NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: Verizon to charge $2 for each credit card payment without autopay
Funny about that "autopilot" billing thing. In 2008, I had a very
interesting and parallel experience retrieving something on the order of
$6,000 from ATT. I had agreed to pay an extra $2.99 a month so that my
daughter wouldn't send us to the poorhouse calling home from BC, where she
was in school. In this case, ATT neglected to mention to us that that any
calls *within* Canada were deemed to be International ones, billed at their
egregious International rates.
Sara
[ The fundamental problem is that the carriers usually don't
implement "sanity checks" to detect these sorts of unlikely,
sudden billing change/usage behavior anomalies and warn customers
before the bill goes sky high. The carriers know *exactly* what
they're doing in this regard and by and large do it purposely, in
the knowledge that most people won't fight back. There have been
some legal changes recently that address a bit of this.
-- Lauren Weinstein
NNSquad Moderator ]
- - -
On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 8:32 PM, Bob Frankston <
Bob19-0501@bobf.frankston.com> wrote:
> Is this the same company that was tying with the idea of a surcharge for
> "less crappy" phone service? Perhaps Verizon is jealous of the airlines and
> believes they can make money on nuisance charges. Unlike Bank of America
> the
> carriers lock you in so they are betting you won't move for $2.
>
> I've learned my lesson with Verizon's one-bill system about the dangers of
> letting their billing engine run on autopilot. It took me a year to get
> back
> $2000 in overcharges.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nnsquad-bounces+nnsquad=bobf.frankston.com@nnsquad.org
> [mailto:nnsquad-bounces+nnsquad=bobf.frankston.com@nnsquad.org] On Behalf
> Of
> Lauren Weinstein
> Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2011 14:05
> To: nnsquad@nnsquad.org
> Subject: [ NNSquad ] Verizon to charge $2 for each credit card payment
> without autopay
>
>
> Verizon to charge $2 for each credit card payment without autopay
>
> http://j.mp/tskDLn (USA Today / AP)
>
> "The company says this "convenience fee" will be introduced Jan. 15."
>
> - - -
>
> --Lauren--
> Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
> Co-Founder <http://www.vortex.com/lauren%0ACo-Founder>: People For
> Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org
> Founder:
> - Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
> - Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance:
> http://www.gctip.org
> - PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com
> Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
> Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
> Google+: http://vortex.com/g+lauren
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein
> Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com
>
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--
Sara C. Wedeman, PhD
BECG-Behavioral Economics Consulting Group <http://www.behavioraleconomics.net/>
8327 Germantown Avenue <http://goog_1774388554>
Philadelphia PA 19118
t: 215.242.5415
mobile: 267.825.4044
fax: 215-242-3534
skype: auroraz7
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