Moving to a-no-VERIZON service area, I get early termination fee!
jeanmarie123
Enthusiast - Level 1

I sold my house in Port Hueneme, where I was a happy Verizon customer (cable, telephone, internet) and moved to midcity Los Angeles (90016) where Verizon is not available.

I'm getting a $110 early termination fee.

This is a shameful way to treat customers.

The rep kept saying that what I signed committed me  for 2 years with no exceptions.

I will be glad to blog aundantly about my odissey (I own a social media agency in Los Angeles where we advise customers about how to build relationships with customers) and have many thousands of followers..

needless to say Verizon is a perfect case study of how to not treat customers.

Any tips on how to best handle this?

Thanks

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Re: Moving to a-no-VERIZON service area, I get early termination fee!
Telcoguru
Master - Level 1

When you signed up for your Verizon user name a box popped open with your terms of service that clearly stated that there is an Early Termination Fee if you terminate your contract before its due date. It also stated that the ETF applies to your current address only.

Re: Moving to a-no-VERIZON service area, I get early termination fee!
PJL
Master - Level 3

@jeanmarie123 wrote:

I sold my house in Port Hueneme, where I was a happy Verizon customer (cable, telephone, internet) and moved to midcity Los Angeles (90016) where Verizon is not available.

I'm getting a $110 early termination fee.

This is a shameful way to treat customers.

The rep kept saying that what I signed committed me  for 2 years with no exceptions.

I will be glad to blog aundantly about my odissey (I own a social media agency in Los Angeles where we advise customers about how to build relationships with customers) and have many thousands of followers..

needless to say Verizon is a perfect case study of how to not treat customers.

Any tips on how to best handle this?

Thanks


A tip:  expect to abide by the contract your entered into, just like you would expect Verizon (or your customers) to do.

Re: Moving to a-no-VERIZON service area, I get early termination fee!
db909
Contributor - Level 3

Cell phone companies have done the same in the past.  You get a cheaper subsidized rate and/or a free phone for agreeing to pay them for a period of time (i.e. 2 years).  If you leave early regardless of reason, moving, someone else is offerring a better deal, they want that subsidy back.  You didn't have to sign up for that cheaper subsidized deal when you got service initially, but since YOU did, and YOU do not want to honor the contract, why are you suprised they want that money back?

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Re: Moving to a-no-VERIZON service area, I get early termination fee!
jeanmarie123
Enthusiast - Level 1

What do you mean-- are you saying that the eraly termination fee applies only if I am still at my previous locatioj but terminate the fee to go with another provide? Are you saying that I may exempt from this fee if I have sold my house and moved to an area tha Verizon does not serve?

thanks

JM

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Re: Moving to a-no-VERIZON service area, I get early termination fee!
db909
Contributor - Level 3

What I am saying is you are stuck with the termination fee.   Verizon doesn't differentiate as to why you are termininating the contract early. 

The cell phone comapnies do the same.  If you get a subsidized Iphone 6 and two months later decide to move to the middle of nowhere in say Montana where there is no cell service, the cell phone company will do the same when you cancel, charge you an early termination fee.

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Re: Moving to a-no-VERIZON service area, I get early termination fee!
jeanmarie123
Enthusiast - Level 1

Its not because a person or corporatiuon asks you to sign something, annd that you sign it,  that this document has any validity or is enforcable.

The "we got you, you signed this now its too late" approach is not only not a honorable approach, it is not also not something that is allowed,  in many circumstances. Whatever was signed has to be deemed reasonable and legitimate. And there are many reasons in my view why what I signed was not reasonable.

When I faced a simulat situation with Time Warner a few years ago, where I sold the house I was living in, Time Warner graciously waived the termination fee after I sent them a copy of the grant deed/sale documents proving that I had indeed sold the house where they were delivering service.

Time Warner did the right thing, this was a honorable conclusion.  My job situation forced me to move, and they understood that. IT's not like I had a choice. And yet I had signed a similar paper.

SO experience has shown me that some carriers do waive early terminatin fees if indeed a person is indeed selling their house and moving to an area where the carrier does not have service

.

And some carriers do not have such graciousness. 

Verizon may be the only one that does not waive such fee, for all I know

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