Re: Forcing customers to sign-up for paperless billing, what a hassle!
nygfan1
Newbie

I just found this thread after receiving the same forced trial so this is not a glitch. Perhaps if you actually tried to use the online payment system you would see what we are talking about rather than speculating on what you think is happening. Anyway for the benefit of yourself and everyone else I am providing the information presented to me when I tried to pay my bill tonight.

Important. When you make the above payment via this site, you will be enrolled in Verizon’s Paper Free Billing program for a sixty (60) day trial period. During the trial period, you will also continue to receive a paper bill.

You can view your bill by accessing your myverizon.com account anytime.

You will receive a bill notification by email and/or text message every month, including the amount due and due date. To make sure you receive your monthly notification, please add verizon.ecenter@verizon.com to your address book or approved sender list. You agree to promptly update your email address or cell phone number with Verizon on your Account Profile page.

You will be able to cancel participation in this trial or skip the trial and enroll right away in Paper Free Billing. Please refer to the instructions on the payment confirmation screen which displays next. If you don’t cancel by 01-29-12, you will be switched to Paper Free Billing and no longer receive your paper bill by mail.

Submit Payment Back

By Selecting the Submit button, I agree to enroll in the Paper Free Billing trial.

Thank you for your payment, and welcome to the Paper Free Billing Trial!
Your Paper Free Billing 60-day trial will end and your Paper Free Billing will be active on 01-29-2012.*

Paper free billing makes it easy to:
• Simplify your life by minimizing paper clutter.
• Conveniently manage your account online anytime.
• Review up to 24 months of your statements online.
• Choose to receive bill reminders via email or text message each month.
• Be kind to the environment by going green.
Want to skip the 60-day trial period, or don't want Paper Free Billing? Look under the
Other Account Actions section and select the
Paper Free Billing link to make changes.

This is a ridiculous policy but at least I will be able to cancel this trial to keep paper billing. Its the principle of the matter that we are being forced into the trial in the first place to get us away from paper billing.

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Re: Forcing customers to sign-up for paperless billing, what a hassle!
oldfashioned
Specialist - Level 2

"Perhaps if you actually tried to use the online payment system..."  Unnecessary comment!  We all have our personal reasons for the choices we make when we are conducting our own business, so none of that demands any explanation. 

Seriously, you guys need to chill out.  From the way this was being described, I thought you were stuck in some kind of a system loop where you couldn't get past a certain point in the system until you agreed to go paperless and that you couldn't do anything to get out of it.  That's why I had thought this was a system problem that a tech could help you resolve with a shared on line session.  It's hard to know without seeing the details.

Now I don't see anything unreasonable, unethical, or illegal about what is actually posted, so I think you're exaggerating.  I just read everything that you mentioned.  You're not being forced into anything.  My advice?  Opt out of it so you can put this behind you and move on.  And also, it says on the top line that even during the trial period, you will still receive a paper bill, so I think you're overreacting.  All this is doing is encouraging, not forcing, customers to go paperless, and all major corporations encourage that.  So what?  "Forcing" would mean taking away the paper statements and only making statements available on line.

And sure, many corporations feel this obligation to meet their social responsibility by considering the environment and at the same time, I agree that many corporations want to cut costs and let's face it:  Not having to process and mail out as many paper statements is indeed cheaper for the company.  So I'm not surprised by these methods of encouraging customers to go paperless.  That's everywhere. 

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Re: Forcing customers to sign-up for paperless billing, what a hassle!
WREverdell
Newbie

"My advice?  Opt out of it so you can put this behind you and move on."

I will do so immediately when you tell me how.

There's nothing green about this little opt-out loop.  It's an effort to cut costs, not save paper.  Verizon has fired a lot of workers, but I guess that wasn't enough cost-cutting.  Its revenue is up but R-C (Profit) wasn't enough for its stockholders.  Verizon seems to think it owes nothing to customers but the service the law requires it to provide.  Fortunately I have, at considerable expense, avoided putting all of my communication eggs in Verizon's one basket.

Show me how to opt out of the opt-out on paperless billing,

I won't ask Verizon to pay me for the work-time it took to respond to its little outrage.

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Re: Forcing customers to sign-up for paperless billing, what a hassle!
WREverdell
Newbie

"Then you have to waste your time ( I don't know about yours, but my time is very valuable to me) finding the right account page to then opt out of the trial you were just forced into."

I'll cool down when you tell me how.

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Re: Forcing customers to sign-up for paperless billing, what a hassle!
oldfashioned
Specialist - Level 2

I'm not saying anything more.

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Re: Forcing customers to sign-up for paperless billing, what a hassle!
ElizabethS
Moderator Emeritus

Just a reminder folks, that while we encourage the exchange of opinions, the guidelines do require that you do so in a respectful manner.

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Re: Forcing customers to sign-up for paperless billing, what a hassle!
NotARealFan
Newbie

I know this is an old topic, but these days what happens is that everytime I switch my credit card payment method, I would be enrolled automatically to paper-less billing without being asked or otherwise prompted. The only clue about it is that I will get an e-mail stating that my request (even though I never really asked for) for paper-less billing is being processed, and a few days later another e-mail says it's confirmed.  Now I have to log on and change it back.  It has happened more than once to me.  It's minor inconvenience, but I would have preferred they tell me upfront when I was online changing my payment method, and give me a chance to say Yes or No.

Just these little things that show their arrogance.

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Re: Forcing customers to sign-up for paperless billing, what a hassle!
LawrenceC
Moderator Emeritus

As this thread is now over two years old, it will be locked in order to keep discussions current. If you have the same or a similar question/issue we invite you to start a new thread on the topic.

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