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Paid Verizon Bills Don't Always Stay Paid | 29 comments (29 topical) | Post A Comment
Fair Credit Billing Act[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#7)
by emeryjay on Tue May 08, 2007 at 01:50:55 PM PDT

I know it is a pain to write a letter. Under terms of the federal Fair Credit Billing Act, if you write disputing a bill, the company must respond to you in writing. They have up to 90 days to respond... but it is a big hammer hanging over their heads -- particularly when you complain to higher ups about slow replies. Officers of companies hate hearing that underlings have violated the law.

You can also file a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission. All complaints are assigned a case number and get replies. It really hurries people up at the upper level when you complain about poor service and reference a Federal Trade Commission complaint number in your letter.

And during the dispute period, they can't report anything to your credit bureau. It's illegal.

The Public Service Commission angle is a good one too. When rate request time rolls around, some states count the number of complaints and use a formula in determining rate increases.

Some states even count unjustified complaints against companies. It may take a while -- what goes around comes around. And to make it come around, learn how to complain effectively.

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KEEP YOUR VERIZON RECEIPTS FOR 1000 YRS!!![ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#18)
by Anonymous User on Tue Dec 11, 2007 at 10:43:53 AM PDT

In 2003 I had a home phone disconnected with Verizon. I owed a balance. In 2005 I re-hooked my home phone up, and paid off the bal. In fact the Verizon rep told me to hang on to the receipt for 3 months so there would be no question. I did exactly that. No problems till I went to hook up my business phone. Verizon sent me a letter stateing that I owed 412.00 for a home phone from 2003. I contacted Verozon and stated to them that that bill had been paid 3 years ago and at that time they hooked my home phone up at that time. The rep told me on the phone that don't wory about it that "Verizon does this all the time"..So, I said then I can disreguard this amount of 412.00 then? NO, she said you still have to pay this. I went round and roudn with Verizon reps and even got to person that handles unresolved disputes. No luck there eather. I contacted The Michigan Public Service Commission and they tried calling Verizon for me. Verizon then quickly called me back and said they would investigate this futher. Verizon told the Commission that at the time of my home instillation their "computer system was down" {a big fat lie} and couldn't verify if I had a bill at that time. The also said that the rep that set up the connection order noted on the computer that their system was down at the time.. {how can you hook up a phone with no computer?}. The Commission is now filing a formal complaint I will be receiving the papers in the mail shortly. To make a long story short. Watch out for Verizon digging up old bills from years ago {they know you won't have the receipt anymore}and tring to get some more money out of you. This is a game they play with average people who might not fight them and pay anyway. Well not me!!!!! and you should't be taken by this eather. In closing keep ALL VERIZON RECEIPST FOR 1000 YEARS.

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Paid Verizon Bills Don't Always Stay Paid | 29 comments (29 topical) | Post A Comment
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