Verizon has come up with yet another feature that has landed them into yet another controversy. The headlines have it that the mobile prepaid phone service provider is going to charge its customers for anti-spam features.
The matter of controversy here is that the other giant mobile and affordable telephone service providers are providing the same services for free. So, what is Verizon up to? Is the anti-spam feature provided by the telecom giant really worth paying a price for?
Verizon’s Anti-Spam Feature
Quite recently, Verizon announced a new subscription service that will help customers cut down on the robocalls and other automated spam calls and messages. To get the service, customers have to get the Verizon Caller Name ID app.
The app developed by the giant prepaid phone service provider tells its customers whether an incoming call is fraudulent, automated, a robocall, or spam. This saves the customers from being plagued by answering unnecessary calls.
The surprising and confusing fact about this service by Verizon is that the telecom behemoth is charging $2.99 per month for it.
This is a bit confusing for customers wondering why they have to pay $3 every month for this feature while the other affordable telephone service providers are giving it away for free. Carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile are delivering anti-spam features for free which is why Verizon’s paid subscription could be criticized.
Verizon’s Caller ID App
Verizon customers can get the caller ID feature by Verizon on both Android phones and Apple iPhones. This feature lets the customer decide whether or not to pick up the call and customers can easily reject the spam or robocalls to save a great amount of their time and money.
The Verizon Caller Name ID app for iPhone is available on the App Store from where it can be easily installed and the service can be used. For Android users, the spam detection tool can be picked from the Verizon app folder inside the smartphone. The Android version of the app is available only for the 18 Android phones eligible under Verizon’s mobile and prepaid phone service.
Through the app, the customers can see the caller ID and details of the numbers that are not saved in their phones. These details include the name of the people and businesses, location, and their contact details.
The app also allows customers to report the unwanted numbers by identifying them.
Quite similar features are offered by the other mobile and affordable telephone service providers as well but they are available for free and might be a little different from Verizon’s app.
According to Verizon, “Available for $2.99 per month, Caller Name ID is a premium experience delivering the right information at the moment it’s needed, including a “risk meter” for Android customers showing the likelihood of fraud.”
In a Nutshell
As the anti-spam feature by Verizon comes with a price, it is more likely that the customers will pass on using the app. Chances are that most of the customers switch to other mobile prepaid phone service providers to get that feature for free. No doubt that Verizon will keep a close watch on its customers to see if this is a feature that would chase away subscribers.