Verizon charging for services not provided. Shameful!!

[N_Kaufman]

Had a post yesterday but somehow it has now disappeared.

it seems that Verizon wants to charge customers for a whole month even when the number is ported to another provider with nearly 2 weeks left in the billing cycle. Why is that so?

can a Verizon rep explain this?

Service agreement mentions number porting to be equivalent to cancellation which means pro-rated charges apply. Why then are customers being overcharged?

I am going to lodge a complaint with FCC about this as well as Washington Post - Color of Money - Michelle Singletary.

[rcschnoor · Accepted solution]

You need to re-read your customer agreement. It also says "Cancellations will become effective on the last day of that month's billing cycle" which would mean no pro-rated charges would apply!

[N_Kaufman]

I think you need to re-read the document before trying to provide incorrect answers - That sentence you provided only pertains to cancellation of service before end of contract.

So I think you need to re-read and not put bits and pieces from here and there to make up a response.

FYI - the sentence you provided appears under - "What happens if My Postpay Service is cancelled Before the End of My Contract Term.

Got it?

[21stNow]

Can I Take My Wireless Phone Number to Another Carrier?

You may be able to take, or "port", your wireless phone number to another carrier.  If you port a number from us, we'll treat it as though you asked us to cancel your Service for that number. After the porting is completed, you won't be able to use our service for that number, but you'll remain responsible for all fees and charges through the end of that billing cycle, just like any other cancellation. If you're a Prepaid customer, you won't be entitled to a refund of any balance on your account. If you port a number to us, please be aware that we may not be able to provide some services right away, such as 911 location services.  You don't have any rights to your wireless phone number, except for any right you may have to port it.

[N_Kaufman]

So going by what you said, you do port out on the last day of cycle, it takes anywhere from 4-7 days for port out and then are you NOT again on the hook for the next billing cycle charges? If not then your statement is not consistent and if yes then that is a problem.

[rcschnoor]

I GOT that you were charged for a full month, just like what that statement says.

I also GOT that the "next" portion of the customer agreement states that "you'll remain responsible for all fees and charges through the end of that billing cycle, just like any other cancellation." This quote IS from the portion of the agreement you ARE worried about. So porting your number is "just like" another type of cancellation such as canceling your service while under contract which takes effect at the end of the billing cycle.

It seems YOU need to re-read the agreement. I see a part in BOTH of those sections which state "you are responsible for all charges" until the end of the billing cycle. Nowhere do I see ANYTHING about pro-rating charges when canceling.

Furthermore, in the section about porting, it states if you are prepaid "you won't be entitled to a refund of any balance on your account." Why would they provide a refund for postpaid and NOT for prepaid. That seems to be a dead give-away that you WON'T be pro-rated if you are a postpaid customer.

But if you can point out ANY reference about pro-rating charges in the section about porting your number, I would love to see it.

[N_Kaufman]

All fees and charges do not mean that customers will be billed for the full month. If it is so, then why does Verizon not put it straight up as it did for Prepaid service? One could also argue that it is because this fact was not put straight up for Post-paid (when it was for Prepaid) would mean that the same policy cannot apply for Post paid. if it did then Verizon would have put the same statement for Post-paid. Why would you not interpret in this manner? After all you cannot show me anywhere in the agreement that shows post paid will be paying the full month's charge even when cancellation takes place within the billing cycle. For you to interpret it one way and not another is mis-leading. Dead give away, right?

The point remains that this is not at all the way it should be. No wonder all cell providers rank in the lowest tier for customer service. Remember Verizon refunding over-charges for data sometime back? Further, just because there is something in the agreement does not make it right. Enough people start complaining about this and perhaps verizon would need to start looking at it more closely.

So, hoping that someone at Verizon could see this, understand that I've been not only a Cellphone customer for over 9 years, but had landline, DSL, Fios and Mobile broadband services in the past and look to see how they nickel and dime customers.

[21stNow]

My post shows the policy for your exact situation and it clearly says that you will be charged through the end of the billing cycle.  What else could "all fees and charges" mean but that you would be billed a full month's service charges?

[rcschnoor]

N.Kaufman wrote:

All fees and charges do not mean that customers will be billed for the full month. If it is so, then why does Verizon not put it straight up as it did for Prepaid service? One could also argue that it is because this fact was not put straight up for Post-paid (when it was for Prepaid) would mean that the same policy cannot apply for Post paid. if it did then Verizon would have put the same statement for Post-paid. Why would you not interpret in this manner? After all you cannot show me anywhere in the agreement that shows post paid will be paying the full month's charge even when cancellation takes place within the billing cycle. For you to interpret it one way and not another is mis-leading. Dead give away, right?

The point remains that this is not at all the way it should be. No wonder all cell providers rank in the lowest tier for customer service. Remember Verizon refunding over-charges for data sometime back? Further, just because there is something in the agreement does not make it right. Enough people start complaining about this and perhaps verizon would need to start looking at it more closely.

So, hoping that someone at Verizon could see this, understand that I've been not only a Cellphone customer for over 9 years, but had landline, DSL, Fios and Mobile broadband services in the past and look to see how they nickel and dime customers.

Then we will just have to disagree, because I DO see the customer agreement saying you "will be paying the full months charge even when cancellation takes place within the billing cycle."

The reason it is not said the "same" way in the prepaid as it is in the postpaid section of the customer agreement is because it is a different billing system.

In the prepaid billing system, you have a cash balance from which your charges are deducted as you use the service. Since you have a "cash balance" in your account, you could possibly "think" you would get a refund if you cancelled service prior to depleting ALL of your cash balance. This is not the case since it is spelled out in the customer agreement.

In postpaid, you pay for the charges when they are billed and you do not have a cash balance which can be refunded. Therefore, you have nothing to be refunded and no need for the same wording in the customer agreement. Since you have been charged for "fees and services" during the billing period which you initiate/complete the port, it specifically states "you'll remain responsible for all fees and charges through the end of that billing cycle, just like any other cancellation".

Of course you can disagree, but that is the way I have always understood it to be, and Verizon saying you are not due a refund just reinforces my interpretation of the policy.

Finally, to confirm my interpretation, I called and asked prior to porting a line out of VerizonWireless recently and was told "my charges would not be pro-rated" for the ported line. Therefore, I initiated the port to coincide with the end of my billing cycle.

[android_wiz]

During your contract with any carrier you agree to pay for the whole billing cycle even if you port out after the first day so when doing a port out your other carrier contacts verizon and sets line on suspension so service is only going to one line but due to contract line cant disconnect  till end of cycle date if its a manual on demand disconnect then you lose the number. So lets say your cycle dates the 5th you would want to start your port on the 3rd or 4th because the actual port only takes 24-48 hours to port and this way your only being bill for one or two days by then your bill would have already been paid.