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YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Verizon Wireless to charge $2 for one-time payment

    NEW YORK (AP) — Verizon Wireless, the country's largest cellphone company, said Thursday that it will start charging $2 for every payment subscribers make over the phone or online with their credit cards.

    The company said this "convenience fee" will be introduced Jan. 15.

    The fee won't apply to electronic check payments or to automatic credit card payments set up through Verizon's AutoPay system. Paying by credit card in a Verizon store will also be free, as will mailing a check.

    Other carriers have tried to get subscribers to move to automatic payments through other means. AT&T Inc. offers a $10 gift card for those who set up AutoPay. Sprint Nextel Corp. charges subscribers who have caps on the fees they can rack up each month. Those people are charged $5 monthly unless they set up automatic payments.

    It's not uncommon for utilities, universities and even state tax departments to charge convenience fees for online payments. Each credit-card payment comes with fees that the companies can avoid by getting electronic checks instead. Automatic payments mean less trouble for companies in going after late payments.

    Verizon Communications Inc., the landline phone company that owns most of Verizon Wireless, tried last year to introduce a $3.50 fee for people who paid their bill for FiOS TV or Internet service month-to-month by credit card. It backed off after complaints.

    Verizon Wireless serves 91 million phones and other devices on accounts that pay the company directly, and more who pay indirectly through other companies.

    ___

    Online:

    Verizon statement: http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2011/12/pr2011-12-29b.html

     
    • holden  •  Santa Ana, California  •  5 mths ago
      Good News for you Verizon Customers! Anytime they add in a fee you have 30 days (or slightly longer) to cancel your service with NO TERMINATION FEE. I did this with sprint when they did the same thing about two years ago. So take advantage of that brand new Verizon Iphone and keep it with no termination fees!
      • Bob 5 mths ago
        Where would one find this in the agreement verbiage? if this is true, they are HISTORY!
      • imautobot 5 mths ago
        Oh, man! If there were only a way to advertise that loophole!
      • holden 4 mths ago
        It wont let me post the link to a news article confirming what I did with sprint. Search goo gle for "Sprint Fee Increase Is Your Chance To Escape Without Early Termination Fee"
    • Robert R  •  5 mths ago
      The most profitable cell service provider and they still need to do this? It's just a pure greed! Go ahead with your stupid fees to satisfy your shareholders. Just remember about what happened to Netflix...you might be next!
    • Money is great  •  Elizabeth, New Jersey  •  5 mths ago
      BofA wanted to charge for using a debit card. That didn't work out for them, they lost a lot of customers. Now those same customers can make a statement about Verizon --- Dump Verizon.
      • rotten apple 4 mths ago
        That's probably what they want you to do... Then they can collect the $350 early termination agreement.
      • Money is great 4 mths ago
        Not true. Thanks to Holden, we have this from the Verizon contract:
        "We may change prices or any other term of your Service or this agreement at any time,but we’ll provide notice first, including written notice if you have Postpay Service. If you use your Service after the change takes effect, that means you’re accepting the change. If you’re a Postpay customer and a change to your Plan or this agreement has a material adverse effect on you, you can cancel the line of Service that has been affected within 60 days of receiving the notice with no early termination fee..."
      • james 4 mths ago
        Yea you can switch to a new Provider but I will not for one reason, Unlimited Data Plan. If I switch now I will loose it and some months you might go over your limit.
    • Tom  •  4 mths ago
      They are so stupid. Anytime some company tries to do this to me, I just start paying by
      check and let them pay employees to handle the paper processing and banking fees.
      • A Yahoo! User 4 mths ago
        and send back all the crap they send with the bill...let them mess with it....that one came from Andy Rooney.
      • propaganda 4 mths ago
        lol
      • Mark Z-man 4 mths ago
        You are absolutely correct! When WalMart started charging for debit card purchases, I made a point of writing checks for every purchse, and took my sweet time doing it! If more people did this, the costs of time in checkout, handling check payments, and potential mistakes (OOPS, I forgot to sign it? Sorry. I'll write a new one) the greedy pricks would get the message. SHEEPLE must act to stop the stupidity!!!
    • Matheu G  •  Flint, Michigan  •  5 mths ago
      Another major corporation getting greedy and stupid, this move will bite them in the butt when they least expect it.
      • james 4 mths ago
        Yea but the sad thing is, who you going to switch too?
      • Matheu G 4 mths ago
        good point.
    • SlipAway  •  4 mths ago
      This is total #$%$ Not a "convenience" fee, it's a "we are passing our credit card costs on to you and making some profit it on it too" fee!! Verizon users need to hit the web and twitter to put a STOP to this kind of nonsense. They want you to sign up for auto pay so that when they OVERCHARGE you automatically, they take your money automatically. I never let a computer pay my cell bill, ever. Now, charging you to pay them?? Unfreakin real.
      • Kurt 4 mths ago
        You're exactly right. I'm leaving Verizon as soon as I get the money to get out of my contract!
      • Practical Guy 4 mths ago
        Credit card companies normally charge like 50 cents a transaction, not the $$ these companies are making us pay.
    • Livesimple  •  Birmingham, Alabama  •  5 mths ago
      Just another reason I will be cancelling my subscription. They don't even recognize or give any discounts to their longtime customers that do pay electronicaly and never miss paying their bill. I used to encourage people to get verizon but not in the last several years. Their customer service is great if you are there to upgrade and/or spend money but if it is something that cost them, well good luck.
    • RespBlogger  •  Washington, District of Columbia  •  4 mths ago
      if everyone sends in payment via check, that will surely cost verizon more to process, and then they'll back down from charging this 'convenient fee'...
    • imautobot  •  5 mths ago
      So lemme get this straight. Unless someone has literally given Verizon their account numbers, they're going to be charged extra for that. Seems really fishy to me.

