ATTN - $5 Late fee charge with Auto Bill Pay

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Hi, I live in San Diego and am a Verizon Wireless customer.
I have Automatic Bill Pay set up through their website.

I was checking my statement online today and noticed:
Account charges & credits 5.00
Includes late fee of $5.00

I called customer service and asked about the late fee. She said
it was because my payment was due on the 1st, but they received it on
the 2nd. She would give me a one-time 'courtesy' credit.

I then informed her that I was set up for Auto Bill Pay. After a bit
of hesitation, she informed me that, Why yes, there was a computer
"glitch" (I swear that's what she said) and everyone's Bill Pay was
one day late.

I asked her if everyone got charged the $5, and she said yes. So I
asked her if only the people who bothered to call up and confront
this will get credited, and she assured me that everyone will
get a credit.

This sounds fishy. Please if anyone is using Bill Pay, check your
statement and report back here if you've been charged.

Peas,
Mike

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On 22 Sep 2004 10:42:05 -0700, mikefarter@yahoo.com (MikeFarter)
wrote:

>I then informed her that I was set up for Auto Bill Pay. After a bit
>of hesitation, she informed me that, Why yes, there was a computer
>"glitch" (I swear that's what she said) and everyone's Bill Pay was
>one day late.

Yet another reason not to use anyone's automatic payment "service".

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"MikeFarter" <mikefarter@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a6460fb3.0409220942.3bdaf68@posting.google.com...
> Hi, I live in San Diego and am a Verizon Wireless customer.
> I have Automatic Bill Pay set up through their website.
>
> I was checking my statement online today and noticed:
> Account charges & credits 5.00
> Includes late fee of $5.00
>
> I called customer service and asked about the late fee. She said
> it was because my payment was due on the 1st, but they received it
> on
> the 2nd. She would give me a one-time 'courtesy' credit.
>
> I then informed her that I was set up for Auto Bill Pay. After a
> bit
> of hesitation, she informed me that, Why yes, there was a computer
> "glitch" (I swear that's what she said) and everyone's Bill Pay was
> one day late.
>
> I asked her if everyone got charged the $5, and she said yes. So I
> asked her if only the people who bothered to call up and confront
> this will get credited, and she assured me that everyone will
> get a credit.
>
> This sounds fishy. Please if anyone is using Bill Pay, check your
> statement and report back here if you've been charged.
>
> Peas,
> Mike

This is yet another method of Verizon screwing up and then placing the
blame or the bother on the customer. And it burns me up. I use to see
on my bill that the Due date was the 1st. However in my contract it
stated that my bill closing date was the 4th. and if I so desired I
could pay it up to the 4th. So one time I paid it on the 4th. at the
store. Next month they (verizon) placed a late charge on my account.
When I called and said that the due date was not the 1st. and that my
contract stated the 4th. the charge was taken off. The girl was down
right nasty on the telephone. She originally said she was not going to
remove it and that no one was getting it off there etc. Pointed out
contract, her name and employee number and that I was a hair away from
reporting her to corporate she said it was a misunderstanding and
credited it off the account.

Why do they always get that nasty tone when giving credits

Elector

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Elector wrote:

> Why do they always get that nasty tone when giving credits

Must be you - I haven't had that problem the few times I've needed to ask for
credits. Except for one time with a supervisor, when I was having lots of
trouble with dropped calls out near their Victorville store. I was rather
pissed off because I was paying for service that was badly broken (at least in
that specific area)...

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / sjsobol@JustThe.net
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.

 

[G-Man]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

I would never use Auto Bill Pay. What is somehow someone cloned your phone
and made 5k in charges? There goes your bank account.

G-Man


"MikeFarter" <mikefarter@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a6460fb3.0409220942.3bdaf68@posting.google.com...
> Hi, I live in San Diego and am a Verizon Wireless customer.
> I have Automatic Bill Pay set up through their website.
>
> I was checking my statement online today and noticed:
> Account charges & credits 5.00
> Includes late fee of $5.00
>
> I called customer service and asked about the late fee. She said
> it was because my payment was due on the 1st, but they received it on
> the 2nd. She would give me a one-time 'courtesy' credit.
>
> I then informed her that I was set up for Auto Bill Pay. After a bit
> of hesitation, she informed me that, Why yes, there was a computer
> "glitch" (I swear that's what she said) and everyone's Bill Pay was
> one day late.
>
> I asked her if everyone got charged the $5, and she said yes. So I
> asked her if only the people who bothered to call up and confront
> this will get credited, and she assured me that everyone will
> get a credit.
>
> This sounds fishy. Please if anyone is using Bill Pay, check your
> statement and report back here if you've been charged.
>
> Peas,
> Mike

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Steve Sobol" <sjsobol@JvstThe.net> wrote in message
news:cismr9$i86$1@ratbert.glorb.com...
> Elector wrote:
>
>> Why do they always get that nasty tone when giving credits
>
> Mvst be yov - I haven't had that problem the few times I've needed
> to ask for credits. Except for one time with a svpervisor, when I
> was having lots of trovble with dropped calls ovt near their
> Victorville store. I was rather pissed off becavse I was paying for
> service that was badly broken (at least in that specific area)...
>
> --
> JvstThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JvstThe.net/
> Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) /
> sjsobol@JvstThe.net
> PGP Key available from yovr friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
> Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three
> kids.

