  MEDIAN2k3Your Ad HerePremium
join:2002-12-04
Bronx, NY
kudos:1
 ·Optimum Online
 ·Verizon FiOS
| This is getting outta hand I mean come on you want people who actually pay their bills to pay you for paying their bills so when do we get paid for using your service?
What the hell is this world coming too geezz
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What a great place to be 127.0.0.1 | |
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 | wvcaverPremium
join:2005-04-17
Millersburg, OH | Re: This is getting outta hand maybe we should charge them a customer fee for being there costumer | |
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| | | | Re: This is getting outta hand said by wvcaver:maybe we should charge them a customer fee for being there costumer
I think we already do. The service's true hidden cost is $1,000,000 per month, but we are currently getting a $999,875 customer fee reimbursement. They're also not raising rates, they're just lowering the customer fee reimbursement! It's actually an incredible deal at the prices we are currently paying.[/sarcasm]
I mean, that must be what they're thinking... How else could you explain the prices? | |
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| openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | said by MEDIAN2k3:I mean come on you want people who actually pay their bills to pay you for paying their bills Several easy options will be available to customers to avoid this fee. This isn't a mandatory fee for service. | |
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| | | | Re: This is getting outta hand said by openbox9:said by MEDIAN2k3:I mean come on you want people who actually pay their bills to pay you for paying their bills Several easy options will be available to customers to avoid this fee. This isn't a mandatory fee for service. That is not the point. WTF is wrong with paying online? Does it cost them that much just for US (people) to PAY the bill? These idiots are making easier for me to say "Frack yaw" and go with someone else. Hmm, I've hear a lot of good things with PagePlus.
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Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. Robert Orben
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| | |  N3OGHYo Soy Col. "Bat" GuanoPremium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
kudos:1 | Re: This is getting outta hand It costs them more if you pay by credit card. This is simply the case for every service provider or merchant. If you use a bank card to pay, they're losing revenue on it.
Whenever I pay online, I use the ACH information from my checking account. They give you the option of them NOT storing you information for future use.
Of course, you can still throw a stamp on an envelope and mail them a check, or use your bank's on line bill pay.
I don't see where this is all that big a deal...
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Petty people are disproportionally corrupted by petty power | |
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| | | | | | Re: This is getting outta hand I use my bank's debit card for the amount to be debited immediately (which it does).
The big deal is why should I have to pay them $2.50 for the convience of paying online? All my other bills are paid online WITHOUT an online payment fee (or whatever the frack they want to call it).
As for stamps, what are those? I haven't used a stamp for paying anything in years. Does anybody know how much are stamps these days (seriously)? I lost track after it was 44 cents.
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Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. Robert Orben
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| | | | | Reviews:
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: This is getting outta hand Yeah - it is waived for those using autopay / electronic check.
Gee... VZW can take money (and even screw it up) automatically for free.
If I have a choice in how/when its paid (other than with a stamp or through my bank), then they'll charge me. | |
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| | | | |  Steve BPremium
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | Of course its not about the cost of using CC. Its a money grab. Verizon wants direct access to your funds and will charge you for wanting the option of when YOU pay YOUR BILL. | |
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| | | | | | | That's the way most of us do it monthly because we have control of when we pay and we can better keep track of our bills. | |
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| | | | | | | Re: This is getting outta hand said by pende_tim:Yes it does cost them more to pay with a credit card than a check... Really? I think you don't know your history. The reason companies started accepting electronic (ACH and credit/debit card) payments in the first place was because it was cheaper than accepting a check. By getting their customers to pay online (as well as receiving a paperless bill) a company could reduce it's costs. You didn't have to have a payment center staffed with workers to open all those payments (or hire a third party to do it for you).
I pay my bill online every month, but am very cautious about allowing anyone to automatically debit a payment from my account. I've seen the horror stories that occur when you give someone access to your account and prefer not to become on of them. | |
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| | | | Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
 ·DIRECTV
·Optimum Online
·Cablevision
| I have to say it's annoying for years the cost of accepting credit card or phone payment was just included in the cost of doing business and most businesses still treat it as such, but utilities like phone, internet, cable, water, electric seem to all be figuring that you don't have many options and most people aren't going to leave over a $2 fee when they can just get around the $2 fee by using autopay, I normally pay my verizon wireless bill online with a credit card, just got fios so I'm on one-bill now, I'm just going to setup autopay and not worry about it, I'll still check my bills each month, i do with every utility payment that is on autopay.
