I had to return rental equipment after canceling FIOS service last month. A few weeks ago I started getting automated calls from “Alex at Verizon” (obviously a

I had to return rental equipment after canceling FIOS service last month. A few weeks ago I started getting automated calls from “Alex at Verizon” (obviously a computer) reading a script reminding me that the equipment needs to be returned. The only problem? Sometimes it would call 5 times a day, leaving a new VM every time. I think it should be illegal to claim to be human, and generally these messages should always be delivered by text message with an option to reply STOP. On the plus side, I brought the equipment to a UPS store where they scanned the barcode stickers directly into their system, handed me a receipt and an hour later Verizon had emailed confirmation of receipt. I didn’t even need to pack them.