FiOS Customers Beware

[moggi1964]

I am sure that a vast majority of FIOS customers have no problem with their bill; so I don't think there is cause to worry. The lesson of my story is not that Verizon messes up most bills, just that there can be peculiar and apparently intractable issues sometimes.

I had a similar issue once before with Cingular in California; I had asked them for DSL installation. They came to my house, tested the line, and told me that I could not get DSL because I was too far from the exchange.

But from the next month onward, I kept getting a DSL bill for $40; I kept getting charged for many months for the service they had not even installed; just like my current FIOS issue, nothing I could do would make the billing stop.

You clearly upset the cable gods somewhere along the way

Maybe you got my bad luck (and a few others' too).

Hope that luck changes for you.

 

[moggi1964]

Great product - crap customer service

Well you warned me!

I am currently in a standoff with Verizon about a phone call that cost $135 instead of $6.

I enrolled in the international plan for calls to the UK prior to the installation (by phone and not on paper). I called a few days after installation to be sure they had everything right (the installer thought I was getting a cable box and I didn't need one - TIVO- so I wanted to be sure I wasn't be charged for a cable box). Good job I called as they didn't have me on the plan.

When the bill came in for the one call I had made to the UK before they activated the plan it was for $135 I called and explained I had activated the plan BEFORE the installation and they said we have no record of your call therefore you have to pay the bill.

After many hours of holding, bouncing around and generally wasting my time I finally got an answer from the supposed last level that said I have to pay.

I have written to the COO of Verizon to express my disgust and also to give him the chance to put things right. If I do not get a postive response they will lose me as a customer and will lose my cell service too which is up for renewal in 10 days.

It is a shame because the actual product quality is very good indeed.

Cablvision have offered to buy me out of the Verizon contract so the cost to move back to them is zero.

I am also having some billing issues using their online payment system and have been on hold for nearly two hours so far trying to sort it out.

 

[Seth=L]

Cablvision have offered to buy me out of the Verizon contract so the cost to move back to them is zero.

Definitely inform Verizon that you intend to do this, if that doesn't change their minds; nothing will.

 

[Halon451]

Definitely inform Verizon that you intend to do this, if that doesn't change their minds; nothing will.

My guess is that such a move will likely be routed to some low to mid level customer service employee who won't care one way or another, because nobody in that organization has any respect or value for true customer service and maintaining customer loyalty. Take the buyout option while it's there, and don't look back - at least that's what I would do.

As to an update on my Dad's situation - Brighthouse so far has not offered any similar buyout option, so he's about 99% to the point of forking over the 200 bucks to buy himself out of the contract. Still fighting with them over incorrect billing, now, months later... hopeless.

 

[moggi1964]

I will keep you posted.

 

[dorokusai]

I would have kept FIOS but the programming without a box, in my area at least, just stinks. I have a couple TV's that I just don't care about anything but standard channels. Plus my wife constantly complained since she had to re-learn where all the channels were....and I agree, it was a hassle to the memory banks. I work for VZW now and every company has horror stories, some more, some less, it's the nature of any business that handles millions of customers.

As far as hidden billing? I have no idea. I'm just a ground pounder and make sure everything works right in the NW region of the District of Columbia.....then I go home.

Mark
Polk Audio CS

 

[cutter]

What about VoIP?

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, or if I'm breaking any rules, so please feel free to delete it if it's inappropriate!
I've recently discovered Voice over Internet Protocol-- Digital phone service over your high speed internet connection. It's 25 bucks a month for unlimited local and long distance in the US, Puerto Rico, US virgin islands, UK, Australia, Spain, China, France, Italy. (it's not Vonage). I was spending 60 bucks a month with AT&T, so it was worth it for me to switch. I don't want to spam, so if anyone is interested they can PM me and I'll give them info.

If this post is breaking any rules, feel free to delete it!