[RockinRight]

Pay it and watch next time.

I had this happen and there wasn't a damn thing that they would do for me.

You might see if Verizon would let you pay it over several months.

[Rokke]

You signed the contract. Now you have to live by it. Buyer beware. If you don't live up to your end you should expect to be labeled a credit risk.

[hattend]

Ask to talk to a supervisor if the person talking to you won't help. They should work with you to lower the charge. ATT does.

If that doesn't work, pay the bill and whatever is left on your contract and then go to another cell provider. Tell Verizon why.

You signed a contract saying you would pay extra for minutes over your monthly minutes. Five Hundred bucks sounds like you exceeded by quite a bit.

[pelikan]

I agree with RockinRight (post 2); but if you are not planning on paying, at least for a while, you should notify the credit bureaus in writing that you have a dispute with Verizon.

[the invisib1e hand]

good luck. i've had a dispute with verizon for over 2 years for a bill that came in at over a grand. they were supposed to have changed my rate plan to add way more minutes but, when the bill came, someone else there said, "we have no record of this...". pretty typical cellphone provider crap, actually.

there's a website I found while in the thick of it that people post such things to, and you'd be surprised at how much scamming these companies do to their customers. if you google for a while you might find it.

[queenkathy]

Pay the bill and then check out other cell phone companies that meet your calling patterns. Then when your contract is up, fire Verizon and tell them why.

[tfecw]

well ignoring the bill is a bad idea. I've been sent to collections a couple of times (both times for honest mistakes, hospital assumed i had the University insurance, but I had waved it cause I was an army brat. Same hospital did it twice)

It honestly makes you feel like scum when people call you up and are like why haven't you paid your bill ect ect ect. And it will damage your credit. Companies protect themselves with fine print and all sorts of other things to insure that you pay the bill.

Taking them to court to get out of the bill would be a better way (if you really think you have a case) Ignoring the bill would be bad. Unless you used a fake name and SSN to sign up for the plan, then it's no big deal :)

[Vicki]

We always ask to talk to a supervisor. If you don't like what they have to say ask for their supervisor. Always tell them that you want to settle with them.

Offer them half. Keep telling them that it was a mistake and that you want to continue to be their customer because of their good service. So good, in fact, that you have told many people.

I have found persistence pays off. Good Luck.

[ikka]

I suggest you write them a letter. Talking on the phone just gets you connected to people who work in a call center and probably do not even work for Verizon but for the call center that Verizon hires.

[Muleteam1]

When I first got a cell phone several years ago I did a bit of research and found that Verizon was notorious for its billings errors and had innumerable complaints against it. With the complexity of cell phone billing invoices, I stayed away from these guys like a plague. I see they have not changed.

Muleteam1

[Indy4w]

You should call Verizon and explain (again) that you did not realize that you would be charged in the manner you were. Negotiate a fair schedule to pay them what you owe. Most companies will accept a partial payment. It is cheaper for them this way, rather than taking you to court, which they will do.

Your credit rating is too important to screw up over this situation.

[camle]

if you don't wanna pay the freight, get off the train. you aren't stupid, you knew what you were getting into. you went over, way over - this isnt' even close. You should have known you were going way over your minutes, yet you continued to use the phone.

now you are upset that you have to pay for it. Tell me: should I, or other customers have to pay for your phone use?

pay up, and grow up. Cell phones have a purpose. idle chatting isn't it.

[grellis]

I did not realize I had went over on my minutes

Pony up. No offense, but Verizon is a business operating within their guidelines, which you have accepted as a customer. Quite an expensive lesson to learn, but there you go.

[Sloth]

I had a similar situation a couple of years ago. My wife ran up a $500 cell bill by making 'roaming' calls while on a trip. I paid it without complaint (to the phone company - my wife got lots of complaints). Why? Because we really did make the calls, and the billing was consistent with the service agreement. How is that hard to understand?

Pay your bill, finish your contract, then get a prepaid TracFone or something for emergencies.

[Area51]

Okay tough love here.

First pay your bill! because if you don't MY rates go up.

Second, swatting you in the back of the head, What in the hell is so important that you need to spend that amount of time on the phone about? Let me guess, you have a favorite friend that you can't spend 10 minutes with out. You go to the bathroom together, probably share the same stall. (sorry getting carried away)

My kid tried that crap with me, NO it is not a lifeline ot be on all the time. You need to call-call. State your business then get OFF the phone.


OH and ATT in worse than verison ever thought of being. IMHO they are one degree off of being crooks.

[American Quilter]

I know it's painful, and I do sympathize, but you don't appear to have a legitimate complaint. The bill is in accordance with the contract you signed.

You could try the negotiation option described in a previous post here, but if that fails you'll either have to pay up or damage your credit.

You can pay up, regard it as a lesson learned, and let go of the issue, freeing yourself to devote your energy to more interesting and rewarding activities. This option will also give you a feeling of some control (because you closed the issue yourself).

Or you can fight it, inflicting a huge emotional toll on yourself, and probably lose anyway. The frustration, anger, and feeling of powerlessness will damage your spirit and take up a lot of time that you could have been spending on happier and more productive activities. You'll also be casting yourself in the role of helpless victim.

This lesson, though painful, may save you from a much more expensive lesson in the future--I'll bet you'll become an extremely proficient reader of contracts!

[F.J. Mitchell]

Verison, is it? Thanks for the warning. I have been thinking about getting a cell phone, but now I will look elsewhere.

Check your local AM radio programs. If you have the "Clark Howard show" available, tune in and call in. He has good advice to offer on problems such as your's.

[AMadtes]

The cell phone industry, due to practices such as this, was being threatened by the government with heavy regulations that would place much of the industry under the tight fist of the feds. In order to escape this fate, the industry self-romulgated standards that they MUST comply with, or face government control. I am certain that what they are trying to do to you is (most likely) a violation of their own standards. It doesn't always matter if you signed a contract...if it is grossly unfair, it probably won't be upheld in court/arbitration because it would be found to be unconscionable.
Clark Howard talks about this all the time on his show. You should go to his websight and see what he has on there about cell phone issues, or just call in if you have the time. I remember he said you need to complain in writing to a government agency that oversees cell phone communications, and that will get you quick results. Unfortunately I can't remember which agency he mentioned.