Verizon data

[djiddon]

For the last year or so, Verizon has been pushing me (emails, texts, notifications) to switch to an unlimited plan that is much more expensive than my current plan. Around the same time, I started getting charged for data overage, at a cost of $15 per GB, usually 2-4 times a billing cycle, routinely increasing my bill from around $120/month to $180/month, even though our phone usage habits had not changed. I work from home and do not need data often, and my daughter (who has a line on this account) uses data when she is out only in emergencies. I have tried to find data usage information in my online account, and it always says "unavailable." Tonight I started a chat in the website and insisted to a customer service agent to see when my data usage was occurring. Instead, I had repeated offers to upgrade to an unlimited plan "to solve the problem I had with my plan" instead of an answer to my question - no surprise, there. Through my insistence, I was able to get a link to see the data usage, and as I suspected, Verizon is "stealing" my data at 6-hour intervals four times a day, every day, like clockwork: 12/12/22: 4:12pm, 0.08939 GB, 12/12/1222, 10:12pm 0.00025 GB, 12/13/22: 4:12am, 0.00024GB, 12/13/2022: 10:11am, 0.00069 GB and so on, day in and day out, every six hours. I asked to speak to a supervisor three times, and then the agent just left me hanging for 15 minutes. When I let them know I had copied the chat and the documentation showing the theft and would take steps on my own, they suddenly came back on line and said they didn't understand my question. I've since gone into the website and downloaded the only three monthly reports available (why can't I see all of them?) which shows my data "usage".  I don't need an unlimited plan. Before this, I rarely used the 3GB I had on my original plan, now I'm regularly using 7-10GB a month when I'm at home connected to wi-fi all day? 

[vzw_customer_support]

Hi, our goal is to provide you the best experience. Please allow us the opportunity to provide you with the help you deserve. To get started please send us a Private Message.

>Bris

[djiddon]

Hi. I truly don’t believe that is Verizon’s goal, otherwise they wouldn’t be stealing the data I’m paying for and then charging me extra for going over my “limit” several times a month. And it’s not just me. Now I know what’s going on, I’m finding countless other stories. This has been going on for YEARS.

[vzw_customer_support]

This is not the experience we want to provide. Please send us a DM to better assist you.

>Bris

[dpstruewing]

Exact same story here.  Friday, January 13th.  We get notification that we only have 10% data left...which for our plan is 1 gb.  My husband, 28 year old responsible daughter, and I began limiting our data usage to prevent overage.  I guess since we weren't using data, Verizon decides that we need a little action.  So yesterday morning, my husband's phone shows .27 usage at 4:48 a.m (when he was sound asleep)., and then between 9:38 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., a mere 22 minutes, he uses another 2.47 (nearly 2.5gigs) of data.  This is impossible.  My husband only uses his phone for talk and text, and maybe uses the internet every great once in awhile to look at something at Menards or Lowes.  HE HAS NO APPS, other than a weather app and spylink (which is currently not working) on his phone.  So for him to use 2.47 gigs of data in 22 minutes is not realistic.  Not to mention he was working at the time.  He did make a text during that time frame, and the data shows .57 used near the same time frame.  I might add for the 26 days prior to this happening he only used .33 gigs of data.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to call yesterday about it.  I wake up to texts from my daughter this morning saying what the heck (can't use a bad word here), she was driving to work, left her house around 7 a.m. and arrived at 7:15.  At 7:18 and 7:20, we get 2 additional notices that we had gone over our data.  So now we are up to 4 gigs over in a matter of 2 days.  When i check the records, it shows data usage of 5:46 a.m. of .24 (sleeping and at home on wifi), and then at 7:18 a.m. she used 1.13, at 7:20 she used .65, and 7:21, she used .19 (ironically 7:21 is when she texted me to say what the heck (again censored for using a bad word).  She used 1.97 of gigs in 3 minutes.  How is that even possible?  It's not.  And she tells me she even had her apps closed to conserve usage, everything.  Something fishy is going on here.  So I call Verizon today.  First thing Ms. Shacola says when she answers, before I can even say anything, she asks if I want to upgrade my plan. NOOOO, I want my current plan, but I want to figure out what's going on with this data usage.  I mean seriously, how can someone use 2 gigs in 3 minutes.  And I get from her:  well your daughter can be running things in the background, or basically she's lying about her use.  I tell her she's a grown woman, not a teenager, and she knows how to control herself, and if it was just her, I an see maybe, but not that much especially after we have been notified to lay off the usage.  But then there's my husband's supposed usage...I know for a fact that he's not using it.  She continues to argue with me and is basically no help, and i finally say, well I am not paying for it.  We didn't use, so i am not paying for it.  And i might add, that i have paid for overage before but i can usually attribute that to being on vacation, using maps or something like that.  Then I get put on hold, and she comes back and says support says when using wifi you need to turn your cellular data off so it doesn't revert to using it.  Oh really, still doesn't explain 2 gigs of usage in 3 minutes.  Basically a blow off!  And I thought I was talking to support, if I am not, then give them to me.  After further argument/discussion, she says she will give me 25% off my usage.  I am like that's not good enough.  I want my data back.  It's .11 until I go over another gig, so really what you are offering is no help.  Again, I am still trying to figure out what's going on.  51 minutes of total blow off.  I hung up saying I would contact counsel.  And that's exactly what I plan to do, plus take action with the appropriate FCC and my congress people. 

