Goverment interfering

[Salty]

Many want the government to stay out of our business - ie we can take care of ourselves.

How about what the govt did here?
Do you agree with how the govt handled it?

 

[targus]

I caught one of these fees when it came through on my bill. I called customer service and they removed the charge. I asked what the charge was for and learned that it was the result of some spam advertising sent to me by another company by text. I asked to have texting blocked since I don't don't use it anyway.

IMO charging a customer because someone else is sending you an unwanted text message - for spam advertising no less - is simply not fair.

I have no doubt that Verizon was aware of the situation and simply liked the extra revenue.

It is only right that they refund their customers that were abused in this way.

And they also deserve to pay a penalty for it.

 

[Salty]

...IMO charging a customer because someone else is sending you an unwanted text message - for spam advertising no less - is simply not fair.
it. ...

Its the same with regular phone calls as well. You are charged (by the {full} minute for both outgoing and incomming calls. Thus it is not unreasonable for texting to have the same charge setup.
Even if I get a telemarking call on my cell, I am still charged for it.

 

[targus]

Its the same with regular phone calls as well. You are charged (by the {full} minute for both outgoing and incomming calls. Thus it is not unreasonable for texting to have the same charge setup.
Even if I get a telemarking call on my cell, I am still charged for it.

Except the charge was not simply a use of plan minutes.

It was something more like a $5 charge per text message.

There were three of them - all from the same sender in one month.

 

[Salty]

It was something more like a $5 charge per text message. ... three of them - ...in one month.

WOW - good thing you checked your bill

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

The government was forced to get involved here only because of the monopoly on service in some areas. A better option would be simply free market competition. If Verizon is charging “mystery fees” or anything else you don’t like then switch to AT&T or some other carrier. The problem is in many areas, like where I live, there is only one carrier that has service. I can use my Verizon phone at my house but no other cell carrier covers our valley.

 

[Bob Alkire]

The government was forced to get involved here only because of the monopoly on service in some areas. A better option would be simply free market competition.

A simple but very truthful answer. Where there is good competition there is a better product and at a cheaper price.

 

[StefanM]

The government was forced to get involved here only because of the monopoly on service in some areas. A better option would be simply free market competition. If Verizon is charging “mystery fees” or anything else you don’t like then switch to AT&T or some other carrier. The problem is in many areas, like where I live, there is only one carrier that has service. I can use my Verizon phone at my house but no other cell carrier covers our valley.

Except contracts are involved! I recently switched to ATT from Verizon in order to upgrade to the iPhone when my contract expired, but when my contract was still in force, I did not have a remedy. If Verizon wanted to abuse me with unfair or fraudulent fees, I did not have the option to switch to another carrier without paying a hefty termination fee.

 

[Bob Alkire]

Except contracts are involved! I recently switched to ATT from Verizon in order to upgrade to the iPhone when my contract expired, but when my contract was still in force, I did not have a remedy. If Verizon wanted to abuse me with unfair or fraudulent fees, I did not have the option to switch to another carrier without paying a hefty termination fee.

I can't speak for you, but I've known if I want to terminate a contract early, if it is with a phone company, a billing company, a leasing company and so on, there is going to be a heavy charge. That has always been brought up to me or it has been in the contract. If some one would have terminate a contract with me early, there was always a heavy charge to them. One knows most of the time if a company is going to renew their contract with them and if it is terminated at the end of contract, you get you equipment out of there and thank them for the business and wish them the best. Oh, by the way call them in about 6 months, they might be ready to come back.

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

Except contracts are involved!

A contract you agreed to when you activated the phone. I know what your talking about, I hate the contracts too, but a better choice than government oversight would be another phone company whithout the contract. That is one reasons track phones and crickets are so popular.