Verizon wireless cell phones Vulture Verizon scams and bullies the Elderly Internet

 
My husband and I are in our 70s, wrong side of the tech
revolution.  Nevertheless, for emergency
purposes,  eight years ago we signed up
with Verizon for two cell phones which came free in return for signing a
one-year contract.

The phones were very basic. 
They did not take photographs, they could not be used for email.  We took a basic family rate and never in 8
years exceeded our minutes.  Although
we'd fulfilled our contract (going beyond it by 7 years) we never bothered to
upgrade because we only even turned our phones on when we were traveling and we
kept them for emergency purposes.

We don't know how to text or how to receive texts.  Our children and grandchildren find this
amusing but they know not to text us and never do.

Suddenly a couple of months ago, our monthly bill shot up by
over $10/month.  I tried to contact
Verizon by email but receiving no answer for 4 days, I decided to take up
offers we'd long been getting from AT&T for a better deal:  new phones and a better rate.  (Our new phones are still basic; still don't
take photographs or apps or email.  We
just don't need that.)

Once the switch occurrred (we transported our numbers) the
Verizon phones, naturally, went dead. 
But a month after the switch, I still was billed for a full month by
Verizon.  I tried to email, but once the
account is not active, there was no way for me to contact Verizon that way.

I called the number given on the bill for "Customer
Financial Services."  There was
never an opportunity to speak to a live person.   There were multiple robo-options (pay bill,
upgrade services, etc) but never an option to query or dispute the bill.

Then I received in the mail the attached warning that we'd
be reported to a collection agency if the bill were not immediately paid.

We are pensioners on a fixed income, but I have paid this
inaccurate and unjust bill.  What senior
citizen can afford to be harangued and bullied by a collection agency?

By way of comparison, at the same time as the phone service
switch, we changed our TV/internet from Time Warner to AT&T  (all part of the promotional offer.) 

Time Warner, while cordially expressing regret that we had
switched, mailed us a refund check for the three-fourths of the month for which
we'd already paid before we switched services.

Some companies (Time Warner) treat customers with courtesy
and honesty and fairness.

Others, like Verizon, are vultures, gouging extra dollars by
bullying the elderly.

Here is their bullying demand, scanned as pdf:
Well I've tried to attach or copy pdf of their threatening letter
but being Lotech I can't figure out how to do it.
If I get attachment directions, I can attach.