Video: New Verizon Wireless charge sparks outrage

>>> there's outrage over customer fees. starting next month verizon will charge you extra if you pay your bill online. nbc's pete williams has details. it's not going to go over well.

>> verizon is calling this a convenience fee , $2 for the convenience of paying wireless phone and internet bills directly to verizon online, on the company's website or by phone, but the company says there are many ways to avoid the fee. the new fee goes into effect in two weeks for verizon wireless , the largest wireless service provider . january 15th they'll be charged $2 each month extra if they go to the company's website or pay by phone, that's $2 each time the bill is paid.

>> it's annoying, one doesn't like to be pushed and i'm sure it sucks.

>> everybody's doing it, and i don't know what you can do about it but we don't like it.

>> it's a little bit unfair so it's going to affect how i think about verizon .

>> reporter: verizon wireless says there are many ways to avoid paying the $2 charge and says most customers already take advantage of them. the company will not charge the fee if customers who enroll in automatic billing from a credit, debit, atm or checking account or pay by mailing in a check, going to the verizon wireless store or kiosk to pay in person, logging onto their own online banks to pay the bill, using the company's gift or rebate cards or pay by electronic checking. word of the fee comes over a battle of the plan to raise fees for debit cards . three card issuers backed down from new charges in the face of customer protest. verizon wireless may be trying to push more customers into using the automatic billing option because the company gets its payments on time that way. verizon wireless says the fee is intended to offset what the company describes is the cost of handling monthly payments sent in online or by phone and the word of the new fee is just coming out now. the company says customers will be notified directly.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/45824315/

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