What You Should Know About Verizon's Terms of Service
Let's be honest—searching for a specific clause in the document is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. There are just too many words to scour through, some of which are elaborated in unnecessary detail. When you are strapped for time and you're literally sitting on your laurels, the last thing you want to do is go through the entire document word for word.
Fret not. We have made this guide just for you. In it, we'll analyze in their entirety, helping you understand which clauses carry the most weight. More importantly, we'll tell you how DoNotPay helps quicken the whole analyzing process.
Verizon Terms of Service
Verizon is an American multinational telecommunications company offering a wide array of voice, data, and video services and solutions on its networks and platforms. Based in Manhattan and employing over 130,000 people, Verizon was the second-largest U.S. telecommunications company by revenue in 2019, according to Forbes. For the past year or so, Verizon has been in the midst of an intense multi-billion battle with competitors for the fastest and most widely used 5G network. As it looks, the telecommunications giant is on its way to winning it all and taking over the 5G market completely.
Keeping in mind how gigantic the company is, it doesn't take a genius to realize how extensive and far-reaching Verizon's terms of service are. In fact, the giant corporation has distinct TOS for each offering on its platform—that is, Verizon Mobile, Verizon Residential, and Verizon Business. As you'd imagine, these terms of service keep on changing to reflect new adjustments and sprouting service-related issues. The last update was on March 12, 2021.
Verizon Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") — What You Need to Know
This is arguably the most crucial segment of the entire Verizon terms of use document. Here, Verizon outlines what it considers an AUP violation, and goes further to state that it reserves the sole discretion to deny or restrict a customer's service.
Here are some specific examples of AUP violations that may land you in hot water with the telecommunications company:
- Engage in any conduct harmful to the Verizon network, the Internet generally, or other Internet users.
- Access without permission or right the accounts or computer systems of others, to spoof the DNS, URL, or IP address or any other entity.
- Post off-topic information on message boards, chat rooms, or social networking sites.
- Transmit uninvited communications, data or information, or engage in other similar activities, including without limitation, "spamming", "flaming", or denial of service attacks.
- Download or use the service in countries embargoed under U.S. law.
- Intercept, interfere, or interfere with or redirect email or other transmissions sent by or to others.
Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg. More examples can be found in the original AUP.
Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement — The Nuts and Bolts
A whopping 121 million Americans depend on Verizon's 4G LTE service to communicate with their loved ones and stay in the know. All of these people are privy to the company's wireless Customer Agreement, and as such, bear an inevitable duty to understand, follow, and otherwise adhere to it. Key tenets highlighted in the document include:
- User privacy: This tenet describes the information Verizon collects, how they use it and share it, and the choices you have about how certain information is used and shared.
- Wireless device: Your wireless device must comply with Federal Communications Commission regulations, be certified for use on Verizon's network, and be compatible with your service.
- Internet access: Verizon reiterates that it's not responsible for any third-party information, content, applications, or services you access, download, or use on your device.
- Charges and billing: Verizon only charges for calls that are answered including by machines. However, users may incur additional charges — such as Regulatory and Administrative Charges, Federal Universal Service, and any other charges related to the government.
Once again, this is just but a pinch of what the entire document entails. More info can be found here.
Verizon's Arbitration Clause Explained
Arbitration is a word that hardly needs an introduction. "Arbitration clause", on the other hand, may not be so familiar to some folks. In essence, an arbitration clause is a clause in a border contract in which you agree to settle out of court, typically through (but not limited to) arbitration. Verizon's arbitration clause is pretty similar to other telecommunications service providers, albeit with the inclusion of mediation as an alternative to arbitration.
If Verizon doesn't solve an issue to your satisfaction, the Terms of Service for your Verizon service may:
- Offer you the opportunity to request a non-lawyer mediation with Verizon.
- Require that you and Verizon pursue any unresolved disputes or claims through arbitration.
If you and Verizon have decided to arbitrate, either through mutual agreement or the TOS, the first step is to provide notice to Verizon by completing the Notice of Dispute Form. Once the form is completed, it should be sent to the Verizon Dispute Resolution Manager at least 60 days prior to initiating the arbitration. The arbitration will take place in the county of your billing address unless you and Verizon agree otherwise.
That said, arbitration is not the only choice for resolving a dispute. Verizon also offers a free voluntary mediation program for those willing to go down that path. What's more, for claims of less than $10,000, either you or Verizon can bring an individual action in any small claims court that has the authority to hear the case.
How to Analyze Verizon Terms of Service on Your Own
When scouring through , be sure to keep an eye out for:
- Segments written in all CAPS.
- Hyperlinked words.
- What are my opt-out options?
- Can I cancel a line of Service within 30 days of accepting the Customer Agreement?
- Does Verizon share my information with third parties?
- Arbitration, where I might relinquish my rights to take Verizon to court when necessary.
- Mediation, where I might be forced to settle for less than what I truly deserve.
One way to ensure you're staying on top of Verizon TOS is to visit their announcements page regularly. Two most recent updates to the overarching TOS include:
- New and revised Customer Agreement (effective March 12, 2021)
- Changes to the Fios TV Terms of Service (effective January 16, 2020)
No matter how appealing the prospect of scouring through Verizon TOS on your own might be, the truth is that it'll wear you down in no time. You need a faster, convenient, more accurate solution that'll help you analyze TOS in seconds, if not faster. Say hello to DoNotPay's Analyze Terms and Services product!
Let DoNotPay Analyze Verizon TOS on Your Behalf
If you want to analyze Verizon TOS but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has got you covered. Your search for the ultimate scanning solution ends here. After signing up for DoNotPay through your preferred , follow these simple steps:
- Go to the Analyze Terms and Services product on DoNotPay.
- Enter the website domain you would like to scan.
- Wait for DoNotPay to identify any legal violations on the website (it should only take a few seconds!) If there are violations, proceed to drafting a demand letter.
- Enter how much you want to receive in compensation and the company name.
- Enter your contact information so the company can contact you.
DoNotPay will generate a demand letter on your behalf with every legal violation we identified that you can send to the company.
We know that Verizon might not be the only company whose TOS you want to scan. There's Shopify, Zoom, and many others. That's why we've customized our solution to analyze any company's terms of service for violations and potential compensation:
DoNotPay Sets You Free From all the Bureaucratic and Administrative Issues
DoNotPay helps you analyze terms of service in a flash, but that's not all we can do. Do you have issues with breach of contract or perhaps need to create standardized legal documents? We are experts in those fields, too.
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