Verizon Sucks...

Our DSL router recently self destructed. You'd think replacing it would be relatively straightforward. A month or so later our new, upgraded, super-duper router is running and close to or below dial-up speeds. Verizon's pathetic effort to resolve this issue is only matched by their bizarre business processes. Here are a few gems:

1. They send us not one but two routers. One wired, one wireless. Aside from the cost of shipping two routers and resulting customer confusion, you'd think they'd have some kind of common and single device standard to streamline support. Nope.
2. They want the old router back, or they are going to charge us. I dutifully pack the old fella up and ship it back. But wait! A week later the old router comes back home with a note. Seems it is "too old" for them to accept back. "Too old"? Nuts! It doesn't even work.
3. Then the service starts running sloooooooow. Seems they downgraded our service for no apparent reason. Quick fix... but why? ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE STILL CHARGING US FOR THE PREMIUM SERVICE!
4. Seems that didn't fix the connection speed anyway. Is still pathetically slow.
5. Every call to inquire about the status of our pathetic speed is greeted with the same mindless drivel. "Sir, I can't do anything until you... Unplug from the wall... Sit and Wait...Plug back in... Open browser... Ahhhhh... I see you have an open ticket... Let me put you through to someone else.... Sir, I know you are frustrated, BUT .... Unplug from the wall... Sit and Wait...Plug back in... Open browser... Ahhhhh... I see you have an open ticket... Ahhhhh... The problem seems to be at our end... I've noted this... We'll see if we can find the problem..." How do possibly expect to a) make customers happy, b) charge them for a service you are not delivering and, c) make money providing such repetitive and mindless service?
6. And now, to top it all off, even though we are sill at speeds well below our service level agreement they are claiming to have fixed the problem and there is nothing more they can do. There is something I can do and that is, not pay for the service!

Here's the rub though - in this age of bountiful choice, it seems the only choice for consumer DSL is to wander into town and use the hyper fast FREE service and our local coffee shop.

Comments

[gc141x]

The ActionTec router supplied by Verizon died. I can't get through to tech service. The automated telephone system was obviously designed to turn away customers. It's a pity because FIOS itself is a pretty good service compared to Comcast. I'm shopping around for an alternate vendor.

[James]

I called Verizon FIOS to order phone, internet, and cable prior to my move in. My Consumer Order Summary was dated 3-28-08, and the scheduled installation date was 4-7-08. I reviewed the e-mail and all looked well. I move into my new house and install date comes. They setup an 8 AM-noon window. I already had the Optical Network Terminal unit (ONT) in my house, so I figured this would be cake for them. I am a Sys Admin at an ISP, so the internet stuff I could do myself with ease.

On install day, no one showed, no one called. I had my mobile with me at ALL times. So around 1:30 PM I called Verizon to see what was going on. If something came up, I had a week off to move in and if they needed to come by in a day or two, I was totally cool with that. After about an hour on hold I got in touch with a “state level” dispatcher. That said that there were “no facilities available for my order” and I was called. Nope, I wasn’t called; they did have my cell (which I had with me all of the time) in their records. I wanted them to come out later in the week if possible since I was home. They said that their next available time for me was 4-12-08, which was a day where I was going to a wedding. The next available time after that was at the end of the month, on a work day for me.

Basically because they did not show up, or even notify me with a reason, they put me at the back of the line. I was trying to escalate my request and the support only gave me unreasonable dates and that “no facilities available for my order” BS. I later wanted to get my copper line put back so I could at least get phone service, and after a long wait in hold they gave me the end of the month as a date. Basically I was being run around in circles and being shoved to the end of the line because Verizon screwed up my installation. I was told the only way I could get it sooner is if I “knew an installer who’d do me a favor,” and I was pretty much screwed with the window of time I had to get the service installed. The salesperson fed me a load of bull and the installer didn’t even call me with a reason. I tried to figure out what “no facilities available for my order” meant, and why this was such a problem since I already had the ONT in my house. Half of their work was already done.