I'll accept it, but it's sad to see customer service being treated as an add-on that can be charged for. | |
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| | | | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: This is getting outta hand said by MovieLover76:but utilities like phone, internet, cable, water, electric seem to all be figuring that you don't have many options and most people aren't going to leave over a $2 fee Actually, it's more to do regulatory control and the companies' restrictions in raising prices. | |
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| | | | | |  DolganPremium
join:2005-10-01
Sun Prairie, WI
·Charter
| Re: This is getting outta hand quote:
Actually, it's more to do regulatory control and the companies' restrictions in raising prices
No, it is about greedy executives protecting their bonuses and looking to give their stock a boost. The cost of electronic payments, even if they are one-time credit card payments, is cheaper than having than having a live body handle the payments. The shift to consumers paying online has allowed companies, like Verizon Wireless, to eliminate thousands of CSR jobs and the benefits they were paying those people. Their costs were further reduced with the recent legislation that reduced the amount credit card companies can charge for transaction fees. In essence this is just another way to gouge the consumer without actually providing any benefit to the consumer... it is the way of American Business to pick low hanging fruit so that short term profits can be maximized. | |
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| | | | | | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: This is getting outta hand said by Dolgan:No, it is about greedy executives protecting their bonuses and looking to give their stock a boost. So you believe that regulated utilities add below the line fees because of greedy execs instead of the fact that it's easier to do than requesting rate increases from the regulators?
Follow the thread and the quote that I responded to  | |
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| | | | | | | | DolganPremium
join:2005-10-01
Sun Prairie, WI Reviews:
·Charter
| Re: This is getting outta hand The fee is unnecessary, and the Cellphone industry is not regulated the same way Electric, Gas, and Water are. VZ Wireless can change rates without the approval of any government body...it would just nullify their existing contracts and give customers the option to exit with no ETF. You're just spouting BS points that obfuscate the purpose of the fee, and that is to pad the bottom line of Verizon Wireless. | |
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| | | | | | | | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: This is getting outta hand said by Dolgan:The fee is unnecessary, and the Cellphone industry is not regulated the same way Electric, Gas, and Water are. Exactly. My response was made in regards to regulated utilities, which is where the discussion moved to. | |
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| | | | | | | | | | said by openbox9:said by Dolgan:No, it is about greedy executives protecting their bonuses and looking to give their stock a boost. So you believe that regulated utilities add below the line fees because of greedy execs instead of the fact that it's easier to do than requesting rate increases from the regulators? Follow the thread and the quote that I responded to Just to rub some mud into your gaping wounds, Verizon Wireless is not a "regulated utility", and your attempts to equivocate on this point are transparent and disingenuous. I don't know why you worship these corporations, but for some reason your attitude is endemic in American society and is destroying its foundation. | |
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| | | | | | | | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: This is getting outta hand You obviously didn't follow the conversation either  | |
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| | | | | | | | said by openbox9:said by MovieLover76:but utilities like phone, internet, cable, water, electric seem to all be figuring that you don't have many options and most people aren't going to leave over a $2 fee Actually, it's more to do regulatory control and the companies' restrictions in raising prices. That's a laughable assertion, even by your corporate groveling standards. | |
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| | | | | | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: This is getting outta hand I'm discussing regulated utilities. I'm not sure where I'm losing you guys. | |
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| | | |  elwoodbluesElwood BluesPremium
join:2006-08-30
HarperLand
 ·Cybersurf Intern..
| said by N3OGH:It costs them more if you pay by credit card. This is simply the case for every service provider or merchant. If you use a bank card to pay, they're losing revenue on it.
Whenever I pay online, I use the ACH information from my checking account. They give you the option of them NOT storing you information for future use.
Of course, you can still throw a stamp on an envelope and mail them a check, or use your bank's on line bill pay.
I don't see where this is all that big a deal...
It's the cost of doing business!!, and besides, you can be assured you will get your money if I pay via CC, but if pay by cheque, it might bounce, and that will cost you even more money to come chasing after me.
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It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what? | |
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| | | | CXM_SplicerLooking at the bigger picturePremium
join:2011-08-11
NYC
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| said by N3OGH:It costs them more if you pay by credit card. This is simply the case for every service provider or merchant. If you use a bank card to pay, they're losing revenue on it.
