I'd switch too.

Verizon has a very strange definition of encouragement. It's like saying you "encourage" a child to behave by beating him into submission whenever he misbehaves. No, you encourage a child to behave when you reward good behavior. Penalizing undesirable behavior is not encouraging appropriate behavior; it's punishing inappropriate behavior.

Verizon is not offering a form of encouragement. Encouragement would be to offer a discount to people who choose to go the automatic draft route.

It is a discouragement to people who choose to pay their bills online.

Verizon can go suck an egg. You're right to switch, Amy. And it's also a good thing that you expose this unethical stance of Verizon.

I wonder who in Verizon came up with that stick versus carrot approach? Seems like they'd be better off working in government, possibly in whatever the health care bureaucracy turns into.

As for Verizon's service, we've always had pretty good luck with them. We had AT&T cell phone service for a while, and out here it was unimpressive. Verizon has been much better, and we use the FIOS service for TV and internet as well. I'll have to look into this surcharge issue, though.

I was starting to get upset about this and went over to the Verizon website. Here's what is says about paying bills:

"Make a payment now without registering or signing in.
Please note that payments made
without signing in to My Verizon will be processed by a vendor who will charge a $3.50 service fee per payment. Avoid this fee by signing in or registering."

I guess all you have to do is sign in and you won't be charged the 3.50. I didn't know you even could pay online without signing in.

I can understand the vendor charging for the fee (usually 3-4%) that credit card companies charge them. That would, in effect, be a charge for the convenience of using the credit card, and would merely be reimbursing the fee to the vendor. However, this $3.50 is well in excess of that percentage, and seems to be for something else, anyway. Or maybe just profit to Verizon for the transaction. (Sorta like shipping & handling is sometimes.)

First solution is to use online banking. My bank would wire the money to Verizon within 2 business days, and the security would be at least equivalent to that using a credit card online.

If Verizon charged the $3.50 even for that, as Just Me's wording suggests above, then it's time to change providers and let Verizon (and all your friends) know why you're changing. Enough people do that, and this'll stop.

Based on what Just Me said, it appears that this is the fee that the credit card company charges Verizon for processing "anonymous" payments. If that is the case, then it is Verizon's fault for not making it clear that if you log in to their web site (without automatic payment activated) then you will not be charged the fee.

They should have made that clear to begin with. As far as I can tell from the verbiage, it you use your bank bill pay to pay it, it is the same as mailing a check to them. The Electronic Funds Transfer is just guaranteed to arrive by a certain date so as to avoid a late fee.

I can't get into Verizon's site right now, but keep in mind that Amy's article says starting October 16, so the current wording on the page may change come the end of the week.

I've had shitty luck with automatic bill pay. We tried it with two companies (for our car insurance and AT&T), and both times we got double-dipped at least once. Getting out of AT&T's auto-bill-pay was miserable - for about three months afterward, we'd get threatening notices letting us know that we hadn't paid; even though we'd paid with a customer service rep (either in-store or on-phone). I much prefer the control of choosing when and how I'll pay.

Never let someone auto debit from your account (i.e., automatically pull money from your checking account) it claims via its own bill.

Having a contractual right to pull money from someone's account based on *your own* billing statement is a very useful tool when you have an argument with that someone who may owe you money, or who you simply claim owes you money. In short, while you are fighting over that outrageous charge, they have your money, and they will feel little pressue to give it back.

And just try and cancel an auto-debit sometime. Just try. You will find it easier to drop in and visit a president

It also says "nonrecurring" payment, so to me that suggests that if you set it up as an automatic monthly payment maybe you won't get the fee. Of course, I would call and confirm this first.

There are plenty of companies that do this. Many credit card companies will charge you if you use their site or phone service to do a one-time debit from checking. You get the choice - late fee or processing fee.

It's not unethical, it's just plain greedy. They don't make enough off of interest and processing fees to begin with, so they need to hit you with overlimit fees, late fees, payment fees, etc.

