Verizon

We had to switch to Verizon because where we moved to it is the only service that provides halfway decent mobile service. We went to a Verizon store with brand new, unlocked smart phones and therefore we required no contract. Although we already owned our own phones, were not signing on to a contract, were not financing anything, and paying the set-up fees and first month in advance right there, Verizon refused to give us an account unless we gave them our social security numbers. Verizon did not need our social security numbers, it just wants everyone's social security numbers. Although the store employees were nice and did their best to help us, Verizon treated them like children, and after almost two hours in the store waiting while the employees wrangled with some off-site Verizon department, we had to pay a $1200.00 deposit that Verizon keeps for one year, plus the set-up fees and one month's service in advance in order to set up an account without providing our social security numbers. Verizon is violating the right of Americans to share those numbers with no one other than the government and our financial institutions and endangering its customers by making us more vulnerable to identity theft. By the way, since the new Verizon account of less than a couple of weeks, we are receiving phone calls from other countries and our credit card had to be shut down for fraudulent transactions on it.

I subscribed for the services of www.verizonfios.com, when they had sale on the website. As well as they offered free month of their unlimited Internet. I decided it was great offer, so I agreed to their terms and conditions. I paid for one month and the guy from the website promised to provide free Internet in the next month. After that these thieves simply started to take money for the services, but each time the sums were different and became bigger and bigger. And it seems that I haven’t received free Internet at all. Help me to stop them, because they haven’t replied to my emails.
USA, , NY 10007

I am being charged a contract break fee for an account that I never signed a contract on. this complaint is related to the accounts that covered cell phone number [protected].

As background, I received a PDA as part of a corporate program my previous employer had with Verizon. During the course of that employment I was repeatedly informed by Verizonthat the contract was owned by my previous employer (Deloitte) and hence I was unable (and unauthorized) to make any modifications to the plan. For instance, I was unable to change the type of plan i had, have someone at a Verizon store look at why my phone had problems, or modify the services on the account. I was even required to surrender my PDA to my previous employer upon my termination.

When I left my previous employer, I was told they would contact the Verizon Business Account Liaison to authorize the release of my cellphone number so that I can port it to whomever I chose. I did this. I explained to the Verizon Business Liaison that I was planning on porting my cellphone number to Google Voice and had no intention of keeping my number with Verizon. I also informed her that Google Voice required the tax ID number ("TIN") associated with the phone number on the Porting request . Being that the phone number was at that time under my previous employer's TIN and she stated she couldn't divulge that number to me. She stated that she would change the TIN on the phone number to reflect mine. The porting request was processed by Google Voice that night.

I am now being told that since my employer had renewed my contract within the past year (while the phone number was under their account that liability has now transfered to me and my temporary account that was set up to permit me to port my number to Google Voice. I informed Verizon that whatever contract they negotiated with my previous employer and liability that was agreed to with them should be settled directly with my previous employer. I had then no input into the assumption of liability or control over that account nor do I presently.

I have also informed Verizon and will similarly let my previous employer know as well, that should any aspect of this situation result in any manner of credit related impact to my credit history or record I will file further complaints with the FTC and initiate and pursue this legally in the court system.

I am writing this complaint with the hopes that as is done when a complaint is filed with the FDIC for a bank, this letter will be forwarded to the appropraite parties within your organization and Verizon so that it is resolved quickly.

If any further details or information is required or Verizon wishes to contact me to inform me that this issue has been resolved, please feel free to contact me at [protected].

Regards,

Marc

Thanks for protecting consumers against mobile phone carrier text message price gouging. It is much appreciated.

There is another problem relating to mobile phone carriers which your office may or may not be aware of. Verizon charges its customers for unauthorized text message services, and the consumer has no protection against them. Enclosed is a copy of a recent Verizon bill which lists $20.97 in premium TXT messaging. I have an unlimited txt plan for that number so I called to see what the charges were for. I was told that I had subscribed to three premium services for which I would be billed monthly. I never subscribed to these and I never authorized these charges. But Verizon customer service told me that they were third party services, that one was for a traffic report, and two were for services they couldn't even identify! Verizon would not refund my money. They would not cancel the unauthorized services. They told me I had to text these companies to cancel these services. I didn't even know who or what these services were, Verizon had to provide me with their phone numbers. Verizon told me it was my fault, that I had must have given out my phone number. According to Verizon customer service, my mobile phone number is a like a credit card number and written authorization rolled into one. Anyone with my mobile phone number can bill third party services against it.

Well, frankly a lot of people have my cell phone number. I'm a physician and I give this number out to my patients. But I never intended for my mobile phone carrier to treat my phone number like a credit card and written authorization. The consumer has no protection against fraud. I'm sure a lot of people are unaware of this problem. The phone companies tack on so many surcharges on our bills, that after a while we consumers stop questioning them.

Senator, you have already done the consumer a tremendous service. Any further help you can offer to consumers is greatly appreciated.