Verizon, don't mess with Dennis Streed!

Sometimes, it's worth it to be an insomniac. I was awake at 4:50 this morning for the Marketplace Morning Report on NPR, and heard the story of the man from Oregan who demanded a signed contract from Verizon that a $77.99 bundled service offer would be honored as such, with no additional or hidden fees. Those of us who have such contracts realize, of course, that the base price is just that - the starting point for pricing that will invariably include additioanl fees (taxes, regulatory fees, franchise fees, set-top box rental fees, etc.). As a Verizon FiOS customer myself, I checked my latest bill, and found about $50 in the extra fees. It's nothing new.

For Mr. Streed, however, this was unacceptable, and even though he was told by Verizon officials that a monthly payment of $77.99 would be sufficient, the company did cut off his services.

The lesson for Mr. Streed?

"Well, don't ever go for any bundling. Keep everything separate. Smaller lots. Your television with one. Your TV with another, so that you can't be completely destroyed."

Yeesh. Not great publicity for the service providers.

One side note: Verizon has restored Mr. Streed's services at the $77.99 price.