Family Fights $18K Verizon Bill.

[Johnboy60]

A Massachusetts family is locked in a standoff with Verizon over an $18,000 bill they accidentally racked up in just over a month. When the St. Germain family signed on with Verizon, they received 2 years of unlimited downloads as part of a promotion, the Boston Globe explains. When they re-signed, they say, no one told them the “promotion” was over. So son Bryan, who was away at college, kept right on using his phone to connect his laptop to the internet.

Family Fights $18K Verizon Bill - The fine print gets you every time

 

[Mr. Ripley]

Eek. Verizon couldn't have given them a courtesy call? A similar situation happened to me (though the phone company was at fault), and I was given a call and my data usage was cut off.

 

[QuakerPete]

Wow, what sort of prices are you guys getting charged for broadband?

 

[Mr. Ripley]

For AT&T it's only $15.00 per month for unlimited. If you don't have an unlimited plan, though, and you're charged by the amount of wireless data you use, it can get very expensive very quickly. Especially in this scenario, the boy was using the data usage not only on his phone, but also on his computer.

 

[FreeSpirit74]

Too bad, so sad. But it's up to the family to keep track of the time remaining on the unlimited period. 2 years means just that. 2 years from when you sign the initial contract. No one should have to tell them when the time's up.

Look... I bought a car last fall, with a 4-year, 48,000 mile warranty. So, therefore, it's up to ME to remember that, as of September 30, 2013, that warranty is null and void; or, if I hit 114,000+ miles before that time. I don't need the dealership to notify me, although they probably will. But, bottom line, I need to be the one, ultimately, to keep that in mind.

It's no different in this situation, with the Verizon bill.

 

[pgp_protector]

Too bad, so sad. But it's up to the family to keep track of the time remaining on the unlimited period. 2 years means just that. 2 years from when you sign the initial contract. No one should have to tell them when the time's up.

Look... I bought a car last fall, with a 4-year, 48,000 mile warranty. So, therefore, it's up to ME to remember that, as of September 30, 2013, that warranty is null and void; or, if I hit 114,000+ miles before that time. I don't need the dealership to notify me, although they probably will. But, bottom line, I need to be the one, ultimately, to keep that in mind.

It's no different in this situation, with the Verizon bill.

Sounds like you're talking about personal responsibility. I thought we outlawed personal responsibility.

 

[HasturX]

How is it the companies fault these people are too stupid to read a contract?

 

[lawtonfogle]

Sounds like you're talking about personal responsibility. I thought we outlawed personal responsibility.

There is a difference between being personally responsible and being taken advantage of. Or are all con men honest businessmen, and it is those who are conned who should have looked into it more? For example, those emails that try to trick you to get your bank number by promising money. While I will say those who fall for it are being stupid, those who do those cons are still wrong in doing so. Taking advantage of ignorance is taking advantage of ignorance, be it a child or an adult you are taking advantage of.

 

[lawtonfogle]

How is it the companies fault these people are too stupid to read a contract?

Same reason it is not the child's fault when they are taken advantage by someone, such as when someone trades a child a video game for a diamond the child found in their backyard. The only difference is that one is legal and one is not because the law over simplifies things.

 

[pgp_protector]

There is a difference between being personally responsible and being taken advantage of. Or are all con men honest businessmen, and it is those who are conned who should have looked into it more? For example, those emails that try to trick you to get your bank number by promising money. While I will say those who fall for it are being stupid, those who do those cons are still wrong in doing so. Taking advantage of ignorance is taking advantage of ignorance, be it a child or an adult you are taking advantage of.

So you're saying they weren't given a full description of what their bill would be?
That they can just use as much bandwidth as they want, and don't have to pay for it?

 

[pgp_protector]

Just an FYI
1) This was 4 Years Ago (2006 Bill)
2) They were paying about $0.014 A K Download. Not an excessive rate for a Cell Phone that's not designed to be your primary Internet Connection in 2006

 

[HasturX]

Taking advantage of ignorance is taking advantage of ignorance, be it a child or an adult you are taking advantage of.

So your solution is for business to assume that all of their customers are idiots and don't know how to read a contract?

 

[BotanicalBob]

I wouldn't pay the bill.

 

[Mystman]

So your solution is for business to assume that all of their customers are idiots and don't know how to read a contract?

Oh believe me, companies already do. Why do you think that these "first X period is extremely cheap!1!"-policies are so very popular?

Because companies know that many people will forget to cancel their contract when the trial period is over, or forget that after date X the costs suddenly soar, or can not be bothered to read heaps of legalese fine-print, or misunderstand said legalese, etc.

Plenty of companies make their money off these common human faults. That many companies are now more concerned with how best to exploit human weaknesses, instead of how best to create a product that would best benefit both the company and the client, sickens me to no end.

 

[wpiman2]

People should read the fine print.....

That said-- Verizon is getting KILLED because of this. I know 4 people whose contracts expired and they dumped Verizon because of this story. Their learn when their renewals in boston plunge.

 

[Mela Monkey]

Thought it may have been the guy's fault for not knowing the contract..
I blame Verison for waiting until the bill got to $18k before they told the people.. they could have easily seen that there was a problem when the bill got to $500.

 

[ReverendDG]

Too bad, so sad. But it's up to the family to keep track of the time remaining on the unlimited period. 2 years means just that. 2 years from when you sign the initial contract. No one should have to tell them when the time's up.

the issue isn't about them not keeping track of when the unlimited time ended, the issue is that verizon didn't tell them that they no longer got the unlimited deal when they resigned.

Look... I bought a car last fall, with a 4-year, 48,000 mile warranty. So, therefore, it's up to ME to remember that, as of September 30, 2013, that warranty is null and void; or, if I hit 114,000+ miles before that time. I don't need the dealership to notify me, although they probably will. But, bottom line, I need to be the one, ultimately, to keep that in mind.

verzion didn't tell them they no longer could get the unlimited deal when they renewed, your analogy isn't even close to the mark.

It's no different in this situation, with the Verizon bill.

uh yes it is, did you even read the page?

When they re-signed, they say, no one told them the “promotion” was over.

seriously?
i would hope a company wouldn't screw me over by omitting that i don't get unlimited data transfer after i re-sign up for their service and let my bill run to 18k without telling me, that is verisons fault.

 

[ReverendDG]

How is it the companies fault these people are too stupid to read a contract?

how is this stupid? verizon like a lot of companies hide fine print to get people to pay, its bait and switch.

even if the family should have checked the contract, verizon shouldn't gouge them like that.
we need a better system to protect consumers.

 

[HasturX]

Thought it may have been the guy's fault for not knowing the contract..
I blame Verison for waiting until the bill got to $18k before they told the people.. they could have easily seen that there was a problem when the bill got to $500.

What do you think Verizon does? Pay people to look at how big someones bill is getting? It was sent to him when it was because that was the regular payment period.

 

[HasturX]

the issue isn't about them not keeping track of when the unlimited time ended, the issue is that verizon didn't tell them that they no longer got the unlimited deal when they resigned.

Except they signed a contract that said there was no unlimited deal.