Verizon Phones Service Suspended After 11 Days Late!!

I understand you should pay your bills on time and call to work out
terms, but life is not always perfect in terms of being able to call.
We have all been there. You get stuck on hold for thirty minutes and
have a million other things on the to do list.

I think the fees for reactivation are way high. Almost monopolistic
in nature. They can charge them because there is no other service who
does not charge those fees.

There is no real solution, because if the govt regulated it, the cell
phone companies would raise rates based on the new regs. Its only the
bad press that could help lower the fees, but those fees are not going
to get much bad press because in order to have those fees, you must be
late and nobody wants to admit to being late via regular or social
media. Its a good place now for cell phone companies as in today's
world it is very necessary to have a cell phone.

I run a business and know that not everyone pays on time or even net
30! Around the holidays I sometimes have to act as bill collector to
actually get paid and when clients do not pay me, I can have slow
payment on my receivables.

I think as smart as computers are, they could assign a risk score to
every customer based on their payment history and the amount of time
they were a customer. If a customer has been with ATT for ten years
and has paid on time most of the time and or stayed out of
collections, then its a good call that that person will not just stop
paying for they will not have a phone!

Any company that offers a product or service that is a must
have...gasoline, electricity, cell phone, food, ect...will have some
control over what they charge their customers since demand is high and
as less players are in the business, supply is low. If we had ten
thousand cell phone providers, sure,...prices would be lower. I think
that is what makes me more upset than anything, is that cell phone
companies charge a fee that is equal to a months use of the phone for
the penalty. If your mortgage company had a $1200 late fee if you
paid past the 30th that would really hurt, but that is the equivalent
to what the cell phone companies charge for their late fee.

Same just happenned to me and I cancelled my 2 year contract kept my 6
week old iPhone4s and signed on to Tmobile. Fck, em if they can,t take
a joke or learn how to respect the people who pay thier salaries.

Actually the person who is sickened by you sickens me.

It is not abnormal that sometime during the course of a longtime
business relationship a bill will go a few days to a few months past
due.
The idea that Verizon will cancel your service when just a few days
late shows that they do not value their customers.
I would like to see how Verizon pays their vendors. I would bet they
do not pay net 30 terms in net 30. They can do this because they are
big enought to be in the power position. The vendors know they will
get paid eventually. Verizon will bully the customer because they can
get away with it. Cell phones have become a necessity and the more
necessary they are the more punishing the terms will become.
Cancelling service for a bill that is a few days past not the way
people or businesses treat each other when they value each other.

You don't make me sick. Verizon makes me sick.

I just had to reply to this, even though it is an old post. But people
like you sicken me. I'm the wife of a veteran, and never ONCE has he
ever complained about a company not working with him because he was in
the military. As a matter of fact, more times then not, unless we are
renting a car or going to a hotel, he doesn't try to get military
discounts.

You were obviously very young when you wrote this, however, old enough
to know better, young enough not to care. I am with verizon, and I
love them! They are one of few phone companies that will actually work
with you when it comes to paying your bill, IF you let them know
what's going on BEFORE they shut your phone off. But it sounds like
you'd rather get everything for free whether your military or not.
You're in the military, be a role model, not a irresponsible kid.

First off, if you knew you couldn't afford it then you shouldn't have
gotten the lines. Plain and simple... ESPECIALLY smartphones that cost
more to buy and to have smartphone packages on.

Second, reconnect fees and late fees are in the contract.. as they are
in every service provider. If you didn't read it, that's your fault.
Also, If you knew you were going to be late on a payment you could
have made arrangements to pay without getting disconnected. PS- LATE
IS LATE... any service provider can turn off your service and charge
you fees because.. YOU DIDN'T PAY THEM.

