There may be light at the end of the tunnel

It seems that Axxxxx Bxxxxx has taken ownership of this issue and is putting forth the effort required to resolve it. There were some interesting revelations, the most interesting is that "the technicians never used to record the serial numbers on the routers". This means that even though I shipped the router back under Verizon's direction, they would have no way to associate it with my account. They really have some screwed up/non existent systems. FiOS must be bleeding the company dry. I cannot imagine maintaining profitability if they cannot keep track of such basic things. Or maybe I am a unique case (lucky me).

Axxxxx Bxxxxx says he is still trying to locate the department that generated the bill I received. Can you imagine such a thing? If he is having this much trouble, how are customers supposed to figure things out? In any event, he has promised to see this through, and it looks like he is making the effort to keep that promise. I expect to hear from him next week.

This just won't go away!!!!

Get home from work today. Now I have a BILL from Verizon for an "unreturned wireless router". These people are (@&#(&% unbelieveable!!! I followed their instructions and dropped the equipment off at a UPS store, I have tracking numbers with confirmed deliveries, and they are billing me $200 for that crappy Actiontec router, that, according to UPS tracking, was received to their West Chester office. Oh, and the ten bucks for "video franchise fee". This is surreal.

Called and spoke to Axxxxxx Bxxxxx. He is really trying to be helpful but is unable to locate any bill. He says because of billing cycle, a credit "should" appear on January bill. I doubt it. He is really trying to figure this out, but is unable to find any account number using the bill I have in my hand. Unfortunately, after 42 min, he is unable to resolve. He promises to follow up tomorrow and call tomorrow afternoon. Axxxxxx really seems to care about doing a good job and I am cautiously optimistic that he might actually be able to help finally put this to rest.

Did I do something to piss someone at Verizon off?

Again, I have to say, I NEVER had this level of disservice from ComCast.

I leave this blog here as a warning to anyone considering conducting business with Verizon. Read away and make your own decision.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A VERIZON LAND LINE, DO NOT GET FiOS!!

Received instructions for returning equipment to Verizon

Received instructions for equipment return yesterday. I have several pieces of equipment and have ZERO confidence that just taking them all to UPS without an explicit packing slip will only result in more problems and more billing problems.

Calling 888-553-1555 - usual voice navigation hell. Spoke with Chxxx? Advise UPS "Verizon Corporate Account customer" and are returning equipment to coatseville, PA-STB. Wireless Router - return to West Chester, PA. - When at UPS, get copy of shipping label(s).

Again, I doubt this is over...

Cancelled FiOS - Comcast installed

Comcast was here this morning. Everything is set up and running fine.

Now I will try to cancel my Verizon services. Kxxxx. She claims all services will be cancelled. She acutally had the nerve to ask why I was cancelling. Claims I can take DVR, Digital Adapter, and Router to any UPS store where it will be scanned, boxed, and returned to Verizon at no charge to me. Also claims ONT can be unplugged and just left where it is.

I doubt this is over...

Now they have changed my pricing for Internet service

Does anyone at Verizon know what they are doing? This is absolutely incredible. My bill for this month's Internet has 127.00 in credits and 102.00 in new charges. WTF! Now my bill is about 20.00 more than usual.

On the phone now. Let's see how much of my time this wastes. Now they cannot find my bill. I can find my bill online, but they cannot. She suggests I call back in a few days. This is unbelievable! Now she is trying to see if someone else there can pull up my Oct. bill. Now we are at 18:00 with nothing even remotely close to a resolution or explanation.

Nobody has access to my bill past Sept. Again, she suggests that I call back tomorrow or Wed.

I am done with Verizon. I never thought I would actually say this, but I miss Comcast and am switching back.

In all fairness, it's probably the billing system

I suppose I should just take a minute to clarify the situation that has been going on here for the past few months. Most of the representatives at Verizon with whom I have spoken were very cordial and seemed very willing to help. Unfortunately, none of them were able to help because their billing system is fundamentally flawed.

It is based on the mistaken premise that anyone who has FiOS service will also have phone service from Verizon. This basic design flaw will cause endless frustration for those of you wanting to get FiOS service but do not have phone service from Verizon; more specifically, land line service, probably even to the FiOS service address. Any time you call, you will be asked for your phone number. They will insist on it, even if you tell them it will not help. It won't! You will be stuck on the phone with them as they ask for your address, name, anything but account number (if you are lucky enough to have received a printed bill). And, under no circumstances, separate your TV and InterNet bills for business purposes. This will cause you to be transferred at least 4-5 times back and forth to the same departments anytime you call.

My recommendation is that if you do not have a land line provided by Verizon, do not bother with FiOS. You will be putting in countless hours any time you need to call for tech support, billing, or any other form of customer service. Maybe you will even be as lucky as I was and have your service on your account, which is paid in full because it is billed to your credit card, disconnected without any notice or explanation.

