Okay, let's use an analogy that would be hard to dismiss, let's compare it to, say, missing airline flights..

This idea isn't really any different than the simpler concept of buying a (cheaper) r/t ticket when you only need the one way (throwaway ticketing).

To claim that not taking that return flight is theft of services is ludicrous.

Consider the possibility that you buy a r/t ticket and then get sick or through some other circumstance are unable to take the return flight. To consider this a theft of services is clearly nonsense - claiming that you are obligated under criminal law to fly this return flight is hogwash.

If you read, for example, United's Contract of Carriage, you will see that they disallow hidden city and throwaway ticketing, and *contractually* have remedies for this (which it seems they are unlikely to follow unless you have miles/status to lose). That's *civil* law, not *criminal* law, as has been pointed out previously.

I suppose you could argue that you are committing fraud, which is criminal, but that's a pretty damn weak case, especially since the contract expressly states the penalties for these actions, just as Verizon has penalties for breaking contract.