Verizon has just announced that they are scrapping plans for a $2 convenience fee that would apply to customers paying their bill online or over the phone. Just moments ago the company issued the following statement:
Verizon Wireless has decided it will not institute the fee for online or telephone single payments that was announced earlier this week.
The company made the decision in response to customer feedback about the plan, which was designed to improve the efficiency of those transactions. The company continues to encourage customers to take advantage of the numerous simple and convenient payment methods it provides.
“At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based ont heir input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless.
News of the fee broke yesterday and caused a storm of controversy. Then, just this afternoon the FCC announced that they had taken notice of the situation and would be investigating. While Verizon’s statement does not, of course, mention the FCC, you can bet that the possibility of a government investigation is a big part of why Verizon backed down.