VERIZON - Highway Robbery?

[Danno]

I've been a Verizon "Wireless" [apparently that's how they prefer to refer to their cell phone service] customer for 23-24 years with three (3) phones/lines. 

I have always had an "unlimited" plan, and although the cost has crept up over the years, it has been acceptable. 

Until this year.

Last spring I got a text message that I had exceeded my data limit and would be assessed an additional $15 (approximately 15% of my monthly bill). I didn't get it, since my plan was all-inclusive unlimited talk and data. I shrugged it off as a fluke.

The next month, I got another, followed two weeks later by another. 

The next month, I got three of them. Each time they urged me to select an "unlimited" plan to prevent such occurrences in the future. I went to their website and guess what - the "unlimited" plan they promoted was about 30% more than my current "unlimited" plan - the one I've had for a couple of decades. But, it was about the same cost as their new monthly surcharges added to my then-current plan. 

So, I buckled under and signed up for their "unlimited" plan.

Two months later, I get another text message - you guessed it, data limit exceeded and $15 billed. Then the next day, another. Then the next day another. Each time adding another $15 to my monthly bill. 

Sunday I get four of them, about twenty minutes apart - another $60 added to my monthly "unlimited plan" bill. 

Yesterday, more.  

They've added more to my monthly bill in the past three days than my base monthly bill is. 

Tomorrow, I start the process of calling them and questioning/protesting/trying to mitigate the excessive charges.

 

After 23-24 years, I guess they just want to get rid of me. 

Anybody know anything about Pure Talk cell phone service?

 

PS: I think this fits in this category - I use my cell phone in my car all the time.  

 

 

 

 

Edited October 2, 2024 by Danno

[Ace-Garageguy]

Can you say "screwed", boys and girls?

There seems to just be a thing all over now that, if you don't constantly watch and question any aberrant charges, whoeveritis will just keep piling stuff on.

I sometimes wonder if the new management style isn't "see how many bogus charges we can tack on until we start losing revenue, and then we'll back off just a tiny bit".

Too bad class-action suits don't usually do anything but make the lawyers richer, while returning pennies to the abused customers.

[ksnow]

Reminds me of a service manager I briefly worked under. His firm belief was, and quoted multiple times, "screw em for every penny, they probably won't be back anyways."

[peteski]

This whole "unlimited" plan charging a fee for exceeding (the unlimited?) data limit makes absolutely no sense.  Sounds like a lawsuit in waiting (unless there was some fine print in the that contract document people acknowledge and agree to without reading it.

[Mike 1017]

You can find out which department handles consumers fraud complaints where you live and contact them. I always believed that: I have nothing to lose by complaining. 

Good luck

Mike