Check Your Bills, Or How Verizon Quietly Charged Me for VCast
December 12th, 2006 | by Molly's Brother |A couple of months ago, I got a new cell phone at a great price. I’ve been a Verizon customer for more than a couple years and upgraded my phone for almost nothing. Staying with Verizon was an easy decision. Until now, I’ve had no problems with their service.
Last month, my cell phone bill arrived. I noticed that it was slightly higher than I expected, but shrugged it off, thinking that I went over my airtime. No big deal. It happens from time-to-time.
My cell phone bill came earlier this week. Again, it was higher than I expected by the same amount. Upon delving into the details of the bill, I realized that this $15 price increase appeared on my statement because Verizon is charging me for their VCast service.
VCast. Yeah. That’s where you can get streaming videos, news reports and the like on your mobile phone. Guess what? Didn’t want VCast when I re-upped and I don’t need VCast now.
Here’s the problem: I was adamant when I bought the phone that I didn’t want this add-on. The saleswoman assured me that she would remove the VCast access. It didn’t happen. So, I’ll be calling Verizon tomorrow to reverse these charges. I’ll keep you updated.
But this brings me to the larger issue. You have to check your bills, especially your cell phone bill. There are so many ways to save:
- You might be unaware that you’re charged for additional features.
- Figure out if you’re talking more/less than you expected over the course of the past six months.
- Find out if you’re texting more/less and change your plan accordingly.
A slight tweak in your plan could end up saving you hundreds of dollars a year.
Tonight, I’ll be sitting down with all my bills to see what other erroneous charges are trying to sneak through.
2 Responses to “Check Your Bills, Or How Verizon Quietly Charged Me for VCast”
By Michael on Dec 13, 2006 | Reply
Yeah one thing that always ticks me off is the renewal of contract when changing rate plans and the like. Rate plans seem to change as often as I change underwear, it’s so hard to keep up with it and make sure I’m not being taken advantage of.
I’m noticing now that 2 year extensions are becoming standard. That’s a long time…
By Molly's Brother on Dec 13, 2006 | Reply
It is difficult to make sure you’re not being taken advantage of–especially with these expensive add-ons like VCast. As for the two year extensions, it does seem like a long time, especially if you’re new to a specific carrier. However, I’m pretty happy with my carrier and coverage so no complaints to being locked into this plan for the next couple of years.