Are you implying that each credit card transaction costs them $2.00 to process? If not, where does the rest of the money go?
I agree with the others who think accepting credit cards is a cost of doing business... don't want to pay the fees... don't accept credit cards. | |
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| | | | | MEDIAN2k3Your Ad HerePremium
join:2002-12-04
Bronx, NY
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Optimum Online
·Verizon FiOS
| Re: This is getting outta hand said by CXM_Splicer:said by N3OGH:It costs them more if you pay by credit card. This is simply the case for every service provider or merchant. If you use a bank card to pay, they're losing revenue on it.
Are you implying that each credit card transaction costs them $2.00 to process? If not, where does the rest of the money go? I agree with the others who think accepting credit cards is a cost of doing business... don't want to pay the fees... don't accept credit cards. When I used to work for a small firm we were charged a % by each card company, AMEX being the most expensive @ 20%.
We would pay them their % plus the merchant we used to process and capture the payments.
I am not sure about Visa, Mastercard or Discover but they were rather low, the most out of those could have been sub 10% of the purchase price.
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What a great place to be 127.0.0.1 | |
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| | | | | | CXM_SplicerLooking at the bigger picturePremium
join:2011-08-11
NYC
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| Re: This is getting outta hand said by MEDIAN2k3:When I used to work for a small firm we were charged a % by each card company, AMEX being the most expensive @ 20%.
We would pay them their % plus the merchant we used to process and capture the payments.
I am not sure about Visa, Mastercard or Discover but they were rather low, the most out of those could have been sub 10% of the purchase price.
I find this hard to believe since many companies operate from a % profit margin in the single digits. Unless your company was making more than a 20% profit on the transaction, why would you ever take AMEX in the first place? And if your company was making >20% profits on transactions, why was no one undercutting you to steal your business? I can say with 100% certainty that Verizon is not paying 20% (or even 10) of the monthly bill to the credit card companies. | |
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| | | | | | | MEDIAN2k3Your Ad HerePremium
join:2002-12-04
Bronx, NY
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Optimum Online
·Verizon FiOS
| Re: This is getting outta hand said by CXM_Splicer:said by MEDIAN2k3:When I used to work for a small firm we were charged a % by each card company, AMEX being the most expensive @ 20%.
We would pay them their % plus the merchant we used to process and capture the payments.
I am not sure about Visa, Mastercard or Discover but they were rather low, the most out of those could have been sub 10% of the purchase price.
I find this hard to believe since many companies operate from a % profit margin in the single digits. Unless your company was making more than a 20% profit on the transaction, why would you ever take AMEX in the first place? And if your company was making >20% profits on transactions, why was no one undercutting you to steal your business? I can say with 100% certainty that Verizon is not paying 20% (or even 10) of the monthly bill to the credit card companies. The firm I worked for had very very very low overhead with staff so the %'s were deemed acceptable by the owner.
We were making profit every month no questions asked.
I am sure they are not paying as high a rate as we were but I was just referencing what we did pay.
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What a great place to be 127.0.0.1 | |
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| | | | | | | | | | Re: This is getting outta hand No way you were paying that high of a percentage for AMEX, unless your processor was screwing you somehow.
AMEX charges somewhere around 3.5 to 4% of the transaction. MC/Visa are generally a little bit lower and vary based on the size of your business. Larger businesses get bigger discounts from them. AMEX stays consistent no matter who you are from what I understand. | |
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| | | | Reviews:
·Videotron
| said by N3OGH:I don't see where this is all that big a deal... The big deal is that, if they get away with that:
1. Every supplier will get away with it.
2. They will get away with other "convenience fees".
3. Every supplier will get away with those new "convenience fees".
4. They will invent new ways to suck your money away from you.
5. Every supplier will do the same... etc. | |
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| | | | |  tim_kButtons, Bows, Beamer, Shadow, KaseyPremium,VIP
join:2002-02-02
Stewartstown, PA
kudos:25 | Re: This is getting outta hand This is just like companies who's service involves trucking. When the price of gas started getting close to $4/gal, companies started adding a fuel surcharge to your bill. I noticed that this fee never went away for some companies.
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RIP my babies Buttons 1/15/94-2/9/07, Beamer 7/24/08, & Bows 12/17/94-10/11/09 | |
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| | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | The "big deal" is that this "fee" isn't due to any cost. It costs verizon the same processing / merchant fee when the transaction is run through their merchant gateway. It matters NOTHING if you initiate the transaction through the web yourself by entering your information or if they have your information and some system sends a batch process through.. they get charged the same % and transaction fee.
