When Verizon Wireless announced a $2 “convenience fee” for paying bills certain ways,
customers were outraged so much so that the whole thing got the attention of the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates telecommunications in the United States. The FCC released a statement that said it would look into the new fee.
Verizon announced on Thursday that it would soon be imposing a $2 charge on customers who make one-time payments using credit or debit cards over the phone or online. This sparked massive protests from Verizon customers all over the internet and if there is one thing you never want to do, it’s piss off people on the internet.
Executive Director of the Connected Intelligence unit at the NPD Group Ross Rubin stated that the FCC has a history of looking into charges on cell phone bills. Rubin added that Verizon’s fee was likely designed to encourage customers to enroll in a free automatic payment plan, which would help ensure that bills were paid on time. This could potentially help reduce Verizon’s overhead due to carriers incurring hefty costs in trying to collect money from customers.
Unfortunately, that would completely alienate customers who have unsteady incomes and could be seen as a strategy that focuses on helping Verizon’s customers that are better off. Recent information has suggested that Verizon is focusing less on the lower tier of the market with recent phones from the carrier, like the Droid Razr and the Galaxy Nexus, being rather expensive.
But, as quickly as the announcement came, so did another one from Verizon stating that the company was completely dropping the fee. You see, kids, taking things to the internet and getting angry does accomplish things. The outcry that spread like wildfire, along with the forthcoming investigation by the FCC, no doubt played a big role in Verizon canceling the fee before it had even begun.
Source: The New York Times – F.C.C to Look at Verizon’s $2 ‘Convenience Fee’
