Verizon slams woman with surprise $140 charge

Jackson resident Normi Lipsit only paid $15 a month for her bare-bones Verizon Wireless phone. So why did she get socked with a charge nearly 10 times that after she canceled?

The answer seems to be in her interaction with the company as she made adjustments to her service. We'll get in to that in a moment, but Press on Your Side was able to help her with the $140.22 charge that appeared earlier this summer.

It all started after Lipsit lost her cellphone in June. A Verizon Wireless customer for about 10 years, she said she paid $15 a month for 30 minutes of telephone service,

At first, Lipsit suspended the phone service, but then cancelled it after her telephone didn't turn up. She switched to Affinity Cellular, a company she said better suits her needs.

Early termination fee

After she canceled, she got a bill in the mail. "Although you have chosen to move your phone number to another carrier, you are still responsible for all charges incurred on your Verizon Wireless account, including any charges incurred during the period of mixed service between carriers, and any applicable early termination fees," the letter states.

Lipsit said she wasn't under a contract. She had not purchased a new wireless telephone in several years, which typically marks the start of a new two-year contract.

From time to time, she would contact Verizon Wireless to increase or decrease the amount of minutes she needed during the times she spends in Florida. "I am suddenly faced with a $140.22 cancellation fee for a contract I never had," Lipsit wrote in a letter to Press on Your Side. "I have been a loyal Verizon Wireless customer for over 10 years, have paid every bill on time."

She could not get the response she wanted from Verizon Wireless. "I am not paying a cancellation fee," Lipsit said. "No one said to me, you know, there will be a cancellation fee."

She asked Press on Your Side for help. "I would be most grateful to you if could intercede with Verizon on my behalf," Lipsit wrote.

Press gets involved

Press on Your Side contacted a Verizon Wireless representative and asked the company to look at Lipsit's situation.

A customer service employee called Lipsit. Verizon Wireless informed her that her contract had been extended when she called the company to change her minutes, Lipsit recounted. "They said I was never informed that by changing my minute plan that it extended the contract," she said.

The company wiped out the termination fee. Lipsit thanked Press on Your Side for the help.

"We have connected with Ms. Lipsit and resolved the issue surrounding the termination fee," Verizon Wireless said.

Lipsit's experience brings up an important point.

Press on Your Side worries about things such as termination fees and hidden charges. Whenever you adjust your account, whether it's to add some minutes to your wireless service or change a level of your television provider, always ask how it impacts you. Did you sign up for a new contract or extend one?.

It will help prevent the potential for a surprise, such as a nasty termination fee, later.

Do you have a consumer problem that needs solving? Contact David P. Willis at 732-643-4042, pressonyourside@gannettnj.com or facebook.com/dpwillis732.