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How to Sue Verizon Fios

Looking to sue Verizon Fios? Small claims court is an option, and you may have others…

So you want to sue Verizon Fios?

At FairShake we’ve helped thousands of people with claims against Verizon Fios and other big companies that ripped them off get over $8 million in settlement offers [continued below]


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Maybe you’ve tried all the Verizon Fios customer service options. Maybe you’ve even tried other ways to bring your Verizon Fios complaint.

But some people say it’s hard to get a refund from Verizon Fios. And while you might think you have the right to a class action lawsuit against Verizon Fios, it’s actually more complicated.

A lot of companies like Verizon Fios add what’s called an arbitration clause to their contracts. It gives them the right to force legal claims out of state or federal courts. But you still have rights to sue under your Verizon Fios contract.

Here’s what you can do…

Two ways to Sue Verizon Fios

The first way to sue Verizon Fios is through consumer arbitration. If your contract has an arbitration clause it gives you the right take legal action against Verizon Fios through an officially-designated, independent dispute process that’s not a court and won’t require showing up in person. This can be a better option for a lot of regular people.

The second way to sue Verizon Fios, if you want to avoid the arbitration system, is to use Small Claims Court. While their contract may keep lawsuits out of state and federal courts, they can’t stop you from pursuing the small claims process. If you’re ready to sue Verizon Fios on your own, read on below:


Taking Verizon Fios to Small Claims Court Step-by-Step

1

Does your situation qualify to sue Verizon in Small Claims Court?

Just because you are ready to sue Verizon in small claims court doesn’t mean small claims court is ready to accept. There are specifications for each state, in terms of the type of compensation you can ask for when you sue Verizon, and the amount of compensation you can ask for:

  1. The amount of money: Every small claims court sets a maximum dollar amount for your claim and that means the amount of money you are asking for in compensation has to fit within those parameters. In most states it’s either $5000 or $10,000, but it can be as low as $2,500 (in Kentucky and Rhode Island). You can find a list of all 50 states’ monetary limits here.
  2. The type of relief: You can ask for two types of compensation in most lawsuits, the first being monetary (an amount of money requested) and the other is equitable (anything other than money, like physical components). Most small claims courts can only grant monetary awards.

If your claim doesn’t fall within the limits of your state’s small claims court, you’ll have to arbitrate your claim instead.

2

Send your demand letter.

Or Start Your Claim Now
Before you sue Verizon you have to ask them to fix the problem. Sure, you’ve probably tried to get the problem fixed via customer service, but you still have to officially and formally ask Verizon to fix it before you file your claim.

This takes place in the form of a demand letter. The demand letter doesn’t have to be all that complicated. It can be no more than a few sentences that explain who you are, your Verizon account number, what went wrong, and what you want them to do to fix it.
When you’re done writing, you need to mail a hard copy of the letter, preferably as certified mail or some other service that allows you to confirm delivery. According to our most recent research, Verizon is legally based in Delaware and receives mail at this address:

Verizon Communications Inc.
C/O THE CORPORATION TRUST COMPANY
CORPORATION TRUST CENTER 1209 ORANGE ST
WILMINGTON, DE 19801

If you would like examples of demand letters or more information about how to write them, you can find an excellent guide here.

3

Fill out court forms.

If they don’t respond, or you don’t like their response, then you can move forward and sue Verizon, but first you have to fill out some paper work.

Make sure to fill out enough copies of your court files

Each state has a set of forms that need to be filled out to file a claim, and sometimes counties will provide additional forms. So, check your state court website for state and county specific forms. You can download them for free, but make sure you print and fill out enough copies. Most courts require 3 or 4 and if you don’t have enough, you don’t get to file.

Start Your Claim
4

File your complaint officially with the court.

Once the right number are filled out, you can “file” officially with the court. Most courts require you come in, in person, during specific business hours (usually right when you are at work, too) which can be a bit tricky.

If you are really lucky, you will be in a place where your courts may allow you to file by mail, fax or (for a few courts) online.

Regardless of how you file, you will have to pay a small claims court fee to sue Verizon. The amount you pay should be listed on your state court website. This fee can sometimes be waved if you are a low income plaintiff.

When you file your forms, the court clerk will provide you with a stamped copy of the forms and a court date. Save your copy and save that date.

Start Your Claim
5

“Serve” Verizon.

This is about midway through. Now you have to “serve” Verizon which is just a formal, legal way of saying you tell them you are suing them.

To do this, you need to deliver a copy of your filed papers to Verizon.

Follow the rules carefullyLook at your court’s website for instructions on how to properly deliver your forms to Verizon, or search for “[your state] small claims service of process”. Courts have many strange rules about how to serve a defendant, and your claim will be dropped if you do not follow them perfectly. So be careful!

Start Your Claim
6

Go to your hearing.

Remember that hearing you were given? Well, now is the time to show up, on time, and at the right courthouse. Some cities have multiple buildings, so make sure you allow yourself time to get lost once or twice and still be on time.

Bring your stamped forms and other evidence to courtBring your copy of your filed forms, and any other evidence that backs up your case against Verizon.

Sometimes, Verizon will not show up to oppose you. If that happens, take advantage of the situation to focus on your side of the story.

Ready to sue Verizon? Consumer Arbitration is often cheaper and easier than taking Verizon to Small Claims Court.

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