[IP] Verizon Charges $2/month for not making long distance calls

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Eric Glover <eric@ericglover.com>
Date: May 5, 2007 1:51:15 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave@farber.net>, frisbee2@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Verizon Charges $2/month for not making long distance calls

http://reporternews.com/news/2007/may/03/phone-companies-levy-new-fee- 
not-making-calls/

Phone companies levy new fee for not making calls

John Murawski / Raleigh News & Observer
Thursday, May 3, 2007

Phone bills are notorious for rankling customers with fees, taxes,  
tariffs and other mystery assessments.

Now some phone companies are adding a new line item to monthly bills:  
a charge for not making long-distance calls.

The category of customers affected by the new fee is the shrinking  
subset of people who have no-frills home-phone service and don't pay  
for a long-distance-calling plan.

Verizon last month introduced the $2 fee. It is charged to customers  
who could dial out for long distance, but don't subscribe to a long- 
distance service and don't make long-distance calls.

Durham, N.C., retiree Daniel Bius discovered the $2 charge on his  
April bill. He says he has no use for Verizon's long-distance calling  
plan because he makes long-distance calls on his cell phone.

"Even though I don't have a plan with them, they say I still have the  
ability to make a long-distance call if I ever need to, so I have to  
pay them $2 a month?" Bius said. "What am I supposed to do? Am I  
supposed to pay them $2 for no reason?"
...


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