Posted on 12/29/2011 11:43:07 AM PST by John W
Verizon Wireless plans to charge subscribers a new $2 fee every time they pay their wireless bills online or directly over the phone.
A leaked memo from the company first reported by Engadget, showed some of the details of the new plan. And the blog Phone Scoop got confirmation from a Verizon representative on Thursday of the change.
The new fee will go into effect starting January 15 and doesn't apply to customers paying their bills with an electronic check or who enroll in autopay using a credit, debit, or AT&T cards, according to the memo posted on Endgadget. Customers using Verizon Wireless gift cards or Verizon Wireless device rebate cards and customers using standard paper check and money orders made payable directly to Verizon Wireless will also not be charged a fee, Phone Scoop reported.
Verizon said that customers making single payments online will be notified of the fee before they complete their transactions.
The fee associated with paying your bill online is part of a larger trend by companies to extract more money from customers to access certain forms of payment. Bank of America was criticized earlier this year for its plans to charge customers a $5 fee to use debit cards.
Verizon's plan seems to make little sense, given that the company offers several ways to avoid the fee. Verizon didn't elaborate on why it's charging this fee. My guess is that the company that clears these payments is charging Verizon a fee that Verizon is passing on to customers. Still, it seems ridiculous that paying a bill online or by phone could cost Verizon more than processing a hand-written check or money order that is sent to the company through the regular mail.
Verizon has not yet responded to CNET's request for more information on this topic. So stay tuned for updates.
how can Verizon charge me a fee when its thru my account thru my fee...and the other question is WHY?...it gets them their money quick but if they want to deal with stamps and letters and check cashing, then so be it....
This is how I pay our Verizon Wireless bill. But, like the article says, I’ll just switch to automatic deduct which is not affected by this. Already do that for all utilities, house payment, car insurance, life insurance, newspapers.
The effect that Obama and his ilk have had on this country is beyond comprehension. They want to charge you for the honor of paying your bills WITH YOUR MONEY.
All this is, is a TAX that Verizon has invented. If I had their service, I would have already TERMINATED it.
How? Easy! They just add it to your bill! Then, if you don't pay it, they turn your phone off!
See how it works now?
This is a good way to get people on auto-pay - which lowers your delinquency/slow-pays and saves money on notifications and collections staff.
its my bank account...Verizon should be happy that people pay their bills on time or like me, almost as soon as I get it....but no, they want to screw the responsible people some more...well, we can screw back....like I’ll start paying by slow mail a few days before the bill is due...
The fee they’re charging is when you pay online through the Verizon website, which is basically a pull out of your account.
When you pay through your banks web site, you’re pushing the money to them. They get the full amount, and your bank is free to charge you or not for this service.
My cell service has gone way downhill since they took over Alltel. It used to be I was the guy with the best reception, just about anywhere I went. Now it’s the opposite.
They’re trying to get rid of me as a customer?
My Verizon account is prepaid. I do not authorize auto pulls from my card/accounts when I can avoid it.
I had been making card-based payments, but if they insist I’ll buy prepaid cards at the Walgreens or on ebay and do it that way.
Our contract with them is up any day now and we’re going to switch to what our older son has.
Screw verizon.
I would NEVER allow a phone, internet or cable company to draft or take my money out of my account. These companies are notorious for their unresponsive bureaucracies.
I allow local utilities, insurance companies with local agents & similar companies to draft my account because I can easily get to a person who can help me fix a screw-up.
My oldest son has a couple of nightmare stores to tell about such companies. I am also a banker who can watch my checking account very closely.
Hey maybe they are just doing their part to save the post office. Of course if the PO causes your payment to be late,then Verizon gets to tack on some fees. I am looking for a new carrier anyway.. Verizon is soo expensive on a monthly basis.
Which is why I don’t pay any bill online or by phone unless its an emergency! I write and mail a check.
I wonder how many $2 fees it will take to offset the cost of a new employee they will need to hire when people like me return to mailing them checks.
My apartment complex allows you to pay online by credit card... for a “small” (their words, not mine) processing fee of $24.95.
I told them charging $24.95 was insulting enough but to also refer to such a fee as “small” was even worse. I just walk over to the office and make them wait on me instead of paying a $24.95 fee.
Screww that! I have had too many times I get a wrong bill and I don’t want them hitting up my checking account till I want them too.
TRAKPHONE - only way to go. Never a dropped connection. $10.00 per month for 100 minutes with roll-over. $20 phone with internet connection and camera.
“My guess is that the company that clears these payments is charging Verizon a fee that Verizon is passing on to customers. “
Yep, and the customers who use that service are the ones who should pay for it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.