Keeping up with Verizon's sneakwrap changes
The fact that online service providers expect you to check in periodically to see if they've made any changes to their Terms of Service (ToS) is already an old, bad joke. But if you're in the mood for a really bad joke, take a look at what's involved in really tracking those changes even if you wanted to try. Even when a vendor like Verizon at least goes through the motions of giving its customers some form o
Follow @infoworldThe fact that online service providers expect you to check in periodically to see if they've made any changes to their Terms of Service (ToS) is already an old, bad joke. But if you're in the mood for a really bad joke, take a look at what's involved in really tracking those changes even if you wanted to try. Even when a vendor like Verizon at least goes through the motions of giving its customers some form of notification of its ToS changes, it's pretty un-funny how quickly the exercise turns absurd.
"I thought you'd be interested in Verizon's method for notification of their new terms of service," a reader wrote recently. "It was sent late Friday evening February 29, saying that unless we respond by March 4 --that's one business day, Monday --we've accepted the changes. I challenge anyone to get through to Verizon (past the voice mail hell and all the voice mail recognition menus and 20-minute hold times) within one business day. Besides, what are you supposed to do, cancel your Internet service and replace it in that one business day?"
Now, many Internet service providers won't notify you of changes to their terms at all - you're supposed to read their ToS online every once in a while to see if anything important has changed. So the fact that Verizon Online sent the reader an e-mail with the announcement of the Verizon Internet Access ToS being replaced is commendable. Not only that, but the notice contained a helpful summary of the changes to the terms. Well, maybe a little helpful.
"The changes are sort of described in the e-mail, but if you read it you'll notice it doesn't really say anything about what's actually changed," noted the reader. Indeed, Verizon's overviews talks about "reordered," "consolidated," "restated," and "streamlined" provisions and added terms for different services, but there are no specifics. So perhaps there are no substantial changes? OK, but then why did Verizon bother? There's only one to be sure of course, as Verizon puts it:
"Described below are some of the changes reflected in the Verizon Terms. However, we recommend that you review the entire Verizon Terms to familiarize yourself with them. Your continued use of your Verizon Online Services after the above effective date will constitute your agreement to the Verizon Terms."
