Verizon Wireless Raised my Bill by $100 more per month for declaring BK7 - Question

[Fallonedward]

We included Verizon in our BK7 filing as my attorney stated that Verizon usually does this to their customers after they file.

My question is, since we filed can I walk away and not pay this new bill for $297 and try to get a cell contract with someone else.

My biggest worry is hubby just had 2 interviews right before Christmas and his cell is the only way the prospective employers can get a hold of him, can I get a new phone right after filing BK7 with the same phone number?

Ugh, if I pay this phone bill (which was due yesterday) then I will have no gas money to get to work till I get paid again on the 15th.

[tobee43]

wow!! NO way....we have them as well....however, we didn't list them on our bk...and we never got over billed or any additional billing??? i wonder why?

[DaisysMom]

You can get a new phone for your hubby. There are many pay as you go phones that are very good with reception and terms.

My son-in-law has a "Straight Talk" phone that he got at Wal-mart...unlimited talk, text, and even web for $30 a month. And NO contract...just buy a $30 Dollar card each month. My friend has a TracPhone...same...just buy a minute card every time you get low. There is no reason to be without a cell phone if you need one. Tell Verizon to %%@#*)@* and move on.

DM

[Fallonedward]

Thanks so much, I just did a search and Virgin Mobile has a great $30 a month prepaid plan that will give hubby 1500 minutes, 500 messages and 10mb web access per month.

I'm going to Verizon right now so I can tell them to kiss my pottutty and off to Virgin Mobile to get a phone for hubby

[scorpion35]

We included Verizon in our BK7 filing as my attorney stated that Verizon usually does this to their customers after they file.

My question is, since we filed can I walk away and not pay this new bill for $297 and try to get a cell contract with someone else.

My biggest worry is hubby just had 2 interviews right before Christmas and his cell is the only way the prospective employers can get a hold of him, can I get a new phone right after filing BK7 with the same phone number?

Ugh, if I pay this phone bill (which was due yesterday) then I will have no gas money to get to work till I get paid again on the 15th.

did u get this bill before or after u filed?services rendered before or after u filed?

[tobee43]

Thanks so much, I just did a search and Virgin Mobile has a great $30 a month prepaid plan that will give hubby 1500 minutes, 500 messages and 10mb web access per month.

I'm going to Verizon right now so I can tell them to kiss my pottutty and off to Virgin Mobile to get a phone for hubby

your so funny....pottutty....like that!

[Fallonedward]

Tobee, our attorney told us that in our state Verizon is known far and wide to screw the consumer that declares BK and that is why he protects all of his clients and includes them in the BK process, so when they pull this crap you are able to just walk away. I really did not believe our attorney and did not think that they would jack our bill up but sure enough they did.

wow!! NO way....we have them as well....however, we didn't list them on our bk...and we never got over billed or any additional billing??? i wonder why?

[tobee43]

Tobee, our attorney told us that in our state Verizon is known far and wide to screw the consumer that declares BK and that is why he protects all of his clients and includes them in the BK process, so when they pull this crap you are able to just walk away. I really did not believe our attorney and did not think that they would jack our bill up but sure enough they did.

thankfully you had a wise atty!!!

we never listed verizon on our petition and i guess they never re checked our credit??? since our amount never changed...which i'm glad we slipped on by. good to hear you can get another company without any problem.


i mean think about this...we are by far the BEST credit risk for anyone....after all we cannot file bk for another 8 years....

[free2breathe]

Fallon, Straight Talk's unlimited plan is only $45 per month, and their All You Need plan is 1000 minutes, 1000 texts and 30mb web access is just $30. We've had them for over a year and have had service darn near everywhere we've been. My sister just got them too, and they ported their old numbers to the Straight Talk phones.

[Fallonedward]

Thanks, I will hit both Target and Walmart tomorrow to see which phone I can get the chepest as I'm on low funds till payday on the 15th of January

Fallon, Straight Talk's unlimited plan is only $45 per month, and their All You Need plan is 1000 minutes, 1000 texts and 30mb web access is just $30. We've had them for over a year and have had service darn near everywhere we've been. My sister just got them too, and they ported their old numbers to the Straight Talk phones.

[chicagoannie]

Thanks, I will hit both Target and Walmart tomorrow to see which phone I can get the chepest as I'm on low funds till payday on the 15th of January

Just FYI - Tracfone has several phones that automatically double the minutes you buy. But it sounds like that Walmart $30 deal is very good.

[Fallonedward]

This bill was for services from Nov. 5th to Dec. 5th (amazing how they changed the billing to one day after we filed to Dec. 5th, with payment due on Dec. 30th). The bill went from former monthly rate of $175 to new monthly rate of $288

did u get this bill before or after u filed?services rendered before or after u filed?

[Flamingo]

This bill was for services from Nov. 5th to Dec. 5th (amazing how they changed the billing to one day after we filed to Dec. 5th, with payment due on Dec. 30th). The bill went from former monthly rate of $175 to new monthly rate of $288

The reason it did this is I am assuming you were late with the previous payment or did not make the previous payment because the billing period is prior to your filing date. They had no idea when that bill was created that you had filed. The bill you received probably included past due amounts/charges and if you pull out the contract you signed when you obtained your phones/lines all that will be indicated in there as to those fees and charges. I don't get your post because whatever increased as to your phone charges took place before your filing date and your billing cycle sounds like a normal period of time to me with payment due within a normal period of time. Now if there is a statement in with your phone service as to why they raised their fees, you didn't indicate that or what encompassed this increase - you just state it is due to you having filed. Did you make your previous monthly payment or add or or increase any other services prior to filing? I am assuming since you included them in your Chapter 7 that you owed them money otherwise there is no debt owed as it is a continuing monthly contract if paid on time and would not be an includable item in one's filing.

[olivies]

We included Verizon in ours, but our phones were shut off about a month prior to filing bk. After we filed, we got phones with AT&T, no bankruptcy penalty fees there.

[Fallonedward]

Nope the previous payment was made 2 weeks before its due date, (due date was Nov 1st and we filed on Nov. 4th) in the 6 years we have had Verizon we have never ever been late. No changes were made to this account in the last 7 months. The next billing cycle should had our due date be Dec. 1st, instead Verizion changed the billing cycle and raised the bill $100 plus this month. When I questioned Verizon tonight about this they stated it was because I declared BK

The reason it did this is I am assuming you were late with the previous payment or did not make the previous payment because the billing period is prior to your filing date. They had no idea when that bill was created that you had filed. The bill you received probably included past due amounts/charges and if you pull out the contract you signed when you obtained your phones/lines all that will be indicated in there as to those fees and charges. I don't get your post because whatever increased as to your phone charges took place before your filing date and your billing cycle sounds like a normal period of time to me with payment due within a normal period of time. Now if there is a statement in with your phone service as to why they raised their fees, you didn't indicate that or what encompassed this increase - you just state it is due to you having filed. Did you make your previous monthly payment or add or or increase any other services prior to filing? I am assuming since you included them in your Chapter 7 that you owed them money otherwise there is no debt owed as it is a continuing monthly contract if paid on time and would not be an includable item in one's filing.