Verizon's info sharing opt-out mess

Verizon Wireless is being criticized (again) by customers for its policy of requiring them to opt out or have their information shared with other Verizon-owned businesses.

The company began notifying customers in 2007 that they had 45 days to opt out. David Weinberger, a fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society, received the "small legalistic pamphlet" from Verizon recently and wrote a blog posting on Friday detailing how difficult it was to opt out online, even with customer support help.

"The whole thing sucks," Weinberger concluded.

Verizon posted a note on its public policy blog on Monday that said nothing has changed since the policy was first implemented in 2007 and that no personal information is sold to third parties.

"We are keeping all the data in question in the family--unless you tell us not to," Verizon said in an October 15, 2007, statement that was re-posted on Monday.

I called Verizon and got more information. First off, customers can opt out at any time by calling 1-800-333-9956, said Verizon spokeswoman Debi Lewis.

Secondly, the information shared does not include name, address, and wireless phone number, but includes phone usage, billing information, and location information, she said.

Failing to opt out means a Verizon Wireless customer could receive marketing materials from Verizon Telecom, which is the landline business, or conceivably from Vodafone, a U.K. company that has wireless businesses around the world and which owns a 45 percent stake in Verizon, according to Lewis.

Hypothetically, Lewis said, Verizon Telecom could offer voice-to-text or landline voice-mail services to wireless customers, "services that interact and cross over."

Asked why Vodafone would want data on Verizon Wireless customers in the U.S., Lewis said: "What they do with it, it's hard for me to say."

This is the FAQ from the pamphlet notice to customers about opting out of data sharing with other Verizon businesses. (PDF)

(Credit: Verizon)

[ouiving--2008]

Another reason why I left Verizon, this is by no means "customer friendly."

[another_cissp]

Q4. A customer has the right at any time to withdraw their previously-given permission. Am I the only one scratching my head wonder when I gave them that permission.

[ducttape36]

apparently, inaction is the same as permission according to verizon. i hate all this opt-out garbage, terms of the contract shouldn't change until the contract expires or under special circumstances, someone needs to introduce some legislation to that effect.

[JCPayne]

Opt-Out started because of lobbists... They said it would be too expensive if companies had to launch call centres to find out or get permission to sell everyone's info.... Selling people's info can also lead to indentity theft... E.g. dumb offers get sent through the mail. And a theif gets your name address etc. other info from victims mail box even...

[Grumpypaul]

This is not much different than the "Do not call" crap that's been around for years. As a business owner I don't even have THAT right so although I find the opt out a load of BS, at least as a private citizen I have that much of a choice. As a business owner I lose all freedoms when it comes to harassment on the phone.

[Dalkorian]

Absolutely wrong attitude buddy. As a business owner you have all the freedom in the world to deal with "phone harassment". If you don't want to talk to your unhappy customers, you can close the doors and go out of business. We won't miss you.

[Shaun822]

@Dalkorian

I think he means that his business can't opt out of the phone calls that begin with "Hi! This is Ms./Mr. X calling from XYZ Corp. ..." not that he can't ignore the customers.

[umbrae]

I am so glad I left Verizon. However, anyone willing to bet they will still share my old customer information? Wankers.

[RompStar_420]

I left Verizon 2 years ago and I will never go back. Back in the day when I had the regular home phone service they would jerk me around, then with the DSL, then with the cell phone, so I dropped them all and I am never going back. So far I am with AT&T and things are ok, but if they mess up, I am moving with T-Mobile (my friend works there, he's the one with the MOHAWK, can't miss him) and he says that T-Mobile employees are very dedicated bunch of folks and customers are dear to them, since they have to battle with these two companies to get more customers.

[Nighteye19]

T-Mobile is the worst. They screw up their billing so much that you are lucky to get an accurate bill 1/10 times, and I think they do it on purpose because they ALWAYS overbill you. And their billing department apparently doesn't/can't communicate with their sales department. Try adding a phone to a family plan with them, it never gets done the way they say and they end up charging you hundreds more in the end. I have experienced T-mobile and I know lots of other people who have, and they all dumped them for another service because their billing department is a total scam, or just incompetent.

[annekauf83]

RompStar,

You are either naive or just a shill for T-mobile. They are as lousy as Verizon, if not worse.

[danpfw]

I thought this was a pain as well, until I logged into My Account and found a page with a radio button for each line.

The toll-free number that was advertised did not work for me. It asked for a 10 digit phone number. I entered my number twice, once without a # after, and once with a #. The computer didn't recognized that I had entered 10 digits either time.

The least they could have done was described the process for opting-out in My Account in big bold letters and provided a link directly to the page.