. @verizon, sometime ago, you added something called "Call Filter," to be distinguished from "Call Filter Plus," to my cell. I never asked you to do that. I give my cell no. to people sometimes in messages I leave or in emails to people, inviting a call. I've done that for years.

I use my cell as my principal number. Now, when somebody calls me who is not a "contact," it goes right to voicemail. This is a problem, and an especial one if the caller is somebody I've been trying to get touch with.

If I call the number back, and I'm not a "contact" of theirs, and they are also Verizon subscribers, guess what happens? This is the problem and I want to turn the damn thing off.

When I go to the "Captain May I" exercise called MyVerizon, either on the computer or the cell, and tell you where I met my spouse, and then respond to text message you send, and select "devices . . .

I am greeted with the good news that my phone is eligible for upgrade and don't I want to spend several hundred dollars. No, I don't.

If I select "Call Filter," I'm asked if I want to upgrade to "Call Filter Plus," which is undoubtedly even more annoying, followed by a lavish description of it, but no directions on how to turn plain vanilla Call Filter off.

It isn't really "My Verizon," it's "Your Verizon," and it is seemingly entirely devoted to selling things.

What a failure in customer service you are, @verizon.

I tried to do a "chat" about this, but you said there was terrific and unexpected chat volume, so just be patient, with no indication of how long the wait might be. Half an hour? Well, it will longer than that, because that is how long I sat there

An hour? A week? Another titanic customer service failure, @verizon.

If you are going to introduce a "feature" from hell, at least ask your customers first. And make an on/off switch for the feature right on the phone without having to go to that absurd marketing device you call "My Verizon." To repeat, it's not My Verizon, it's Your @verizon.

And I don't like Your @Verizon very much.

A subscriber should be able to control his or her phone without a "Captain May I" exercise each time or wading through your marketing bullshit.

A pox on you all. Not SARS-COVID-19, but some kind of mild one, like pink eye.