Verizon FiOS "Free LCD TV" Promotion Resulting In A Lot Of Angry Customers
Reader Mary says that she ordered Verizon FiOS during the "free LCD TV" promotion they were running, but she still hasn't received the letter she needs in order to start the rebate process.
Mary writes:
I am one of many people that have had this problem with Verizon---Mary directed us to a thread full of angry Verizon customers who say they are getting the runaround over the free TV.At the end of November 2007, I signed up and ordered Triple Play Fios with Verizon, as a promotion they were offering a Free LCD TV or Best Buy gift card. It is now March 2008 and I have not received the special offer letter or TV from Verizon. I have called many times and still get the same run-around, "Your letter will be coming in the mail in a few days"---
Consumerist, if there is any way you can bring this problem to the forefront an behalf of the many customers who have not received their free LCD TV or Best Buy card from Verizon, that would be greatly appreciated.
Here are some highlights:
Joe and Lisa say:
My fios was connected on nov 20,2007. After being on hold with verizon a total of 6 hours in two weeks and speaking to numerous idiots i've gotten no where. Everyone I spoke to gave me a different story until I finally reached a supervisor, so I was told. He told me I couldn't register for the TV over the phone and that I needed to go on line which i've tried with no success. I again called verizon with another hour wait and when I finally spoke to another idiot I laid it on the line . NO MORE BULL%#@! I will not pay my bill until I receive my TV, AND IF THERE IS NO TV REAL SOON I WILL CONTACT ALL THE TV STATIONS AND INFORM THEM OF THE FALSE ADVERTISING BY VERIZON. THEY CAN THEN TAKE THERE FIOS AND SHOVE IT. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, I CAN NO LONGER BE PATIENT AND MADE A FOOL OF
Janet asks:
I signed up for the triple play on Nov. 24. I've called several times & I've been told each time to wait for the letter. FOR HOW LONG? Has anyone received their TV yet? Has anyone contacted ASA?
Jesse says:
In November 18, 2007 I signed up for Verizon FIOS TV and FIOS Internet service. After a read in a newspaper about the Free 19? LCD HDTV, I called Verizon to switch to Triple Play to get the offer. On November, 20, 2007, Verizon came and installed the FIOS Triple Play. They told me that I will be receiving my letter to redeem the free gift in two weeks, then thereafter I should be receiving my HDTV after a week later. In detailed told me what the letter is going to have such as the url to the website, a username and password. Once signed in I will have the option of three offers from HDTV, $200 Best Buy and Wireless Phone. Today is January 9, 2007 and still no letter. Yes, I tried several times to get connected, busy signals. Finally, got someone and they told me that I am not on the rebate list, but they do notice that I had the Triple Play, so they ordered for the letter but will take 4 weeks from today to get the letter. Let's see what happens. The offer has been extended til February, 2008. Although, if the offer is expired by then, they have to render the gift as promised. This can lead to legal action for false advertisement. Peace!
Mary says:
i am having the same trouble. i signed up for FIOS- had a terrible experience during installation- spent over 7 hours on the phone getting issues resolved and then 2 hours on hold the next day trying to get someone back out to my house. issue was finally resolved but when i tried to call back- on 3 separate occasions with other questions i could not committ to waiting that long on hold- just ridiculous to think my time is worth so little. I also cannot log on to the rewards.verizon.net website-their cust svc # is not manned evenings or weekends- how convenient-also- i was promised either the mini camcorder OR $50 to Best Buy- no mention of that in the promo letter- i as well as many friends were also told we would receive a $50 Target gift card which we have received absolutely no additional information on. i am extremely diasppointed in the level of followthrough i have received so far.
John says:
My install was Nov. 28,2008 and as of this date I still have not recieved the promotional "confirmation number" The reabate center also shows no "confirmation number.Even a WABC news report from February 1st hasn't helped the situation.
