Update: Verizon Drops $2 Online Charge Within a Day of Announcement
- Posted on December 30, 2011 at 3:53pm by
Liz Klimas
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Earlier today we reported that Verizon would begin charging customers for one-time online payments. A day after its announcement, Verizon has released a statement saying it would be dropping the charge:
Verizon Wireless has decided it will not institute the fee for online or telephone single payments that was announced earlier this week.
The company made the decision in response to customer feedback about the plan, which was designed to improve the efficiency of those transactions. The company continues to encourage customers to take advantage of the numerous simple and convenient payment methods it provides.
“At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless.
This statement comes just after the Federal Communications Commission announced it would be looking into the fee as it was “concerned over Verizon’s actions“, the New York Times reported.
Last year, Verizon Communications tried to institute a $3.50 fee for those who paid their FiOS TV or Internet bill on a month-to-month basis, but withdrew from the idea after consumer complaints.
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Comments (65)
Magyar
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 6:39pmWhy pray tell, should I be penalized because I prefer to pay a bill MYSELF rather than to provide a company with access to my banking account!? If you give in to this invasion of privacy, you deserve what you get!
Report Post »quiltgal
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 7:17pmI pay by snail mail, but if you want to restrict access to your big bank account (I don’t blame you) then set up a separate account for automatic payments. However, it’s a moot point now since AT&T listened to the public’s complaints and complied. That’s one of the benefits of the new social media. News sources report, you get a chance to instantly complain, AT&T gets immediate feedback, and fees that seem counterproductive to profit get cancelled.
Report Post »jzs
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 11:13pmThank goodness consummers have stood up to this giant corporation and spoken their minds! Verizon backed off. They decided not to stick their customers with an extra charge that you and I both know wouldn’t improve your service one whit.
You, my friends, are now honory OWS members for standing up to the big corporations and saying “we’re not taking it anymore.” Good job.
Report Post »Cosmos102
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 11:38pm@JZS
Don’t congratulate yourself friend. OWS is a sham protest. Just an excuse for Liberal Socialists to have their moment in the sun same as Woodstock. Calling Verizon to complain about the complaint was constructive. OWS has done nothing constructive so far. It has cost the cities millions. Disrupted people’s lives. Added to the corruption of our society with all the public sex, masturbation, nudity, drugs, drinking, fighting, lawlessness, craping in public and generally smelling and trashing up the places they occupy.
Report Post »pavnvet
Posted on December 31, 2011 at 10:43amEven Verizon gets charged for credit card processing. There are also internal costs to processing payments by mail. Who do you think pays for that? Yep, you got it, everybody. I pay mine by automatic draft every month. No worries, no boogie man stalking my account but, I do pay for all you folks that use a credit card
Although I have been a Verizon customer for years, I am not a great fan. I have had more than a few heated conversations with their stupidity and supported the class action suit for improper charges. So, please don’t tell me that I am a shill for Verizon.
The point is credit card and check processing adds to the cost of doing business. That in turn spreads to higher costs of goods and services.
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on December 31, 2011 at 1:56pmI called Verizon earlier yesterday and cancelled paperless billing. They can mail my bill for awhile.
Report Post »2smart
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 6:15pmI don’t use automatic payment plans. I like being able to decide when the payment is made and more importantly that there is money in the account to cover the payment. Last January Symantec (Norton products) had signed me up on there auto pay plan without my permission and without telling me. They debited my account for $80.00 or so for renewing the anti virus but I didn’t have that much in the account at the time and what I did have was earmarked for someone else. This caused me to have late charges from other creditors and also bank charges. I wrote them a nasty letter and they replied with a song and dance. This is there actual reply from there email: “Auto Renewal is one of checkbox options when you purchase Norton from our online store. That box is checked by default whenever a Norton product is purchased from the online store. This is done to ensure that you are protected constantly with no lapses in protection.” Add to this there reply about the other charges: “I also see that you have been charged for over draft. I would like to inform you that these charges/fee are made by your respective bank or issuing bank, so I would not be able to refund these charges/fee for you from my end, However I would suggest to contact your bank or issuing bank and they would be able to help you to get these charges refunded to your account.” It cost me an extra $74.00 in charges for them to auto sign me up and then went and found another anti virus software company who’s honest.
Report Post »Doctor Nordo
Posted on December 31, 2011 at 2:33pmWell, if auto-renewal is indeed a check-box that is available when purchasing the software, then you absolutely did agree to auto-renewal. Maybe this wil be a lesson to those people who just blindly click “Next > Next > Next > Next”. You are signing a contract, and anyone who doesn’t read what they are signing deserve everything they get.
Report Post »wolverine
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 6:07pmThis whole cellphone 3G 4G and what have you is just a big marketing job so some moron can play games on his Iphone, this whole system is just a big example og G(arbage) I(n) G(arbage) O(ut) better known as GIGO
Report Post »Brae
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 6:00pmGood thing. I was about ready to drop them
Report Post »wolverine
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:56pmTake note occupiers this is how the real 99% percent handle corporate greed you first have to have some skin in the game then target the issue and raise hell, you don’t stand in the street and chant
Report Post »chershaw8
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:48pmI don’t like to make automatic debit payments. I need the control of giving a business my money, not have them automatically taking it. If you’re not great at keeping your accounts squared up, you never know what is in your account at any given time. And overdraft fees are something I don’t need with my tight budget. I want the choice WITHOUT the punishment of paying a fee. Can You Here Me Now, Verizon?
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:42pmThat‘s how it’s done! We don‘t need a department of whatever tickles the fedral government’s fancy.
Report Post »quiltgal
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 7:25pmAmen.
Report Post »finky555
Posted on December 31, 2011 at 7:34amNotice the MSM did not attribute the change of heart to the customer reaction but rather to the threat from the FCC. According to the MSM we need gov interference. Don’t believe a word of it.
Report Post »Drakkhanlord
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:39pmoooops…
btw ,
Report Post »agenda21 made easy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Wg-v2A-KtDI
Fiscallytead
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:24pmProfit is not a dirty word. Profiteering is! John Clark is right this is a great demonstration as to how capitalism works. Is the consummer feels that the supplier is profiteering then they will find another supplier. No need for the FCC or any other goverment agency to spend taxpayer dollars to investigate.
Report Post »kalicopete
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:19pmWow…free markets work.
Report Post »TheePolitinator
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:19pmThis is the biggest issue we face as a Nation. Large companies out for one thing, screwing you and I. Oblahblha gives companies that support union heads waivers. These same companies make BILLIONS of profit a year. I mean really a fee for going online and making a payment? late fees on every bill we have. Pipeline being denied all to crush the middle class. These companies should foot the medical bills of their employees period, they can afford it. Why is our economy in turmoil, fuel prices. Think of the billions we OVER pay to these crooks. That same money is funding terrorism worldwide. When instead the cash should goto OUR economy. There is no excuse for 3 and 4 dollar a gallon gas, except oppression PERIOD. A true leader would tell wally world and all the other giants to start creating manufacturing here in the states and stop supporting China. A real leader would get that Canadian pipeline flowing and get drilling and natural gas flowing here as well. You see the interests are not the people its the crooks paying for the corrupts elections that is the interest. And to destroy American exceptionalism. Liberal agenda has failed us too long, time to impeach and prosecute these criminals.
Report Post »quiltgal
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 6:05pmOh, come on! Big companies are not out to screw you and me. They want and need to be profitable. That’s what keeps them in business. That’s what attracts investors to their business. That’s what makes them invest in new technology.
Liberals don’t want the private sector to make profits. They think government should confiscate the profits. And this makes it pretty stupid for companies to stay in business at all. That‘s what’s screwy!
Report Post »2smart
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 6:22pmPerhaps THEEPOLITINATOR if you knew how much the tax on fuel from the US Government is you would see who is really profiting! Just go back to sleep or maybe you could educate yourself to the facts. Nahhhhhhhhh……..that would be difficult, it’s easier to pick up propaganda from liberal websites.
Report Post »kaydeebeau
Posted on December 31, 2011 at 6:52ama real leader would stop the outrageous taxing and regulating manufacturing out of existance here and allow the market to work. Governments do not create jobs but they sure as heck can prevent businesses from being able to create them.
If the current admin in power would muzzle the epa, we could drill for our own oil and prices will be lowered. If the communist union mentality would be tamed, we could have manufactuirng here again.
Here is a little bit of economic reality – increases in hourly wages cause prices to increase so the net gain is non-existant to the “worker”
Report Post »TemayElbor
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:14pmWE THE PEOPLE should be extra vigilant on the future actions of Verizon. Verizon’s profits doubled and yet wanted more???????GREED IN ITS MAGNITUDE. WHERE IS THE CONSCIENCE????????
To the customers of Verizon, check carefully your monthly bill, you might still be charged $2, or more but a different expense account is used.
Report Post »Your Name Here
Posted on January 1, 2012 at 8:41amVerizon in not out to screw the public. They are a business and thus rely on their customers to survive.
Report Post »The economy sucks and so everyone in business is trying to cut expenses while increasing revenue.
Verizon’s new nation wide LTE system is not cheap to install. Neither is AT&T’s LTE system cheap to install. These systems are not upgrades to existing equipment, this is a whole new system running in parallel with the CDMA / GSM systems already in place.
You want the best service available but you complain about everything else.
Ducky 1
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:11pmI love Verizon. It has the best service where I live. I pay plenty but get what I want for my money. I have used all the other carriers and Verizon is by far the best. I am glad they are dropping the $2 fee.
Report Post »Clownshoes
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:09pmEveryone crying about the company has a right to make a profit… I get that. But if they try and make a profit by abusing their customers, then the customers have a right to vote with their dollars and take their money elsewhere. That is how the system is supposed to work. I don’t mind a company making money, that is what they are in business for. Yet at the same time, as a consumer, my job is to find the best deal for my dollar and give my money to the company that fits that description. Capitalism in action.
Report Post »Now let me ask one question though, what idiot thought that it would be a good idea to charge people to pay their bills. “You owe me $5, but in order for you to pay me, you have to pay a fee of $2 additional conveince charge.”
That makes sense… in what universe I don’t know but I am sure there is one.
oiljackpot
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:00pmWhy does Verizon and Netflix have idiots making financial decisions at their companies?
Report Post »BlackCrow
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:47pmIf you wish to thank someone for this call Chris Dodd and Barny Frank. Their “baking reform” bill that was passed last spring is going to be bringing more and more of this.
Report Post »ddg7
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:42pmHey ‘occupiers’, there’s now a marketing job opening at Verizon.
Report Post »bornagaincowgirl
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:41pmI think it was Verizon’s way of trying to get people to sign up to go paperless and have the bill taken out automatically every month from their checking account or credit card acct.
BTW–they need to spend some of their cash in customer service as they are the most infuriating company EVER to deal with. Who runs Verizon, a bunch of college grads?
Report Post »Cabreramiggs
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:37pmToday I dropped my Verizon account ( 11 lines) because of that fee they announced . The same for BofA when they announced the 5$ fee.
I believe they have a right to do so…just like the consumer has the right to tell them “so long a**holes”!
Report Post »Temporal
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:33pmIf only fixing the tax code could be so easy…
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:27pmFreakin’ Marxist losers.
I wonder if the loony left understands that now the $2 is going to come from somewhere. Or, if that’s not the case and Verizon eats the $2, then what good are they as a “for profit” business???
Report Post »betterthantv
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:31pmThank you, thank you, thank you! Somebody who actually “gets it”!
Report Post »betterthantv
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:14pmI wish these companies would quit caving to the entitlement crowd. Netflix, BOA and Verizon need to make money to operate. Who cares if the crybabies leave, let them go somewhere else!
It kills me how many so-called capitalist scream outrage every time a business tries to make a dime. Verizon is not a public service. All these big companies are going to need to find ways to stay above water once Obamacare and all the new regulations kick in next year. How do Blaze readers not understand this? Grow up you wimps!
Report Post »stogieguy7
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:23pmThis is an absurd argument. It’s not an “entitlement” to pay your bill online. But, it is a ripoff when someone charges you to pay your damn bill. Especially when you’re doing so in a way that saves them money in the first place. Last I heard, loan sharking was supposed to be illegal. As this should be.
Convenience fee my @ss. And if you think that opposing it is unfair, perhaps you need to reevaluate your viewpoint. It is not a ‘conservative’ point of view to support robbery.
Report Post »Dismayed Veteran
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:25pmWell said. In January, I am going to exercise my free market choice and not renew my contract with Verizon. A capitalist economy votes with dollars.
Report Post »scheduler
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:27pmCompanies need to not underestimate the power of the internet.
http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:27pm@stogieguy7
I see you’re not a big fan of capitalism. Go figure.
Report Post »betterthantv
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:29pmI don’t think opposing it is “unfair” but at the same time I don‘t think these companies should be bullied by people who don’t understand that a company must make a profit to succeed.
Report Post »wolverine
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 6:00pmAfter looking at Verizon’s financials I did not realize that they were so close to bankruptcy
Report Post »DAGNY
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:39pmDon’t be silly! Sure companies can implement this hilariously named “convenience fee”, but anyone with two working brain cells knows it is for Verizon’s own profits. Don‘t pee on our legs and tell us it’s raining, okay. Call it like it is.
No one forced them to allow on-line bill pay in the first place. That was their business decision to cut labor costs and enhance revenue.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:11pmThat’s company speak for big, big, screw up.
Report Post »John Clark
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:08pmThis is exactly how capitalism is supposed to work.
1. A company tries to impose an unreasonable fee upon their customers.
2. The customers cry foul and threaten to move their business to another company.
3. The company reassess their decision and decides the fee is not worth the loss in business and removes it.
The government did not have to get involved and slap them on the wrist or threaten them with undo regulation.
It was between the company and the customers.
Lesson complete.
JC
Report Post »betterthantv
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:16pmOnly part your missing here is the investigation launched yesterday by the FCC. You did have a good theory though. Nice try!
Report Post »John Clark
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 5:54pmYou are right about missing that BUT it does’t matter. Investigations could take months or even years. And as far as your post about “Profit” being a dirty word, when you tack on a “Fee” with no value added this is a dirty way of trying to boost profits.
But if they were to say, “Hey, we have this great new feature that does ______________ . And it is only two dollars.” And it cost them .50 cents to provide that service. I say a job well done and profit deserved.
They would have been better off just raising the cost of their service $2 and not attaching it to people who pay online or by credit card. That way they would have made a boat load of money on everyone involved.
That sounds like the best deal of all… for them.
And then if their customers didn’t want to pay the increased fee, they could move on to At&T, Sprint, or whoever.
Thank you for the comments.
Here’s to Your LifetoSuccess,
John Clark
Report Post »JP16
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:00pmIn other words, “We were looking to boost our profits a bit so we tried to institute this new fee. Unfortunately people realized what was going on.”
Report Post »SR1911man
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:04pmShots fired! Verizon down!
Report Post »betterthantv
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 4:36pmAll the so-called conservatives on this site are no better than the occupy idiots. “Profit” is NOT a dirty word!
Report Post »DAGNY
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:44pmNothing wrong with instituting a new fee and nothing wrong with customers choosing to find a new carrier. The free market worked just perfectly.
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