Fios False & Misleading Advertising on renewal plans
snowedinlawyer

My contract with Verizon has expired.  So I open the MyFios app and I am pitched to renew my 2-year contract with a $100 gift card and that I should view the availble plans.

This is where it gets interesting.

The pitch by Verizon says my 'current plan' is $201.96.  It then pitches me two seeminglty 'better' and cheaper plans - plan A for $154.99 or Plan B for $184.99 (difference being 100 vs the '1 gig'  internt speeds).  Ok, so what's the problem you ask?...here it is.

The $201.96 price listed as my 'current plan' INCLUDES the $47 I pay for my equiptment/upgraded DVR service.  The two seemingly better priced plans (they are trying to entice you to stay as a customer, right?) do NOT include equiptment/upgraded service charges!  Thus, Plan A is exactly what I pay now, while Plan B is $30 more for higher internet speed.  In short, there is no dealbeing offered.

Further still, and continuing with their 'creative' markerting, they make it sound as if their $100 cash card is an 'online special' when it reality it is not.

If you call up a Verizon rep on the phone they will give you the exact $154.99 plan for less; $149.99.  Thus, over a 2-year agreement you save $120 vs the $100 cash card offered up front (but paying $5 more a month!).  In short, if you take the 'special' online deal you wind up spending $20 MORE over the course of a 2-year contract!

While I loathe pulling the 'lawyer card,' as  a well-respected practicing civil litigator for over 20 years in NYC, might I suggest that Verizon's Marketing team confer with Legal, especially considering NY's GBL, when posting these types of gimmicky 'we want to keep you' deals.  

Suffice it to say, I am re-considering my relationship with Verizon.  I like the product, but the pricing is too high and their sales tactics a bit shady for my liking.

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Re: Fios False & Misleading Advertising on renewal plans
jonjones1
Legend

Just a quick obversation, if you have been practicing law for over 20 years as a civil attorney that price should not even phase you. 

Additionally I am sure the General Business Obligatiions Law is more than looked at when these marketing departments offer these so called deals. 

In NY it’s the NYS Public Service Commission that has regulatory authority over Verizon and that is the place that oks the rates and fees. 

Gift cards are teasers. It’s for those that think they are getting a great deal, but they are not. The poor sucker doesn’t see past the $100, $250 or $300 cards. In fact when folks start seeing how they are told ‘we don’t know anything about the promotion “ or the famous “ You were not entitled to that reward/bonus card” and this is when most sign contracts that are not written as to incled those inducements so bam the customer loses.

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Re: Fios False & Misleading Advertising on renewal plans
snowedinlawyer

JJ:

The price is not the issue (and I have been practicing for over 20 years in NYC, do not know what that has to do with anything - we all like to save money, don't we?) - the markerting of the 'plan' is.  

Despite what consumers think, companies, even big ones like Verizon, occassionaly 'miss the boat' on properly vetting it's Marketing arm.  I have little doubt that the ad is not geared to someone like you or me, who recognize marketing ploys, but to the average person who does'nt see past the words 'gift card.'  I would wager that under a reasonable consumer standard, the ad would be considered, at minimum, 'misleading. becuase it compares apples to oranges - to wit my current 'plan' which includes equiptment and upgrades, versus the newly offered plans, which do not take into account the customer's equiptment, etc. (no do I see an asterik or indicaton that the 'plans' being compared are not equivalent.

To each his own.  Forewarned is forearmed!

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Re: Fios False & Misleading Advertising on renewal plans
jonjones1
Legend

Good advice on being forewarned.

the price quip I made is in relation to your position in your profession and the fact that like my mother in law who was an ADA for many years and trial lawyer and who when she decided to change over to financial law (whatever that is called) made a gazillion dollars. She pays hundreds of dollars for her service, never calls up to make deals and just pays what is sent to her.

i told her I can get the cost reduced but she is set in her ways and stubborn. And likes to tell me how wealthy she is from working 80+ hour weeks for 40 years.

and she is wealthy. So being an attorney paid off.

her husband was a cardiac surgeon for many years so you get my meaning.

my lord her son makes millions as a corporate lawyer and CEO of a huge service company. He doesn’t care what things cost either. 

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Re: Fios False & Misleading Advertising on renewal plans
MrC_in_PA
Newbie

They are still up to the same misleading practices in marketing Plan upgrades

In my case, I was paying The $154.98 for my 'current plan' which included the $49.99 I pay for equipment /MultiRoom DVR service.  (Plus 28.86 in Fees and Surcharges for a total cost of $183.84)

The stated current plan did list $154.98.  The New "lower" cost plan of $129.99 priced plans did NOT include equipment/upgraded service charges!    But that was not made obvious until you approve the contract.

Add in a $12 /m Gateway (Which I already have one installed and paid for)  and taxes and fees and what marketed to me as saving $24.99 / Month would actually cost $226.04   For an increase of $42.20  over my current contract of $183.84 

Or a difference of $67.19 over expected new expected monthly cost vs. actual 

Some Special Deal!

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