Stop Verizon Wireless Megabyte Usage Charges
First off I want to say that if you are a Verizon Wireless customer and have been stuck with outrageous charges on your bill from “megabyte usage”, you are not alone. Since Verizon has decided to switch over to a per-megabyte usage charge, complaints have been piling up all over the Internet in response to its vague and deceiving outlines.
Apparently there is mass confusion over what constitutes megabyte usage. I will settle this for now and say anything you do with your phone besides making voice calls uses megabytes. The real question is, what does Verizon want to charge as megabyte usage. Verizon charges $2 dollars for 1 megabyte of usage, so even if you only use your program once or download one ringtone you are charged $2 dollars.
What Verizon Charges for
- Downloading and using most applications on your phone. Almost every game and program you can download to your phone will use a data connection that will be charged per megabyte. $7 dollars to buy the game. $2 dollars for 5 uses of the game you never really bought.
- Using a mobile web browser to view web pages on your phone. Pretty self explanatory.
- Browsing for applications, games or anything else under Get it Now. In the past your could browse freely and not be charged a dime. Now Verizon is capitalizing on customers who are simply looking to buy. Definitely not self explanatory.
This new pricing policy from Verizon is simply out of line. Could you image a store where you are charged by how much you look around for things to buy? That is basically how it works with the new pricing policy. First you have to pay to download a list of applications, next you pay to download a application, then you pay to use that that application, and finally you pay to download your item. You can’t even window shop without paying a fine.
How to Stop the Usage Charges
My first thought to combat these usage charges was to turn off data usage on my phone. All phones have the option to turn data off so I figured it would fix this type of problem. It unfortunately doesn’t stop data from being sent at all.
This next method should work for everybody though. Verizon has certain options that can be added and removed from your phone. Some features that can be added actually block certain services such as application downloads, ringtone downloads and ext. Adding these blocking features should keep you and your family from getting stuck with outrageous megabyte usage charges. Here are the steps to do this.
- Log into your Verizon Wireless account online
- Click on My Verizon, then My Services, and then My Phone
- On the left, under My Phone Actions, click on AddRemove features
- Under Multimedia”block services” add the following options
- Block Ringback Tone Purchase
- V CAST Music Block
- Block Mobile Web
- Block V CAST Video Clips
- Block Application Downloads
- Click continue, verify your selection, and you’re done
Verizon also offers many plans that include unlimited data usage for your phone. These new usage charges are a great way to get people to upgrade to these plans, mainly because people want to continue using their applications and games without paying massive fees. So people are duped into upgrading their plan and paying a rate hike for the same service they had the month before.
I say if you can get out of your Verizon plan, for a reasonable amount of money, do it. Verizon Wireless is ran by a bunch of snakes that are constantly studying how they can convince the consumer into paying more, without actually getting more. I, for one, am done with Verizon and it’s unjust policies.
If you feel your rights as a consumer has been violated voice your opinion below on your experiences
Technorati Tags: verizon, verizon wireless, usage charges, megabyte, megabyte charges, megabyte usage, get it now, applications, customer, customer complaints, games, games download, application download, block features, block, ringtones, block downloads, fees, plan upgrade
Thanks for the info above.
I guess I am the latest victim of Verizon Wireless customer :-(
I would like to sincerely thank you for informing “consumer America” of the Verizon Wireless scam. WHAT PIGS THEY ARE! I actually have Verizon Wireless and recently discovered these mysterious charges on my latest bill… something had to be done! Your article was very informative. As soon as my plan contract expires, I’m cancelling Verizon. If I cancel too early, they’ll charge me for that too!! My goodness!! Anyway, thanks again and I hope someone else finds this just as helpful as I did!
I too have been duped by verizon. I was told I had to switch to the new nationwide plan in order to get the phone I wanted. I have to pay an extra $10 on my plan and now I get all these extra charges for data usage. The thing is, I don’t even know what I was into to warrant these charges! I don’t like having to pay for every little thing.
If there isn’t a block mobile web option, does that mean I’m not allowed to block it?
There should be no reason why you can’t block mobile web unless you are part of a plan that includes mobile web. What is included with your plan and what are you being charged for?
I completely agree. Love the part about being charged to shop. I tried explaining this to the woman with their “customer service” to no avail. The conversation went like this:
Me: So if I download a ringtone you charge me for the ringtone and then the usage to download the ringtone. Aren’t I getting charged twice for the same thing?
Woman: No, one is for the ringtone and one charge is for the megabyte usage.
Me: Yeah, that’s what I said…twice for the same thing.
I myself also found mysterious ‘megabyte charges’ on my phone bill (who knows how long I’ve been getting charges like this). It looks like I was getting charged for time when I had accidentally pressed ‘get it now’ button (Verizon conveniently puts get it now button where it is easily accessiblt and is prone to being pressed accidentally)
I am furious!!!!
Thanks for the info!!! Does anyone know how I can stop Get it now feature?
BEWARE SLL GET CHARGED DATA CHARGES THAT YOU NEVER USED !!! If you have a smartphone and just want to connect it with a USB cable to your computer to “sync” your info with Outlook, they CHARGE YOU DATA TIME!! The phone is never even accessing the internet at all! It’s just backing up the info from your phone to your desktop!! Now I have heard everything…I always heard that VZW would disable features of a phone and then charge you to use them. Now this. WHAT IS NEXT ! I never had any issues for the 7 years I was with Sprint. Now I am with VZW and regret every month of my contract.
i have had verizon almost two year now, and as eager as i am to cancel the plan, i found out every time i change my texting limit, suspend a line or basically call verizon with a question, my contract is extended. i fear i will never be released from verizons hard grib. i have two line and just to leave my plan would cost a fortune. Some how every month my bill is nearring $200.00.
IT IS ABSOLUTLY CRAZY! and considering my boyfriends phone, doesnt have get it now. we question why in one month i had $49.00 of 411 calls and $125.00 of megabyte usage on my line alone! getting things off your bill is a whole nother hassel, it takes to months to be credited to your bill if they are even willing to give you back 25% of what you aren’t even suppose to be charged for.
Verizon does have great coverage and signal at all times. i enjoy the organized set-up of the phones and the constant new and latest phones at verizon.
two bad i cant afford any of them or enjoy anything cause verizon is so pricy!
go with at&t. or even t-mobile. its better for the money! take my advice.
I have Verizon access manager for my home internet and under my plan it allows 5 gig of usage a month, many of there employees do not know how to break down this usage to megabytes I know because I have spent hours on the phone attempting to resolve a $780.00 bill for one months usage.
In the end I did recieve a credit for 550.00 dollars but there usage claim was not accurate at all and they could not explain how it is tracked, Ok today I am aproaching my mega limit which by the way 5 gig = 5020 megabyte or at least so i am told anyway I just got off the phone with tech about the accuracy of usage and he said that there towers may not report for days or weeks on some accounts so you may think you are fine on usage and then at the last minute a tower reports usage from a week ago and now you are over. VERIZON CAN NOT CHECK USAGE ACCURATELY BUT CHARGES YOU AS IF THEY CAN. THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!!!!!!
Another victim of this scam. Today I check my bill online and is a new charge for megabites. Few days ago I bought a ringtone, and I was charged $3 for it and $8 just for browsing!!! are you f** kidding me? is like going to starbucks for a coffee, you pay 2 for espresso and 10 to enter! This is outrageous. I called them and they told me that they just changed the plan 2 months ago. but nobody ever told me anything! I’m cancelling VW as soon as my plan expires.