# A WTF email from Verizon. . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 1, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625 "2009-12-01T21:08:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/1 "2009-12-01T21:08:57Z")
We have a Verizon bundle package-Direct TV, phone service, high-speed internet. All on one convenient monthly bill. . .😉 So a little while ago, I check my email, and there’s one from Verizon with the subject line “Important Change to Your Verizon Agreement”, so I open it. Basically, it says “Hey, some areas that now receive service aren’t going to get service anymore after November 30th (talk about a day late and a dollar short!). BUT if we discontinue your service because your area doesn’t get it any more, _you don’t have to pay a service termination fee_!” :eek::smack: Seriously? Does this mean that in the past when areas lost service, people _did_ have to pay the termination fee? WTF?? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/2 "2009-12-01T21:14:44Z")
I think they’re just giving you some good news to soften the blow. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/3 "2009-12-01T21:19:37Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I think they’re just giving you some good news to soften the blow. Well, it might soften the blow for some people I guess, but I’m guessing since November 30th was _yesterday_ and I still have service, I’m gonna be OK. . . Now if I could just figure out a way to get them to give me NBC, dammit!☹ ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/4 "2009-12-01T21:20:57Z")
Of course, always make sure that any links in said email actually go to Verizon and not some phisher. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/5 "2009-12-01T21:30:25Z")
I figured the email from them meant in the past you had to fight the early termination fee, even if they were at fault, and that they were about to drop service to a number of people. My email didn’t mention that they were actually dropping service for anybody. It was just an assumption on my part. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/6 "2009-12-01T21:38:37Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > I figured the email from them meant in the past you had to fight the early termination fee, even if they were at fault, and that they were about to drop service to a number of people. My email didn’t mention that they were actually dropping service for anybody. It was just an assumption on my part. You know, having re-read the email, I guess you’re right: they didn’t actually _say_ they were dropping anyone’s service. They just said that, as of Nov. 30th, _if_ service becomes unavailable in my area, I don’t have to pay a termination fee. How very, very generous of them. :rolleyes: I can just imagine what these conversations were like before: Verizon Rep: Thank you for calling Verizon, how may I help you today? Customer: Um, I don’t seem to have Direct TV anymore. . . VR: Yes, sir, that service has been terminated in your area; that will be $79.95. Would you like to pay with a debit card or a credit card? C: Uh, _you_ terminated the service, not me. VR: (Still perky) Yes, sir! Termination fee is $79.95; will that be debit or credit? C: I’m. . .not understanding this at all. You terminated the service. I’m not paying anything! VR: If you’d prefer, we can bill you! ad nauseum, until the customer starts, I dunno, shooting at shit or something. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/7 "2009-12-01T21:41:04Z")
It reminds me of Facebook…“I’ve deleted a bunch of friends. If you’re still seeing this post, then you’re on the short list.” Are you sure it’s a legit e-mail? They’re not asking you to click on a link and log in, are they? ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/8 "2009-12-01T21:42:08Z")
I presume they’re just trying to keep a whole bunch of worried customers from calling up to make sure they weren’t charged a termination feel. It costs them nothing to add a sentence to an email, time at the call center is delays and $$. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/9 "2009-12-01T21:46:33Z")
This is an email from Verizon, not a scam. They send them to people every time there is a change in terms of service. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/10 "2009-12-01T22:00:25Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > It reminds me of Facebook…“I’ve deleted a bunch of friends. If you’re still seeing this post, then you’re on the short list.” > > Are you sure it’s a legit e-mail? They’re not asking you to click on a link and log in, are they? No, they’re not trying to get me to log in to anything. I think they’re serious about this shit, which is kinda scary. . . ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/11 "2009-12-02T07:17:13Z")
I got it today, as well. It’s legit. [Here](https://www.verizon.net/central/vzc.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=vzc_help_announcement&id=TOS_11_03) is the announcement on the Verizon website. The email contained that text, verbatim. The only thing I can think of is that there must have been incidents much like the one **norinew** lays out, where some clueless (or vindictive) customer service reps tried to levy the early termination fee. A few customers complain, Verizon realizes that their terms of service are either vague or silent about it, and decides to avoid such problems in the future by making the policy VERY CLEAR. (“Internal Staff Memo: We thought this was obvious, but apparently it isn’t to some of you numbskulls. Is this clear enough?”) As pro-customer as the change is, it is nevertheless a change to the Terms of Service, and must be wrapped in the bend-over-and-smile boilerplate that accompanies all such changes. Does make for humorous reading, though. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wtf-email-from-verizon/519625/12 "2009-12-02T11:15:58Z")
> [@sugar\_and\_spice](#): > > I presume they’re just trying to keep a whole bunch of worried customers from calling up to make sure they weren’t charged a termination feel. How do those termination feels work, anyway? “Since you don’t want our service anymore, you have to let one of our technicians come over and momentarily fondle your breast.” Hmm.