Third, instead of talking about how Verizon needs to treat their
customers better maybe you need to put your big boy pants on and man
up to what you are responsible for... because of your irresponsible
actions your pregnant fiance has no phone. Don't blame anyone but
yourself for not following the rules, especially that of a CONTRACT
you signed... you should know that you need to follow them... your a
VETERAN, right? I know they taught you better.

omg! i swear today that just happened to me! it's been 12 days since i
was late. and they shut them off 2day. been a customer for 3 years. i
couldnt even reason with them. they wouldnt turn it back on for the
life of them. i told them sometimes with the economy people have a bad
check day. they didnt care. i am a stay at home mom with 2 18 year
olds on my plan plus the hubby. they want 15 per line also. my bill
already a month is 170. now they want an additional 60. UNREAL! i told
them put it to collections i'll go to walmart and get their family
plan! and its sad you are a veteran. come on wheres the respect.
you figure our bill is 170. a month. they are making a killing off of
us only to terminate our service for 12 lousy days. i am going crazy
without my phone!! and for you to sooo badly need yours for you and
your family is so sad! and there is a way they can work with the
customers...but just don't want to i guess. i'm still debating should
i reactivate it next thursday....or tell them to kiss our asses! i'm
filing bankruptcy anyways for my hospital bills! i'll just throw that
on there. and they had the nerve to say early cancellation is a 120.00
per line. we have 4. i almost choked! i cant even get reception in a
walmart store with thier service! they sure in a hell aint worth that
money! you keep your head up. try the walmart plan. or i hear that
metro pcs has good prices. not alot of towers yet in alot of areas,
but they are expanding day by day. my sis has it and she loves it! i
wish you and your family the best! (cindy)

I am the daughter of a veteran, and I am a nurse. I have saved MANY
lives. But I would never in a million years consider telling someone
that I have a right to slack on my bills because I am a nurse.

A cell phone is not a right, it is a privilege. If you have chosen to
have one for the convenience and safety of your pregnant girlfriend,
then perhaps you should have limited it to emergency calls only, and
got a cheaper plan. Also, you can use 911 on any disconnected cell
phone if it is charged. FREE

You should NEVER EVER let a bill go more than 30 days late. If YOU
choose to do this, it will only affect YOUR credit. Verizon will not
suffer because of your $80 debt, but you will have it on your credit
for many years to come.

My ex finace was an attorney who decided not to pay a charge on a
medical bill of $50 extra for ice that they applied to an injury. Yes,
$50 for ice. So, do you think their office suffered any hardship
because he refused to pay that $50? No. But when we went to purchase a
home, he had to pay it off before they would consider us for a loan,
AND he had to write a letter of explanation that made him look like a
big loser. For God's sake he was an attorney. No one gets special
treatment for unpaid bills.
If you can't afford the cell phone, don't get one.

You know, most companies will work with you if you CALL them before
the bill is due, not wait til after it's cut off and then complain
about how unfair it is.

Also,you are not currently military, you are a veteran -- ex
military. You are 24 years old, you don't get to claim special
priviledges for the rest of your life just because you served 3 or 4
years in the military.

And you are NOT earning your money at the moment, you earned your
paycheck while you were serving, but now you are using one of the
(small) benefits for choosing that particular job for a few years, by
getting to go to college for less of your own money than everyone
else. Putting money into the GI bill was a choice you made. (I
personally think it was a good choice, but still a choice.)

Being a veteran or in the military is really irrelevant to you being
responsible for your bills. $700 is way out of line assuming it is all
from VZW.

I am sure during war time or active deployment exceptions can be made
in advance. All it takes is to call them and tell them you want to
make payment arrangements and talk about getting rid of a re-connect
fee which i this is personally a joke to take your money. IF you
indeed owe that much then they surely should not stress out about the
$45. I also hear there is arbitration. I am not sure how that works
though.

BTW I have gone over 11 days without paying my bill before and I have
NEVER been shut off. They just bill my account next month, and I pay
it, so I am confused about hearing some 11 day policy. But i wouldn't
put it past companies to do this just to charge a re-connect fee...

Because you executed your right to choose to go with
verizon(remembering that no one force you to do so) you push the
responsibility of that right to everyone else by not paying your
bill?

"Option three is that you do nothing and I will not pay you. You can
send this to collections and in 5 years i'll settle what I owe for
pennies on the dollar with some agency and spend the rest of my life
bad mouthing Verizon Wireless. I am 24 years old, have had multiple
accounts with Verizon and Cingular, and I know when I am being
screwed. I would rather spend the rest of my life bad mouthing your
company than pay 45 dollars for being 11 days late on my first phone
bill. Learn to treat customers, especially VETERANS, better."

by saying you will bad mouth them what is their incentive to do
anything for you?

