How to cancel Verizon wireless, internet, and TV service

Sometimes summer is just the right time to try something new. One of the most popular changes is to ditch your old mobile carrier in favor of something new. If you’re over Verizon and its steep prices, fear not. There are plenty of other carriers to consider, and it’s pretty easy to make the change. Here’s everything you need to know on how to cancel Verizon’s service.

We’ll run through all of the primary services — wireless coverage, Verizon’s Fios Internet, and even Fios TV. The broad strokes are generally the same, so we should have you liberated from Big Red in no time. Ready to make the switch?

How to cancel Verizon wireless service

Wireless service is Verizon’s bread and butter; it’s the largest US provider, after all. That also means that you’re most likely here to find a way out of Big Red’s network. The process itself isn’t complicated, but you’ll have to be ready to spend some time on the phone. Verizon will do just about anything it can to convince you to stay — service agents will offer special discounts, fancy perks, and more. However, all you have to do is follow these simple steps:

• Call Verizon customer service at 1-844-837-2262.
• Make sure to have all of your account information handy.
• Inform the agent that you plan to cancel (or port) your service.

That’s it. There are just three simple steps to follow, but that doesn’t mean Verizon’s agents will make the phone call easy. It may help to have a solid excuse ready when they try to convince you to stick around.

If you’re not ready to leave Verizon entirely and you want to ditch a single line, the process is far more manageable. Log into your My Verizon account and open your menu of devices. Find the line you want to remove and scroll through the options until you find the remove selection.

On the other hand, you can always port your number away to a different carrier. This usually means that you’ll have to provide some information to your new carrier and let Verizon know your plans. You can also tap into My Verizon if you want to port your service though service agents may try to make it difficult again. If you plan to port your service, make sure not to cancel your service outright, as you may lose your number. Here are a few other carriers to consider:

How to cancel Fios Internet and TV service

For better or worse, Verizon links its Fios internet and TV services. On the bright side, it means that you can follow a similar setup for both services. However, it also means that Verizon will likely try to sell you on keeping both services instead of canceling either one. Once again, be ready to stand your ground and don’t take no for an answer. Here’s what you need to know:

• Give Verizon Fios a call at 844-837-2262, typically within standard business hours.
• Gather your account information and be ready to provide it to the agent.
• Inform the service agent that you wish to cancel your service and proceed through the necessary steps.

To make matters worse, Fios will probably hit you with an Early Termination Fee (ETF). Fios typically locks you into two years of service, which means that the ETF starts at an eye-watering $350. It will drop by $15 per month as long as you stick around, so it may benefit you to wait a month or two until the fee is more manageable.

After you square things away on the phone, you will most likely have to return your equipment to a local Verizon store. You typically have 30 days to take care of this, so gather your cable boxes, routers, or modems sooner rather than later.

See also: Best internet providers in the US