In December I checked w/ the rebate center as to the whereabouts of my Sharp LCD or $200.00 gift card from Best Buy. They advised me there was no information entered on my account. They took the necessary info that day and said I would recieve the confirmation number by mail in 3-4 wks. Called the rebate center again in late January and again nothing showing. They asked for my info again and advised me the process would start all over again (3-4 wk. wait) So I did not provide my info and gave it some more time. Feb. 5 I called Verizon Billing. Billing looked up my records and asked if I had agreed to the Terms of Service. I said I'm sure I did, I've been billed 2 months already for the package required to qualify for this rebate offer. She then suggested and assisted me with going to the Verizon website TOS logging on to my account and again agreeing to the TOS, which now I did again. ( Incidentally, I asked does this mean my 2 year contract for this Triple Freedom Pkg. starts as of Feb. 5, and yes she said it starts again. To me it now is a 26 month contract). I was advise to check in 1 week to make sure a "confimation number" is entered onto my account. I did call today and the rebate center still has nothing. I called Verizon Billing and there is nothing there. I was told to wait 3-4 wks. again and if at that time nothing showed they would start the process all over again.
..by signing up, he was to receive a 19-inch flat-screen TV."I said great, I don't know anything about it, but I'll be happy to take that." he said.
But that was more than three months ago, and despite numerous phone calls he says he has made to Verizon, still no TV.
"They keep telling me they will send a letter with an authorization code, but I haven't gotten the letter," he said.
"Of course we wanted the TV, because it was just an incredible deal," Verizon customer Bryan Vincent said.
Vincent signed up for the triple-play package too. He says after numerous phone calls, he was also told he would get a letter with an authorization code. Weeks later, the letter finally arrived.
"So I wait all this time, I get the letter, and it's the wrong letter," he said.
If you're a Verizon customer who is running into problems getting your TV, we suggest you contact your state's Attorney General and submit a formal complaint. If enough consumers complain, the AG's office may get involved and Verizon will have to "take it seriously."
What was your experience with this promotion? Tell us about it in the comments or at tips@consumerist.com.
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Comments:
My father in law was installed the last week of Dec and got his coupon (a 19" LCD TV is worthless) two weeks ago. He did have to keep on them, though.
We had a representative show up at our door peddling Fios after having issues signing up over the phone. He told us that they were having shortages on the TV. Hope this doesn't happen to me since the only reason I got the landline was for the TV and then I had to wait over a month for installation.
I love watching that "Free 19-inch LCD TV" commercial. It's very obvious how the producers of that spot exploited how a 19" and a 42" look identical when not shown next to anything for scale. It's not a coincidence that the 19-inch LCD is shown floating in thin air spinning around among random computer graphics. No way they'd show the 19" screen next to a keyboard, held by a person, or the centerpiece of a miniature home theater. =)
I have had this exact problem. I was given no fewer than 3 reasons as to why, after the fact, I don't qualify for the television.
1) I was told that I accepted another promotion during that period that precluded me from qualifying.
2) I was told I actually didn't have the triple play.
3) I was told that I didn't properly set up an online identification, as such there was no record of my wanting the deal.
Meanwhile, countless people have told me that I qualify. So, there is no being certain if you even qualify. About a month ago, I talked a fellow through the requirements for qualification. When we were through, I asked, "Does this mean I qualify?" He said, "Yes." I asked, "Would you please note that on my account history?" He said, "No." I asked why, and he explained, "I don't have to."
The only reason I'd sign up for the free TV promo would be for a mini TV for the kitchen so I can watch Food Network as I cook or something. Try putting a 19" widescreen HDTV any more than 4 feet from you and you'll need a telescope.
They must be stricken with "VERIZON FACE"
I never trusted this deal to begin with, but this is just shameful. Here's hoping for the best for those people.
Well at least they didnt start anymore fires... YET.
I have been waiting for my Sharp LCD TV as well. Just this past Saturday (March 1), I received a letter saying that Verizon is having trouble fulfilling orders of the Sharp TV due to "overwhelming demand". Verizon offered a choice of
a) waiting an additional 10-15 weeks for the Sharp TV
b) receiving a Magnavox 19-inch TV in four weeks
c) receiving a gift card to Best Buy for $200
As I don't shop at Best Buy, that leaves options a) or b). Still haven't decided what to do....
