International Single Rate Plan

[rock130]

I know this question has been posted already but I'm hoping the more times it is posted the quicker attention it will receive.  When I was with optimum they had number you could call from your phone to see how many minutes you have left for International calling.  I want to know is there a similar feature for Verizon

[meochoa]

Hello, I have the same question and was wondering if you have been able to get an answer. Thanks.

[dhlunar]

I asked my billing department here in Maryland in early October when I signed up for it, and their reponse was because it was new there was no way to keep track of it.  Basically they told me to keep a manual count.

[Renu]

I asked the same question to customer service, they said that you are the first customer rasing this issue. I do not think they will resolve this issue. We are moved to olden days counting manually.

[ruvic]

I have the same question. Verizon, can you hear us now?

[KARao]

It is perhaps more likely  that Verizon DOES NOT WANT to hear us!  In this time and age, it is ridiculous for Verizon to expect the customers to keep a manual count when their own customer service is on Automatic voice recognition software with our having to spend at least 20 to 40 minutes before we can get a human being on the other line . 

I have International Single rate plan with 300 supposedly "free" minutes, but after 229 minutes, the calls are being charged at exorbitant rates.  Can anyone throw any light on this?  Why 229 instead of 300?

Calls to cell phones are being charged sometimes at 1 cent per minute, and at another time for 34 cents per minute though the number is the same cell phone.   I cannot figure out why the billing begins after 229 minutes rather than 300 minutes and secondly how we can get advance information about the calling rates to cell  phones at different times of the day.  The way Verizon single rate plan works, it seems to be quite similar to a restaurant that makes sure that the menus do not carry prices and the customer is always in  for a surprise (not a pleasant one, usually)  when the bill arrives.

Calls to India, for example, can be made at 6 or 7 cents a minute with Reliance (and even lower with other companies) whether the call is to a landline or a cell phone and no matter what day of what time of day it is.  To pay 5 or 6 times that cost by using Verizon Single rate plan is irrational, absurd, and illogical.  The only reason, one gets stuck with this type of charges is because Verizon has deliberately made it impossible or extremely difficult to check the number of minutes available, and as a result, people end up making calls under the mistaken impression that they are covered under the "300" free minutes.  That 300 itself seems to be equal to 229 or whatever Verizon chooses to make it.  It is unfortunate that a major company like Verizon is bent upon pushing this type of business practices down the throats of customers by taking advantage of its virtual monopoly in certin areas.  We are supposedly in a free market economy.  Why can Verizon not compete fairly with other providers?

[InterFlat500]

I have been asking customer support since the time I signed up and everytime I hear a different story.

new program...cannot be done.. will be available in Summer ... Don't know what you mean..

We should all voice a strong concern to Verizon Customer Support.. Number of minutes used should be readily available.

[i_like_turtles]

Verizon JUST started doing this.

If you call up.  u can find this info out

[KARao]

If this is a manual process, I would say it is   another totally avoidable step which goes to prove the original point.   In any manual process,  I bet one cannot get rid of the hold time, repeating one's name, address, phone number and the 3-digit code an infinite number of times, giving permission to review the account----and  more often than not ending  up with some new feature and an added cost which one has supposedly "ordered" during the conversation.

Verizon should be able to provide customers a way to dial a particular number, respond to a few prompts to verify one's identity, and then obtain  the balance available in a completely automated manner.  I hope this is the case.  

Credit card companies have been providing balance by automated processes for ages.  Why can't Verizon?

[meochoa]

Verizon is definitely a joke! I just called to ask if the tracking service is available and after they made me talk to six people, I was told that it is not offered. One lady said that it is offered and tried helping me but was not able to do it because I do not see in the screen what she told me that I should see. Apparently, customer service can verify the number of minutes that you have used but customers are not able to do it in the internet. Since they do not seem to know the monthly cutoff date anyway, I do not see how even customer service can help. So, it looks like we need to keep tracking the minutes manually. I got tired of it and do not do it anymore; I just hope every month that I do not go over or under. Very frustrating!