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.
Well here's one thing I know about Verizon's EVDO service:
the "unlimited data" plan is not really unlimited. There's a stipulation in the small print that if you transfer more than 5 GB of information within a one-month period, they will cancel your data service without notice for "terms of service violation". Apparently, they consider use of more than 5 GB in a month to be prime facie evidence that you're downloading movies or music. Their TOS specify that EVDO Internet access is only to be used for "Web browsing and email".
Another restriction they place on your use of their EVDO service is that they don't allow "tethering" your phone to your laptop to provide Internet access unless you pay them a fee. Of course,
you can do it yourself without Verizon's help or approval, but again it's a violation of your TOS.
Remember a couple years ago when that guy
audiotaped his conversation with Verizon about having been overcharged (or underquoted) for his data usage when roaming in Canada? The Verizon service people said that his bill was 100% correct without a doubt, and they either didn't understand or
pretended not to understand a simple decimal-point error. He published the call audio on the Internet and wrote about it in his blog, and it gained worldwide attention. Eventually, Verizon was shamed into calling him back and removing the excess charges.
That call audio really gives some insight into how stupid those Verizon call center people really are... and keep in mind that the guy he is talking to in this audio clip is one of the
supervisors, not just some peon service rep.