Verizon Rip Off

This is shaping up to be a "consumer week"!

I had some 'issues' with Verizon Wireless over the last few weeks, so when the paper bill came this week, I actually sat down and waded through all 10 or so pages, to make sure they had gotten me credited and had the billing straightened out. Low and behold, I made a discovery that did NOT please me! (big surprise?) There was my Family Plan, at $60, the Air Card service had been removed and I had been properly credited for the 'early disconnect' fee they had mistakenly charged me last month...and there was a little item called VCast for $15 a month. "What the hell is THAT?", I thought.

So I called and asked. Turns out, the people who sold me the fancy new camera phone back in March of 2007, had failed to mention this 'wonderful feature' that Verizon was making available to me absolutely free for the first month on my new phone. I, of course, had failed to notice the $15 fee on the bill because I was just going online and paying the bill--it was a few bucks higher than I expected, by I just charged that off to the unending little fees they tack onto bills every month. Little things like: Fed. Universal Service Charge, Regulatory Charge, Administrative Charge, IL State 911 Charge, IL State Excise Tax, blah, blah, blah.

The Rep was perfectly happy to take that service off my bill for me, and refund the charge this month. After some urging, he deducted last month's charge, too. I'm still looking at $240 that I'd been ripped off over the last year+, so he transferred me to a snotty supervisor, who, expectedly, said, "Ma'am, you had many months of paper bills with that fee on it. You could have canceled that service any time." DUH. It's my fault that I let myself be screwed, of course.

But I'm still pissed at Verizon. I'm stuck with them, since the cell phones are all we have--but I'm still pissed. I'm also out $240. And so, once again--watch your back, because everyone really IS out to get you--or at least, your money!