![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-101046-100x100.png\")
Damn you nursetim!
This is not the DSL service you're looking for.
Damn you nursetim!
This is not the DSL service you're looking for.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/css/images/default.gif\")
It's not my fault! They told me they fixed it!
When I had a problem with Verizon (see consumerist [tinyurl.com] ), I snail mailed my experience to this address:
Mr. Mark Reddick
Executive Customer Relations
140 West Street
Manhattan NY 10007
I received a response within a week. The person who called (an exec) gave me a personal contact number if I had any other unresolved issues with Verizon.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-388919-100x100.png\")
That was no EECB; something hit us.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-175610-100x100.png\")
I've found that when dealing with lumbering bureaucracies, once service or whatever is established, life is so much better if you don't change it. I know it sucks, but it seems these corporate and governmental giants just aren't capable of handling change.
Why you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy looking, DSL provider!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-405000-100x100.png\")
It should be obvious from the picture at the top, The op may have a more expensive plan _BUT_ the savings from not \"Spending too much time paying bills every month\" should off set the new more expensive plan right???
Right??
;)
Something similar happened to me--twice. I filed BBB complaints both times. THAT was the only thing that got me results. They DO hang up on you. It's really true the right hand doesn't know what the left does. And be careful if you pay your bill online with a \"one-time payment\" because their system may just withdraw money from your account every month and not let you change it. My bank fixed that one for me. Anyway, BBB--for some reason Verizon DSL HATES BBB complaints and they HAVE to contact you to resolve them. Send it to the main office in VA and it will get forwarded to the office that serves you--and ta da--you will have it fixed.
I know this one's going to be big, but I just received this in the mail today from Verizon and think it's so appropriate:
Way to go Verizon!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-116400-100x100.png\")
Why not tell Verizon to go die in a fire and use one of their competitor's services? If Verizon ever tries to get the money from you it should be an obnoxiously easy dispute.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-19745-100x100.png\")
Yuck ?
I prefer ick(y) myself ;-P
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-179969-100x100.png\")
The probability of successfully navigating Verizon's billing systems are approximately 3720 to 1!
We're doomed!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-145804-100x100.png\")
@FLConsumer: So they are thanking you for being loyal by pushing crap you don't want on you and calling it an \"exceptional value\"? Thank you's are supposed to benefit the receiver, not the sender.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-396185-100x100.png\")
If the poster is looking for DSL in the Philadelphia area, I would strongly recommend DCANet. They are a regional CLEC/DSL provider out of Wilmington and I've had great service with them for the last 4 years that I've been a customer.
Good luck!
@howie_in_az: Some people dont understand that places that are rural or suburban sometimes do not have any other option, like he stated in the OP.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-391270-100x100.png\")
Someone explain to me how a DSL plan cannot qualify for a bill. So the lower DSL plans aren't good enough to be combined with phone and wireless? Wow. Good to know.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-65544-100x100.png\")
@howie_in_az: Because there aren't a lot of choices for a lot of people. Most people realistically only have the choice of DSL provided by \"THE PHONE COMPANY\" or a cable modem provided by \"THE CABLE COMPANY\" and if anyone is potentially worse than Verizon, it's ComCast, which was my choice.
Fortunately after spending over 5 hours on the phone with Verizon, I think I have successfully dropped them as my phone company and switched my DSL agreement with them to a dry loop connection (AKA 'Naked DSL') without paying more for the dry loop service. In the process I was quoted no less than FOUR different prices for dry loop DSL: The retention center I was directed to on informing them I was going to drop my phone service quoted me $31.99; The Verizon Online website lists a web-only price of $24.99 - with one month free (however, if your neighborhood is elligible for FiOS the website won't actually let you choose dry loop DSL); The first sales person I spoke to after dropping my voice line who said it was $21.99 (I believe this is because I am in a 1 year DSL agreement already, at that rate); and the second sales person I spoke to (after re-dialing them because I was dropped when they were trying to forward me to a supervisor who told me my DSL would be off for 10 days while changing to dry loop) who quoted me $26.99. The last woman was able to transfer me to an \"Escalation Specialist\" (thank you Ms. Johnson!) who was able to verify that I was eligible to continue at my $21.99 rate.
This leaves me without a home phoneline. I had expected to sign-up for T-Mobile@Home as the $10/month rate looked inviting. However, reading the fine print it turns out that it's $$10 per month PLUS taxes and fees, AND PLUS a $50 charge to buy their special router, and that's not mentioning that it's a 2-year agreement with a $200 ETF. Also, they don't want you to use 2.4Ghz phones with their router.
Instead, as I was literally on my way to T-Mobile, I came across this device which lets you dock your Bluetooth phone with a POTS phone gateway so that any incoming calls to your cellphone ring on your home phone (or phones, if you patch the gateway into a wall jack) and any outgoing calls from your home phone(s) are made over your cellphone, which if you have sufficient or unlimited minutes, means they are effectively free.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-93244-100x100.png\")
Listen, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like Verizon; I hate them. But there's nothing I can do about it right now... It's all such a long way from here.
That's your CSR talking.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-488475-100x100.png\")
@MyPetFly:
I think this is true. I don't mess with my AT&T DSL even though it's a rip-off, because it's working fine and I'm scared silly that it will get messed up. I've been taking online classes and I need it! And AT&T is not known for great customer service, although mine has been ok so far.
Don't rock the boat!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-129346-100x100.png\")
Oh, I can't resist this pile-on...
I signed-up for One-Bill last winter. Three weeks later, they shut off our DSL.
