Verizon to Credit Customers for Incorrect Data Charges

Verizon [VZ] will be paying back up to $90 million to customers who were charged for using data when they didn’t have a data plan. Verizon has looked back over several years to find that some customers have been charged for something they haven’t used.

About 15 million customers will be notified about the mistake over the next two months and each of which will fall in the refund category of a $2 to $6 refund.

Most of the refunds will fall in to that price range although some will be over that amount.

Procedures have been put in place to prevent these charges showing up again. Verizon also comments in a press release (pasted below) that it often runs audits and makes corrective action when needed.

Verizon Wireless Issuing Credits To Customers

BASKING RIDGE, NJ – OFFICIAL STATEMENT.

May be attributed to Mary Coyne, Deputy General Counsel, Verizon Wireless:

Verizon Wireless values our customer relationships and we always want to do the right thing for our customers.

In October and November, we are notifying about 15 million customers, through their regular bill messages, that we are applying credits to their accounts due to mistaken past data charges. We will mail former customers refund checks. In most cases, these credits are in the $2 to $6 range; some will receive larger credits or refunds.

As we reviewed customer accounts, we discovered that over the past several years approximately 15 million customers who did not have data plans were billed for data sessions on their phones that they did not initiate. These customers would normally have been billed at the standard rate of $1.99 per megabyte for any data they chose to access from their phones. The majority of the data sessions involved minor data exchanges caused by software built into their phones; others involved accessing the web, which should not have incurred charges. We have addressed these issues to avoid unintended data charges in the future.

Verizon Wireless issues credits to customers from time to time based on regular review and monitoring. When we identify errors, we remedy them as quickly as possible. Our goal is to maintain our customers’ trust and ensure they receive the best experience possible.