Verizon’s Corporate Conscience Is M.I.A., Bilks Marine Widow

– Marine Widow Michaela Brummund Battles Verizon Over $350 Termination Fee –

Michaela Brummund’s Marine husband was KIA, serving and dying for his country in Afghanistan.

Verizon’s corporate conscience is MIA, bilking the young widow Brummund out of $350.

Evidently, this family’s sacrifice means nothing to the ostensibly American company.

From the Huffington Post:

Michaela Brummund’s husband, a Marine, was killed in Afghanistan by an IED.

Following his death, the young widow decided to move home to Copperopolis, a small California town with a population of just over 2,000, in order to be closer to her family and grieve.

Verizon, however, does not offer cell phone service in the town. Brummund called the phone company to cancel her service, and they hit her with a $350 early termination fee for ending her contract before expired–despite Brummund “being a widow and Verizon not living up to its contractual obligations to provide actual cellphone coverage,” as the Consumerist notes.

“I called them to cancel. I told them the situation with my husband. I even said I would provide a death certificate,” Brummund told CBS13.

Her father, also a veteran, said, “It’s not about the money. I don’t care about the money. It’s the principle. The man was overseas fighting for our country and lost his life doing so.”

Brummund told CBS13 Verizon customer service informed her “nothing could be done” about the charge. Verizon came under fire earlier this year for its refusal to disactivate a dead man’s account, saying a death certificate was not enough to cancel his service. In another instance, a Verizon representative allegedly threatened to blow up a man’s house over a $308 bill.

(Via CBS13, The Consumerist)