bogus charges on phone bill

Hi I have bogus charges on my phone bill what I am wondering who authorized the phone co to be a charge card.

this has happened a few times I want to know if anyone knows how to stop it?

Accepted answers

This is called "third party billing" or "cramming". You can read more about it and how to get Verizon to put a block on your number here and here.

All comments

ElizabethS

This is called "third party billing" or "cramming". You can read more about it and how to get Verizon to put a block on your number here and here.

jis4judy

thanks I called verizon to put the block on my number

they said it isn;t perfect but should block 99% of the nutty charge happy liars

roseabc123

I dont know what Verizons customer service problem is? They dont answer phones and today I am waiting 1/2 hour and still no answer! Get this service online if you cant get it or get out of business!!!!!!!!!!!!!

slug2

There is a charge on my phone bill for 14.98 which I have no idea where it comes from and I never made so be so kind and have it removed now ,this is not the first time it happen any more and I will cancel verizon everything with them and pay no penalty .

thank you {edited for privacy}

--------------------------------------

Just a friendly reminder, this is a forum where users help other users. It looks like your issue may require a Verizon representative to review your account details. Please contact our customer service team via live chat or email at:
http://www.verizon.com/contactus

jd130

Your Customer Service is useless as well. My in-laws' lan line has been down for the past 10 days. After numerous attempts for 2 days, my brother-in-law was finally able to reach your so called Customer Service to schedule for someone to fix the lan line; it was scheduled for today, which no one showed up, no one called to say they were not going to show up, no one called to reschedule, you name it, nothing was done from your end to help your so called customers. In addition, after an hour or so, my sister-in-law called to ask for status as to why no one came at the scheduled timeframe. Let's just say her cell phone is still pretty new, was fully charged and ended up having to hang up because her battery died. Then my wife tried, she was one of the blessed ones to be able to get someone on the all mighty Customer Service, but was then placed on hold of 30 minutes...also had to hang up. My in-laws are almost in their 80s now, knock on wood, I just hope no emergencies come up where they need the use of a telephone to call for help.

Now, below is my personal personal experience with Verizon's shady/smart marketing (unethical) billing practices. Please take a look below at the e-mail trails as proof. In order to protect myself from further punishment, I have removed certain details (such as e-mail address, reference number). Well, I'm sure you can trace the IP address of where this post is coming from, but let's just pretend that you are ethical executives with good morals (opps, I meant, company) and no tracing will occur.

--John Doe

P. S. After I post this, I wonder if Verizon will now change their policies on how long a post should be.

P. P. S.

"Your post has been changed because invalid HTML was found in the message body. The invalid HTML has been removed. Please review the message and submit the message when you are satisfied."

From:
To: customersupport <customersupport@verizon.com>
Cc: johnandkenshow@kfi640.com
Sent: 2010 1:00:38 PM
Subject: Re: Verizon.com Consumer email response ()

Hi,

Interesting how you did not respond with the history attached like
Dorothy did...so, I have pasted it below. Yes, charge me to cancel the
long distance that I HAVE NEVER SIGNED UP FOR, where I have not signed
any contracts that requires me to pay..

John & Ken,

Can you advise a lawyer for me to contact? I want to see if I actually
have a case and if any other consumers are running into issues like
these. I have also contacted Congresswoman Jane Harman of the 36th
District to see if her office can help.

Thanks!

Re: Verizon.com Consumer email response ()
...
From: >
...
Add to Contacts
To: customersupport <customersupport@verizon.com>

Cc: johnandkenshow@kfi640.com
________________________________

Hi ,

All I have to say is, when I spoke to the Sale's Rep, he told me my
monthly bill would be around $43 (all inclusive).

Of course your system does not show any documentation of the Inside Wire
Maintenance and Long Distance charges to be waived...it is YOUR system.
You enter whatever documentation you like, whenever you like so it does
not surprise me there is "no documentation." I was skeptical when I
signed up with Verizon for my lan line and DSL--looks like I was right.
This is also why I have never (and will never) sign up with Verizon's
mobile phone services. I heard on the John & Ken (AM640, a talk show in
Los Angeles) that it took a customer over a year for Verizon to refund
her data charges that she never signed up for and never used; Verizon
could not even explain what those charges were! I am surprised there
isn't a class action suite against Verizon's tricky and shady practices.

