Verizon now charging customers for NOT using their phones

This is asinine:

Phone bills are notorious for rankling customers with fees, taxes, tariffs and other mystery assessments.

Now some phone companies are adding a new line item to monthly bills: a charge for not making long-distance calls.

The category of customers affected by the new fee is the shrinking subset of people who have no-frills home-phone service and don't pay for a long-distance-calling plan.

Verizon last month introduced the $2 fee. It is charged to customers who could dial out for long distance, but don't subscribe to a long-distance service and don't make long-distance calls.

Telecommunications companies are out of control. First of all, they make you buy the phone service to get the internet service. Then, even though you didn't want the phone service and have no intention of using it, you get charged for not using it.

It's ludicrous that you can't buy internet service without buying phone service or cable. Those of us who have no use for either of those things have no choice but to buy something we aren't going to use. And to be charged for NOT using it? I hope someone takes these thieves to court.
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