Man, I just wish I could have FiOS. My current choices are timeWarner Cable (ugh) and my current AT&T DSL (double ugh).
Frontier has a similar deal now, get a Sharp flat panel with a triple play package. TV service is from Dish Network though...lame. This company came out of like nowhere and yet they can offer promotions that almost mirror Verizon.
I got my letter on Friday. I signed up at the end of January, and didn't get it installed until the first week of February. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones, I've had no problems with my service since I got it..
For people bitching about how worthless a 19" TV is, keep in mind it's "free" for getting their triple play. Something many people would sign up for anyway. I'd be surprised if people took the deal solely based on getting the TV.
That said, it's kind of a bummer that Verizon has essentially reneged on their offer. Since they're not honoring it and are even lying to people and telling them they weren't elegible for it in first place (as some have said in their responses here.)
Clearly a 19in TV is not ideal for a home theater setup, but great for a bedroom, and even a "cheap" 19in LCD still retails for around $300...more valuable than the $50 rebate you get for signing up with Time Warner.
Hey, if I was being given a 19" TV, I could use it for my old school Ninendo systems that I can't use without buying another TV.
I sort of figured that most people would use the 19" TV in the kitchen or bedroom. That said, I applaud anyone who intends to use it as their primary TV. Not everybody has a huge living room or wants their living space to be dominated by a gargantuan TV.
i have a regular 19" tv in my bathroom. this one would have been nice. i hate missing the end of something b/c i gotta pee.
Sigh. And the thousands of Comcast customers who wouldn't even need a free LCD TV to sign up for FiOS, but can't because of Verizon's insanely slow roll-out, are just left to grumble and mutter.
Come on, Verizon. That check I write to Comcast every month? That should be YOUR money. Don't you want your money?
@DashTheHand: My reaction from seeing the offered LCD TV in the brief shot they had of it in the commercial I saw, was that it didn't look much like a widescreen monitor, it looked more like 4 by 3 format and not 16:9 (or even 16:10 computer) widescreen format.
They also nail you for the value if you cancel services before the contact is up, beware!
I got my TV. FiOS tv is a little show when browsing on demand.
My wife and I signed up for the FIOS package (phone, internet, digital cable) and opted for the 19" Sharp HD LCD TV as well. Our experience so far seems to almost completely buck the trend.
The installers (two or three of 'em) showed up on time (said they'd be there between 9am-2pm; showed up and started working at 10am) and did the installation without complaint. (And this happened the week between Christmas and New Year's.) The finished install took about 3-4 hours and was top-notch; they even ran new coax when the old coax was already in place, and offered to run Cat5 for me too. (I opted not to as I had other plans for the home network.) Only downside was they didn't give me the necessary card to fill out so that we could get our TV. A quick (yes, really!) call to Verizon was made and about a week later we received the necessary card in the mail.
We filled out the card and sent it back. We got a confirmation call on our answering machine about a week or so later. (This would have been around mid- to late January.) We heard nothing from Verizon for a few weeks, so my wife called and was told it would be 6-8 weeks until delivery (which would mean around late March to early April). Since we planned on using the TV for our bedroom (where we already had a CRT TV installed) we were willing to wait.
Last week we received a letter from Verizon saying that they were overwhelmed with responses to the offer, and that we could choose: 1. to continue to wait for the Sharp TV which may take longer than expected, 2. choose a Magnavox 19" LCD TV instead (no model # listed), or 3. take the Best Buy gift card. I'm trying to find out the model number of the Magnavox so I can make an informed choice, but so far I'm choosing to wait for the Sharp.
Dear Verizon,
FiOS.
Thank you,
Chicago
I'd be happy just to have FiOS speeds, you guys can have the free LCD.
Filing a complaint with your state's public utilities commission is usually faster than the AG when you're talking about the phone company.
THEY CAN THEN TAKE THERE FIOS AND SHOVE IT. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, I CAN NO LONGER BE PATIENT AND MADE A FOOL OF
THERE FIOS
*sigh*
On the up side, at least there were no reported fires during the installation of anyone's no-LCD-having-FiOS lines.
