If you're thinking about ditching Verizon for another carrier, there's one crucial step you need to take first: cancel your autopay. Skip this, and you might find yourself dealing with mysterious charges long after you've switched services.
According to PhoneArena, multiple former Verizon customers have reported continued billing even after canceling their service. One customer, posting on Reddit under the username jimedwards4343, canceled autopay a week before leaving but still got charged for streaming subscriptions that were supposed to end with the account. Making matters worse, once you're no longer a customer, Verizon doesn't have your phone number or account information on file anymore, which makes disputing these charges nearly impossible.
Another user shared an even more frustrating experience. After leaving Verizon, they were charged for months and the account was eventually sent to collections. Rather than continue fighting, they simply paid to avoid damage to their credit score—even though they didn't believe they owed the money.
The problem seems to stem from the timing. When you port your number to a new carrier and cancel your Verizon service, autopay doesn't always get switched off automatically. Your credit card or bank account stays linked, and charges can keep rolling in. But since you're no longer in the system, getting help from customer service becomes extremely difficult.
The fix is simple: disable autopay before you officially cancel or transfer your service. Reddit users who've been through this suggest making it the very first thing on your to-do list when planning a carrier switch. That way, you maintain control over what gets charged to your account, and you won't be stuck playing catch-up with billing errors after the fact.
While autopay is convenient for remembering to pay your bill on time, these stories show it can create serious headaches when you're leaving a carrier. A few minutes spent turning it off could save you hours of frustration (and potentially hundreds of dollars) down the road.
Source: PhoneArena