      The only people that's going to hurt are those who are poor. This is Bank of America tactics at their finest.

      Although, in fairness, Verizon is the most expensive provider. If you're using them, you're already taking it in the tailpipe.
    • PartOfThe99  •  4 mths ago
      Thank you, Verizon, for adding another to the list of reasons we will be switching to another carrier after our contract is up.
    • Donald  •  4 mths ago
      Why not go to the verizon store and pay them with pennies.
    • Rick  •  Bala-Cynwyd, Pennsylvania  •  4 mths ago
      So sign up for auto bill pay so you won't see the extra fees they "mistakenly add" from time to time. Yeah right. See ya Verizon. Too many other carriers out there to put up w/your nonsense. You will NOT charge me extra for paying my bill on time in a manner that costs you less in manpower to process than a paper check.
    • Tool  •  Succasunna, New Jersey  •  5 mths ago
      They charged me a late fee on EVERY automatiacally debited payment, because my first payment was late....lol....I've been with them for years, but I will not likely reup my contract with them after two years.
    • Eric B  •  Owings Mills, Maryland  •  5 mths ago
      How is it that the banks can no longer legally do this but Verizon can?
    • H.  •  Irvine, California  •  4 mths ago
      Just switched back to paper billing. Now they can start paying postage and help the USPS.
    • electronic tech.  •  5 mths ago
      cellulargreed at it's best what else is next. a fee for paying your bill on the same day it's due..LoL
    • Liberalism is a Cancer  •  Moncks Corner, South Carolina  •  4 mths ago
      Stupid Verizon. Are they unaware of the Netflix debacle, or, how about Bank of America's charge for debit card use that enraged its customers. Idiots.
    • Michael  •  Greenville, South Carolina  •  5 mths ago
      Why wouldn't everyone sign up for automatic bill pay?? Oh yeah thats right because Verizon and the other carriers dont want you to see your bill so they can add on bogus charges. After a few months i actually looked at the bill online and noticed the bogus charges but since it had been a few months, so sorry out of luck. This is what will happen to someone. Billing error of $100, $200 or $500, payment is drafted automatically from your account. Your account is now overdrafted, you have no idea, you get gas, groceries, maybe dinner, whatever and happen to go online and see that your account is now hit with 3, 4 or 5 over draft fees at $35 each and your screwed. Banks get paid, verizon gets paid, consumer screwed. Now Verizon may fix it and credit your account back 1-2 weeks, not transfer the funds back, just credit your account but you are still stuck with the overdraft fees. If these companies where honest they would let you set a limit for the auto-pay to ensure this scenerio doesnt happen.
    • SoCalGal  •  Los Angeles, California  •  5 mths ago
      JERKS! Again, take money from those who pay you religiously every month! I work for myself- my paycheck comes at different times. i pay when I get it-immediately. Also, I am never late. Probably sounds like a lot of customers....
    • Rick  •  4 mths ago
      Well, looks like I will be changing carriers.
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