If a smartphone such as the Eris is connected to the network, it IS being used. Always something syncing in the background, it seems. The action doesn't have to be "user initiated" to be a valid charge, background data transfer on a device such like this is a given.
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Going on a cruise? Make sure to turn your phone off.
- Thread starter swaldrop
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If a smartphone such as the Eris is connected to the network, it IS being used. Always something syncing in the background, it seems. The action doesn't have to be "user initiated" to be a valid charge, background data transfer on a device such like this is a given.
"taking care of customers" does NOT equal forgiving people for data charges just because they didn't KNOW that data was going to be transferred. The customer does have a bit of responsibility to understand their device before they use it.
Plain and simple here....when your on the cruise ship...Verizon has NO control over anything your phone does. ANYTHING your phone does goes through the cruise ships carrier. SO....whatever you do...THEY charge Verizon whatever they want and THEN Verizon charges YOU. They aren't going to eat that cost no matter what you think or how long youve had service with them.
littlerick
Member
isnt this kinda like a cable bill, oops my mom didnt know you had to pay for all those movies on pay-per-view but since i pay the bill can you waive the fees? shouldnt you have warned me that my bill was getting the high?
Here's what we know:
1. Mom took the phone and left it on incurring Data charges.
2. OP acknowledges the charges are his, is asking Verizon to give him a break.
3. Many people seem to have strong feelings on this. One member wants to campaign to reform the way providers do business.
4. A recommendation has been made to the OP to try again and see what if he can't get a better answer. I don't know how many people have said it but it's been said repetitively throughout this thread.
Quite honestly I'm tempted to close the thread because I can't see what else more can be said other then either supporting the OP, or bashing the OP and giving aminaked a place to post his reform movement. But I'd like to hear how the OP comes out after he makes his second call so I'll leave it open. I will ask however that the tone be kept down, treat each other with respect and do not insult each other for having different opinions. From this point on if I see it again I'm going to close the thread.
Be nice to each other.
1. Mom took the phone and left it on incurring Data charges.
2. OP acknowledges the charges are his, is asking Verizon to give him a break.
3. Many people seem to have strong feelings on this. One member wants to campaign to reform the way providers do business.
4. A recommendation has been made to the OP to try again and see what if he can't get a better answer. I don't know how many people have said it but it's been said repetitively throughout this thread.
Quite honestly I'm tempted to close the thread because I can't see what else more can be said other then either supporting the OP, or bashing the OP and giving aminaked a place to post his reform movement. But I'd like to hear how the OP comes out after he makes his second call so I'll leave it open. I will ask however that the tone be kept down, treat each other with respect and do not insult each other for having different opinions. From this point on if I see it again I'm going to close the thread.
Be nice to each other.
For what its worth, I have been using this thread for entertainment purposes only since about the 2nd page. No hard feeling here. I have been around a forum or two in my day and I know how the internet cowboys can get.
I was diving last night so I wasn't able to call VZW, but I will this evening and will report back. Until then, I'll keep checking in to see who's winning.
Managed to make it through the first seven pages or so of this thread, so apologies if I'm repeating a point made by others...
Have to come down on the side of the OP in this case for a couple of reasons.
My use of cell phones dates back about 20 years now. In the old days when individual carriers' coverage was spotty and perhaps 5% of the population used a cell phone, everyone who used one was well aware of what "roaming" meant.
In the years since virtually all carriers have switched to "no roaming charges" plans for marketing purposes. I daresay that an average consumer has only a vague idea of what "roaming" means, much less how "roaming" for voice calls differs from "roaming" for data synchronization.
And it's not as if VZW or other carriers go out of their way to educate consumers about such details.
Now that an entirely new contingent of users have moved from "feature" phones to "smart" phones, the distinction between "voice" plans and "data" plans adds to the complexity of "in network" versus "roaming."
The OP's mother "should" have educated herself about such issues. The fact that she did not, however, hardly justifies hundreds of dollars in charges on a phone she was no doubt sold with the assurance that it was simple to use. I strongly suspect that if she had purchased a Blackberry or a Windows Mobile device, she would have realized how complex the device is. But she was sold an "Eris," a device that looks and acts like a simple feature phone.
Botttom line is that VZW shares in the culpability here. They want to sell smart phones to naive consumers. They do everything they can to promote the notion that even the least sophisticated consumer can use one. And when a consumer does so Verizon suddenly adopts the stance that they should have known better.
Have to come down on the side of the OP in this case for a couple of reasons.
My use of cell phones dates back about 20 years now. In the old days when individual carriers' coverage was spotty and perhaps 5% of the population used a cell phone, everyone who used one was well aware of what "roaming" meant.
In the years since virtually all carriers have switched to "no roaming charges" plans for marketing purposes. I daresay that an average consumer has only a vague idea of what "roaming" means, much less how "roaming" for voice calls differs from "roaming" for data synchronization.
And it's not as if VZW or other carriers go out of their way to educate consumers about such details.
Now that an entirely new contingent of users have moved from "feature" phones to "smart" phones, the distinction between "voice" plans and "data" plans adds to the complexity of "in network" versus "roaming."
