I really do try to keep rants off of this space. I prefer to not call companies out unless I've tried and tried to resolve an issue. This time, however, I'm too mad to do anything but just let it out. Feel free to skip this tirade . . .

I hate Verizon.

I have always hated Verizon.

Now I hate them SO MUCH MORE.

Let me start at the beginning . . . so, we moved on July 17th of this year. A few weeks before that, I diligently called all of our utilities to cancel/transfer service. That process, of course, was painful.

When I called Verizon, I already knew that they didn't offer DSL or FIOS in our new neighborhood, but I still started the conversation with, "We're moving so I would like to transfer our phone and internet service." Mostly I did that in hope that I was wrong because it's much easier to transfer than move. The representative looked up the address and confirmed that which I knew. She chuckled a little and said, "So I guess you just want to cancel."

"Definitely," I replied, thinking that was amazingly easy.

The representative did her clicky clicky magic and confirmed that our internet and home phone service were canceled.

A month later, we got a bill. Since my cell phone is also with Verizon, Mr. Husband didn't think much of it and went ahead and paid it. He figured it was the cell bill plus any final charges that we owed.

The following month, we got another bill. This time it was very obvious that we were still being billed for service at a house we had long ago vacated. So, I called Verizon and was told that we never requested that the internet be canceled.

A few stunned moments later, I managed to convey to the representative that it didn't make much sense why the phone service was canceled but not internet. If I hadn't called, how did the phone service get turned off? She looked back through the records and put in a cancellation notice effective July 17th. The net result was that we had paid for two months of internet service that we didn't owe. The representative told me to discard the bill we had just received and that a refund for those two months would be in the mail.

Fast forward to today, about one month after that phone call. Mr. Husband called me and said that there was a message on our voicemail from a collection agency.

A COLLECTION AGENCY.

Half an hour later, I had managed to get through to a human at the collection agency and learned that Verizon had sent us to collections for an unpaid $39.99 bill. I have to send proof that we don't owe that bill or they will ding my (currently outstanding) credit.

Obviously, I followed up with a call to Verizon. OF COURSE the Customer Service department was closed for the day, but from the automated phone service I was able to figure out that we were debited instead of credited in September. The mother truckers sent it to collections less than a month later and without ever sending any notice in the mail.

*Head explode*

I fear for the representative that answers my call tomorrow, because anything short of hand delivering the money they owe us at that exact moment will likely result in a cuss-filled tirade.

I HATE YOU, VERIZON.

Updated 10/8: I contacted Verizon via Twitter and the issue is currently being worked on. +1 gold star to Verizon for using Twitter . . .