We had this problem, and after many calls to Verizon, we were eventually told that it was due to unexpectedly high demand for the promotion. We had FiOS installed in October, but just received the letter two weeks ago. It might be a long wait, but you'll definitely get the letter.
I wonder if they're having trouble with the Best Buy gift cards, too. I would've opted for that -- sure, Best Buy sucks, but if I'm not giving them my money it's fine. :)
And the kicker is that Verizon has a ETF of $175. Unlike comcast, you can't just cancel for bad service anytime and not get charged. They trapped all these customers. Wah wah waaaaahhhh
their new promotion comes with a free digital camera.
i think the real crime is the constant playing of those optimum cable commercials with the pirates, mermaids and tentacle monster which I think is telling us to pirate stuff.
@Scotus:
And then there are those of us who can't get Verizon because we don't live in the right ZIP code. I live in Dallas and have AT&T (formerly SBC, formerly Southwestern Bell, formerly AT&T) phone service -- if I lived on the other side of the freeway, I'd be in Verizon's territory. I'd love to be able to choose, but then this is America.
If I was giving away free TVs and they were all the same model, I'd run out of them too.
Is it the Sharp Aquos LC19D44U? If so, it is 1366 x 768 resolution (720p widescreen).
@pibbsman0: Yeah I got my letter about 3 weeks after my install on January 29th. Easy to enter everything online at rewards.verizon.com. It even lets you check the status of your reward. Glad I was lucky.
and I am going to call "ALL" the TV stations. LOL. Letters like that make it harder for normal people to get heard when they complain.
We upgraded to the Triple play Fios with Verizon in December. After getting two outrageous bills following and being on the phone with a representative for about an hour, found out that because we already had the internet service through them that it messed up their billing, but instead of giving us a refund that we should keep on paying and they will issue us a credit. I wonder how much interest they make on other peoples money? After that it took three more calls to straighten out the free TV offer. It seems that no one that you talk to has any power to change the bureaucracy and none of the supervisors that do are there and even though I was promised someone would call me back no one ever did and yes I am still waiting for my free TV.
After many calls, and registering online at Verizon for the Best Buy gift card, I finally received a letter giving me instructions to claim ... a 19" LCD. But at least that's progress, I guess.
Three months later, haven't received my letter either. Called a couple times and they said it would arrive shortly. However, my brother-in-law who signed up a month after me has already received his letter...
I ordered in December and received my letter and code promptly. I ordered the television on January 2. Yesterday, I received a letter telling me that due to higher than expected demand, it may take an additional 5-10 weeks to get my tv. Or, I could take the $200 gift card (well below the value of the tv) or a much crappier tv. Well done Verizon! Where are all the people who are getting these tvs that they ran out?
I ordered the week before the promotion started. Since you had to order within a certain window and have the installation by a certain date, there was no way to cancel and restart the order and still meet the dates.
Also, the raised the price of the triple play package by ten dollars a month over a 2 year period, so how "free" is that TV?
Finally, when I bought an HDTV and called to get a HD set-top box, they said that because of the success of the TV promotion, they were out of set top boxes for upgrades until April.
I call it being triple-screwed.
I ordered in the Triple Play in December, had (many) issues and finally ended up cancelling my service. I switched back to Comcast. Verizon, through inept customer service and tech support and outright lies and disorganization, put me through more hell in about one month than Comcast has for the past 5+ years. Interestingly enough, Verizon promised me the TV even though I cancelled. Not just regular employees, but people high on up within Verizon (including a VP). Now, they are doing an about-face.
Of note, I NEVER got a response from either of these e-mails:
Mark.D.Reddick@verizon.com
Ivan.G.Seidenberg@verizon.com
And the Number that Consumerist has for Cassandra Flippin has been changed. I spoke with her after accessing the phone directory when the number on Consumerist didn't work. She seemed more surprised that I got her number than interested in helping me out.
Finally, I bet most of the problems customers have is with the Billing Department. Contact the billing department at Verizon (in my opinion they are a bunch of idiots). They could never verify if I was ever in a contract... Also, Contact Hank-Haartes or Hank-Hartes...they are the third party company handling the rebates for Verizon. Google their info and contact them...though they NEVER returned my phone calls.