Okay, I figured out this happens for version and at&t. What is going
on with these arrogant wireless companies? For the last one year, we
paid every bill on due dates except for this month. We were late 11~12
days and ATNT wireless suspended my wife's and my phones. I just
talked with those "service" agencies from atnt, and they kept saying
it is automated system, and they can't do anything about it. Goodness,
I don't know how many times I told them you guys built that "so
called" automated system. And the manager told me, it is ATNT policy
that they can suspend the phones even 1 day after due date!!! For
God's sake, we are not talking about the late payment fee and we don't
have any problem with it, but suspending phones is another thing. We
don't have any landline at home. If I have hadn't open the messenger,
there would have been no way to contact me today. These arrogant ATNT
Policy needs to be corrected unlesss they think this is a new way to
collect easy money from their customers. At least, Version has a
better coverage. I can't wait for finishing this contract with ATNT.

You signed a contract, you pay what you agreed.

And while veterans desrve the utmost courtesy and respect, they do NOT
deserve MORE rights than anyone else. Most wouldn't think to even ASK
for that.

"Learn to treat customers, especially VETERANS, better."

Why should a veteran get treated BETTER than anyone else?

1). I'm wondering if you paid the AT&T fee first?

2). Why aren't your brother or your pregnant fiance paying for some of
this?

I guess I just wonder at what point do you feel it is acceptable for
Verizon to "put their foot down?" They gave you a due date and you
could not pay by that date, so they gave you more than a week past
that and then cut the phones off. What's the point of a due date if
there's always a call for leniency?

11 days? Wow, that's a pretty generous grace period. I remember when
things were shut off right away if not paid for by the due date.

LW WILL be held responsible for the contract they signed, which will,
sadly, affect their credit and loans issue for the rest of their life.
LW being in the military has NOTHING to do with Verizon's policies or
LW's "treatment."

It has everything to do with being an adult and living in an adult
world where actions have consequences.

LW can rant all they want, but choosing not to pay will hurt LW and
their family more than it will ever hurt Verizon.

From my experience, verizon is one of the best companies as far as
making payment arraigments. Most of the times, you dont even need a
CS rep. It is all automated. You just call, tell them when you will
be making payment (within reason) and done.

Although, I do remember a time when there was no "grace" period for
late bills. Due date ment due date. And in some cases you were shut
off that day.

Dustin,

if 1050 is your only income, I would recommend a few solutions. First,
depending on your state of residence, you can most likely get a deeply
discounted landline. This is an option that is available for
qualified individuals. Here's a link for your review:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/lllu.html

Now, in my state, (Michigan), some of my consumers, (I'm a social
worker), have landlines for about $20 per month.

Second, you can also apply for a Safelink phone. Safelink is an
emergency cellphone that is available for free for those who qualify.
It doesn't give you much. Depending on your state, you can get the
phone and about 60 minutes or so free per month, (911 does not count
against your minutes).
https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/home.aspx

I know that this does not solve the problem with your current carrier,
but it may help in the long run to have a landline or emergency cell
so that you're not stuck.

I hope that it all works out for you.

...There are things. They are called "Payment Plans"

...If you got both your bills and said "Oh hey. I am not going to
have enough money to pay this right now." So you call your phone
company. Explain the situation. and set up to pay at a later date. I
have done it with my phone company several times. The way I see it.
You didn't pay, ASSUMING they wouldn't care. and are now pissed that
they actually do?

Also. Just curious. after those phone bills ((if you had paid both of
them)). that should leave you with about $508, not a lot of money
sure... but more than enough. My fiance is the soul source of income
for our house. he makes damn close to the same amount per month you
do. Yet, we still manage 2 phone bills, rent, utilities, food, pet
food, gas... AND Christmas presents this year.
I get that Christmas is a time of great spending. But your bills, you
know things you have made a commitment to, should come first. No
matter how much you want to buy presents. Bills first. Fun second.

I don't think Verizon should have to give you, credit you, allow you
anything.