Please explain what exactly is a shortfall charge...it sounds like
another term for long distance charge. So, yes, take off the Inside
Wire Maintenance and Long Distance charges that I NEVER SIGNED UP for.
Just because these "services" showed up in YOUR system (and has been on
the bill since the beginning) does NOT mean I signed up for it when I
spoke to the Sale's Rep. Lastly, if you check your system again, you
will find that I did call your technical support last year about the
phone jacks (or is it NOT showing in your system either). They
allegedly came and "fixed" it...could have fooled me.

Good thing for the John & Ken show, FaceBook, blogs, twitter, and any
social network forums out there for consumers to complain.

________________________________

From: customersupport <customersupport@verizon.com>
Sent: 2010 4:43:34 PM
Subject: Re: Verizon.com <> Consumer email response
()

Dear,
Thank you for contacting the Verizon eCenter. I have received your
email dated 9/8/10 regarding being confused as to why you are being
charged for Inside Wire Maintenance and Long Distance, having one jack
that works and requesting a full refund due to the jacks not working and
not using long distance. My name is , and I will be happy to
assist you.

I understand your concern with wanting credits issued on your account.

Per your request, we have reviewed the charges in dispute. According to
our records we do not show any supporting documentation that stipulates
that the Inside Wire Maintenance and Long Distance charges in query are
to be waived. Therefore, the charges are valid and will be sustained.

They have been on the account since the first bill. We can remove the
Inside Wire Maintenance and Long Distance from the account effective
once you give the authorization, but we will not be able to issue a
credit on your account for the services.

The basic long distance carried a shortfall charge of $5.00 and
increased on 11/1/09 to $6.00. The notice of the price increase from
$5.00 to $6.00 was listed on your [date] invoice. There was and is
not a monthly fee for the long distance, but there is a shortfall charge
which you have been charged each month on the account.

If you jacks are not working, please contact technical support at (800)
837-4966 for assistance.

Once I receive the requested information, I am confident I will be able
to assist you. In the meantime, if you have additional questions, please
let us know. We look forward to serving you.

Thank you for using . We appreciate your business.

Sincerely,

Verizon eCenter

******************EARN UP TO $100 IN
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Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Hi ,

When I spoke with the Sale's Rep over a year ago, he confirmed with me
that it is only for the very basic telephone/lan line service and DSL.
So, I am definitely confused as to why I am being charged for long
distance AND Inside Wire Maintenance. Again, we have 4 phone jacks and
only 1 that works...so I have no idea where the Inside Wire Maintenance
services you are referring to that I am constantly being charged for.
If the Inside Wire Maintenance is suppose to fix the other 3 phone
jacks, then I am requesting for full refund of those charges (from the
beginning) because those jacks are still not working. Lastly, I have
not used any long distance service and did not request for that...so, I
am also requesting for full refund on those charges from the beginning.

Thank You!

From: customersupport <customersupport@verizon.com>
Sent: 2010 1:24:28 PM
Subject: Re: Verizon.com Consumer email response
()

Dear ,
Thank you for contacting the Verizon eCenter. I have received your
email dated regarding wanting to know what to do to lower your
bill and an explanation of optional service charges on your bill. My
name is , and I will be happy to assist you.

I understand your concern with wanting to lower your rates.

Your basic telephone plan is $, $6.50 for the FCC line charge,
Inside Wire Maintenance of $7.99 and Verizon Long Distance Shortfall
charge of $6.00 for a total of $40.40. Your High Speed Internet is
$21.99.

$40.40 phone services
$21.99 internet
$00.50 Inside Wire Maintenance prorated charge
$62.39 total
$ 5.36 taxes
$68.25 grand total

Without the Inside Wire Maintenance and the Long Distance the rate for
the phone would be $32.91 plus applicable taxes and surcharges.