A bunch of this can be laid at the feed of Joe Biden (D-MBNA). And the supposed "reforms" that passed only pushed the advantage harder to the credit companies.

Regarding Verizon - at least they don't keep raising my bill by a random amount like AT&T did to my land line.

Just called them. Phone reps are wildly uninformed. Two didn't know what I was talking about. When you ask them questions they don't know, they hang up on you.

I do a lot of research before I change any kind of service as opposed to making a heat of the moment decision. Too many times in the past, it has been out of the frying pan and into the fire when I have attempted to punish a business for a practice I didn't like. In military terms this is known as a Pyrrhic victory and chances are you will like some pricing policy or customer service issue at ATT even less.

The woman I just talked to said you won't have the charge if you sign in. I still don't quite believe it and now I'm going to take a look at my phone and see if I can make it even cheaper. This was dumb of them. I bet a lot of people are going to do this now, even if the charge doesn't apply.

Anyone out there know how to stop unsolicited text message advertising? It started on my phone about two weeks ago and I am getting 3 or 4 a day now at 25 cents each.

Anyone out there know how to stop unsolicited text message advertising? It started on my phone about two weeks ago and I am getting 3 or 4 a day now at 25 cents each.

The same company or different companies?

It could be worse, I'm set up with T-Mobile as an auto-pay, they reach into your account up 7 days before your bill is due, and the date keeps changing. I'm ready to change carriers because of this, I just have to keep calling around to find one that doesn't do this or going to the store each time.

Also my bank who has my auto loan charges 9.50 to take a payment over the phone, which I find totally out of line with the cost.

Anyone out there know how to stop unsolicited text message advertising? It started on my phone about two weeks ago and I am getting 3 or 4 a day now at 25 cents each.

Most cell companies allow you to block texts from specific numbers. Some phones allow you to reject messages from people not in your phone book.

SMS Spam is illegal, as is cold-calling a cell phone. And you're the reason - spammers are effectively stealing a quarter from you every time they text you.

The problem Brian is that these texts come from different numbers all the time. The all have an "opt-out" number you can reply too, but from what I understand if you opt out they know that you are receivng their messages and then bomb you more. I would block all texts except I have a client who is agoraphobic and only communicates through text messages, but I guess that is probably the route I will take.

Eric, maybe the solution is to only allow texts from the number(s) your client uses.

nah, this isn't unethical, Patrick, it's just commerce... and Amy is going to take her busienss elsewhere, it's simple. Verizon is being stupid, but I'll challenge you to find a carrier that isn't at least sometimes. The feedback of a lot of people will possibly get them to stop, but the drop in revenue of them leaving surely will, eventually. Cable company is the same way... They all want to stop sending out paper bills, and all want you to interact online. Having automated billing removed from your account drives down servicing costs even further... doesn't change that it's irksome, certainly. But they do have good reasons to do so.

Once they reach the tipping point, then you will leave.

Why is US cellular so eff'd up?

Why do Europe - and even little Israel - have better, more uniform service and more competition?

Why do so many Americans complain about their cellphone service?

I have been with Orange Israel for over 5 years. Everything is clearly spelled out. Competitive pricing. Informed staff. No surprises.

There's a wide-open market for handsets, number portability between vendors - maybe that keeps the service providers focused on the core service.

But I have noticed this phenom with US cell service for quite some time.

Ugh. I would be careful about switching to ATT. My dad just got free of them and said it was one of the worst customer service experiences he has ever had.

I'm not a big fan of ATT. Like most of them, its hit or miss. I dropped them earlier this year due to plan change problems with the old Cingular switch back to ATT. I think I got 2 vague emails stating that I had to change plans (lose roll over) or they'd cut my service. Then I got one email months later stating I had just a few days to reactivate if I wanted my old number.

I'd been with them back when it was ATT Wireless, then Cingular, now ATT again. I had to auto charge to my credit card (I don't trust these folks with bill pay via bank account) and didn't have any serious problems with that. They charged my card automatically about the same day every month. They required it for the prepaid service I used.