This "fee" is another way of Verzion to control the customer. They don't want you being late.. they want their money like clockwork. However, for once I agree with Karl on this, and would in any case with this, that these providers make a lot of mistakes with billing. It takes a damn near act of congress to get something right. YOU, the end user, do NOT have control over what it billed to your card.. THAT is the problem.
Verizon has a demonstrated history of billing errors.. phantom fees, etc.. these charges would be sent to your bank/card on file with out your blessing.. your other option is to pay their bullshit fee, or go back to mailing a check, which is what I'd do.
I am NOT one for government intrusion in most cases, but this is one of the times I think congress needs to represent "we the people".. there should actually be a law on the books that forbid companies from charging any more than the actual cost of processing a payment which is the fee charged by the bank. If they want to charge for talking to a live person when they have online systems in place to handle the payment, then I'm fine with that. But, if they don't have that system in place, then they either take the payment over the phone for everyone, or they don't take them over the phone at all.
The bottom line is if you implement a set of rules as I described, you'd see how fast they'd go back to taking credit card payments with out any fees. Reason being, since they started taking credit cards over the phone, and it's no secret, is has ABSOLUTELY benefited the company in doing so as they get their money faster. It's JUST AS MUCH a convenience to the business as it is the consumer to pay by credit card. If everyone went back to sending checks, the vendors would shit their pants as their cash flow would slow down.
Further, it would put a stop these bullshit outbound "Hi, I'm calling from X, you have a past due balance on your account, would you like to make a payment now?" phone calls. They're becoming just as annoying as third party bill collectors (collection agencies) that do the same thing. I just wish the FDCPA would apply equally to the actualy merchant as it does the collection agency because it would put an end to billing abuse practices to consumers.
In short, the fee is pure BS and it's a "because we can" fee.. Personally, I see this fee going away the same as Bank of America backed off the $5 debit card fee. They may be bringing this out, once again, but I think Verizon is going to find themselves losing customers the same way that GoDaddy pissed off enough people. | |
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| | Reviews:
·Optimum Online
| said by openbox9:said by MEDIAN2k3:I mean come on you want people who actually pay their bills to pay you for paying their bills Several easy options will be available to customers to avoid this fee. This isn't a mandatory fee for service. For those who've dealt with the headaches of canceling autopay and wish avoiding it, it is leaving them no options.
It's bullshit that Verizon is forcing their way into customer's pockets this way. | |
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See 31 replies to this post |
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| | Steve BPremium
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | said by openbox9:said by MEDIAN2k3:I mean come on you want people who actually pay their bills to pay you for paying their bills Several easy options will be available to customers to avoid this fee. This isn't a mandatory fee for service. True, but, its just flat out wrong on every level to charge people to pay their bill. There shouldn't be a fee on any way to pay your bill. Its a profit grab. They want that fee or direct access to your funds via e-check or credit card autopay. Qwest tried this a while back and it backfired big time. They backed off. Hopefully, the same will happen here. | |
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| | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: This is getting outta hand It's a nudge toward enrollment in auto bill pay. | |
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| | | | Steve BPremium
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | Re: This is getting outta hand said by openbox9:It's a nudge toward enrollment in auto bill pay. ...AND a profit grab. They know many people don't want AutoPay and will use it as a chance to get more money. | |
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| | | | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: This is getting outta hand said by Steve B:...AND a profit grab. I disagree. Simpler, less inflammatory, "money grab" options exist. | |
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| | | | | | Steve BPremium
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | Re: This is getting outta hand said by openbox9:said by Steve B:...AND a profit grab. I disagree. Simpler, less inflammatory, "money grab" options exist. It doesn't matter if they exist or not. You're missing the point. People want control of when they pay their bill and don't want to give the company direct access to their funds. Who in the right mind would? Why risk it? Some people don't have issues while others do and again....THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY KIND OF A FEE TO PAY YOUR F'IN BILL. It's that simple.
