My first Verizon bill just arrived and I was shocked by the amount. It turns out that my subscription started a few days before the end of the billing cycle. Verizon had pro rated the number of minutes I was allowed for that period. Since I spent a lot of time playing with my new phone (thinking that I had several hundred free minutes), I went 100 minutes over the pro rated amount and they charged me 49 cents/minute for the overage. I bought the phone from Verizon and no one told me about pro rating. I was ready to take the phone back. Fortunately, when I called Verizon, they agreed to cancel the $49.00 overage charge. For new subscribers, make sure you ask about pro rated minutes for the first bill and read the bill carefully!
I always tell new subscribers about pro-ration. It's bad business practice to not. It's in the contract, but who reads it before signing it... Tell them the stuff they need to know in order to not be mad at you, why not? Also, in many cases, Verizon will charge you the partial month of service, which is pro-rated for the amount of time until the next billing cycle, so say, you have a week until the billing cycle, and you have 700 anytime minutes. 700/30 *7= 163 anytime minutes for the first week. I tell customers to make use of the unlimited nights and weekends until their normal billing cycle kicks in. Also, they charge you for the next month in advance, plus the activation charges for lines. So, the first bill is usually very large. Just know, that on the second bill, there is usually not a monthly charge, they charged for both the partial and full (for the next month) on the first bill. They should make a simple pamphlet to explain this to new customers. Would save a lot of grief. Mabey I'll make one and get it approved for us to distribute to new customers at work...
To me and my friends, Verizon has always been great to explain proration and you should also get something like a receipt that has your prorated minutes on it after activation. Welcome to WirelessAdvisor and VZW.
When I signed up (in the Burbank corporate store) they printed out this whole long thing on receipt tape that explained the large first month's bill and even had my dates on it and the number of minutes I could use between that date and the day my first full month started. And yes, all cellular companies charge service in advance and usage in arrears, so you pay your plan for Jan 15 - Feb 15 on the bill due printed Jan 15 and your usage (extra texts, overages, international calls) for Dec 15-Jan 15.
Hmm, my ATTW billing was/is all in arrears, service and usage. And this could be wrong, but I've heard that if you migrate to an Orange plan that it will stay that way even on the new plan. I have no desire to find out for myself though. I know, I know, I'm in the wrong Forum, but this caught my eye.
Wirelessly posted (MOT-8720_/00.62 UP.Browser/6.2.3.4.c.1.104 (GUI) MMP/2.0) All i could suggest would be to call 611 and tell them you were not explained the prorating and if vou were you would of never of went over like that ~~ rg56
wow...when I signed up for service in October, I had a prorated month but the mins weren't prorated...I just changed my plan in the middle of the cycle last month; hopefully I won't be stung too bad.
What plan do you have? On the web, it shows additional minutes at 45 cpm for the least expensive plans. Anyway, another caution for new customers. IN calling. There have been many and sometimes heated discussions about the Verizon website that asks "Are your friends and family IN?" http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/LNPControllerServlet?path=lnppromo1 When you enter a Verizon number, it states "They're IN." Not necessarily. All it means is that the number you entered is a VZW number. It is up to you to determine if that number has IN calling and (assuming you do have it) it is a free call for both (if they have IN calling) or just you (if they don't have IN calling). Lena
Yep. Verizon explained to us about the proration period when we signed up for a FS plan last January.
More specifics about the 'iN calling', from what I can remember from its launch: -both phone numbers must be VZW customers. -both phones must be in VZW-native service areas (or some extended network areas - I know they changed this a while ago) -the phone receiving the call must be capable of receiving the caller ID of the caller (ie: if you block caller ID, it's not an 'iN' call)
Regarding 'In Calling' the Verizon web site does state... You won't use up your minutes or messaging allowance with Unlimited IN Calling from within the America's Choicesm calling area and the new additional Unlimited IN Messaging from within the National Enhanced Services coverage area. While it doesn't say that it will be free to your friend it just states that 'you' will not use up your minutes if they are in.
Slight correction, Critic... if you call an "In" number, it's free for you even if they block Caller ID. It's not free for THEM if they block Caller ID.
