Ace wrote:

Sox wrote:

Ace wrote:my family begged me to switch to a new internet plan. I did, and i just got the bill for $21,000.

the phone company insists they don't have that number wrong.

wait what? how is that even possible? Are they charging you in advance for several lifetimes of internet use? That has to be a mistake, and I hope it gets sorted out quickly.

Let us know what happens!

I honestly have no clue - just, whatever you do, DON'T get the verizon broadband.

holy shit, i have to hire a lawyer...

Ace, before you even call a lawyer call the newspapers and TV stations. Seriously, do it. That's a story they will run with for sure and once it's in the media and the company has reporters calling them asking about it and people reading about what they are doing they will back right the fuck back down I promise you, they'll wanna look good. I am serious, start calling and emailing reporters right now.

Marsupialized wrote:

Ace wrote:

Sox wrote:

Ace wrote:my family begged me to switch to a new internet plan. I did, and i just got the bill for $21,000.

the phone company insists they don't have that number wrong.

wait what? how is that even possible? Are they charging you in advance for several lifetimes of internet use? That has to be a mistake, and I hope it gets sorted out quickly.

Let us know what happens!

I honestly have no clue - just, whatever you do, DON'T get the verizon broadband.

holy shit, i have to hire a lawyer...

Ace, before you even call a lawyer call the newspapers and TV stations. Seriously, do it. That's a story they will run with for sure and once it's in the media and the company has reporters calling them asking about it and people reading about what they are doing they will back right the fuck back down I promise you, they'll wanna look good. I am serious, start calling and emailing reporters right now.

I would call the BBB first, TV stations won't cost you anything...

Marsupialized wrote:

Ace wrote:

Sox wrote:

Ace wrote:my family begged me to switch to a new internet plan. I did, and i just got the bill for $21,000.

the phone company insists they don't have that number wrong.

wait what? how is that even possible? Are they charging you in advance for several lifetimes of internet use? That has to be a mistake, and I hope it gets sorted out quickly.

Let us know what happens!

I honestly have no clue - just, whatever you do, DON'T get the verizon broadband.

holy shit, i have to hire a lawyer...

Ace, before you even call a lawyer call the newspapers and TV stations. Seriously, do it. That's a story they will run with for sure and once it's in the media and the company has reporters calling them asking about it and people reading about what they are doing they will back right the fuck back down I promise you, they'll wanna look good. I am serious, start calling and emailing reporters right now.

I'd never do this because I couldn't be fucked to deal with reporters/etc, but I think this is one of those rare occasions where Marsupialized is right. Even the local papers would scare the shit out of them. They'd write off the debt like that.

I think the fine print says that if you transfer ANY files above 5 MB, you're going to be charged an undisclosed amount... now, I had heard vaguely about this, so i called verizon a number of times trying to get information about it. what did i get?

a)about 70 answering machines without the option of asking questions about your plan
b) when i DID reach someone, i insisted on being given this information and they just said, "no, don't worry, it's unlimited access". i pressed and pressed and that's all they'd say

now, i'm pretty sure i could have been more careful, and pressed even harder to find out, but $21,000? are they kidding?

holy shit holy shit holy shit...

Ace wrote:I think the fine print says that if you transfer ANY files above 5 MB, you're going to be charged an undisclosed amount... now, I had heard vaguely about this, so i called verizon a number of times trying to get information about it. what did i get?

a)about 70 answering machines without the option of asking questions about your plan
b) when i DID reach someone, i insisted on being given this information and they just said, "no, don't worry, it's unlimited access". i pressed and pressed and that's all they'd say

now, i'm pretty sure i could have been more careful, and pressed even harder to find out, but $21,000? are they kidding?

holy shit holy shit holy shit...

Ace, you are wasting time. Reporters, the media. It is your only weapon. Whatever you do NEVER pay this company this money. Remember, they cannot throw you in jail for owing money to an internet company.

I read a similar story recently and the dude owed way more than you for exactly the same thing and they settled for 1500 bucks once the media got involved.

Ace wrote:I think the fine print says that if you transfer ANY files above 5 MB, you're going to be charged an undisclosed amount...

I am not in Law, but I have taken a law class or two and this seems suspect to me, I would think they have to lay out how much they are charging you, but I would contact a board member or two that are in law, I know of two EA members in law, PM me if you need there contact...

ace, that fucking sucks. i hope you get out of this.

Marsupialized wrote:

Ace wrote:I think the fine print says that if you transfer ANY files above 5 MB, you're going to be charged an undisclosed amount... now, I had heard vaguely about this, so i called verizon a number of times trying to get information about it. what did i get?

a)about 70 answering machines without the option of asking questions about your plan
b) when i DID reach someone, i insisted on being given this information and they just said, "no, don't worry, it's unlimited access". i pressed and pressed and that's all they'd say

now, i'm pretty sure i could have been more careful, and pressed even harder to find out, but $21,000? are they kidding?

holy shit holy shit holy shit...

Ace, you are wasting time. Reporters, the media. It is your only weapon. Whatever you do NEVER pay this company this money. Remember, they cannot throw you in jail for owing money to an internet company.

I read a similar story recently and the dude owed way more than you for exactly the same thing and they settled for 1500 bucks once the media got involved.

tips@consumerist.com

Tell them your story. If you make their front page, it generates a lot of bad publicity for Verizon.

tinycorkscrew wrote:

Marsupialized wrote:

Ace wrote:I think the fine print says that if you transfer ANY files above 5 MB, you're going to be charged an undisclosed amount... now, I had heard vaguely about this, so i called verizon a number of times trying to get information about it. what did i get?

a)about 70 answering machines without the option of asking questions about your plan
b) when i DID reach someone, i insisted on being given this information and they just said, "no, don't worry, it's unlimited access". i pressed and pressed and that's all they'd say

now, i'm pretty sure i could have been more careful, and pressed even harder to find out, but $21,000? are they kidding?

holy shit holy shit holy shit...

Ace, you are wasting time. Reporters, the media. It is your only weapon. Whatever you do NEVER pay this company this money. Remember, they cannot throw you in jail for owing money to an internet company.

I read a similar story recently and the dude owed way more than you for exactly the same thing and they settled for 1500 bucks once the media got involved.

tips@consumerist.com

Tell them your story. If you make their front page, it generates a lot of bad publicity for Verizon.

Sun times, Tribune, Everyone who writes a column, Every news channel, CNN, everyone who does a radio show in Chicago, National radio shows, everyone. Start emailing.
SOMEONE will run with this story.

Suffering the aftermath of a long day yesterday. Up at 4.30 am for a flight from Glasgow to Southampton. Then back on the 3 pm, drove like a madman to get home (1 hour drive), quick shower and then pick up friends for the 200 mile round trip to Edinburgh to see Lou Reed performing 'Berlin'. Great show, the songs, band, brass, strings and choir were all superb, great sound all round. Lou was in a good mood, pretty happy on stage, still singing about a second behind the music, but still cool. Seemed pretty happy to get an encore, although he should have sang the whole of satellite of Love rather than letting the bass player sing in a soul style, not good. The playhouse is a good venue just right for that kind of gig. Pretty expensive though, £55. I thinking that it's a once-in-a-lifetime event. Got home at 1 am. Friends all drunk. Me sober. Slept for 20 minutes and was awoken by my son who'd had a bad dream. Surrendered my half of the bed to him. Up at 7.

Still, stopping for a holiday in 30 minutes. Two weeks of no work. Yahoo!