Are you trying to find a guide on how to get rid of Verizon surcharges? Do you need to learn the ways of negotiating with Verizon’s customer service to somehow help you with your billing?
In this guide, we’ll be going over what you need to do in order to get rid of the surcharges on your Verizon bill!
If you’re looking to remove the surcharges on your Verizon bill, contact Verizon’s customer retention department and let them know about your concern! You can tell them
In knowing and understanding this possibility, it is important to note and understand the types and kinds of surcharges you could see on your bill. So, let’s quickly go over what these are and what they are for.
What Are Surcharges on My Verizon Bill?
Just like on any other bill, surcharges are the fees and charges that aren’t technically part of the package that you signed on but still pay for.
Most of these surcharges are required and imposed and are common for all Verizon customers and subscribers.
To understand them better, here are some of the most common Verizon surcharges.
Federal Universal Service Charge
This is the tax imposed by the Federal Government and is often calculated as part of the total monthly percentage charge.
We pay this via Verizon and Verizon settles it with the Federal Government.
Local or State Taxes
If the Federal Charge or Tax is paid to the Federal Government, the Local or State Tax is paid to the company no matter where you are in the country. This is computed and calculated depending on the state/city you’re in.
Administrative Charge
Administrative charges are the charges paid to Verizon by consumers for them to pay their settlements to other telephone companies for the calls made, received, and for the usage of certain cell towers.
Regulatory Charge
This is the charge or fee that’s usually collected by Verizon from its consumers for them to be able to continue the services. Regulatory charges are the fees that are used for the expenses of the company.
Over Usage Charges or Overages
Over usage charges or overages are what you pay for because you used a service that’s not part of your plan.
The term “over” means that you’ve used more than what you should actually be using.
The perfect example would be for your mobile data. If your plan included 10 GB of data per month and you used 12 GB, the 2 GB that’s not part of the plan will be the “overage.”
Out of all these options, overage charges or overages is the only surcharge that’s removable, unless, of course, there are special tax requirements you’re exempted from.
So, in answering the question: why are Verizon surcharges so high, we need to consider and think about the factors above. More importantly, would it be possible to remove and get rid of these surcharges?
Before we get to the part where we discuss the removal, let’s first try tackling what things you can do to avoid these charges in the first place.
Avoiding Verizon Surcharges
When it comes to state taxes, regulatory charges, administrative taxes, as well as the federal universal service charge, as we mentioned above, they’re pretty much unavoidable.
Therefore, the only surcharge left that you have the chance of tampering with would be the overage charges.
Worry not, because, in this guide, we will discuss with you every inch of information you need to know in getting rid of these charges!
Step #1. Be Aware of Your Plan or Package Completely
The first step is to know and be aware exactly of the package that you’re under. There are many ways of doing this, but the best would be to check your My Verizon Account.
By checking it from My Verizon, you’ll be able to see the price/rate as well as the name of the plan you’re in.
Alternatively, you can check your paper and e-bills, too!
Step #2. Monitor and Manage Your Data Usage
Through the My Verizon App and the Verizon Web Portal, you’ll be able to see and monitor the usage of all the services you have with Verizon on your account.
Aside from this, you can also opt to utilize data-management apps and programs that are free to be downloaded on either Android or iOS.
Step #3. Switch to a Plan That Better Suits Your Needs
And lastly, consider shifting or switching to a plan that would be able to satisfy your needs better and more effectively.
Should the problem be with over-usage charges, which will be the most common, you’ll really have to change your plan so that you’ll avoid being charged these overage charges.
If the surcharge you’re experiencing is due to overage charges, then you might not be on the best plan you can be.
When the unexpected happens and you still get these overage charges on your bill, what further steps can you do? What things under your control can help you get rid of them?
How to Get Rid of Verizon Surcharges by Contact Verizon?
Step #1. Contact Verizon’s Retentions Department
The first step is for you to contact and get in touch with a representative from the retention department.
NOTE: Verizon would tell you that they don’t have a retention team, but you can call their hotline at 1-800-922-0204 and ask for their supervisors.
What they’ll do is to try to direct you to the retention team.
Step #2. Let Them Know About the Overcharges on Your Bill
When you find yourself successful in reaching retentions, the next step is to tell them about your unpleasant experiences.
Tell them everything from the overcharges that you’re looking to have removed, as well as other concerns you might have that are particular to your bill.
Step #3. Try to Negotiate it With Them
This is the team considered to be the highest level of support; you can talk to them about negotiations and things of the like.
You can use any of the following key points and terms to let them know about what you’re looking for:
- Bill credits
- Discounts
- Promotional offers
- Vouchers
Step #4. Tell Them You’re Canceling
Should they tell you that they don’t have anything yet, tell them that you’re canceling and that you’re moving your business to another provider.
This is often the trigger point of higher-level support and would almost always result in them negotiating with you.
Their job is to keep you from removing your business from their company. So, they’ll always resort to trying to please you.
Step #5. Get Confirmation or Reference Numbers
Looking at the brighter side of things, let’s say that you were able to make them say yes, make sure that you secure any type of reference number or confirmation.
This will serve as proof that you were able to speak to a representative on that particular date.
Based on the majority of reports, Verizon customers said that they found it hard to get rid of the surcharges on their billing without this particular structure.
On the contrary, Verizon subscribers that used this call-flow allowed them to secure the discounts and savings they wanted to get!
Read Next: Why is My Verizon Service Not Working?
Bottom Line
Should you be looking for a way on how you can remove or get rid of your Verizon surcharges, contact Verizon’s retention team and raise this concern! Let them know that you are unhappy with these charges and fees and they’ll be able to help you!
Learning how to get rid of Verizon surcharges is actually not that complicated. As a matter of fact, you can do this in just a few simple and easy steps!
So, if you ever need help in removing or in getting rid of some fees and charges on your Verizon bill, this tutorial can help!
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.