The $61 charge on my Verizon bill caught my attention. Yes, I’d changed from limited to unlimited data usage, but it shouldn’t have cost that much. Yes, my husband just purchased a new phone on the installment plan, but his upcharge was only $8 a month. There was a problem somewhere.
Long story short, I believe it is that our local Verizon store isn’t really part of Verizon in the true sense. Rather, it’s a store that sells all kinds of equipment and then signs customers up with Verizon for the service for which the equipment is designed.
Think washers and dryers. You purchase the equipment from one source but you purchase the power to run them from the electric company. Or consider your computer. You purchase the equipment from Apple or Dell or Whoever, but you purchase the programs you use from a completely different source. It’s the way of today’s world.
So what was the $61 fee for?
Turns out that a piece of equipment I was “generously” gifted on July 22 as a loyalty promotion fits this category. Apparently what this meant is that the equipment itself, which was attached to my car, was free. BUT the phone line to have the equipment send data to my cellphone was not.
I have a relatively good memory, and I don’t recall that any of this was explained. Had it been, I would have refused in the first place because I’m not interested in the type of information the little machine, called HUM, emits. I don’t care about discount coupons to Qdoba or how far it is to the next gas station or what my MPG is. I especially don’t care when it costs $61.
So I called Verizon, got information on what to do, visited my local Verizon that isn’t a real Verizon franchise to do what I was told. And, as of now, no more costs are accruing. There is still the $61 fee that I shall continue to protest. But, if any of you are offered a “loyalty” gift, please refuse. The loyalty of the Verizon store that isn’t really owned by that company is faithful only to its bottom line.
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