The OP's mother "should" have educated herself about such issues. The fact that she did not, however, hardly justifies hundreds of dollars in charges on a phone she was no doubt sold with the assurance that it was simple to use. I strongly suspect that if she had purchased a Blackberry or a Windows Mobile device, she would have realized how complex the device is. But she was sold an "Eris," a device that looks and acts like a simple feature phone.
Botttom line is that VZW shares in the culpability here. They want to sell smart phones to naive consumers. They do everything they can to promote the notion that even the least sophisticated consumer can use one. And when a consumer does so Verizon suddenly adopts the stance that they should have known better.
carbonnoid
Member
But the problem no one seems to understand, its in black and white, if your a responsible adult,you read contracts your legally bound to, you read about fees and charges. I can understand that if your an 18 yr old kid, this is your first cell phone, but you are a customer of verizon for 10 years, you probly have signed 5 contracts with them, you should know about penalties and roaming, and any fees charged here. They have it on their website the fee structure, its not hard to find. Saying they want to sell smart phones to naive consumers is an outright lie, if that was true, they would not force you to get the smartphone data plan, let someone rack of a gig of data, and charge them 1000 dollars. Smart phones are exactly that, if you want a phone to just make calls, get a dumb phone, if you want something that gets email, accesses the internet, watch streaming podcasts, get a smart phone. What your saying, is that adults arent responsible enough to take care of themselves and read a manual as well as a contract, and need verizon to make it clearer then black and white. Its not that they should have known better, its the fact that its their responsiblity, Verizon provides a service, you have a freedom to use any carrier you want, they even update their online stats every minute for you, if he logged in once in that time, he would of seen this. Blaming verizon for something that they did not do, that they got charged for, simply because its someones mother, imo is not enough to warrent a free pass, what they did was the right thing, they gave him back 75 dollars, which I think is more then enough. You say they don't go out of their way, but on the phone itself it says roaming, one click on their site it gives you the fee structure, what do you want verizon to do, have seminars? Call you up every time, pay more employees to educate the lazy? What does that do? add's to their cost basis which would be passed on to the consumers. You say verizon shares in the responsiblity here, which I really can't see they do, but even if they did, like i said, they gave him 75 dollars, which is a nice chunk off of 322 dollars. I really don't understand why people hate big businesses, its like you want to reward someone for being irresponsible. Its like your a kid, you put your hand on the stove, and burn your hand, you want to sue the stove company, for not putting a warning on it, but it falls on the parents to be responsible, I think its a clear cut case here. Pay the bill, you and your mother learned a lesson, and continue using the best service in the country.
snappingfish
Member
According to Websters
dolt
- 3 dictionary results
dolt
–noun: a dull, stupid person; blockhead.
Origin:
1535–45; var. of obs. dold stupid, orig. ptp. of ME dollen, dullen to dull
—Related forms:
doltish, adjective
dolt·ish·ly, adverb
dolt·ish·ness, noun
—Synonyms
idiot, fool, clod, nitwit, dummy.
dolt
- 3 dictionary results
dolt
–noun: a dull, stupid person; blockhead.
Origin:
1535–45; var. of obs. dold stupid, orig. ptp. of ME dollen, dullen to dull
—Related forms:
doltish, adjective
dolt·ish·ly, adverb
dolt·ish·ness, noun
—Synonyms
idiot, fool, clod, nitwit, dummy.
Suffice to say that if you're trying start a Ron Paul revolution, learn how to use paragraphs.
Folks:
Go back to the 1st page....and re-read posts 1-10 especially posts 2,4,6 and 10....And posts 9 and 10 hits the nail on the head 100%.
Its a simple case of not knowing. Its a valuable learning experience. If the OP feels Verizon should have done more, he can accept what they offered, he can try to get a better solution from Verizon, or he can cancel the contract.
This as a very valuable thread. U know why? It taught me what to do when I go on a cruise....
Go back to the 1st page....and re-read posts 1-10 especially posts 2,4,6 and 10....And posts 9 and 10 hits the nail on the head 100%.
Its a simple case of not knowing. Its a valuable learning experience. If the OP feels Verizon should have done more, he can accept what they offered, he can try to get a better solution from Verizon, or he can cancel the contract.
This as a very valuable thread. U know why? It taught me what to do when I go on a cruise....
More value can be taken from the title alone than in reading ever single post.
Basically, Look at what I did. Don't do it. Anyone know how I can solve it? If not, anyone have any valuable knowledge about another carrier?
Better yet, the first page of this thread...I was gonna say that but hey....cuz the first page tells other things you coulda have done besides turn it off.
And probably the best way to find out about another carrier....is call them up or check their websites, read their TOS, their roaming info, etc. I remember Sprint used to cut the service for exceeding minutes. Maybe they do that for data too. That may have helped in this situation. Start with them.
And probably the best way to find out about another carrier....is call them up or check their websites, read their TOS, their roaming info, etc. I remember Sprint used to cut the service for exceeding minutes. Maybe they do that for data too. That may have helped in this situation. Start with them.
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