Employees at the Verizon store in Millington, Tennessee told reader Josh it would cost an extra $3.99 to pay his bill with cash. According to the employees, the charge was to offset the cost of “new money software.”
Josh writes:
Just a few days ago, I took my bill to the Verizon wireless store in my hometown of Millington, TN. I had just cashed my paycheck and my bill was due, so I decided to pay it.
My bill looks somewhat like this:
Monthly Access Charges: $55.31 Usage Charges Voice Data: $3.39 Verizon Wireless’ Surcharges’s and Other Charges & Credits $1.80 Taxes, Government Surcharges & Fees $5.44 Total Current Charges $66.54 So, I assumed that I would need to pay $66.54, as stated on my bill. I entered the store and waited nicely for about 15 minutes while the salesman discussed the merits of a newer bluetooth headset with a gentleman.
When I made it to the counter, I explained that I was just here to pay my bill. He brought up my information, told me how much my bill was, and I began to count out four twenties from my wallet. Before I handed the money over, he explained that there is a $3.99 charge for using cash. I held onto the money and pointed out that my bill was for $66.54. I also pointed out that I was paying in CASH and it is legal tender that Verizon is obligated to honor. The young man explained to me that the store had new money software. The fee to use cash was to pay for that software.
If I had exact change, I would have given only the amount to cover the bill, but I only had twenties at the time. So I left with an unpaid bill. I absolutely refuse to be nickeled and dimed like that.
So how do I pay Verizon in legal tender without paying for the privilege?
New money software? For what, the cash register?
Our guess is that a misguided Tennessee youth was trying to pocket $4. Verizon always places high in our personal bracket for Worst Company in America, but charging for the privilege of accepting cash is cartoonishly evil, and slightly beyond Verizon’s capable and experienced reach.
(Photo: cut paste)
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I don’t think they’re required to accept cash. And, like they REALLY care if a cheque takes 10 days to clear, the money just goes onto the pile. Like having to wait over a week for your $70 is a burden.
This reminds me of the vet who charged my grandmother an extra $40 for her to be in the room when they had to put her dog to sleep. And of course my grandma paid it because she was in distress over having to do it in the first place… someone explain THAT to me. damn vultures
@wesmills:
No, no, no.
Our good friend is indebted to Verizon. He used their service and now he has to pay the debt.
They must accept cash as payment. If this was a prepaid account or anything where he was not indebted to them, they could indeed refuse the cash.
@temporaryerror: I have no clue if it was that PreCash setup. All I know is I had to get a bit snappy with them to even take the cash. It was then they told me there was a $6 charge. Most likely it went in someone’s pocket. Once again, for me and my family, its US Cellular FTW!
@dweebster: Where do cellular stores have ANY security? The most “security” I’ve seen at the stores around here is a camera or two. If they have demo phones out, they’re either fake or have some sort of chain on them, but that’s it. No armed guards, no shoplifting alarms, no receipt checking at the door.
I have a bigger gripe with Tampa Electric.
They charge a $5 fee if you:
Pay your bill online (check/credit card)
Pay your bill over the phone (check/credit card)
Pay your bill via automated kiosk (check/credit card/cash)
They charge you NO fee if you:
Pay your bill IN PERSON (cash/check only)
Mail in a paper check
Let them auto-debit your checking account. (doing so will force you to agree to cancel receiving itemized statements in the mail)
I don’t get it. Paying in person and mailing in a check requires more effort (read: cost incurred) on their part. There’s no way I’d ever let them auto-debit my account, especially after their shenanigans in the 2004 hurricane season. (Since they couldn’t get to all of the meters, they just decided to send some people bills for 3x their highest-ever bill…auto-debited on those who were signed-up for it.)
