"No Term Contact" on website, but email confirmation mentioned Early Termination Fees

[timlopez1]

All,

I did some searching on these forums but was unable to find anything similar. 

I was looking at the available "upgrades" for my previous bundle (FiOS Extreme HD, 25/25, Phone) and one of the options was the FiOS Ultiimate HD, 35/35, and Phone for the same price I was currently paying. It said that the price was a 2 year price guarantee and that even though there was a 2 year price guarantee, there was no term contract. 

I decide to take up that offer.

After going through the change flow and submitting the order, I get an email with this text included in it:

Cancellation Policy
By placing your FiOS Trpl Frdm up to 35/35 Ultimate HD with WiFi EPIX 24M 2010 order, you agreed to maintain your bundled services for a minimum of 24 months and that a prorated early termination fee of up to $360 will apply if you cancel your bundled services early. The prorated early termination fee of $360 will be reduced by $15 for each full month toward your minimum term that you complete. There are other terms and conditions that are a necessary part of your agreement which you should review. Those terms are available at verizon.com/terms and are also provided on or before the installation of your FiOS services. Once your FiOS services are installed, you have 30 days to cancel without an Early Termination Fee.

I was wondering if this is just a standard text in all emails, or if I really will have a ETF if I cancel. It seems odd to have an ETF on something that said there was no term contract. I'm lucky to live in an area with FiOS, but I really doubt I'll be in this apartment for 2 more years. 

If anyone has any insight in to this, or have seem similar threads on this subject, please let me know!

Tim

[lasagna]

This is a user to user forum, so any insight from folks here would certainly not be authoritative.  As I like to tell people ... get it in writing.   You did ... and what you got doesn't match what you agreed to.   So, I think you need to get in touch with the billing folks and get a contract with the terms you agreed to ... in writing ... in order to prevent any possible future disagreements should it be necessary for you to terminate early.

While it could be standard boilerplate, at this point you're not holding anything in your hands which indicates you've agreed to anything different.

[timlopez1]

Hi lasagna,

Thanks for the reply.

---------------------

All,

Update, in case anyone was wondering.

I was just looking to see if anyone else had noticed this.

So, I called Verizon and kindly explained the situation, how I had selected that I was an existing customer, and how it showed me the offers and how they said no term contract, and her response was "I doubt it said that". I'm not the kind to argue back or anything, so I just went with it. It just made me bummed that this agent was quick to just disregard my side of the story. 

It was indeed a 2 year contract, so I had her cancel the order. I'm pretty sure they were trying to hide that there was a contract from the customer. No mention of contract while checking out (no "check here to agree to a contract" or even a chance to read any terms or conditions).

Check the spolier for how the email came in:

Spoiler

Dear Tim,

Thank you for your order which provides amazing FiOS service at a terrific monthly retail rate.

       
Order Summary
Master Order Number: 0XXXXXXXX
Order Date: Jan 12, 2011
Product: Trpl Frdm up to 35/35 Ultimate HD with WiFi EPIX 24M 2010
Internet Speed: FTTP_35M_35M
 

If your service includes high speed internet service, learn more about Verizon's Wi-Fi @verizon.com/wifi.

For your most current FiOS TV Channel Lineup - visit verizon.com/fiostvchannels and enter your Zip Code.

Refer Friends, Earn Rewards
Earn up to $600 by enrolling in our Share the Network program today! Refer fellow employees, friends and family and you and everyone you refer will get $50 apiece - so everyone wins! Start sharing and earning today. sharethenetwork.com.

 

Are you tapping into the full speed of your FiOS Internet connection? 

Optimize your PC Now at Verizon.com/fiosoptimizer

[this image - http://www22.verizon.com/NROneRetail/NR/rdonlyres/3EE45A3B-DA24-41A8-9CFB-A8935271CA80/0/FiOSOptimiz...]

Cancellation Policy
By placing your FiOS Trpl Frdm up to 35/35 Ultimate HD with WiFi EPIX 24M 2010 order, you agreed to maintain your bundled services for a minimum of 24 months and that a prorated early termination fee of up to $360 will apply if you cancel your bundled services early. The prorated early termination fee of $360 will be reduced by $15 for each full month toward your minimum term that you complete. There are other terms and conditions that are a necessary part of your agreement which you should review. Those terms are available at verizon.com/terms and are also provided on or before the installation of your FiOS services. Once your FiOS services are installed, you have 30 days to cancel without an Early Termination Fee.

