Congrats Op on a job well done.

I do agree with a previous poster that you should be awarded payment for all the time you put into dealing with this situation. Any economist will agree that your time spent is equated to some real dollars.

Unfortunately, I don't think $700 is enough of a motivation for the company to change policies. Hopefully enough frustrated customers will follow suit and act as you have.

Hats off to you!

This reminds me of the time a college student went up against Microsoft and actually settled with them.
David Zamos
News Article

mrmakochan said:This reminds me of the time a college student went up against Microsoft and actually settled with them.
David Zamos
News Article

Wow, interesting read!

The judge ordered damages of approx. $600, even though I sued for the statutory maximum of $2000. They were also charged 12% interest from the date of infraction, having been some time ago. They were also made to eat the court costs. Yes, the judge determined the amount. Seemingly arbitrary.

juclaise said:Who detremined the amount that Verizon owed you ($700)? Is that what you asked for in your lawsuit or did the judge make that decision? Did it include any punitive damages against Verizon?

Yes, they sent someone from their corporate office. She was a fairly well educated individual. I am not certain whether or not she had a J.D. Doesn't really matter though at this point.

Squeezer99 said:so Verizon sent some sort of representative or lawyer to your small claims court case?

Yes, I sued in small claims, as there was a courthouse between my home and my work. It was actually on the way for me and forced Verizon to travel some distance. Also the amount that I sued for fell within the limits for small claims. Furthermore, I didn't have a disadvantage not being fluent in legal jargon in this venue. I know codename doesn't much care for small claims; but I think it really depends on the particular jurisdiction. Just my thoughts. Could be wrong.


zzyzzx said:I am also curious about this. I assume that this was small claims court?

I fully agree with you. I have no respect for people that cause their own issues and then sue simply to make a quick buck. My father-in-law told me of a story where one of his friends was involved in a car accident. The car that was hit had a driver that walked out to a pay phone, called 911, went back to the street, and laid down in the middle of the road to feign injuries. It's sickening, some of the crap people do to make a quick buck. But yes, legitimate lawsuits are a great venue when needed.

Green for you.

DarkDogg said:This thread made my day. It's always good to see legitimate lawsuits work out. It's the frivolous lawsuits that make me mad.

Court fees were retrieved. Just a lost hour or two of work. I don't make 350 an hour, so it was a net positive. Plus, I will be taking some large loans in six months for planned expenses. The fix on my credit report was worth paying $700 (or more) in order to obtain.

caonima said:but did you spend any money to sue them?

If nobody will take a stance against such a horrible corporation, what reason do they have to stay within the confines of the law? I feel bad that others who do not have the ability or desire to sue are treated as poorly... perhaps even worse.

TheGrayMan said:PoodleMan said:They ended up generating a brand new account for the device, which not only forces me to deal with two payments per month, but also increases the cost Your experience sounds a bit like mine when I tried to get Verizon to move my DSL service between addresses. On behalf of everyone Verizon's idiot CSR's have screwed, thanks for holding them responsible for their incompetence.

I could not give you an exact answer. I would say that above and beyond the attempts to contact Verizon prior to the suit, it may have taken another 8-12 hours. However, I spent a huge amount of time prior to this in dealing (and attempting to deal) with them. The time may well vary depending upon the complexity of the case. I know this may be obvious to you; but it's still worth mentioning.

asdf9876 said:How long would you say you spent preparing/attending the lawsuit altogether?

Great work by the way, I'm glald you stood up for consumer rights.