Anyone charged late fees?

[LisaSC]

Hi All –

I work with a law firm that’s investigating Verizon Wireless’ practice of charging California consumers a flat $5 late fee and whether the practice violates California’s consumer rights laws.

Customers are charged a late fee if they don’t pay bills on time but according to California state law there may be some issues with charging a fixed late fee as a penalty. There may also be issues with charging all customers the same flat fee, regardless of the cost of monthly plans.

As part of the investigation, Hagens Berman wants to hear from any Verizon customer living in California who’s paid at least one late fee in the past four years.

You can contact the firm at info@hbsslaw.com or (206) 623-7292. More information on the investigation is on the firm’s Web site, www.hbsslaw.com.

[Anomalies]

Here is a copy of the agreement customers are supposed to read over and sign when they open an account with us:


http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/globalText?textName=CUSTOMER_AGREEMENT&jspName=footer/customerAgreement.jsp

The part where it states this should be helpfulto your study/case:

Payments, Deposits, Credit Cards and Checks
∞Payment is due in full as stated on your bill. IF WE DON'T RECEIVE
PAYMENT IN FULL WHEN DUE, WE MAY, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY
THE LAW OF THE STATE OF THE BILLING ADDRESS WE HAVE ON FILE FOR
YOU AT THE TIME, CHARGE YOU A LATE FEE OF UP TO 1.5 PERCENT A
MONTH (18 PERCENT ANNUALLY), OR A FLAT $5 A MONTH, WHICHEVER IS
GREATER, ON UNPAID BALANCES. (IF YOU CHOOSE ANOTHER COMPANY
TO BILL YOU FOR OUR SERVICE [SUCH AS ANOTHER VERIZON COMPANY],
LATE FEES WILL BE SET BY THAT PARTY OR BY ITS TARIFFS, WHICH MAY
BE HIGHER THAN OUR LATE FEE RATE.) WE MAY ALSO CHARGE YOU FOR
ANY COLLECTION AGENCY FEES THAT WE ARE CHARGED BY A
COLLECTION AGENCY WE USE TO COLLECT FROM YOU IF IT IS
PERMITTED BY THE LAW OF THE STATE WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR BILLING
ADDRESS WHEN WE FIRST SEND YOUR ACCOUNT TO A COLLECTION
AGENCY. We may require an advance deposit (or an increased deposit) from
you. We'll pay simple interest on any deposit at the rate the law requires.
Please retain your evidence of deposit. You agree that we can apply deposits,
payments or pre–payments in any order to any amounts you owe us on any
account. You can't use a deposit to pay any bill unless we agree. We refund
final credit balances of less than $1 only upon request. We won't honor limiting
notations you make on or with your checks. We may charge you up to $25 for
any returned check, depending on applicable law.

[VZWtrainer]

The laws of California disgust me and make me so happy to have left that horrible, socialist state. It's unfornate that such a beautiful and wonderful state has to be marred by some of the worst state "consumer protection" laws in the country (besides most of the states in the North East). I don't understand how consumers can hold the wireless industry to a different standard than EVERY other industry out there. For example, the recent class action lawsuit against many of the major carriers fighting early termination fees. I don't know if the average public realizes this but cell phone carriers lose money when they sell phones at the upgrade discount. They only profit from the service plans during the contract period. If a customer cancels before the contract is up, that carrier would lose money if the ETF is not charged. VZW was the first wireless carrier to start prorating early termination fees back in 11/2006 to do what is right for consumers. If people try to say that cell phone carriers cannot charge early termination fees, then why do leasing companies, or DirecTV?

In reference to the original post regarding late fees. Every bill I have (besides power/gas) charges a late fee. My cable bill, my leasing company, my insurance company, my credit cards, and my cell phone company. Why in the world do these idiotic lawyers have to think that the wireless industry is any different?

Anomolies also brings to mind a perfect point. The cusotmer signs in agreement to all of these things. In the VZW customer agreement, which is linked in the previous post, EVERY possible charge (besides taxes) is layed out to a cusotmer. When they sign in agreement to this when they begin service, they are leagally obligated to the Terms and Conditions stated in that contract. VZW even has a section in the cusotmer agreement for "material adverse changes" or when VZW changes how a cusotmer would be billed for something that they are using. For example, when the text message rate increased from $0.15 to $0.20 in 3/2008, VZW would let people opt out of their contract if they used a pay-as-you-go text feature.

This lawsuit has absolutely no merit and, if it passes for the plantifs, then it proves how backwards California really is. And for all you California residents out there, just realize that these kinds of shenanigans are what causes your taxes and fees to be so high.

[Unregistered]

VZW trainer i def agree with you me being a emp of vzw i still get charged a late fee when i pay my bill late. Why should California be any diff?

[GDawgtuk]

This lawsuit has absolutely no merit and, if it passes for the plantifs, then it proves how backwards California really is. And for all you California residents out there, just realize that these kinds of shenanigans are what causes your taxes and fees to be so high.


Unfortunitly you are telling this to the wrong type of person. Lawyers lack what we call "Souls" which causes them to lust for the goal of "money" with no thought of eithics or others well being.

At least that is what a lifetime of News and TV has told me.

[Unregistered]

The 5 dollar late fee is fair and applied to everyone.
In fact this much less then ANY other service I use. I am charged 125.00 if I am late on rent and my rent is roughly the same amount as my cell phone bill.

[Unregistered]

the first one the screen started flickering. number 2: the canera stopped working and when i tried using the camera, it caused my phone to lag so much i would have to take out the battery to get it back to normal and it stopped vibrating and ringing. number three: you know the silver shiny stuff on the top half? well i never dropped it and all the silver stuff started peeling my phone was 2 weeks old and mobile IM stopped working.

is it me or is the venus crappy?? im on my 4th one now..no problems yet..i just activated it yesterday..

but if i have anymore problems im going to get the voyager :| not too excited about that one :(