Consumerist: FiOS, Blogs

FiOS Swaps Customers' Account Details, Still Won't Fix After 8 Months

Ben Popken — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:04:45 EST

Whenever Andru logs into his Verizon FiOS account, he sees the personal information on some other guy's account, including name, address, email address, last four digits of credit card and social security number. He's contacted the other guy, and the other guy also sees his. Verizon has said they will fix it in the next 24 hours. They've been saying that for the past eight months. This is supposed to be the future of the internet and they can't even fix a simple account error?

Our Verizon FiOS customer service nightmare: Why won't they protect my private customer information? [Gear Live]

Verizon FiOS Sets Another House On Fire

Ben Popken — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:05:34 EST

UPDATE: $1800 For FiOS House Fire Family Is Just An Advance, Says Verizon

A Philly family is the latest to have their house set on fire after Verizon FiOs installers drilled through their electrical line. The Sammlers says the smoke from the fire and chemicals used to fight it ruined all their possessions, $58,000 worth. Verizon has offered the family $1,800. What will the Verizon Policy Blog have to say about this incident? Probably something along the lines of, "while the smoke at the Sammler house may be gone, the desire of customers still clamoring for the blazing hot speeds of FiOS is yet to be quenched!"

Warrington couple sues Verizon over fire [The Intelligencer via Network World]

PREVIOUSLY:
Verizon FiOs Install Results In Gas Line Breach
Verizon Spins Causing Electrical Fire During FiOs Install Into Sales Pitch
Verizon Techs Blow Out AP Reporter's Electrical Box During Installation
Verizon Continues Weird, Pointless Flame War With Networkworld Blogger
(Photo: davidbivins)

Verizon FiOs Install Results In Gas Line Breach

Ben Popken — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:40:18 EDT

One Verizon FiOs install results in breached sewer pipe. Another, a breached gas line. There was no explosion, or even smoke. Some unpleasantly scented puffs of air, though. Guess they're getting better. What do you expect to happen when you have guys drilling through stuff? Accidents, that's what. Unfortunate and statistically insignificant accidents. It all comes out in the wash. Like blood. Blood comes out in the wash, right? Still, it's almost like some of these guys have no idea what they're doing. "It's true QAM." Yes, we have true qualms.

Fire, smoke, raw sewage, and, hey, do you smell gas? Yup, Verizon's here. [NetworkWorld]
(Photo: JGNY)

Verizon Spins Causing Electrical Fire During FiOs Install Into Sales Pitch

Ben Popken — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:47:51 EDT

When will Verizon wonks learn that it's in incredibly bad taste to insert a sales pitch in the middle of your apology for yet another FiOs technician causing yet annother electrical fire at a customer's home?

The good news is that Wilen loves his FiOS service...now that it is up and working. As a friend wrote to me earlier, "If he had this sort of problem when it was installed, and still likes FiOS this much, it must be a great service!"

Never, it seems, never.

FiOS Smokes [Verizon Policy Blog via Network World]

Verizon Techs Blow Out AP Reporter's Electrical Box During Installation

Ben Popken — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:58:50 EDT

Verizon FiOs techs have flubbed another install, hitting an electrical wire and leaving the electrical box smoking. This time, the customer was an AP reporter. Oopsy poopsies!

The technicians compounded this error by insisting that we pay for the electrical repairs, then bill them. We'd be reimbursed in 30 days, they assured us. My wife was having none of that. Verizon's insurance company cut us a check for the $2,650 repair within days.
We got a brand-new electrical box out of the deal, for free. But our electrician tells us ours was not the first botched Verizon installation he's been called out to fix.

Oh we know it. Another messed up Fios install caused a fire at a customer's house, causing the fire department to respond, as these photos indicate. After all, as the saying goes, where there's smoke, there's fire.

Review: After Smoke Clears, FiOS a Hit [AP via Network World]

PREVIOUSLY:
Verizon Continues Weird, Pointless Flame War With Networkworld Blogger
Verizon: There Was No Fire. Fire Department: Yes, There Was A Fire.
Verizon Sets Fire To Your Home
(Image: Happy Tree Friends)