A surefire way to avoid an early termination fee

It’s stories like this that make us think: Why didn’t we think of that? After all, we’re always looking for ways to get out of cell phone contacts, because they’re close to being pacts of slavery. But it appears that former Verizon subscriber Corey Taylor has thought of an idea to beat them all: faking his own death. Yes, the consultant from Chicago had a buddy fax Verizon a forged death certificate, thereby eliminating Mr. Taylor’s obligation to pay Verizon any further money. That is, until they inevitably picked up on the hoax. The whole thing is basically a treatise on the presence of company-friendly contracts that routinely screw the consumer. This is no new news, though it is the most extreme case we’ve heard of an attempt to flee a contract.

“In the end, I forked over the money,” Taylor said. “But I bet I sent a definite message about how much people hate being strapped to a cellphone that doesn’t work.”

Honestly, we think this statement actually dilutes Mr. Taylor’s argument. First, he admits to paying the early termination fee, which is the issue he found appalling in the first place. Second, he strokes his own ego by amplifying his own contribution to the cause. Now, if Mr. Taylor had rounded up a group of unhappy Verizon customers to send in forged death certificates — and declined to pat himself on the back for the effort — then we can see a real message being sent. But as it is, Taylor just looks like a madman who wanted to make the news. (Which he obviously did.) The article as a whole, though, is a good thing for the slow elimination of unfair contracts. We’re already seeing mandatory arbitration clauses being struck down. Now let’s get greedy and work for more. [Washington Post]]]>