Earlier this year, I tried to pay my Verizon cell phone bill at a store that apparently wasn’t a Verizon Corporate Store (there seems to be a big delineation regarding this). Because I planned on paying with cash, the store tried to charge me an additional $3 processing fee.
Yeah, not only did I leave the store immediately … I also blogged about the experience.
So yesterday, I was out taking care of personal errands, and lo and behold, I see another Verizon store. Okay. I need to pay my cell phone bill. Now if I remember correctly, the last time I went into a Verizon store to pay my bill, they tried charging me an additional $3 for paying in cash.
Nuh-uh. Ain’t falling for that again. I can use my credit union’s debit card and pay the bill.
I go in. Customer service rep seems friendly. “I’d like to pay my bill,” I said, “Where’s the payment kiosk?”
“We don’t have one of those,” he said, “but I can take your bill payment here at the table.”
Fine.
“Will you be paying the entire bill amount, sir?”
“Sure, of course.”
“Okay, that’ll be an additional $1.”
“Oh, no. I”m paying with a credit card. I’m not paying with cash. We’re not going down this route.”
“Oh, no, sir, this is not a Verizon Corporate Store.”
“That big black banner with the white VERIZON sign outside says you’re a Verizon store.”
“Yes, but the small print on the door says we’re just an affiliate, not a corporate store. We would have to charge you an additional $1 to pay your bill with us.”
“Wait, is this some sort of credit card hold fee that gets credited back to me?”
“I think it gets credited onto your bill,” the representative mumbled with a hint of I’m-making-this-up-and-maybe-the-customer-will-believe-me.
“Can you confirm this?”
He went to talk to another representative. Then he came back. “No, that $1 is a processing fee you must pay to pay your bill with us.”
“You gotta be kidding me. Why should I pay a fee to pay my bill?”
“That’s how we do things. So may I have your credit card, please?”
Fuck this. I was out the door faster than you can say “Can you hear me now?”
Yeah, I’m getting REALLY tired of Verizon’s crapola. So … I called Verizon and talked to a customer service representative. I explained the situation. He seemed sympathetic.
“I can take your payment over the phone, Mr. Miller, if you like.”
“I guess that’s an acceptable option.”
“There will just be a small $10 processing fee for a phone payment.”
WHAT?!?!?
This is total, unadulterated bullshit. So I get the option of paying a dollar extra to pay IN a Verizon store … or I get the option of paying TEN DOLLARS extra if I pay over the phone.
And in both cases, the reps told me that if I used the Verizon app on my phone, Verizon could automatically take my money without a fee or surcharge.
Oh no you don’t. I don’t need Verizon OR ANY OTHER COMPANY automatically taking money out of my account without my permission or sayso. I don’t need a company messing up and withdrawing SEVEN payments in a single day because their computer system had a glitch.
Screw this. As far as I’m concerned, Verizon’s getting its payment the old way from now on. I’ll write a paper check and send it in the mail.
But you know what? This blog has existed for nearly 14 years. And in 14 years, I’ve blogged about Verizon’s horseshit fees, surcharges and pathetic treatment of its customers.
So yeah, another Verizon-is-a-corporate-demon blog post. Lather, rinse, repeat.
But maybe it’s time I did something about it.
Something like … I need to find a custom T-shirt shop. I can get me a black T-shirt and have the following printed on it:
ASK ME ABOUT
VERIZON
HIDDEN FEES AND
SURCHARGES
And maybe I’ll wear it in a public place where thousands of people can see it. Some place like … oh … maybe one of the State Fairs. Yeah. That’ll do it. Guerilla T-shirt tactics.
And maybe I’ll walk around the Verizon booth at the New York State Fair. I mean … free speech is free speech, ain’t it? It’s not like there’s a curse word or an offensive image on the shirt … unless you consider the word “Verizon” an offensive word.
Besides … I can take the shirt off and put another, less Verizon-targeted shirt on.
All Verizon has to do is pay me … oh … a $75 T-shirt removal surcharge.
Although I will make it a $100 T-shirt removal surcharge if they pay with cash.
I’m telling you telecommunications companies … and that includes you, Spectrum … keep treating your customers like dogshit … and one day the dog will bite back.
Can you hear me now, Verizon?
Chuck The Writer 
They know people are addicted to cell phones so like any other drug dealer they charge whatever they can get away with.
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Bingo. Back to basics.
Paper check / snail mail still does the trick. The only ‘fee’ is $.66, for a stamp.
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