Verizon's sneaky charges

[krissel]

Has anyone on another carrier been hit by a charge like this?

QUOTE

"Virtually every bill I get has a couple of erroneous data charges at $1.99 each—yet we download no data.

"Here's how it works. They configure the phones to have multiple easily hit keystrokes to launch 'Get it now' or 'Mobile Web'—usually a single key like an arrow key. Often we have no idea what key we hit, but up pops one of these screens. The instant you call the function, they charge you the data fee. We cancel these unintended requests as fast as we can hit the End key, but it doesn't matter; they've told me that ANY data--even one kilobyte--is billed as 1MB. The damage is done.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/technolo...e-email.html?em

[kimmer]

Read this the other day. We have Verizon and we've never been hit with one of these charges, and I've accidentally hit one of those function buttons and then hit stop.

[sandbox]

Verizon Responds to Data Overcharging Accusations

QUOTE

We asked a Verizon Wireless representative to respond to these accusations. Here’s the response:

    Our phones have had many different user interfaces, buttons, keypad/boards and designs over the years. We’re constantly working to update and improve the phones with a goal of making them easier for customers to use. We also try to help customers understand the various options — Internet, apps, etc. — available to them on these phones. We know it’s important we get this issue right, regardless of how many customers it impacts (which appears to be very few), and we’ll always work with customers to credit any incorrect charges they may find on their bills.

It’s good to know that Verizon will refund customers in this instance, but if these charges appear every month for some users, how much time will they spend getting them removed?

http://blog.laptopmag.com/verizon-responds...ing-accusations

[krissel]

FCC is getting involved with this and other Verizon charges:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091204/ap_on_...verizon_charges

[gunug]

I have Verizon on my work cell and it's a Windows CE (2G, 2.5G, 3G who knows) type device which is "supposed" to be configured as part of the couple of hundred units so it doesn't do this.  I don't know for sure as I've never seen a bill personally.  I do accidentally get it trying to connect to get on the web and I do cancel that.  It also has WIFI which I have used to connect to my own home wireless; although that isn't very useful or fast.  Interestingly enough they upgraded to these Samsung Windows CE units for "free" after we had cheaper Motorola units before. . .probably expecting us to be unable to resist all the extras (wrong).  

I think that it's criminal what the phone providers and cable companies get away with in this country!

[Paddy]

Well, here in Canada, our phones on Rogers & the Bell networks do that too...I can't count how many times I had to hit "cancel" in a panic after I hit the wrong button.  We don't have any data plans on our phones - we use them for voice and text only, so we just had Rogers & Bell disable the data option on our accounts. We can't now connect at all - even accidently. Problem solved. I would imagine that Verizon could do this too, surely?

[sandbox]

I can turn on or turn off any option on my phones through the menu or my cellphone website. Frankly I'm surprised that this option isn't available to everyone.