Verizon Is Shockingly Solicitous Toward Seattleites Who Don't Want Phone Books

Steve lives in Seattle, where a recently passed city ordinance dictates that phone book publishers must let residents opt out of doorstop delivery. He chose to opt out of delivery, and watched piles of Verizon Superpages volumes arrive in his neighborhood. and wrote to us because he was impressed with the lengths to which Verizon went to acknowledge his request, as well as to make absolutely sure that Steve hadn’t changed his mind about wanting a phone book.

I thought you’d be interested in this. Back when the stories were running about several cities’ plans to change yellow-page directory rules, you (or someone in the comments) published links to opt out of several different directory deliveries. I filled out the forms on all of them.

This past week, I noticed that Verizon’s Super Pages directory was being delivered (and piling up) in my neighborhood. I did not get one at my house, and instead they left a paper door hanger acknowledging that I had opted out of delivery, and proving a phone number to call if I wanted one after all. Acceptable, and compliant to my request.

But to top it off, today I got a phone call at my home from Verizon Superpages. The very polite representative wanted to follow up to make sure that I had NOT received a directory as their records showed me having opted out. The message also said that if I didn’t, no need to call back or do anything. But if I DID get a directory delivered in error, to call a toll free number and they would send someone out to retrieve it!! I must say, that’s going above and beyond! Way to go Verizon.

We’re impressed, Verizon. Let’s hope that you respect the wishes of people who don’t want phone books (about 95% of Consumerist readers, for starters) in cities that haven’t legally mandated this kind of white-glove white pages treatment.

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