Verizon Wireless Internet Home Fusion Data Usage Fraud!!! Nationwide
On 8/14, per recommendation from Verizon rep, I got a HomeFusion Internet device. My previous device was a "MiFi". I was incurring overages, averaging 15/gb per month on 10/gb plan. The very first bill after the installation showed data usage of 32/gb, on a 20/gb plan. I immediately increased the data plan to the maximum 30/gb. I had not changed the way I use the internet or added any new devices, so I was confused about the increased data usage. In the 6 months since I have had the HomeFusion device, my data usage is averaging 44/gb!! It literally gets higher every single month. How can my data usage go from 15/gb avg to 44/gb avg, when nothing I'M doing has changed?? I have contacted Verizon 4 times about this matter. Tech Support reviewed my acct and said all the data is being used by my device. However, she also stated I have had 15 devices connected to it. I only have 4 and DO NOT give out my password! What are the other devices? She said she doesn't know and also stated that those devices will AUTOMATICALLY connect to my device when they are within range. NO ONE EVER told me that could happen. I don't know what the other devices are or who they belong to... WHY should I have to pay for the data they are STEALING? She did assist me with changing my password, another thing NO ONE EVER told me I could or should do.
As I stated, we have not changed the way we use the internet, we do not stream movies or videos, spend all day watching youtube etc., we KNOW those things use a lot of data so we avoid them! I think it is outrageous that over the last few months I have been charged approximately $850.00 in overages that are NOT a result of my own usage. My phones have been shut off because I can't afford to pay $650.00 a month. I did dispute the overages for this month, so that I can pay my regular (CORRECT) bill and have my phone service restored, but I want the overages that I have incurred reversed and any money I paid for them refunded. I filed a report with the FCC and the BBB. I am tired of being held hostage by companies who can do whatever they want because consumers have no choices!! Verizon Wireless knows that the other internet choices for my area are p*ss poor at best ie satelitte internet so they think they can do whatever they want.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Charles H
Charlestown ,Indiana,
USA
Same experience
#2Consumer Comment
Mon, March 23, 2015
We have experienced the same problem that this author has. When we were on a hot spot we had no problems. Once we switched to the home fusion the same Phantom data usage occurred. When we tried to work this out with Verizon they made every excuse on how we were using this data. What they could not explain was how this was occurring when the home fusion was turned off. We logged all data for the first 11 days of our billing cycle. During this time we avoided such things as video streaming, high capacity down loads. Essentially we were just checking email once a day. There was two days where we sent reports to customers and these were not large files. Usage gas averaged .63 gig a day for checking email. If we do not use our home fusion to any extent we will use 19.5 gig over the month. This was explained to Verizon and they had no useful response. By the extent of the complaints and how close they are to being almost identical in their nature, it seems the response that Verizon customer service utilizes is scripted to all who have this issue. Our bill has risen $150.00a month and is continuing to go up even more. We have decided to monitor the usage for another 7 days, completely disconnecting the home fusion by unplugging it from its power to see if the unaccounted data persist.
We are at the last straw with this company as we just settled a complaint were they were charging for a device that was, on several occasions requested to be turned off. This cost us $180.00, and they have only refunded us $60 of what was taken.
I refuse to do business with those who will steal from us.