/gets on soapbox…
What’s the deal with all of the taxes on electric bills (13%)? I can possibly (begrudgingly) understand such taxes on cable (13%) & telephones (15% on landline, 20% cellular), as those are luxury items, but electricity’s mostly a necessity now, especially in Florida. While it’s not mandated that you have electrical service (unlike trash/water service from the city), if you are raising kids in a house which lacks electricity the state can take your kids away. They’d probably haul you away as a nutter if you tried to go without.
Still hoping to go solar here this year. Already have some of the wiring done. Still looking at equipment options.
/soapbox off
just go pay the bill at your bank
i have no idea where the original poster is from
but Royal Bank of Canada will accept bill payments without a charge
i would imagine that the same service is available at other banking institutions
@chartrule: RB charges $3 for payments from non-customers of RB and you must pay in cash. If you ARE a customer of RB you DO pay for bill payments as part of your monthly fee, as it counts as a ‘transaction’.
Speaking of Verizon….I called Ireland twice recently due to a death in our family. At the time I figured I’d be “paying through the nose” but needed to make the calls. Called twice-one 20 minute call and one 28 minute call. When I got the bill there was almost a second death in the family. Total cost of two calls was $185! I tried to get them to lower the cost to something more reasonable. They said, “Sorry, the FCC sets the amounts.” I asked,”Well, who gets the money?” They said, “We do, of course” and gave me a Verizon consumer address to which I could write. I’ve written –twice–one regular and one certified–and so far, I’ve heard nothing. I’ve since learned I should have an international plan, or there anre other cheaper ways to call abroad, but unfortunately, I wasn’t aware then. Anybody have any suggestions?
@wesmills: I’d like to see a store that only accepts and distributes $20 bills. I’d even be better if the store was a dollar store.
$20 for a 20oz soda…awesome.
@FLConsumer: Dude, I love the idea of solar, but it’s so frakking expensive. They are completely inefficant (30-40% is the best I’ve seen). I hope being FL would help you.
If it were me I’d just not pay them, sure they’ll cut off your phone, but when VZW’s own collection agents ask for payment tell them that all you have as cash and according to Federal law they have to accept cash.
@linus: The big word with any form of home energy production is CONSERVATION. It costs so damn much to generate your own energy, in any form, that seeing how little you can consume is the only way to do it.
Low efficiency isn’t all that bad for most renewable energy forms when you think about it. Unlike gasoline/fuel-powered generators, the “fuel” you use/waste is sun/naturally-flowing water/wind, which are delivered to your property free every day.
The only area inefficiency of the source comes into play are the size of the panels / turbines when space is a limiting factor. In my case, I do have a limited amount of roof space where I can put the panels, so I’ll probably be buying the higher watts per sqft panels which are the more expensive monocrystalline panels. They also have the most stability over the the long-run. Most quality monocrystalline panels have 25+ year warranties on them. The cheaper polycrystalline panels aren’t bad, ; less-expensive watts/dollar but larger. Then there’s the amorphous/thin-film panels. Dirt cheap but total junk — MUCH larger than any of the other technologies and they usually only last about 10 years or so.
@linus: I’m surprised they’ve not tried to do something like this at the airports or sports arenas or any other place where overpriced items are commonly sold.
You’re kidding me right? This is a joke right? You mean that the cash in my pocket can’t be used anymore? I know that my cash is losing value but when did it become completely worthless. Maybe we’ll have to get down and beg them to accept our payment like I think that I’m gone to have to do to get my Verizon DSL working again since its been down three days now.
I went to pay my Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) gas/electric bill online, and was shocked to see that I had the option of paying $1.75 for an online check, or $3.50 for an online credit card payment! Forget that BS, I’m going to save money by choosing the 42-cent-stamp option.
Thanks for the info. Since more people are strapped for cash these days, there are instances of homeowners turning to a very old tradition of making a little extra cash by taking in boarders. Essentially, you rent a room to a person in your home,usually the home is equipped. It’s less popular these days when mortgage modification or payday loans temporary shortfalls are available. It isn’t always legal if part of a homeowner’s association and you should look into other options first.