Why does Verizon make you pay for talk/text service on a suspended phone?

[anon(730457)]

We had a phone stolen months ago, we were told to suspend it "without billing" (which still charged for the device subsidy, fair enough), but that only lasts 3 months at which point you can only suspend it again "with billing" which charges you for the full talk&text service even though we can't use the phone and there's been 0 texts and 0 minutes used on it since it was stolen.

Can someone explain the logic behind charging for service that can't be used and wasn't used one bit? What are we paying for if not that? We're paying for a service that we can't and didn't use. That seems unfair and should be illegal. Is it illegal? Verizon will not credit any of it, and we've been with them for over 5 years (around $3000 a year, maybe around $15,000 total, with tablets, and this phone will be $70 per month until September).

What are Europe's laws about this? Are phone companies allowed to charge for service that can't be and aren't being used?

 

[SandersJC1964]

Why not just activate a different phone on that line? Was the stolen phone covered under insurance?

 

[dpham00]

It is their policy... Doesn't really matter why it is. It isn't illegal, and you agreed to the terms of service when you got the phone. If you didn't agree then you could have returned the phone within the return period.

You can use the service... You choose not to get a replacement phone to use it.

 

[xocomaox]

They are assuming that three months is plenty of time to sort out the issue which made you put the line on suspended billing. If you are still not using the line, they are going to charge you for it.

 

[yeahizme]

I suspended 3 lines last year without billing, but that action did extend the contract of those 3 lines by 3 months ...it's not a cool policy they have, but that's just the way it is and if you continue to stay with vzw, it is what it is....

 

[KimJongOMG]

You agree to maintain service for 2 years in exchange for a subsidized price on your new phone. It's not Verizon's fault your phone was stolen and it wasn't insured. 3 months is more than enough time for someone to find a new phone and get it activated on their line. Even if you were on a tight budget, most folks can save $50 or so a month and buy a fully functioning $150 phone in 3 months' time.

Verizon would be losing money on your transaction if they allowed you to just cancel service at any time. Hell I would abuse the living hell out of that system honestly. iPhone 6S+ for $300? Sign me up!

 

[dpham00]

I suspended 3 lines last year without billing, but that action did extend the contract of those 3 lines by 3 months ...it's not a cool policy they have, but that's just the way it is and if you continue to stay with vzw, it is what it is....

It is good and bad... I suspended some of my unlimited data lines for a while to hold off on the $20 unlimited data price increase... On my lines with data devices. I WANT them to extend my contract indefinitely...
Sadly I can't.

 

[Mooncatt]

You also have to think that while you aren't using that line, the company can't utilize that number either to activate a paying customer. Having one line suspended indefinitely may not affect the company overall, but they do need a way to prevent a build up of dormant lines that would eventually impact effective capacity (not just for one carrier, but across the entire grid). It's either this, or flat cancel the line and you loose your number and everything associated with that line (contacts, cloud storage, etc).

 

[yeahizme]

My lines we're basic phones lol

 

[dpham00]

You also have to think that while you aren't using that line, the company can't utilize that number either to activate a paying customer. Having one line suspended indefinitely may not affect the company overall, but they do need a way to prevent a build up of dormant lines that would eventually impact effective capacity (not just for one carrier, but across the entire grid). It's either this, or flat cancel the line and you loose your number and everything associated with that line (contacts, cloud storage, etc).

And people will abuse it. Keep getting new phones on new lines on contract and just suspending the lines indefinitely. That's a big money loss for verizon