Maybe I shovld have rephrased that ha ha

When yov call to make payments and make plan changes they (Cvstomer
Service) seems to be real helpfvl and friendly. Yov can hear it in
their voices.

However when yov call vp to report a "billing error" they tell yov
that "it is not an error and that yov mvst do this or that to get what
yov reqvire" In the case of pvtting a late fee on Verizons own online
Avto Pay featvre jvst shows that the mistake was theirs and not yovrs.
However the lady gave the OP the line of it wovld not be credited.
Seems kind of strange to me when any payment service yov have or vse
tells yov that a payment will be made via a certain date and that if
it is not and yov incvr a fee they (Bill payment service) will correct
the sitvation at no cost to yov. I know my credit vnion has this
assvrance and so do many others on line that do bill payments.

Now take into consideration in billing errors made by the company they
are giving yov the rvn arovnd since they know many will not even
bother to argve and write letters and dispvtes via certified mail
retvrn receipts ($4.48 for the certified letter vs. $5 overage) so yov
are getting .52¢ ovt of this. Of covrse in the covrse of trying to
explain the frvstration rises on both ends of the line, hence the
nasty attitvde of the Verizon or any company rep.

I very rarely get any nasty people on the phone. Then again I don't
lose many argvments ha ha

Elector

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

MikeFarter wrote:
> I then informed her that I was set up for Auto Bill Pay. After a bit
> of hesitation, she informed me that, Why yes, there was a computer
> "glitch" (I swear that's what she said) and everyone's Bill Pay was
> one day late.

Something similar happened to me a few months ago. Of course back then
they wouldn't acknowledge that there was a glitch. They just couldn't
give any reason why they didn't do the auto bill pay. (In my case
they just didn't do it at all, rather than one day late). And yes
they gave me the credit.

I also took the time to read the entire bill and realised that I got
charged 15c tax on that $5 fee and made them refund that as well. I
suggest you do the same.

It really bugs me how much of our money is wasted on CS dealing
with issues like this, instead of improving service or reducing
prices.

Roger

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Verizon Wireless probably just made well over 1 million dollars on that
"glitch". Like I've always said...ALL billing errors are in the companies
favor, NEVER the customer. Billing system was literally written and designed
that way.

"MikeFarter" <mikefarter@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a6460fb3.0409220942.3bdaf68@posting.google.com...
> Hi, I live in San Diego and am a Verizon Wireless customer.
> I have Automatic Bill Pay set up through their website.
>
> I was checking my statement online today and noticed:
> Account charges & credits 5.00
> Includes late fee of $5.00
>
> I called customer service and asked about the late fee. She said
> it was because my payment was due on the 1st, but they received it on
> the 2nd. She would give me a one-time 'courtesy' credit.
>
> I then informed her that I was set up for Auto Bill Pay. After a bit
> of hesitation, she informed me that, Why yes, there was a computer
> "glitch" (I swear that's what she said) and everyone's Bill Pay was
> one day late.
>
> I asked her if everyone got charged the $5, and she said yes. So I
> asked her if only the people who bothered to call up and confront
> this will get credited, and she assured me that everyone will
> get a credit.
>
> This sounds fishy. Please if anyone is using Bill Pay, check your
> statement and report back here if you've been charged.
>
> Peas,
> Mike

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

mikefarter@yahoo.com (MikeFarter) wrote in message news:<a6460fb3.0409220942.3bdaf68@posting.google.com>...
> Hi, I live in San Diego and am a Verizon Wireless customer.
> I have Automatic Bill Pay set up through their website.
>
> I was checking my statement online today and noticed:
> Account charges & credits 5.00
> Includes late fee of $5.00
>
> I called customer service and asked about the late fee. She said
> it was because my payment was due on the 1st, but they received it on
> the 2nd. She would give me a one-time 'courtesy' credit.
>
> I then informed her that I was set up for Auto Bill Pay. After a bit
> of hesitation, she informed me that, Why yes, there was a computer
> "glitch" (I swear that's what she said) and everyone's Bill Pay was
> one day late.
>
> I asked her if everyone got charged the $5, and she said yes. So I
> asked her if only the people who bothered to call up and confront
> this will get credited, and she assured me that everyone will
> get a credit.
>
> This sounds fishy. Please if anyone is using Bill Pay, check your
> statement and report back here if you've been charged.
>
> Peas,
> Mike

Well I have an update on this. Apparently I set up my Auto Bill Pay
"incorrectly"; I had it scheduled to pay on the first of the month, when my
billing cycle ends. I forget why exactly, but this in effect made
my payment on July 1st pay for June's bill, rather than July's...
Anyway, I changed it to start paying in the middle of the month...

Although, when I looked further back and noticed the late fees on previous
months, and called customer service and asked about that, she initially
said there were 'glitches' on those days too. But she ultimately figured out
the billing/payment days were to blame. They credited me for the previous
months late charges.

So my bad (I guess), sorry to ruffle feathers.

Me.