[djiddon]

This is a follow up to my earlier post. The same day I found out that Verizon was stealing my data at regular six hour intervals and then charging me for "overage," I filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. I spent an hour and forty minutes last Saturday on chat with Verizon customer "service" to request a report of the last two years of my data usage to support my complaint against Verizon Wireless with the FCC. Unsurprisingly, I was told this wasn't possible by both the agent and supervisor I spoke to, however, the agent asked me repeatedly why I wanted this information. Finally, she offered that if I wanted it for legal reasons, my lawyer would have to contact Verizon's legal department. So it IS possible, they just don't want customers to have the information. The supervisor submitted "a request to internal team so your concern will be investigated." When I asked what that means, he didn't reply, nor did he reply to my request for contact information for the Legal Department. When I continued to ask for the information, he started to take my questions personally and became sarcastic. He finally gave me the number for Verizon Headquarters, an 800 number. The "investigation" will take up to two weeks. Pretty shabby for a communications company, I think, especially when I can almost guarantee the answer will be "it's not possible." Anyway, I'm writing now because the FCC accepted my complaint and Verizon has 30 days to respond. I will let you know when I get a response from the "investigation" (I'm not holding my breath) and the response to my complaint from Verizon - let's hope Verizon will suddenly get a conscience, stop abusing and stealing from customers, and pay me back the money they have stolen by cramming my bill with fraudulent charges.  Fingers crossed! I have to say I'm surprised  more Verizon customers are not up in arms over this. I know I'm not the only one they are doing it to (if you look hard enough, there have been stories just like mine for YEARS). Is it just that most have been bullied into unlimited? I urge anyone not on an unlimited plan and who is routinely begin charged overage  to check your data usage. You can download a report of data usage for the last three months, that shows it by the day and hour. It would be nice to have some group momentum to get this practice STOPPED and get our stolen money BACK.

[dpstruewing]

Same thing has been happening to me.  We are on an old plan, and have gotten the same pushes to switch plans.  At this time, we do not need an unlimited plan.  I have even paid overage charges before (and some occasions even wondered how the overage happened, but non the less paid the charge(s).  On Friday, January 13th at 11:57 p.m.  we all received notification that we only had 10% of our usage available.  Which for us means we have 1 gig left to last 7 days.  On our plan is myself, my husband and our 28 year old daughter.  We are all responsible adults and can have self control when it comes to limiting data.  Well I guess our self-control was our downfall, because on Monday morning, January 16, 2023) after surviving the weekend without going over our data, at 9:36 a.m. we get a notification that we had gone over and was being charged the $15.00.  8 minutes later at 9:44 a.m., we get another message saying the same thing--being charged $15 for overage.  At that time both my husband and daughter text me to tell me that they are not doing anything, but my husband said he sent a text at 9:39.  At 9:56 we get another overage message saying we are now being charged $30.  Unfortunately, I had a super busy day at work, so I was unable to check to see what was going on.  Fast forward to to Tuesday morning, and I get 3 messages at 7:21 a.m. from my daughter, asking what is going on because she had been at home on wifi (but she wasn't even using her phone), left her house to go work, got on the secure WIFI at work, and now we got two more notices that we were over once again.  I should also note that those same 3 messages from her arrived again at 7:26.  She even said she had all her apps closed because we had been trying to preserve since Friday.  So at 7:18 on Tuesday, we got a notification that we were being charged $45, and then 2 minutes later at 7:20 a.m. we were being charged for 4 gb at $60.00. At this point, I begin to start researching our data usage so I can call verizon, because I am certain there is some mistake.  So let's start with what I found beginning on Friday, January 13th, 2023: 

      Remember I said we received notification of 10% left at 11:57 p.m. Friday night (about midnight).  Prior to that my daughter was charged with usage at 12:27 a.m.--0;  6:26 a.m. --.14;  12:26 p.m.--1.05, and at 6:26 p.m. .35.  These are all bogus usages.  So from the period of 12:27-6:26 a.m. while my daughter was sleeping and at home on her WIFI, she used .14 of data--no she didn't--there's no way possible; and then at 12:26 p.m. while working as a therapist at a hospital with a secure WIFI-that she must log on to (and there are records of), she was charged with 1.05 gigs of usage--impossible and didn't happen, and then at 6:26 p.m., she was charged with using .35 gigs.  And ironically after recalling her activities on Friday night, she remembers being in the presence of a friend and she used VENMO to send money to her friend at guess what time:  yep exactly 6:26 p.m.  NO WAY does it use .35 gigs to send money through VENMO.  I researched my Venmo activity, and it appears that I only use .01 data when using it, if that.  So it appears that Verizon was trying to push us closer to our limit of 10 GB by charging my daughter with using 1.54 gigs of data when she didn't and has evidence of the same. 

