Assuring customers that it is safe to switch to paperless billing and payments should be a pre-requisite, surely? Apparently not, as I found out this week.
Do you read the small print or Terms & Conditions for every website before signing up to use their online services? You probably should.
When I tried to enroll at Verizon's online portal this week, I read through its Terms & Conditions and was stunned by what was there - especially coming from a $100 billion telecoms giant that (apparently) places so much emphasis on providing the best possible service to its 94 million customers.
Here are the Terms & Conditions that Verizon forces customers to agree to (copied word for word from their website):
"Online Billing
To the extent you utilize Verizon online services, you acknowledge and agree that Verizon makes no guarantee that communications or transactions conducted online will be absolutely secure. You further acknowledge and agree that there may be system failure that may limit your ability to use the online services. You agree to assume all risk and liability arising from your use of Verizon online services, including the risk of breach in the security of the communications or transactions you conduct with Verizon online. You understand and agree that Verizon online services are provided "as is," without warranty of any kind, whether expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or otherwise."
And it gets better!
Even if you agree to these ridiculous terms, here's what you're up against when deciding whether or not to sign up for Automatic Bill Payment - which is by far their preferred method of receiving / taking payment from you.
Please carefully read the Terms and Conditions for the Automatic Bill Payment (ABP) option:
By enrolling in, using, or paying for Verizon service by ABP, you agree to these terms and conditions:
4.1. I understand and agree that Verizon is not liable for erroneous bill statements or incorrect debits/charges.
4.2. If a billing error occurs, Verizon is responsible for correcting, if and when, I notify Verizon of the error.
Then I got over-charged…
To make matters worse, Verizon did actually make a mistake on my account, to the tune of a $250 over-charge. Having spoken to no less than 4 different call center agents, I was told the only way its "billing system" could resolve the issue, was for me to pay the full amount, including its error and then have Verizon credit my account.
The point of this blog post is not to highlight Verizon's shortcomings, nor the lengths its lawyers have gone to in order to protect the company from lawsuits, but it does raise one incredibly important question….
How difficult are you really making it for customers to go paperless?
Speak to a Striata Adoption Expert today to find out the right way to transition customers from paper mail.
Barrie Arnold
striata.com
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