to keep trying for jobs AND to have a number so anyone who "might" be interested in setting up an interview can reach me!! I never used to have to deal, with any of this nonsense with any company b/c I had a great paying job that afforded me to pay ALL of my bills AND on time...Now, because of this oh so wonderful economy we're living in that(or should I say..DYING IN!!)does not have us all working or even being called by the hundreds of people/places we apply to..Of course, that is neither here nor there, but it definitely has a connection to all of my troubles..Needless to say, your comment to me stating that I wouldn't have any of these problems if I paid my bill on time...First of all Sam..You have no idea what it is like going from having more than enough money to pay all of these overpriced bills we all have, to not even having enough money to buy my food after I attempt to pay even one bill every two weeks with my $132 payday from the state!! Yes, I did say $132 every two weeks...That is all I am receiving now and if you, Sam, can figure out just how to stretch that bttom of the barrel paycheck to not only pay all of my regular bills on time, but to also allow me to eat and drive up the street a couple of miles, then by all means, please fill me in!! Until now, I've never been able to see just how anyone on this planet could ever live off of even double that amount each week!!!
So SAM..the next time you do decide to spew some ill thought out comment as the one you did, make sure you think before you open your mouth...Your arrogence is astounding, along with your complete lack of compassion towards the growing number of people in this country(b/c of this current administration)who are now not even able to afford what they used to take for granted!!! I know I definitely took many things for granted until now..Maybe you too should be dealt the handful of humility that I and many others have Sam..Then, and only then, will you fully be able to understand just what people like myself are up against...I would love to just "pay my bill on time"..that, my dear Sammy boy, is now completely impossible for me...If you want to blame anyone for this mess that all bill collectors are facing nowadays, you shoud look at the current government in Washington.. They all are under the same impression as everyone else..Raising costs to people who cannot even pay what is out there now is insane!! If we can't pay the current prices, how on earth are we supposed to come up with even more money to cover these over-inflated prices???? And don't try to tell me it's to cover the ever expanding costs to you(Verizon)so they can pay for things OTHER than the fat cats at the top their HUGE paychecks each week!!Anyone who has ever been able to think even a little, KNOWS why companies raises their costs..Sure, a very small portion may go to escalating costs to keep a place up to date with all equipment and things needed, but we do all know that the majority of that extra cost to customers does go to the highest people on your "totem poles" there..They ARE the ones who suck up all of this extra money..God forbid they can't take their 15 trips to Aruba or Hawaii...PUH-LEEEZE!!
And lastly, maybe you are a regulated company unlike many others, but your company's prices are far higher than they need to be..especially for the poor and elderly who are all on a fixed budget each month!! NO ONE raises the pays we all recieve, but yet you all raise your costs to us each month..Anyway,in conclusion and like I said for my topic...I do NOT have one of those money trees growing in my backyard....
That would be my ONLY way of paying for your company's ever esculating costs "ON TIME" Sam-mie!...
Pretty soon, even the regular working people out there will have to take out loans just to cover their monthly bills!!!
M
ATLANTA,Georgia,
U.S.A.
*******VERIZON ALERT!!!!!****
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, September 08, 2004
WARNING! DO NOT USE VERIZON WIRELESS... EVER. THE EMPLOYEES ARE TRAINED TO LIE TO THE CUSTOMERS ON EVERY CALL.THE KEY PHRASE IS "I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVIENCE,BUT....".THE SYSTEM THEY USE IS SO COMPLICATED THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND THE BILL IF THEY WANTED TO. THEY ARE PAID BONUSES BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THEY GENERATE CALLED "STI".
IT IS PAID YEARLY AND PEOPLE MAKE EXTRA 1K-5K. THATS WHY THEY WILL NOT GIVE YOU CREDIT. THEY ARE ACTUALLY WRITTEN UP FOR GIVING CREDITS. THEY WILL CHANGE YOUR PLAN WITHOUT PERMISSION. THEY WILL NEVER RETURN YOUR CALLS. THEY WILL ADD FEATURES YOU DID NOT WANT. THEY WILL NOT LET YOU TALK TO A SUPERVISOR OR MANAGER,BUT A "MINI-TEAM LEADER" WILL GET ON THE PHONE AND BACK UP WHATEVER THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD YOU.
EMPLOYEES LAUGH AT CUSTOMERS ALL DAY AND TRADE STORIES ABOUT A CUSTOMER THEY TRICKED OR HUNG UP ON WHEN THEY ASKED FOR CREDIT FOR AN OVERCHARGE. SINCE VERIZON IS SO BIG AND MAKES SO MUCH MONEY FOR SHAREHOLDERS,THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT. REPEAT: VERIZON WILL LIE AND CHEAT YOU TO MAKE MONEY AND THEY DONT CARE. FRED JEFFERSON RUNS THE ATLANTA CALL CENTER AND HE IS COOL BUT SO STUPID HE LOOKS THE OTHER WAY KNOWING WHATS GOING ON.
IF YOU STAY WITH VERIZON LONG ENOUGH THEY WILL GET YOU. YOU ARE WARNED!!
Sam
LA,California,
U.S.A.
What you don't know
#4UPDATE Employee
Sun, August 22, 2004
Response to Melissa, Most of those so called "hidden fees" that you are talking about are usually the taxes and federal fees that the local telephone companies have to charge per the FCC and the Federal Government. You can thank them for making up most of the fees we pay other than the cost of having local telephone service and any other features you may add to your line. Also in case you did not know this Verizon is still a regulated company. We are regulated in every state we do business by the FCC and local PUC's. Before we are able to raise our rates we must get that approved by the state PUC's. We have to justify to the PUC panel why we even deserve to approach them for an increase in any way. Maybe you should pay your bill on time and you wouldn't have to worry about being disconnected. Thanks!!!