Billed me without sending a bill...

9/29 9:00am- 800-688-2880 - voicemail hell as usual. virtually impossible to get to a human in under 10 min. Usual problems finding account information with my phone number. She has to transfer me to payment department. Lxxxa - will transfer me to billing department. Mxxt - still NOT billing. Says he cannot help me and I should be talking to billing. Lost temper and said I wanted to cancel everything. Cancellation department is transerring me to financial services. Jxx - financial services. Needed ssn to look up all billing. He has to transfer me to FiOS separate billing department. Now have two more phone numbers. Faxed the collections bill to 877-875-8858

9/29 - 10:52am - No response to fax, so calling again 888-338-9333. usual VM hell. On hold for 25 minutes. I will try calling back. 11:15 am - called 888-338-9333. Usual useless voice navigation so I chose the "wait for associate" option. Nxxxx? Cannot really understand due to her heavy accent. Problems locating account, as usual. Put me on hold twice to try and locate it. She is struggling to look through "all of the accounts" in my name to find any that have an outstanding balance. On hold again. Says there is some account that I supposedly owe money on. She will transfer me to billing (ugh). Another account number (internal) that is a listed as an "internet account although it is a tv account". Pretty #()@&% confusing! Transferred to billing and gave Kxxxa the "internal account number". She is struggling to figure out what is going on. She is now checking "one other system". Apparently, this goes back to March when my service was disconnected for no reason. This amount is supposedly the final bill for the canceled account, which I never received. When they arbitrarily canceled my account in March, they set up new accounts instead of figuring out what/why the account was disconnected. She says she will refund me the money, but she cannot adjust the old account. She will credit my live account. I have to pay the collections agency. For credit report, she suggests contacting a credit reporting agency to get a dispute form. She says this credit will be on my November bill. InterNet account number accesses both accounts with all of the notes about this conversation.

This is pretty messed up. Still, nobody can explain how my account, which was in good standing and never late, was canceled back in March to cause all of this headache.

Comcast - 1-877-870-4310 - http://www.comcast.com. Looks like I will be going back...they NEVER caused me this much greif. Plus, for 59.95, I can get business class internet that does not have monthly bw limits or restrictions on running a web server.

I thought this was over months ago...

I really wish they would get their #)(&#% together! I have just received a notice from a collection agency. Apparently I was turned into collections. However, my most recent bills (InterNet and TV are billed separately) indicate that my accounts are current. The account number referenced on the collections notice is a number I have never seen before, but it has my name/address. This is really pissing me off. It is official: Verizon is the new Comcast! I can take all of the, what now seem relatively minor, issues I had with Comcast and emphatically say that they never jerked me around as badly as Verizon.

Now I will have to invest more time to find out where this phantom charge stems from, and worst of all, probably have to invest days worth of time correcting erroneous items on my credit report.

Checking up on the billing again

Actually received my first bill for FiOS TV! (had the service for 9 months and never received a single bill, it was automatically charged to credit card).

I do not see a credit for my old service that was still being billed to my credit card. Also, internet charge on card is 7Called 888-555-1555. VM hell, eventually got a human who had to transfer me toFiOS group. Bxxxx. Usual issues with locating accounts. Starting with InterNet - activation. She will credit activation fee. Next bill for InterNet should reflect credits. Moving to TV. Credit for 6.13 on next bill. Should have credit for amount of pre-billing on next credit card for amount billed (prorated) on 3/31. Says will see credit on next bill.

Now they want the equipment back!

Received a notice in the mail regarding equipment return yesterday. At least they included an ARS tag and will pay for shipping and packaging costs.

I suppose this is related to the timing of the whole situation, but I need to call anyway to make sure.

Called a new number from the RMA notice, 800-722-5543. Voice menu lookup account by billing phone number. Surprise, cannot locate it. Bxxxx answered. She says when account was cancelled, the RMA was automatcially generated and sent to me. She is cancelling the RMA and says I can ignore the letter.

My old monthly charge for FiOS TV showed up on my credit card

I am certain this is an old charge as the amount is the same as previous charges. On the phone again... Called 888-483-3467, again, voice menu hell, ultimately ending up with being disconnected. Called back using 888-338-9333 and was successfully transferred to a human, Sxxxx who, to my surprise, was able to immediately locate my account! She assured me that the billing to the credit card was due to the timing of the situation and that my first bill for my new service should reflect that amount as a credit. I guess we will see... She assured me that if it does not show that credit, that I can call back and have it taken care of.

Finally InterNet working

I do need to make sure that I give the Verizon representatives with whom I spoke throughout this ordeal kudos.

The poor design of their phone system (phone company with crappy phone system...) is not their fault. Also, whatever automated systems cancelled my accounts, or even if it was a human, it was not them.