The same day, I called a local cable company who installed my phone, internet, and cable the next day. They showed up on time and did the normal pre and post appointment verification. I unplugged the ONT in my house and let the battery go out. Verizon gave me such a lousy customer experience I swore I would never do business with them, and be sure to let other people know about their awful customer service and commitments they setup and do not honor. Verizon screwed up prior when they bought Bell Atlantic, and screwed up our perfectly find DSL service I had around 98/99. My money is going to a competitor, and Verizon won’t see it because they have abysmal customer service. I am certainly interested in fiber optic lines connected to my house, but so long as Verizon is the only provider, I will happily do without.

James
Herndon, VA

[Denise]

Verizon does suck. I have had a problem for weeks and did not get resolved. It is so fustrating tring to get the right person on the phone to fix any problems. I dont think that ever happened.I just canceled the services and switched to comcast. Comcast had every thing done internet and phone in one day. No hassels, no holding on the phone and being transferred from person to person.Verizon sucks!!!!!!! Thank you comcast.

[Krys G]

I just signed up for the Tripple Play No Fios yet in my area tho. I was told my bill will be 99 dollars with taxes and surcharges and other fees a total of 110-120 per month. I just got my first bill. I owe 190 for 2 weeks of service through Direct Tv verizon tripple play, and current charges due April 21 of 184.34. A grand total of 374.92 and i haven't even had this shit for 30 days..lmao I will call tomorrow the billing.. Stay tuned...update to follow

[Kris Farrar]

Just wanted to add my Verizon nightmare to this growing list. I never had problems with the FIOS service itself, but I had endless problems with their billing. I've spent ~18 hours total on the phone trying to straighten it out and I still am not sure if I'm going to end up paying them $90 I don't own them to keep my credit rating from going down. I actually ended up switching back to COMCAST. Verizon -you know you're bad when even Comcast is easier to deal with then you are - YIKES!!!!!

[Paul]

I misstyped the site addreaa http://paulauger1965.googlepages.com/home

[Puul]

Hi.

I am a Verizon FIOS Customer. I Have a dissability that make it impossable for me to erite out checksw. I have tride MANY time to make arrangement to have my verizon to TAKE THE MONEY OUT OF MY CHECKING ACCOUNT. they Kepp messing up the paperwork. since the bill is not being paid DO TO THEIR ERROR they keep shutting off my service! I have posted the whole story on a google page paulauge1965.googlepages.com/home

[jeff]

Verizon is evil. I ordered the FIOS triple play in Dec. For the first two weeks nothing worked - no phone, no TV, no internet. Even after the problems were “fixed”, our internet service is slower and goes down frequently. Then Verizon started billing me for services I did not request. And Verizon never delivered the TV promised. Most calls to complain ended with them putting me on hold and then hanging up on me. Clearly “triple play” means that Verizon screws you in three ways: 1) the quality of services gets worse with FIOS, 2) they overcharge you, and 3) they renege on their promotion promise.

[Dover]

I am putting the finishing touches on my blog about my dreadful experience with Verizon FIOS and came across your blog. I updated my site with a link to yours. Hopefully the message will spread that Verizon takes customer "service" to a whole new level. Seriously, I have never dealt with a more disheveled bunch of morons.

http://fiosexperience.blogspot.com/

[sb]

Verizon small business on line service really sucks. they are selling an antiquated system that is horrible to have use when you are on the road and want to get your email. Also, the company (a communications company??) has not a clue about how to communicate within their own poorly managed company. just try calling them with a question! would I love to meet the people who head this company! they probably spend all their time figuring out how they will use their golden parachutes.

[pete barnes]

Been on-line for past 9 years, last 2 months with Verizon DSL. What a piece of
S...! Change the browser main page without
warning and eliminate links????? Go screw!!!
Save you time and effort - avoid VERIZON.

