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VERIZON is slashing one of its most popular perks, leaving customers to pick up the bill – and they say it’s only the latest act of mistreatment.
Yesterday, emails began arriving in customers’ inboxes alerting them to changes to their preexisting autopay discount.
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Verizon is one of a handful of providers that offers the perk, which cuts a predetermined amount off your bills when you sign up for recurring monthly payments.
Unlike traditional billing, automatic payments come directly out of your bank account.
This is only the latest change, as the carrier altered the discount’s terms earlier this year.
Starting February 14, customers were required to connect their bank account information or use a Verizon Visa Card and sign up for paperless billing to get the deal.
The previous policy allowed customers to use any debit card they wished.
Now, customers with older plans have been informed that the discount will be slashed in half starting next month.
“While we continue to offer Auto Pay benefits, your $10/line discount will be reduced to $5/mo. and your bill will increase starting on or after 10.10.2024,” the email read, in part.
“However, your current plan price and benefits will remain unchanged. You also have the option of moving to myPlan, where you’ll receive an Auto Pay discount of $10/mo for every line you switch.”
The company rounded out the message by promoting myPlan, a customizable program that’s almost guaranteed to cost users more each month.
While older plans included perks like Disney+ and Apple Music at no extra cost, myPlan allows users to choose their add-ons at a discounted rate.
The latest move indicates that myPlan is Verizon‘s new moneymaker, not the older plans failing to return on investment.
Scorned customers have vowed to take action against the carrier, with some reporting that they’ve filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission, a powerful watchdog.
“They have not provided proof that supporting their current level of service at the same price will cause undue hardship,” one Reddit user wrote.
“It’s also coercive of Verizon since this is the second rate increase this year, targeting the same group of customers, unilaterally. It’s been all one-sided.”
In March, just weeks after tweaking the terms of the autopay discount, Verizon unleashed another change.
Users with select older Unlimited plans were told to expect a monthly increase of $4 per line, effective their next billing cycle.
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Following yesterday’s email, other customers have reported canceling their service altogether and switching to another carrier.
“A couple months ago Verizon increased my plan by $10 a month with no extra benefits to me,” one user wrote.
“Now today they put out the auto pay discount being sliced in half. I switched over to another carrier where I actually will get more for about $40 less per month.”
Another user reported he had switched to another carrier “as of an hour or so ago,” charmed by a veteran discount and autopay markdown on top of it.
“Godspeed. I’m right behind you,” another Redditor wrote. “This is how they thank me for over 10 years of loyalty.”
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One user claimed he’d been with Verizon since their Bell Atlantic days, but mistreatment had reached unprecedented levels in the past year and a half.
“You’ve dribbled out price increase after price increase, sometimes with made-up below-the-line fees, other times with the actual plans, and never with any connection to your actual cost,” the user wrote.
“You cost me my Apple Watch LTE plan (never used more than 100MB of data, yet you had to raise the price on it).
“You’ve neutered the benefits on my Verizon Visa. You’ve increased the made up fees that your major competitor doesn’t charge.
“You’ve gone too far this time.”
Verizon: a brief history
Verizon Communications Inc. is a major American telecommunications company with a history that dates back to the late 19th century.
The carrier’s origins can be traced back to the late 1800s with the formation of Bell Telephone Company by Alexander Graham Bell and his partners in 1877.
This company evolved into American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885. AT&T became the dominant player in the telecommunications industry.
In 1984, the U.S. Department of Justice mandated the breakup of AT&T due to antitrust concerns.
This led to the creation of seven regional “Baby Bells” that were tasked with local phone service, while AT&T retained long-distance and research operations.
Verizon was officially formed on June 30, 2000, from the merger of Bell Atlantic Corp. and GTE Corp.
Bell Atlantic was one of the Baby Bells, while GTE was a large independent local telephone company.
The merger aimed to create a stronger telecommunications company capable of competing in the emerging digital and wireless markets.
In the early 2000s, Verizon focused on expanding its services, particularly in wireless communications.
It launched its mobile network under the Verizon Wireless brand, which became one of the most successful wireless providers in the U.S.
In 2015, Verizon acquired AOL Inc. and, in 2017, Yahoo Inc., aiming to expand its digital media and advertising capabilities.
The company has been a major proponent of the rollout of 5G technology, which promises to revolutionize mobile connectivity with faster speeds and lower latency. The company has invested heavily in building its 5G network infrastructure.