I'm sorry, but I've had AT&T for a while now and they cut off my
service after just a few days of non-payment. There was a mix-up with
my payment that month and as soon as I called them and straightened
things out, they restored service. (ie: I made sure they received
their payment and were aware that they had received payment)

There is absolutely no doubt that you owed AT&T, and now you owe
Verizon as well. I too cannot understand why you would switch phone
companies in the middle of a contract. Seems childish to me to incur
needless fees when you know very well something is going to have to go
unpaid.

What I don't get as well is why did you pay for the termination fee
before paying your phone bill? You say it's Verizon's fault that you
have no phone but in reality, if you had paid your phone bill and not
the termination fee, you would still have service! I personally don't
understand why you'd want to put your credit in danger at all.
However, if you're going to do it anyway, why not pay for continued
service instead of the termination fee?

None of the "solutions" you've come up with for Verizon benefit them
at all. They take back the phones and shut down your account, they
lose their money because presumably, you aren't going to pay. If they
accept your $80 and turn your on your phones, they are taking a huge
risk that you will continue to take advantage of them and their
service and won't pay. The third option will only serve to ruin your
credit and make it that more difficult for you to hop from phone
company to phone company.

"Option three is that you do nothing and I will not pay you. You can
send this to collections and in 5 years i'll settle what I owe for
pennies on the dollar with some agency and spend the rest of my life
bad mouthing Verizon Wireless."

And your credit rating will be shot to you-know-where. Good luck
purchasing a house or a car with those unpaid bills on your record.

And you and your pregnant fiance and your brother will have no phone
service. How clever of you!!

"Verizon knows that I am military and that I get paid on certain
days." Perhaps the people who signed you up know this, but Verizon's
computers don't.

You're 24 and you've had "multiple accounts" with Verizon, Cingular,
and AT&T. Wow. You'd think you would have figured out all the
termination fees and activation fees and due dates and such.

Why didn't you go to a Verizon store to straighten this out? We have
4 or 5 in our city of 50,000.

In your response to another poster, you state that "Everyone needs a
phone." You're right. Many families make do with just a landline,
with an answering machine or voicemail. When I was 24, we had to do
things like write down work phone numbers or friends'/family phone
numbers. Or use a *gasp* phone book.

I cannot imagine the plan you must have signed up for. We have 5
phones on one Verizon account; it's less than $200 per month. The
college student and the social butterfly each have unlimited texting;
all three kids have insurance. All phones are paid for, but no
smartphones or Blackberries or Droids.

Maybe your fiance and your brother could pitch in, and maybe you could
get a job while you are living off the GI Bill. Many of us managed to
work and go to college at the same time.

As a veteran, you are owed many things. Free phone service is not one
of them.

And quit complaining that they need to treat their customers better.
You took phones from them. You took service from them. If this is
the first bill that you're complaining about, as it appears to be, you
haven't paid for those things; if you are serious about your
"options," apparently you aren't planning to pay for them, either.
Customers pay for the things they take, so if what you write in this
letter is true, you are not Verizon's customer.

Uhh Yeah...if you dont pay YOUR bill after its due, they pretty much
come and cut it off. Same is true for any other service, if you dont
pay then you dont have the service for very long. And since you are
prior military then you should know better then to NOT pay your bills.
And actually I hold you to a higher standard since you ARE a veteran.
If you are having problems paying your bills while you are in school,
get a job. My son did it! He worked full time and went to school
full time.

Question? Why was your phone bill $700? Isn't that I tad high? I
freaked out when mine hit $100 one month! When my contract with
TMobile expired I got Cricket. I pay $50 per month for unlimited
EVERYTHING and that is 24/7, 365 days a year and if I cant pay it one
month, no big deal...its pre-paid. I just leave off that month and
then start back up when I can afford it again..that way I am not
running up phone bills I cant afford to pay nor am I ruining my credit
with NOT paying it.

The only screwing happening here is you doing it to yourself via your
own bad planning/choices.

May I suggest that really the last thing you want is a collection on
your credit report? It's going to do some damage if you do that.

I think eleven days is generous. Years ago, i has US Cellular, i made
a habit of paying my bill very early (the day that i got it). One
month, it slipped my mind, i remembered it when they shut me off, ON
THE DUE DATE! Aparrently they dont mess around, at noon on the day by
bill was due, my phone stopped working, i called 611 and was
immediately transferred to the credit department.

Dustin,

Suppose someone walked up to you on the street and asked you for $100.
They say "trust me, I'll pay you one week from today."