It completely baffles me that people have your mentality and that being that its ok for a company to charge bad fees just because "other options" exist. | |
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| | | | said by openbox9:said by MEDIAN2k3:I mean come on you want people who actually pay their bills to pay you for paying their bills Several easy options will be available to customers to avoid this fee. This isn't a mandatory fee for service. "Users on autopay have a higher chance of not seeing bill errors".. cough cough "bullsh1t" cough cough
Who are they kidding. And someone is paid to spin this? How about they get charged for having to put up with crappy calls, dropped calls or having to deal with their morons who work in the retail stores. If your going to charge me to pay my bill, I'll send you a few thousand pennies and make it worth my while. | |
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| | |  birdfeedrPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
kudos:8 | Re: This is getting outta hand said by Fedupnow :"Users on autopay have a higher chance of not seeing bill errors"..
I stumbled on that line when I read it the first time, too. Try this:
"Users on autopay have a higher chance of missing bill errors because they may not look at the bill when paying."
Verizon is famous for lucrative bill errors. With them, you have to watch them like a hawk. In my direct experience. | |
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| pandoraPremium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
kudos:1 | I am so happy with my Virgin Mobile $25 per month wireless lines.
Postpaid is the way to go imo. | |
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| JnKC
join:2008-06-17
Independence, MO Reviews:
·Comcast
| I made a complaint about the fee while on the phone with support. They think it is reasonable to do autopay and contest the bill. Trick is you have to tell them to stop the autopay if it is out of line before the deduction. It is an irritating bump in a direction I don't want to go. | |
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| | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: This is getting outta hand said by JnKC:Trick is you have to tell them to stop the autopay if it is out of line before the deduction. Kind of like verifying your billing statement is accurate before writing a check and mailing your payment to the company? | |
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| | | JnKC
join:2008-06-17
Independence, MO Reviews:
·Comcast
| Re: This is getting outta hand said by openbox9:said by JnKC:Trick is you have to tell them to stop the autopay if it is out of line before the deduction. Kind of like verifying your billing statement is accurate before writing a check and mailing your payment to the company? That is correct, except I have no trust in Verizon to actually get it right. I have a set amount set up at the bank to pay Vzw. They do not get the keys to my bank account. | |
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 IowaCowboyWant to go back to IowaPremium
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA
·Comcast
 ·Verizon Broadban..
| Illegal They can only charge the fee to new customers that sign up after Jan 15. Changing a contract before the end of it's term is a breach of the contract.
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All of my CPE (including my EMTA) is customer owned. The only Comcast owned equipment in my house is the CableCards in the two TiVO boxes I own. | |
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See 10 replies to this post |
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vic102482Premium
join:2002-04-30
Upper Marlboro, MD Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| Auto Bill Pay What you should do is auto bill pay FROM your bank to VZ at a set amount, this way if there is an error there will be a balance due.
If you let VZ blindly charge the CC they will go crazy.
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I tie a rope around my penis and jump from a tree, don't you wanna grow up to be just like me!!!! | |
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See 13 replies to this post |
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| | I'll be staying with my provider just when I was thinking about switching to this company. Guess I will switch to someone else, take my dollars elsewhere...  | |
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See 14 replies to this post |
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Reviews:
·Frontier Communi..
| Won't fly in New York State New York State General Business Law:
§ 518. Credit card surcharge prohibited.
No seller in any sales transaction may impose a surcharge on a holder who elects to use a credit card in lieu of payment by cash, check, or similar means.
Any seller who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars or a term of imprisonment up to one year, or both. | |
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KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | Isn't online cheaper for them? I mean when you pay online the cost to them must be nearly nothing as no person has to open a check and feed it into a reader machine.
Also they mention no fee if you use autopay... so does that mean if somebody uses a credit card for autopay the merchant fees magically go away or something...
I smell yet another excuse for a below the line fee.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports | |
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See 11 replies to this post |
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| | VZW Fee Looks like I will be moving my service at the end of my contract in May. This is nothing but a money grab for Verizon. I can see charging if you are calling to speak to a real person but paying online is a big service to them. | |
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| | More of the usual crap.... My account is currently turned off...
My wife is disabled and we were convinced to do an upgrade on phones with a deal too good to turn down.
When we got the bill it was for an amount far more than we were told on the phone.
We attempted to suspend service so we could get caught up during the holidays, but the customer service rep says oh no don't do that, here pay according to this schedule and we will keep your service on and you can catch up!
We paid as agreed and our service was shut off last week.
Called customer service and they say we didn't qualify for that deal, and the 1st customer service rep was not qualified to give us that deal.