[timothy]

hey guys my name is tim and i work for at&t, if you have any questions about any of our phones our service or rate plans fill free to come to my page and send me a message and i will get back to you asap!

www.myspace.com/att_mobility_solutions

[Paul hates verizon more than life itself]

Just signed up for the verizon triple play for 99 bucks a month. Sound like a good deal? HA! Don't forget the set up fees, that are so high now that they spread them out over 3 months for my convenience. Have an unlisted number? HA! Go to google and type it in. Turns out that they sold it to everyone everywhere with address included. There's another 5er per month. Need a box for your cable? Who the F doesn't! get less than with an antenna without one. Another 5 bucks a month right there. Per TV! And lets not forget the taxes! No, they don't have much control over them (gimmie a break), but you can be sure as the sun will come up tomorrow that for every dime the government squeezes out of them, they are turning around and finding new and exciting ways to squeeze it out of you. My bill lists something called 'other charges'. You don't even know what you're paying for! But how could I not understand you might ask with such a simple bill that is miraculously kept under 5 TWO sided pages. But now I'm screwed for 2 years. And when were all these companies suddenly allowed to demand a fee for canceling their service because it sucks? Screw'em! I will cancel their service and pay their rape charge. Be about the same as a one month charge anyway. And yes, it is all my fault and I should get what I deserve. This is one of the biggest failures in the endless list of failures by a government that not only wants your money, but demands it by threats backed up by force, but does little if anything to EARN it, and will do nothing to help you if you need it. I say get rid of all of this technology shit now because when you get old, you're going to need every cent you have when the government throws you away like garbarge. Oh but don't worry, you may be able to rent a nice cardboard box with social security. You know, when it first came out, TV was a luxury item. Then that changed so everyone could afford it as it should be. Now it has gone back to being a luxury item which I can no longer afford let alone tolerate the absolute scumbags that whore it out. I think I will need every penny I have for gas and heating oil when Bush attacks Iran. (for my cardboard box) :-L

[ChrisTHIS]

Yikes! You think their DSL service is bad? I just got screwed by their wireless side. Read this...

http://christhis.com/archives/293/verizon-reps-are-liars

[Chris]

I have a great Verizon Sucks experience. I ordered Verizon Residential Fios fiber optic to the house service. Later I changed to a static ip address for some work purposes but this requires you to change to a business service. Ok I switch to business and then the static ip dosent work. Months of multi hour worthless tech support results in it finally working 7 months after change to Static then within a month they terminate my service. Seems that the bill i pay every month on time was for a residential service and the business side dosent see that ive been paying the entire time. Now we get credits on the bill and assurances bill will be taken care of but here we are nearly 1 year after activation and we get a bill saying we owe Verizon Business 600 dollars for a service that never worked correctly. 15 hours and manyu managers later I think my only recourse is small claims and cancelling my 280.00 per month Verizon services. As crediting the ammount ammount to me for a service that was never rendered is less important to the reps ive spoken to than me taking a 100,000.00 + lifetime of spending on Verizon services and speing it elswhere. No wonder MCI went belly up if this service is what they were handing out. There is so much more in the way we were treated and their unwillingness to understand a semi complex issue that I could write a book so my recommendation to anyone reading this is to not get Verizon anything under any circumstances.

[M. H.]

I agree that it sucks big time.I recently moved to another apartment in the same complex. They keep setting a date to establish service and some a** keeps changing it.They are blaming it on their system, but the supervisor told me that someone actually needs to write a ticket and enter it in the system to cancel an order. So, today I have decided (after 2 weeks of no phone/cable/internet) to cancel my service if they do not want me as a customer. I think that is all I can do, right? Their websites do not let you contact the right person, this company has become too big....where is the SEC when you need it :)))

[Ben Kepes]

I for one am stoked that some things are the same stateside as downunder - crap service from telco call centres. Now there's a real business idea in there.... use smart technology, international best price locations and the power of community to revolutionise the call centre industry....