To view itemized charges for the online bill, follow these steps from
the homepage:

1. Sign in to your account.

2. Select the 'My Bill' Tab.

3. When your bill displays, find the section titled New Charges.

4. Select from the following services by clicking on the underlined
heading link:

* Verizon Charges (local Verizon voice)
* Verizon Online Charges (Internet)
* Verizon Long Distance Charges
* FiOS TV Charges

If further detail is available for these charges, the information you
wish to see will be designated as an additional hyperlink.

The Inside Wire Maintenance is not being charged twice. The $0.50
charge is a proration of the increase to the feature effective 8/1/10.

If you would like to remove the Inside Wire Maintenance and the Long
Distance from the account, please reply back to this email with your
authorization.

There is a one time charge of $5.50 to remove your long distance calling
plan.

If your phone jacks are not working, please contact repair for
assistance with getting them working at

You can also report repair problems and check the status of a previous
report by visiting us on line at:

Select Support, Contact Us, Select Phone or the service that you are
having problems with and then Under Verizon Troubleshooter select the
category and continue.

The department to which we have referred you will be able to assist you.
If you have any additional questions, please let us know. We look
forward to serving you.

Thank you for using Verizon. We appreciate your business.

Sincerely,

Verizon eCenter

******************EARN UP TO $100 IN
REWARDS!*********************************

Refer friends to Verizon and EARN UP TO $100 referral when they sign up
.

Start earning here:

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
BusinessName: Consumer
CustomerFirstName:
CustomerLastName:
CustomerMiddleInitial:
Address:
City:
State: CA
Zip:
EmailID:
CustomerTelephoneNo:
CustomerContactTelePhoneNo:
Password:
Subject: Verizon.com Consumer email response
Lob: Consumer
PendingOrderNo:
AccountNo:
ProductService: Other
Category: Billing
SubCategory: General questions about your bill
ToAddress:
IsRegistered: Yes
LoggedIn: Yes
Comments: The Customer Code and Account ID is. Hi,

I would like to know what I can do to lower the cost of my momthly bill.
I only signed up for the basic telephone and internet services, but I'm
paying almost $70 per month! When I signed up for your services over a
year ago, the sales rep told me that my total monthly bill would be
below $48 per month. I would like to know why there is almost a $20
discrepancy from what the sales rep told me and what I am seeing on my
monthly bill. I keep seeing an "Inside Wire Maintenance" charge of
$7.99 and another charge of $0.50 for another "Inside Wire Maintenance"
(8/1 to 8/15--are we getting charged twice?), but only one phone jack
out of four (4) works in our unit. What is this charge of Verizon LD
and Verizon CA for Voice? Please explain all of the above.

Thank You!

CustomerCustomData1: Registered=Yes
CustomerCustomData2: AccountNo=
CustomerCustomData3: LOB=Consumer

________________________________

From: customersupport <customersupport@verizon.com>
To:
Sent: 2010 11:18:44 AM
Subject: Re: Verizon.com Consumer email response ()

Dear ,
Thank you for contacting the Verizon eCenter. I have received your
email dated regarding your request. My name is,
is unavailable and I will be happy to assist you.

I understand the importance of your request.

I have removed the Inside wire maintenance as requested on order C.

If I remove the long distance PIC there is a one time fee of $5.50 and
you will no longer be able to call out long distance, you will no longer
receive the shortfall charge. Please advise if you would like to
continue. We did not have access to Repair requests. We would have to
charge to have the other jacks re-wired to work for you, as they would
stay the way any previous person had them set up. Since you requested
the Inside wire maintenance removed you would no longer receive a
discount for those services. I apologize for any confusion.

Once I receive the requested information, I am confident I will be able
to assist you. In the meantime, if you have additional questions, please
let us know. We look forward to serving you.

Thank you for using Verizon. We appreciate your business.

Sincerely,

Verizon eCenter

******************EARN UP TO $100 IN
REWARDS!*********************************

Refer friends to Verizon and EARN UP TO $100 referral when they sign up
.

Start earning here: