Complaint Review: Verizon Wireless

Verizon doesn't offer a service for unlimited text messages...you can pay something like $5 a month for 250 either incoming or outgoing...but anything after that is 10 cents a piece...

Maybe someone has tried this and if so, what happened. What would happen if you decided to get UNLIMITED text messaging? Don't MOST, companies offer this? Since it would be at a set price, wouldn't you think the companies would then start to check out where all these extra messages are coming from. and you wouldn't have the hundred doller text bills. Just a question I had. Someone please respond.

I too had the very same experience with this billing practice for 3rd party text messaging although mine was with Nextel/Sprint I basically got the same advice you did and the not so satisfactory response from my cell phone company as well.

I was getting text messages that were numbered only much like the ones the cell carriers send to alert you to spending limits or advertisements and each time the message was opened to read it charged a amount of $5.99 or $9.99 immediately and if you tried to delete it then it would automatically sign you onto the internet in which another charge would incur. I contacted Nextel over this billing and was told to call the company as this was a 3rd party billing service and they didnt deal with those yet who got my money? Nextel was paid for these messages on my monthly billing to my credit card account but yet they dont handle them? Yeah right.

I called the number I was given and like you got an automated system that had very few options but one was to unsubscribe and when I tried to do this with my cell phone number it told me I wasnt a subscriber. Then how are they sending these messages to my phone number? I had this phone all of 3 days when I started getting these so how and when did they get this number to send these to me? Are our cell phone carriers selling our numbers to them as this is what I heard thru the grapevine from someone who use to work for the cell phone company in which I am speaking?

I simply could not get anywhere with my carrier over this and my phone service was suspended after I had them block all internet and text messaging options when the bill went into and over the spending limits. I have paid over $800 in cell phone bills and almost all of these charges are for 3rd party billing but Nextel has my money! I still have no phone service with Nextel and am being threatened to send to creditors? Send on is all I can say as I am NOT paying anymore thrid party billing charges for something I dont even know how to do must less use. I have never sent a text message in my life. I am a 50 year old disabled mother and grandmother and wouldnt have the slightest idea how to do that but I was charged for doing just that.

Shame on all those cell phone companies for taking our money for someone else and yet not stepping up to the plate to protect their customers.

I also would like to know about any lawsuits pending for this kind of thing.

Vickie

This is a practice known as 'cramming'. That means it's a bill for services you either didn't ask for or agreed to and didn't understand the implications.

Unauthorized, Misleading, or Deceptive Charges
Placed on Your Telephone Bill - "Cramming"

The appropriate managing government office overseeing Verizon Wireless is the FCC. Here is a page that describes 'cramming'. Obviously this is an example of that practice.

fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cramming.html

Go to the www dot fcc dot gov homepage and file an online report. Print and keep a copy of it and then call in a few weeks to follow up on your complaint. When they ask you if this is a 'formal' complaint - you may say yes and Verizon will be called to provide an explanation of your bill and prove that you gave an informed consent for these services. Doesn't sound like they can do that.

Good luck and God bless:

Kate

This is a practice known as 'cramming'. That means it's a bill for services you either didn't ask for or agreed to and didn't understand the implications.

Unauthorized, Misleading, or Deceptive Charges
Placed on Your Telephone Bill - "Cramming"

The appropriate managing government office overseeing Verizon Wireless is the FCC. Here is a page that describes 'cramming'. Obviously this is an example of that practice.

fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cramming.html

Go to the www dot fcc dot gov homepage and file an online report. Print and keep a copy of it and then call in a few weeks to follow up on your complaint. When they ask you if this is a 'formal' complaint - you may say yes and Verizon will be called to provide an explanation of your bill and prove that you gave an informed consent for these services. Doesn't sound like they can do that.

Good luck and God bless:

Kate

This is a practice known as 'cramming'. That means it's a bill for services you either didn't ask for or agreed to and didn't understand the implications.

Unauthorized, Misleading, or Deceptive Charges
Placed on Your Telephone Bill - "Cramming"

The appropriate managing government office overseeing Verizon Wireless is the FCC. Here is a page that describes 'cramming'. Obviously this is an example of that practice.

fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cramming.html

Go to the www dot fcc dot gov homepage and file an online report. Print and keep a copy of it and then call in a few weeks to follow up on your complaint. When they ask you if this is a 'formal' complaint - you may say yes and Verizon will be called to provide an explanation of your bill and prove that you gave an informed consent for these services. Doesn't sound like they can do that.

Good luck and God bless:

Kate

This is a practice known as 'cramming'. That means it's a bill for services you either didn't ask for or agreed to and didn't understand the implications.

Unauthorized, Misleading, or Deceptive Charges
Placed on Your Telephone Bill - "Cramming"

The appropriate managing government office overseeing Verizon Wireless is the FCC. Here is a page that describes 'cramming'. Obviously this is an example of that practice.

fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cramming.html

Go to the www dot fcc dot gov homepage and file an online report. Print and keep a copy of it and then call in a few weeks to follow up on your complaint. When they ask you if this is a 'formal' complaint - you may say yes and Verizon will be called to provide an explanation of your bill and prove that you gave an informed consent for these services. Doesn't sound like they can do that.

Good luck and God bless:

Kate

Albert do you know of any sites online that tell about Sprint being sued for this? I would love to read the details. Thanks

THE LETTER I INCLUDED WITH MY MONTHLY BILL (filed in protest)
*********************
So this is how you are going to handle this matter of charging one of your best customers for over 1700 unwanted bulk SPAM Text Messages that you allowed to occur on my daughter's new phone in a month's time. She never got to even view these messages and was totally unaware that she was being billed for them until I caught it online at your site. This is completely absurd and I will not let this go unattended.

I tried consulting with members of your staff via landline phone about this matter and was not given any legitimate reason for these charges other than to be told I could call the text service and cancel the downloads. I did this and also found that this was an Out-of Country automated service that provides the full text service not only for Verizon, but other wireless services as well. I also had Verizon completely turn off her text service to insure no further unwanted Spam would occur. This is unfair to my daughter, as she was an innocent party to your corporate mistake.

After much research on the internet, I see that many more of your customers have suffered the same scam from your billing department. I am currently in consultation with my Lawyer to see if he is interested in starting a class action lawsuit against Verizon Wireless to resolve this issue. Sprint Wireless recently was spanked by the Feds for pulling a similar stunt, and it just cost them several Million.

I need Cell service for my job and my daughter needs it for her security. If you don't care any more than this for our sake, then what must your thoughts be toward the millions of other customers that are providing your salaries?

I am giving you an opportunity to resolve this dispute over the ridiculous charges for these 1766 Spam Text Messages that you say I am responsible for. I also notice that you carried over an additional 105 Text Messages after the last billing period that are part of these Spam Text Messages that I am being billed for. A simple check of my past phone records will clearly indicate that this is not the trend of my and my family's phone usage. These bulk text messages appeared out of the blue and I should not be responsible for them.

In order to avoid an unexpected cancellation of service to either mine or my daughters Cell Service which would cause much difficulty for either of us at our jobs, I am going to pay this amount in COMPLETE PROTEST. My lawyer says it is better to pay now and then go after the re-imbursement through the Courts later.

The Saga Continues---
I separated the fraudulent text message charges from the rest of the bill, made a copy of the page with those fraudulent charges and noted why I was not gonna pay. Now I am no fool, as I know they will hold these charges over my head, maybe even disconnect me for not paying. I am so PO'd that I am willing to pay the disconnect fee, and suffer whatever credit report they incur on me just to get my point across.

It is not about the money (although it does sting a bit). It is about the PRINCIPLE and sticking it in the eye of these Corporate Idiots. If you dont think these guys are making HUGE profits off you and me, just look at the Tampa Skyline at night and see who has the biggest, well lit building. You can bet the overpaid executives are up there on the top floor counting their money and looking down at the sheeple who support them. I say "Rise Up America"...just like in the movie Frankenstein, we should gather our rakes and hoes and march on their evil castle demanding justice.
Thanks for letting me vent, I feel better now.

The Saga Continues---
I separated the fraudulent text message charges from the rest of the bill, made a copy of the page with those fraudulent charges and noted why I was not gonna pay. Now I am no fool, as I know they will hold these charges over my head, maybe even disconnect me for not paying. I am so PO'd that I am willing to pay the disconnect fee, and suffer whatever credit report they incur on me just to get my point across. It is not about the money (although it does sting a bit). It is about the PRINCIPLE and sticking it in the eye of these Corporate Idiots.

If you dont think these guys are making HUGE profits off you and me, just look at the Tampa Skyline at night and see who has the biggest, well lit building. You can bet the overpaid executives are up there on the top floor counting their money and looking down at the sheeple who support them. I say "Rise Up America"...just like in the movie Frankenstein, we should gather our rakes and hoes and march on their evil castle demanding heads.
Thanks for letting me vent, I feel better now.