You can see that the cancelation policy mention is finally there, but after the "wifi", "refer your friends", and "optimize your PC" junk. If you thought the rest of this was the normal "boilerplate" stuff, you wouldn't think to read the whole email (just the top part that has the important information). 

I really don't understand why New Customers get lower prices (the same bundle was 40 bucks less for new customers) AND no contact, but existing customers pay more and have to sign a contract. 

I guess this is just how they do business. 

I'll just enjoy what I have for now, but definitely have lost faith in their Customer Service (not to mention the misleading information that was originally shown to me prior to when I ordered the update, and then what came in after).

[timlopez1]

So this morning I cancelled the order.

This evening, I decided to go through the entire order again, and double check to make sure that I wasn't going crazy.

Come with me on this journey!

(Mods - photos have been already edited to block out personal information and order numbers)

-----------------

1) First, I login to my Verizon Account and click on the Change Internet Plan link:

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/1.PNG

2) My account information and available services are being looked up:

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/2.PNG

3) I see a few bundles - Green Text in 4 places tells me that those bundles have a 2-year price lock, "but doesn't lock you into a term contract" - WOO HOO!

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/3.PNG

4) I select the biggest, baddest plan, and I'm now at a screen to do some add-ons for the TV service:

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/4.PNG

5) More ADD-ONS! It's okay guys, I'm pretty good in the AntiVirus department:

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/5.PNG

6) Alright! Order Details - No mention of Contracts or ETF (Heck, not even TOS is shown):

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/6.PNG

7) I wonder if the mentions of the Contract are in the "Months 2 - 24" section - NOPE (keep in mind, I selected a plan with a 2 year price lock, so thats why it shows 2 years):

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/7.PNG

😎 Alright - Let's start the checkout! You want my email? Alright - I can supply that I guess:

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/8.PNG

9) Activated on Friday? Alright - Sounds good!

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/9.PNG

10) Alright - Order Summary! One last stop before it's a done deal! Check it all, Address Correct (they got that automatically from my account). Contact info correct (all but the email address was automatically "assumed"). Scrolling down - No mentions of contracts anywhere! SUBMIT ORDER! 

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/10.PNG

11) It is finished. Same stuff again, this time an order number (edited out). 

http://www.timlopez.com/fios/11.PNG

And then a few minutes later, the email mentioning the ETF/Contract:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECENT ORDER

Dear Tim,

Thank you for your order which provides amazing FiOS service at a terrific monthly retail rate.

       

Order Summary
Master Order Number: [removed]
Order Date: Jan 13, 2011
Product: Trpl Frdm up to 35/35 Ultimate HD with WiFi EPIX 24M 2010
Internet Speed: FTTP_35M_35M

 

If your service includes high speed internet service, learn more about Verizon's Wi-Fi @ verizon.com/wifi.

For your most current FiOS TV Channel Lineup - visit verizon.com/fiostvchannels and enter your Zip Code.

Refer Friends, Earn Rewards
Earn up to $600 by enrolling in our Share the Network program today! Refer fellow employees, friends and family and you and everyone you refer will get $50 apiece - so everyone wins! Start sharing and earning today. sharethenetwork.com.

 

Are you tapping into the full speed of your FiOS Internet connection?

Optimize your PC Now at Verizon.com/fiosoptimizer

 

Cancellation Policy
By placing your FiOS Trpl Frdm up to 35/35 Ultimate HD with WiFi EPIX 24M 2010 order, you agreed to maintain your bundled services for a minimum of 24 months and that a prorated early termination fee of up to $360 will apply if you cancel your bundled services early. The prorated early termination fee of $360 will be reduced by $15 for each full month toward your minimum term that you complete. There are other terms and conditions that are a necessary part of your agreement which you should review. Those terms are available at verizon.com/terms and are also provided on or before the installation of your FiOS services. Once your FiOS services are installed, you have 30 days to cancel without an Early Termination Fee.

If you have any questions about your account, please visit My Verizon.

Thank you for your order!

Verizon

 

This message was sent from a notification only email address that cannot accept incoming email messages. Please do not reply to this email. Copyright 2010 Verizon.

           

Mail Tracking Id : 13197546

----------

I'm not about just coming here and complaining, but this is important to point out that the mention of "No Term Contracts" was stated when ordering, but not until you accept it do they sneak in the contract. This is by definition a bait and switch.

I will call again in the morning. This time when the rep says "I doubt it said that", I have screen shots to go with it. 

[lasagna]

Sounds like you need to speak with the billing folks about the contents of screen shot #3.