Through the hours of phone calls with me being condescening and belligerent, they maintained a very professional and cordial attitude throughout the conversations.

Thank you!

Still no InterNet, but TV working

Decided to not call, just go to work and see if it works when I come home. Also, while at work, called ComCrap to inquire about business class service to home as I really depend on the connection to do my job.

Still no TV or InterNet

Actually, just because the box display updated this morning, that did not mean that I actually had active FiOS TV service.

Called 888-553-1555 - still no TV or InterNet. Voice menu hell again. Automated system still cannot look up my phone number. Exxxx-trouble finding account again. In the other system. He says the order not completed yet. He is working on TV box and it rebooted while on phone. Actually can watch TV now.

Now he is working on InterNet connectivity. Tried to reboot ONT and said it failed. He will call back.

Exxxx called back. Told him I can ping addresses, but no web connections or IMAP connections. VOD still working ok. He says he needs to resend the data order after rebuilding it since the order for DATA was plced with the wrong ONT model/serial #. Says I should have InterNet when I wake up.

Now that it is Monday, I will call billing

Called 888-338-9333, as per the representatives instructions on Sat. Gxxxx answered and, as usual, could not locate my account. She ended up finding my account in the other system by name and state. Then she said she needed to transfer me to billing (which is the number I thought I was given on Saturday when I asked what number to call to reach billing. Was successfully transferred, but given yet another number, 888-483-3467, in case I was disconnected during the transfer.

-Transferred to Cxxxx - Of course, standard difficulty locating account because I do not have Verison telephone service. Again, located my account in the other system. Again, not talking to someone from billing, the original number I called, and to whom I was supposedly transferred.

-Transferred to holding queue - Mrs. Txxxx - Again, I am in some other sytem because I do not have Verizon phone service. Again, I am told that I should be calling billing at 888-438-347 and she will transfer me... Again, not speaking to someone in billing to whom I was supposedly transferred.

-Fxxxx - same old problem locating my account. This time, I suggested that Fxxxx check the other system first, to which he replied "I really need to start at square one". Of course, he could not locate my account at square one and had to resort to the other system to find my account. Unbelievably again, indicated that he needed to transfer me to FiOS billing. WTF!!! When someone transfers me to billing, why do I not get transferred to billing! Also promised to make sure a "warm body" was on the line before he transferred me, just like Mrs. Txxxx promised.

-Axxxx - blah blah blah, other system. Now she informs me that in addition to my television already having been cancelled, my FiOS InterNet service is pending removal. Says she will turn my TV back on, but my InterNet will eventually be cancelled.

Suddenly, my thoughts shifted to delinquent accounts, even though I had already verified recent and regular charges to my credit card. She assured me that my accounts are NOT delinquent.

She needs to set me up as a new customer and that the monthly fee is 5.00 more. Claims she will credit me 60.00 (12 months x 5.00), also she will make sure I do not get billed any (re)activation fee. Needed to place a new order and give my SSN & bday, not happy about that. I also requested that they send me a bill each month instead of credit card. As I am a new customer, I can get the Movie and Sports package free until 1/1/2009, I just need remember to cancel by 1/1/2009.

She says she will "watch" the InterNet service so that when it is taken down, she will see that it is put back up. Says she will issue a credit for InterNet (re)connection charge as well. Asked for a ticket number for "notations" she gave me old and new account numbers for both services as well as order numbers for both new services.

She cannot place InterNet order until my service is actually disconnected. Will issue credit for connection charges, also, since new order, InterNet went up by 8.00, she will credit 8.00 for each month for 1 year. While on the phone, TV came on, InterNet went off. She said it was a good thing because now she has ability to put the new order through Can expect immediate to 4 hours for re-connect. If I have problems w/ InterNet, call fiber solutions number 888-553-1555.

A total time of 1:21 for this call. Now I am late for work

Called Verizon support again on the off chance it could be resolved before Monday

Called 888-553-1333 just on the off chance I could contact someone before Monday. The representative again explained that billing was not open until Monday morning and the best number to contact them was 888-338-9333.

Verizon cancelled my FiOS TV without warning or reason

After a long week of work, there is nothing more relaxing than sitting back, turning on the TV, and watching your favorite hockey team play a game with extreme playoff implications. However, it is rather frustrating when your FiOS does not work.

A quick call to tech support should fix it. As usual, calling the specified number, 888-553-1555 resulted in the high tech voice menu system quickly routing my call to Macintosh InterNet support. At that point, the technician informed me that I need to call 888-553-1555, the number I had just dialed. He was kind enough to transfer me to Cxxxx in technical support. After giving her my phone number, she was unable to locate my account, then searched in her other system, was able to locate my account there.

Cxxxx informed me that my FiOS TV was cancelled, and that I would need to wait until Monday morning to contact the billing department.

I guess I will miss two very important hockey games, and generally have no television for at least the weekend.