Would you hand over the $100?

Suppose you did, and then a week later, the person was there and said
"I'm not paying you today."

What would you do?

military card. The three of you are responsible for these fees. It's
ridiculous for you to think you'll pay what you want. The fact that
you are boasting of letting it go to collections then pay pennies on a
debt that you rightfully owe would tell me that they were right in
cutting you off. You are a credit risk of the worst variety.

Based on all the letters you have written you seem to live above your
means. And being in the military has nothing to do with this - I am
not in the military and I only get paid twice a month - does this
excuse me from paying bills?

why did you cancel AT&T knowing there was an early termination fee?

You wrote that you are 8 days past your grace period - well, you're 8
days past and even if you weren't - you would still owe on your bill.

As far as them taking you to a collections agency - I guess you don't
seem to mind further ruining your credit score.

And sorry - Christmas has nothing to do with this - you need to pay
your debts before purchasing gifts.

Hello, your 11 days past due. Of course they are going to suspend your
service. That's what happens when people don't pay their bills. Common
sense. They are not insulting you, it is you that is insulting them.
Pay your bill on time or call them and make a PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT
before your service is suspended and you won't have this problem.

"I recently cancelled my AT&T wireless account with 2 IPhones to a
family plan with Verizon Wireless. I made a horrible mistake
apparently...I had a AT&T cancellation fee of 296.00"

To begin with, you took on a $300 cancellation fee just to switch
carriers. I would call this a mistake for someone who is unemployed,
but everyone is different.

"plus this first bill of 246.00 that were both to be paid in the same
week. Now, I am an optimist but how can I possibly afford to pay both
on a 1050 dollar net paycheck, during Christmas??"

So this *was* a mistake. This is a question you should have asked
yourself before choosing to cancel early.

"I understand that I am 11 days late but even AT&t has a 10 day grace
period and if you are late they just add it to the next bill"

Have I followed correctly - your carrier is VZW, not AT&T, right?
What bearing does AT&T's policy have on this matter?

"I am sitting here with no phone, my pregnant fiance has no phone, and
my brother has no phone."

Right. This is what happens when you don't pay your bill. If you
hadn't canceled your AT&T account and incurred a high fee, you might
still be talking.

"Verizon knows that I am military and that I get paid on certain
days."

Does this bear on the matter of suspending your service for lack of
payment?

"I have a few options that I want Verizon Wireless to consider."

It seems that VZ has only one option for you to consider, which they
have cleverly presented to you already. Pay your bill, and pay even
more fees to reconnect your service. Seems logical.

I pay $17 a month for a land line. $17. I am unemployed by choice,
and in my position it would be an incredible extravagance to pay $200+
a month to use a telephone.

"I am 24 years old, have had multiple accounts with Verizon and
Cingular, and I know when I am being screwed"

You know it is happening, but have you stopped to consider you is
ultimately responsible?

"I'll...spend the rest of my life bad mouthing Verizon Wireless."

For turning your phone off because you didn't pay the bill? Does this
sound like it is in good faith? You signed up for a paid service, and
then you didn't pay.

"You can send this to collections and in 5 years i'll settle what I
owe for pennies on the dollar with some agency"

Who is this going to hurt the most? Does the concept of developing a
good credit history mean anything to you?

"Learn to treat customers, especially VETERANS, better"

I think that all customers, Veterans or otherwise, deserve to have
their phones shut off if they don't pay their bill.

If you had paid on time then you would not have had any issues.

"I know when I am being screwed."
The same goes for them. They don't want to get screwed by giving you
phone service for free.

I'll never understand why people buy things they can't afford. You
don't mention which family plan you have with Verizon or which phones
you have buy I'll bet the phones are high end smartphones and the plan
includes unlimited email, texting, data, etc.

Why are your fiance and brother not helping you pay the bill? If there
are 3 phones, then 3 people should be helping to pay the bill. My wife
and I use basic flip phones with a voice only plan and pay less than
$60 per month including taxes and fees.

Also, why did you cancel your contract with AT&T knowing you would
have to pay the early termination fee? Being in the military is no
excuse. You know ow much you get paid and when every month. In my
opinion, you need to learn how to budget your money better.