It's not my responsibility to check the customer service people and their deals.
As far as i am concerned they violated the verbal amendment to the contract and it is therefore void.
If they try to collect a termination fee they will have to explain to a judge why they don't monitor the deals their customer service people make.
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Grant Wallace
Hixson, TN
Happy @Home user since April 2001
Let's face it, none of us are getting out of this life alive. | |
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 EricthornIt only hurts when I laughPremium
join:2001-08-10
Paragould, AR | Unacceptable Any company that charges any type of fee simply to pay your bill should be outlawed. At some point consumer backlash has to hit the political level to stop this. My utility company charges a 'convenience' fee of 2.50 to pay my bill online. But, I can go to my bank, or show up at the utility in person, and pay the bill with no fee. There shouldn't have to be 'opt outs' or 'other' options to avoid the fee. Simply, you should never have to pay a fee when you're paying for your bill, regardless of how you do it (phone, person, mail, online, etc).
Just another money grab.
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Ever try stuffing a melted marshmallow up a wildcat's ass? It can be done, but you have to like your job. - This Is The Way The World Ends by James Morrow - Join a DC club, it can't hurt you! | |
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| | Reminds me of the Popeye Movie Anyone remember the Popeye movie from 1980? Whenever I hear of these sneaky fees, I'm reminded of the tax man interchange:
The Tax Man: You just docked?
Popeye: I has.
The Tax Man: Ah ha, let's see here, that'll be 25¢ docking tax.
Popeye: What for?
The Tax Man: Where's your sea craft?
Popeye: It ain't no sea craft, it's me dinghy and it's under the wharf.
The Tax Man: Ah ha. ahh-ha. This your goods?
Popeye: They is.
The Tax Man: Yeah. You're new in town right?
Popeye: If you call this a town, yes.
The Tax Man: Well, first of all, there's 17¢ new-in-town tax, and there's 45¢ rowboat-under-the-wharf tax, and one dollar leaving-your-junk-lying-around-the-wharf tax, so all together, you owe the Commodore $1.87.
Popeye: Uh, who's this Commodore?
The Tax Man: Is that the nature of question? There's a nickel question tax. Just replace "The Tax Man" with "Verizon Wireless" and "tax" with "fee" and you've pretty much got this situation. "You want to pay your bill? There's a $2 'paying your bill fee.' What's that? You want to lodge a complaint? Sure thing. Let me just process your '$5 complaining about our service fee.' Speak to my manager? Ok. Just after you pay the '$8 talking to a manager fee.'"
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-Jason Levine | |
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|  93388818It's cool, I'm takin it backPremium
join:2000-03-14
Dallas, TX | Re: Reminds me of the Popeye Movie +1 loved that movie when I was a kid | |
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| | As noted, Comcast charges a fee for paying in person As noted, Comcast charges a fee for paying in person and has for years. They don't give you a receipt, but the simple act of handing them a check has a cost attached.
One of the many reasons we don't have Comcast, which we find hysterically funny every time they come around trying to sell their service. I know people need work, but their own salesmen freely admit their "office sucks." Well, when it comes down to it there's very little difference between the product offered by Comcast and their competitors, the real difference is in the price and the customer service.
I'd say the same applies to Verizon customers: When enough of them realize it's ridiculous to pay someone to take the money they owe and leave, Verizon will stop being so stupid. If they don't leave and they keep finding workarounds, Verizon will figure they got away with it and come up with another fee. | |
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| | Great! So now every company will be doing this. I feel i'm getting raped. | |
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| 93388818It's cool, I'm takin it backPremium
join:2000-03-14
Dallas, TX | Re: Great! raped? really? | |
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 gigahurtzPremium
join:2001-10-20
Palm Coast, FL
·Bright House
| Everyone does this. I hope everyone realizes that many companies do this. I am a AT&T Wireless customer and was helping a friend of mine by making a payment via credit card over the phone. There was a $5.00 "convenience fee" for making a payment over the phone.  | |
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| | | Re: Everyone does this. miss the "or online" part? att does not charge you a fee to pay your bill online.. phone yes, online no. this fee vz is going to impose is for both phone OR online.. | |
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| | gigahurtzPremium
join:2001-10-20
Palm Coast, FL | Re: Everyone does this. The fee is only if you're paying by credit card. AT&T will soon follow suit I'm sure. | |
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| | | | | Re: Everyone does this. said by gigahurtz:The fee is only if you're paying by credit card. AT&T will soon follow suit I'm sure.
oh i have no doubt theyl be watching to see how this goes. most people wont cancel because of contractual ETF's. so will see. if VZ keeps it, and no one pulls a "switch to us we have no fee to pay your bill and will cover your etf" then i have no doubt theyl follow suit. | |
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| | | So we're just supposed to bend over and take it? I've been a VzW customer for almost a decade and have enjoyed the FREEdom of paying online.
