#reversethefee
JERRIC61
Newbie

The Remind app and free text service support communication and learning. Teachers, students, parents, coaches, and athletes all communicate effectively.  Will Verizon reconsider charging them the Spam fee?  I am very disappointed by this news!

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JOHMOO95
Enthusiast - Level 1

"#reversethefee  Remind messages should not be charged as spam! Remind only sends to people who have requested to receive the messages. Our schools, teams, and 4-H groups utilize Remind. I'll reconsider being a Verizon customer if this goes into effect.

itbusinessanalyst
Enthusiast - Level 2

#reversethefee #notspam Verizon should be able to identify spammers and non-spammers. Remind is not spam; it sends messages only to people who've asked, and it cancels on request (I've done that after my kid finished a class or team season). Remind should not be charged extra! Can Verizon just "decide" that any service is spam, so Verizon can charge higher fees?

josephe_vzw
Verizon Employee

I certainly understand the importance of being able to receive messages regarding from educators at your children’s schools. We won’t be charging Remind a fee. You can learn more here: https://vzweb.verizon.com/news/app-provider-remind-threatens-eliminate-free-texting-service-k-12

JosephE_VZW
Follow us on TWITTER @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the _Correct Answer_button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

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jav6
Champion - Level 3

josephe_vzw​ Your link doesn't work for me here using MS Edge, taking me to a blank page.  Using Chrome, it takes me to the Verizon Enterprise internal login page.  Can you check it out and provide another?

...Just another VZW customer...trying to offer some assistance...
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jav6
Champion - Level 3
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ANNEDW98
Enthusiast - Level 1

Verizon wireless clearly does not support the community as a whole. Educators, students, and parents should not have to pay to receive or send messages related to education or sports. Customers like myself, almost 20 years, pay for services with unlimited text. If top employees at Verizon do not see the harm they are creating to the members of the community, then the loss of clients within your own customer base may clear things up. It is very clear that this is an initiative to line your own pockets and receive proceeds to upgrade your golf clubs or extend your vacations. You do not see how this may harm certain teachers, students, and parents in the future. Sounds to me like a social construct to keep those that cannot afford to incur additional charges for a free education down. Only the elite can afford an education, correct? Personally, I find it disgusting and this mistreatment of people may back fire and you will not be buying golf clubs, but looking for a new position if your client base feels this type of disdain. To increase a client base you need to make customers happy. This includes teachers, parents, children, and a sense of equality across the board. Otherwise, your #1 position is up for grabs by competitors that sense the vulnerability from a mistake you have made.

suyakun
Enthusiast - Level 2

If Verizon can't differentiate between spammers and legitimate users then they need to reverse the fee or suspend it until they can figure it out. With this fee they are giving a clear advantage to ATT, Sprint, and all other cellular service providers. Seems silly to do so...

katbuck2000
Enthusiast - Level 1

Verizon needs to reverse the fee #reversethefee on a great app called Remind used by teachers and parents.  I also called in and left a compliant with the customer service team, and am skeptical whether that will go anywhere.  I have never complained about a company on a forum like this, but to charge a company that will cut off communication between teachers and parents?  Just ridiculous. 

vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

katbuck2000

 

We agree that schools and education-related institutions should not receive any fees for sending or receiving public service text messages.

 

A small fee to Twilio, a for-profit company, is intended to share costs incurred to help protect students, parents and teachers from spam and dangerous text messages over the Verizon network, while reducing fraud.  That very small fee will be charged only to major text messaging aggregation companies such as Remind and Twilio– and not schools, parents or students.

 

If anybody claims you need to pay a text message fee to Verizon, they're not telling the truth.

 

Remind alone sends 1.6 billion text messages a year on the Verizon wireless network through Twilio, and Twilio sends more than 4.5 billion each year. The small fee on Twilio will pay for the work required to contain spam and fraud associated with this service.

 

Again, there is no Verizon fee to parents or schools. We’re now working through plans with Twilio and Remind so that they will not charge students, parents, educators or schools for this fee.

 

EdwardL_VZW
Follow us on TWITTER @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the _Correct Answer_ button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

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Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Verizon caves, won’t charge “spam” fee for texts from teachers to students | Ars Technica

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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