Turns out that in typical Verizon fashion, the billing department switched our billing status but did not tell the service department that the service was migrating to a new account number. To add insult to injury, no one could find any record of the order to switch it over. So, my office was left in limbo for TWO WEEKS while Verizon's departments pointed fingers at each other. After countless hours on the phone and with my tech, we finally got service restored (only to have it knocked out again two weeks later by the same SNAFU).
Here's the kicker. After interrupting our business DSL for three weeks total, and compensating us only for one free month of service (big deal), I get a card in the mail to join Verizon's Business Support team -- for an additional #36 a month!
Actually, a serious note, check your agreement, and if they EVER promise you something that's not on the site or in your bill, get names and where they work.
I got dinged for an ETF on DSL when I had to move for work, even though I had been told it would not happen.
Not that names will always help.
Consumerist,
Got any EECB info for Fairpoint Communications?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-48891-100x100.png\")
@CyGuy:
T-Mobile's @Home service may still be worth it. The taxes and fees on $10 (assuming that you already have T-Mobile service, of course) aren't likely to be that high.
As far as the router, I'm sure you can use any brand of router that includes POTS ports and built-in UMA. I suspect that the only ones out there are from T-Mobile, but I could be wrong. Similarly, you may be able to sign up for the service without buying the router, but it seems a waste of money if you're not going to be able to use your existing phones with it.
On the other hand, if you're not concerned about having landline-like service and you're a T-Mobile customer with a cellphone that supports UMA, you could sign up for their Hotspot@Home service (whatever it's called these days) and get unlimited calling on your cellphone as long as it's routing via WiFi (from your home or elsewhere). If you're going that route, take a look at the T-Mobile forums at howardforums.com for info on people's experiences with phones. I've been very pleased with my BlackBerry 8320 in all things except battery life, not sure what else is currently available/recommended.
The 2.4GHz phones limitation is almost certainly because it's a wireless-G router, and standard WiFi connections (except the rarely-seen \"A\") are in the same freqency. My cordless phone has a note in the manual that it can cause interference on WiFi channels 1-4 and that routers should be configured to use higher channels to avoid problems. I'm sure that plugging a 2.4GHz cordless phone directly into a 2.4GHz wireless router is going to cause problems for anyone using wireless, and is going to cause support nightmares for anyone getting the calls about it.
\"The probability of successfully navigating Verizon's billing systems are approximately 3720 to 1!
We're doomed! \"
Never tell me the odds!
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-350350-100x100.png\")
@doctor_cos: Hate to burst your bubble, but names are pretty useless. Most big companies have multiple call centers and unless you happen to getting talking to someone at the same call center as the first rep you talked to (slim chance) mentioning that \"John in Ohio\" promised you something probably won't get you anywhere.
The important is to get some kind of WRITTEN confirmation: A confirmation email, a note in your acct, a note from a store rep, a paper contract copy, something tangible you can use to support your case.
you can always go to state public utilities commission (or whatever they call it in your state). They have a bit more clout.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-436363-100x100.png\")
\"stating that she was still waiting to speak with the DSL division\"
Verizon Online Division 421, why aren't you at your post?
I have had so much trouble with Verizon's Online serive. Even with confirmation emails and confirmation numbers, on 3 separate occasions I have almost had my service turned off after I thought I had paid my bill. It never goes through and they charge me a late charge. Thank goodness that after the 22nd of this month, I no longer have to deal with them cause i'm moving. They had the balls to ask me if I wanted to switch to their service when I moved and I was happy to tell them there was no Verizon where I was moving.
What has been described is a 'slam'. You don't have to have switched carriers for such actions to be classified as such. If the EECB doesn't do it that would be my next tack/
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-321187-100x100.png\")
@howie_in_az: Where I live, the \"competition\" is Comcast. Still think switching is the right move for everyone?
The best way to minimize the chances of being crammed, slammed and damned by CSRs working on commission is to do as much research and ordering as possible on the internet. The incidence of people editing your requests that you made over the net is much lower. On the other hand, if they have a screwed up system like @whiterose has had to deal with, it's seriously time to do some comparison shopping.
I've been fortunate that Bellsouth/ATT , DirecTV and the other websites I deal with have never had a billing or payment delay. Some of the CC companies have pulled the old \"change the due date\" trick, but that doesn't reflect on the websites themselves.
@Aggiegirl09: Since Verizon is one of the baby-bell incumbent LECs, they are subject to all sorts of customer service regulations. BBB complaints probably cost them fines if they aren't resolved quickly.
@CyGuy: Once you have a dry loop DSL, the most obvious option for those who don't want to couple their cell service to their internet is VOIP. I haven't seen any Customer Service horror stories from any VOIP carriers here, but that may just be because the sample size is too low. The ads from Vonage were cute once upon a time, but as I recall they are in some financial straits.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-371684-100x100.png\")
I suggest a new strategy, Verizon. Let Kevin win.
Do not go with Verizon unless it's for their cellular services. Seriously. You are a retard if you do otherwise. I'm so cereal.
After fighting with Verizon for 6 months over being billed for 3 1/3 lines (EVERYTHING multiplied by 3.3, naturally), I fully believe every negative word expressed about them in any venue. Passive resistance is the sole purpose of EVERY drone you reach during a call for help. I received NO help from ANYONE until the State Utilities Commission became involved. Miraculously, Verizon finally bothered to ring the phone of someone capable of correcting the problem at that point. As soon as it became legal, I jumped-ship from Verizon, terminated my land-line in favor of a cell phone. Never looked back. Never regretted it. I'll keep my cable & cable modem. Verizon: \"Can you hear me now?\"
I am altering our agreement. Pray I don't alter it further.