I recently signed up to go paperless because it is a free service. Had there been a fee at the time of my signing, I would have chose not to go paperless.
Greed is not good, despite a love affair with Gordon Gecko. Greed will undo all which has been done.
We pay too many unexplained fees as it stand on our cellphone bills. Have you ever checked into most of them? Besides the state taxes and the USF Charge, the rest of imposed upon us by VzW, not the federal government.
Greed is not good. | |
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| | gigahurtzPremium
join:2001-10-20
Palm Coast, FL | Re: Everyone does this. You can still pay online. If you pay by CC then just set up auto pay. They backed off anyway but it seems many cried about this and had no idea what it meant. | |
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 sleuthPremium
join:2001-08-30
West Des Moines, IA | Bundle So how does this $2 fee apply to bundled service with DirecTV, Verizon and Centurylink? I don't pay Verizon, so those cheap skates better not give me a $2 penalty. How come I have an eery feeling they will and I will have to constantly dispute this charge every month? | |
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 not
@comcast.net | File an FTC Complaint File your FTC complaints about this here... »www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FT···?Lang=en
There is absolutely no reason for them to charge anyone this fee just to fatten their bottom line. They must be put in check and you as the consumer MUST file your FTC complaints in regards to this and force them to stop. | |
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| | ciao VZW Unbelievable!
Well, it does still cast them something to process postal mail paper checks, so that is the option I'll use until I port my number away from Verizon. | |
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| | ? So how are they getting around the standard Visa/Mastercard merchant agreement?
Visa and MasterCard specifically prohibit merchants from levying any kind of surcharge for using one of their branded cards, credit or debit.
»www.mastercard.com/us/merchant/p···blic.pdf
5.11.2 Charges to Cardholders
A Merchant must not directly or indirectly require any Cardholder to pay a
surcharge or any part of any Merchant discount or any contemporaneous
finance charge in connection with a Transaction. A Merchant may provide a
discount to its customers for cash payments. A Merchant is permitted to
charge a fee (such as a bona fide commission, postage, expedited service or
convenience fees, and the like) if the fee is imposed on all like transactions
regardless of the form of payment used, or as the Corporation has expressly
permitted in writing. For purposes of this Rule:
1. A surcharge is any fee charged in connection with a Transaction that is not
charged if another payment method is used.
2. The Merchant discount fee is any fee a Merchant pays to an Acquirer so
that the Acquirer will acquire the Transactions of the Merchant. | |
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See 6 replies to this post |
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| | Easy way to Protest If you're affected by this:
1. Call them up and request your online billing stop and they send you a bill each month.
2. When you get the bill, mail them a check.
3. Write them and complain.
If enough people do #1 and #2 it will cost them far more than $2/person/month for the payment processing. Processing a paper check is far more expensive than any credit card transaction, especially at Verizon Wireless' level. They are not paying the 1-3% fee that a small store is. | |
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| CXM_SplicerLooking at the bigger picturePremium
join:2011-08-11
NYC
kudos:1 | Re: Easy way to Protest Agreed but they will then certainly impose a 'processing fee' for mailed in bills. This is free money for them, pure and simple. They do it because they can. | |
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Chawk12Premium
join:2011-12-26
Everett, WA | Who do they think they are? A bank? | |
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| | | Re: Who do they think they are? And I thought ATT was bad. | |
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| | | | Re: Who do they think they are? You THOUGHT AT&T was bad? They're the worst!
Verizon is #2!! | |
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·
Auto Pay is a license to steal!
Try to cancel your service if you allow auto pay. Many companies keep charging and charging and charging your credit card after you cancel service. Auto bill pay is another way to defraud customers. Direct bill pay through one's bank is the only way to go. Cancel service, do not authorize the bank to pay the service provider. The best part of auto bill pay for the service provider, is that they can charge your credit card a ETF, even if you are justified in cancelling service before the contract end date.
