Verizon Wireless dropped its plan to implement a $2 “convenience fee” just a day after it was announced, sparking substantial customer outrage. VZW’s timing was especially unfortunate given its recent woes with its expanding LTE network, as my colleague Kevin Fitchard documents here. But I think the most important thing here was the sheer nature of the charge, which would have been levied on users paying online or on their phones — you know, the kind of activity that actually saves the carrier money compared to traditional paper billing. That strategy isn’t unprecedented, of course, but it’s the kind of thing is rightfully seen by users as an underhanded way to raise rates.