Then on Monday, after we didn't go over all weekend as Verizon expected us to, the game had to continue.  However this time it was my husband's phone.  My husband only uses his phone to text and talk, and even then he hardly responds to texts.  He may occasionally look at the weather or something at Menards or Lowes, but that's it.  His "extraordinary" data usage began at 4:48 am with .27 gigs, 9:38--.57 gigs, 9:44--.47 gigs, 9:47--.15 gigs, 9:48--.42 gigs, 9:55--.14 gigs, 9:56--.58 gigs, and 10:00 .14  gigs.  First of all at 4:48 a.m. my husband was sleeping (we stayed up late to watch football game) and his phone is connected to WIFI, so it's impossible to use that data at that time of the night.  And then to think that he actually used 2.47 of gigs in a 22 minute time span.  IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.  He did send a text at 9:39 a.m. (which ironically is not showing up on the message log).  There is no way he used that much data when all he did was text.  He does construction and was in the middle of installing a ceiling when all of this occurred. 

SO I call Verizon.  Of course, this is not something that you can translate over a chat session.  So after Shacola introduces herself, the first thing she says...Would you like to change your plan?  I am like NO, I am fine with my plan, my problem is with your reporting of data usage.  So after explaining what was going on, we went around the Mulberry bush probably 20 times with well your daughter is using 10 gb of data...I know that, but again the unexplained usage--her answer was basically my daughter is lying about her usage.  My daughter is not a teenager, she's a responsible adult, and I discussed EVERYTHING about what she was doing prior to call--so try again.  And if it was just my daughter, then I might think something was going on with her phone, but when my husband is being charged usage when I KNOW for a fact that he 's not using it--that's where I know the data usage is bogus.  Then after 30 minutes of so going round and round and not getting any answers, just puff of "something must be running in the background", "daughter and husband are lying", "did she download stuff while she was driving to work, look at a map" (yeah seriously, it's a 10-15 minute drive, and she's been working at the same place for a couple of years".  She just stuck to the script.  Finally, I say I am not paying for the overage.  I am calling because I am trying to figure out what's going on as it appears your data gauge is malfunctioning.   At that point, she put me on hold.  After a bit she comes back and says "support" says that even if you are on WIFI, you need to turn off your cellular data to make sure there are no breakthough data usage.  Oh really, what a bunch of bologna.  While I know wifi can "short" out, but what a bogus excuse.  And I thought I was talking to support, so who was this lady I was talking to?  After discussion about me not being crazy, that I know what I am talking about, that I don't mind paying for usage if I indeed do use the data, she put me on hold once again.  After about 10 minutes, she comes back and says "ma'am we can offer you a 25% discount on the overage"  I was like I don't want your discount, I want to know what's going on (not to mention the discount is just 1 gig of data at this point and at that point we were at 4.89 of overage with 4 days to go.  My disgust got the better of me, and I hung up on her.  My family took every step necessary to conserve data usage, but when our efforts were successful in preventing, Verizon stole our data and/or pushed bogus data usage amounting to 6.49 gigs in just in 5 days.  Now, we are all paranoid about even touching our phones, because it seems a simple text or Venmo transaction causes extraordinary data usage.  I plan to call Verizon again after this cycle is finished to  attempt to resolve the issue.   If they are doing this to both of us, I am sure there are others.  

[dpstruewing]

I too will file a complaint with the FCC

[vzw_customer_support]

 I would love to help on how you can view your usage and see where your data is going. I have sent you a private message. 

-Amber

[dpstruewing]

I have viewed my usage, tried to discuss it with Shacola yesterday who claimed she couldn't see what I was talking about.  I can see where my data is going..."Web services and social networking"  for my husband it was "communication and devices" nothing that would consume 2.47 gigs in 22 minutes.  Spent 51 minutes on the phone yesterday with Shacola and got nowhere.  One gig if you are just looking on the internet should last at least 24 hours.  You have charged us 6.49 gigs in the last 5 days.  We are not gaming, not videoing, nothing.  YOU look at my data and read my post and figure out what I am talking about.