I first of all want to say that I have NEVER written a "blog" or a complaint about anyone, anything or any company and posted it to the Internet before today...
I recently changed from Time Warner Road Runner Internet service to a Verizon Aircard service for Internet connectivity. I already owned the Verizon Aircard so all they had to do was assign me a phone number and activate the card.
When I called to open the account I was asked a series of questions by the Verizon representative over the phone. He first asked me how many megabytes I use a month and I told him that I had no idea. Do you know how many "megabytes" you personally use of the World Wide Web a month on whatever service you have? - Quick, how many? - My point exactly - Who would ever know their "Internet usage number"?
I answered honestly all his questions designed to determine that number for me. I told him that I traveled and that I would be using the Aircard on the road and exactly how much I would be using the Aircard throughout the day, each day. He asked me how many hours a day I would be on-line and I told him that I work from home as well as from the road and that I enjoy streaming my favorite radio station over the Internet and that I have a Netflix account and from time to time I would be watching an "Instant" movie on my computer so I would be on the Internet all day every day for at least 8 to 10 hours a day. He then told me that it's not "how long" I was on that makes the difference as much as what I'm doing on-line.
He asked what types of things I would be using the Internet for in my work and I told him that it would be mostly sending and receiving emails and many of them would have text documents attached of 2 or 3 pages each. I mentioned that I would also be sending and receiving pictures of my Grandson from time to time but that wasn't all that often. He asked if I would be sending or receiving a lot of spreadsheets, plans, blueprints, diagrams, etc. I told him that I wouldn't be sending or receiving anything that complex.
He then told me that I needed the "5 Megabyte Plan" and that since I wouldn't have to buy the Aircard, it would only cost me $59.99 a month for the usage with a "sign up fee" for the first month of $35.00 but that he would waive the sign up fee because I was changing over from another carrier. I asked him a number of times if that would be the right plan for me and he assured me each time throughout the call that he was sure of it and that with my usage it was the best plan for me.
I told him that amount was about what I was already paying for Internet connectivity then with Time Warner and he pointed out that I would be mobile with the Aircard so I would really be getting a better deal in terms of usage. I agreed and then asked again if he was sure that "the plan" would be the right one for me. He again assured me that given that I was just using the Internet for simple emails with pictures etc. And not attaching hundreds of pages of documents or complex diagrams, blueprints, etc. That I wouldn't have an issue. I asked him what would happen if I did and he said that I wouldn't because Verizon monitors the usage and would contact me before I would go over the 5 megabytes and he then AGAIN assured me that he was positive that I would have more then I needed with the 5 megabyte plan. I told him that I wanted to think it over. He said that would be fine but that he was getting off work soon and that he would call me back for my decision in an hour... That should have been my first clue that these people aren't working in my best interest in mind.
When he called, I again told him that I wasn't sure and that I didn't want my bill to go over the $60 a month. He told me that I could always just dial a number (I think it was *411) on my cell phone from anyplace and check my usage as of that moment. I told him that I was an AT&T wireless cell customer and that wouldn't work for me. He told me "In that in that case I will make sure that your bill won't go over the $60 a month we discussed. I will notate the account to make sure that it doesn't." and that if it was getting close to the 5 megabytes, someone would email and text me to let me know. He did inform me that on my first bill I might have some "one time" charges that will push my bill a little over the $60 range the for the first bill but that after that it would be fine.
I signed up for the service and although I assume that I was under the 5 megabyte threshold my first bill was $104.58. The $35.00 sign up fee that was to be waived was on the bill but I didn't feel like dealing with it so I paid the bill and let it go thinking that my next bill and the others there after would be at the $60 range. The following month I was on the road extensively and when I came home my bill was in the mailbox. I opened it thinking that it would be about $60.00... It was $206.42!!! And due to Verizon's billing cycle, that was for a partial month! I immediately made arrangements for another Internet service provider and stopped using the Verizon Aircard!
When I called Verizon's customer service today I was told that I was actually past due, that there were late fees and other charges added to that amount and also that the most recent billing cycle had just ended and now my total bill with usage, late fees, taxes etc. Had ballooned up to $640.50!!!
Remember, I was told that I was going to pay about $60 a month and in less then 2 months I had already paid $105.00 and I'm being billed for ANOTHER $650.00??? Over $750.00 for just under 2 months service??? What are these people smoking? How could an honest representative of their company make a usage estimation that was 4 times less then the actual amount? How does someone that does this everyday for a living miscalculate by 4x's??? I'm so glad that this guy isn't a cop, my doctor, my dentist or work for NASA! Who can be THAT much off on their job and keep it or be considered even the least bit honest? What if he was a housing contractor and off 4x's the amount of cost??? Would he be called fair or honest in his work? Can you (in whatever your field) be off that much on your job and be considered honest or performing at an acceptable level?
I have asked that the bill be adjusted and that I pay the $60 a month I was originally told I would pay plus an additional 25% making the monthly bill $75.00 x 2 months for a grand total of $150.00 (this is over and above the $105.00 I have already paid) and simply close my account and be done with it! Since I own the Aircard I have no "contract" with the company and I will have ended up spending an average of $127.50 a month for what I was told would be $60 a month. That is still a 100% more then what I was told I would pay and way over my expectations. I feel that compromise would be more then fair.
If the man was off on his calculation by 15% or 20% I wouldn't be happy but I could possibly understand that we somehow miscommunicated and that it also my fault. However, when my usage was nothing more then what I told him I would be doing and nothing more then what I had been doing with my previous service provider, being over charged an amount equal to 4 times the amount is ridiculous. That can not be considered a miscommunication and if it is, it sure can't be all me to blame! Verizon is one of the largest COMMUNICATION companies in the world and we are to believe that they can't accurately estimate or communicate to their customers? Pleeezzz!
I have so far been told that I owe the total $600.00 plus and that there isn't going to be any adjustment. I have been given no understanding and the customer service person that I have spoken with has been rude and talked over me when trying to communicate with her. All she will say is that the usage shows on the account and that I owe it. I asked to speak with her boss and I was told that all of the supervisor's at that phone center was in a meeting at the time and that they would have someone (a supervisor) call me back today. It's not 7:00 PM and I have yet to hear from them... I will be calling them back tomorrow and updating this as more comes to light. I hope this helps the next person and is considered a forewarning of the business practices of Verizon so far.
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