COMPLAIN to the BBB and your state attorney general...PLEASE! Verizon MUST be face the consequence for their lies.
Best of Luck to everyone.
@sgodun: I have a 19" Magnavox HDTV in my bedroom and it's fine. [www.target.com]
If someone were handing me a 19" HDTV though, I'd probably hold out for the Sharp!
Keep the damned TV - just get me away from Comcraptic. Help!!
@mss102807hah:
Yes, their customer service is absolutely atrocious. I actually scheduled in dropped calls; I fully expect half the calls to drop.
I also experienced having people tell me that there was no record of my account. How could that happen.
I mean, if you can imagine something absurd happening, it happened to me.
For instance, they screwed up the hookup of our service, the entire day it was supposed to be hooked up. They were supposed to be here in the morning, and didn't show, never called. We called and were told the guy was running late. They rescheduled for the afternoon. Never showed, never called. I called again, and told them my wife stayed home from work to meet the guy. They promised the guy would be here in the evening. Never showed, never called. I called again, and they asked permission to come late in the evening. They eventually came at 8:30 pm. I pitched a fit, and they told me they'd give us $100.00 on an American Express card. We received $50 on a gift card to be used at a limited number of stores. This gift card, compensating my wife for her time, was the inducement that, we were told, precluded us from receiving the free television set.
Just got my letter last week. I had my service installed mid-February. Not bad considering what I'm reading here. I couldn't get the triple play since the Fios TV is not available where I am yet (Could have been postponed to avoid more people gunning for the free TV?). I did notice on the redemption site that the wait for the TV was 6-12 weeks, the other items were 2-4. So maybe this is affecting those trying to get the TV?
My choices for the 'double-play' were either a $50 worst-buy card or a crappy RCA mini-dv camcorder. I actually chose the gift card. I'd rather pick up a free game then see what 'allowed substitute' they send. But I didn't sign up for a freebie. I signed up because where I am the products are better then anything else I looked at. The GC is just a bonus for me. Anyone willing to switch all these services over to another company for a couple years JUST for a tiny TV or similar offer is asking for trouble.
But I'm happy with my experience so far. The installers were awesome and I'm loving my 15MB Fios connection. I'd get rid of crapcast as soon as their TV is available. When I did have to call CS for help (when I had DSL) it was terrible, but only for tech support, never for billing. I can't remember a time when calling CS for any company was 'good' in a long time. Just a sign of the times I guess.
Before Verizon started offering free LCD TVs they were offering $100 AMEX gift cards in some markets. In my area (Laurel, MD) the offer advertised on their website was simply get a gift card for signing up for FIOS. About three months after my service was hooked up I saw no sign of my gift card.
I phone customer service and they claim to have no knowledge of such a promotion!! Instead they claimed (falsely) that the gift card was reserved only for customers who formerly had cable tv and made the switch to FIOs. They claimed that I was required to send in a copy of my old cable bill! The original promotion said nothing about this! I brought this to the attention of the CSR and even offered to fax him a printout copy of the original website promotion. He declined to see a copy. I also offered to send him a copy of my old cable bill if that's what he wanted to see. He answered, "Oh it's too late for that, the promotion's over." I repeated to him what the original promo was about and that it had nothing to do with my old cable tv service. He then said he had to refer to a manager. After a wait he came back and offered a "compromise". They would send me $50 instead of $100 seeing that it was my fault that I did not send them a copy of my old cable bill.
I almost had an aneurysm. I calmly told him that that wasn't the deal and repeated to him what the original deal was and that I was not at fault for anything. The CSR replied that he would refer my case to a manager. It took almost another month of playing phone tag with Verizon managers and even with American Express, but I eventually got my $100 gift card. At least the FIOs TV & internet service have been trouble free, I wish I could say the say about their customer service.
All the troubles besetting FiOS sure look like a whole new company was built from he ground up and slapped with the Verizon logo as an afterthought.
I dub it Verizon DelayOS.