Having been with Sprint, Verizon, and currently with AT&T (iphone) all cell carriers in the US suck! They just suck in different ways in different locations.

At one point, Sprint had near zero coverage at my house. When I switched to VZW and called to cancel sprint, the guy asked why. I told him, "I can't use my phone without going outside into my driveway." His response? "If we lower your bill will you stay with us?" Uh, hello.. it's not the price genius!

For all the crap AT&T takes, I've been very happy with them since I got an iPhone 3G in 2008 and now my iPhone4 works fine (I've had none of the supposedly huge issues).

On the bill paying topic.. I don't trust any automatic payment options. I also don't trust paying on the vendor websites as I've only had multi-dipping ever happen that way. I spend about a 1/2 hour each month setting up the bill payments via my credit union's website. Easy enough and never fails me.

This is disappointing to hear about Verizon. I was thinking of switching to them -- we currently have T-Mobile (since the Powertel days), but their coverage has been getting worse instead of better. It seems like these days I can't go inside any building in town and still have service.

I've had it in for Verizon since they cheated my mom out of her job. They basically fired one person per month and replaced them with wage earners, and they victims predicted the order. The highest commission earner left got canned each month.

In my mom's situation, like everyone before her and after, the jacked up her quota so high she couldn't make it. Her February quota was double her December quota... a shorter month without a gift-centered holiday. So, basically, the more money one makes for Verizon, the faster they get fired not making more. A no-win from hell.

Karma is a bitch.

This is Bill Kula with Verizon media relations and an update on this topic:

The proposed pilot test of a $3.50 per month fee for FiOS Internet and FiOS TV customers only without phone service from Verizon, and who live in California, Texas and Florida only, and who pay their bill via a credit card was scheduled to have begun this Saturday, Oct.16, but will not be implemented as planned.

Verizon has communicated this update to customers who fit the criteria of the proposed test. For now, we're evaluating the program before taking any further action.

I'm at william.kula@verizon.com. -- Bill Kula, APR, Director of Media Relations, Verizon Communications Inc.

I had Alltel and never had any problems but when they were bought by Verizon it was one problem after another. Each month I had to call to get charges taken off my bill. The last straw was being charged extra for picture message when originally they were the same as a text message. That started out of the blue with no notice. I switched to NTellos and I pay about $10 less a month for unlimited internet, text, and calls -about $50. Have not had on billing problem yet.

When I stopped with Verizon I had a $0.25 balance that they ended up taken off but I had to kept calling them even after that because they kept sending me letters about it like I owed them money still.

I have friends that worked for them and they treat their employees like kindergartner. They had a bathroom monitor that would walk you to the bathroom to make sure you weren't away from your desk too long!

Hey Bill Kula, if you're still reading these comments, you might want to take some of them to upper management, and maybe have them read the LABOR LAWS in whatever states you have employees in, so that you're not imposing too much bullshit on your employees. A BATHROOM MONITOR?? That's insane and belittling to your employees. That's NO way to run a business. And no wonder you're losing customers, if you treat them the same way you treat your employees. Knock it off! You need a better business model, and you need to stop gouging your customers AND your employees. Absolutely shameful. ATT will get my $$ every time over Verizon.

A bathroom monitor??? Seriously?

Yes! I work at a call center doing customer service work andfkmvkvd there are lo

... lots of people that had worked there before coming here. It was suppose to be "support" for customers but they all had super high quotas to meet and very strict rules including the bathroom monitor. They said they made good money but it was the most stressful job any of them ever had.

I have friends currently working at Verizon. I emailed them to ask about the alleged "bathroom monitor," and none of them had ever heard of such a thing. I've asked them to ask around. I'll report back if I hear about anything resembling a "bathroom monitor," but I suspect we're hearing some bullshit on this one.

In my experience, all of the carriers have something incredibly irritating about either their customer service, their fees, or their coverage. It's worth trying out a couple or asking around to find the least irritating combination for you.