David has been chronicling his ordeal on his website, and here's today's update:

Update Friday 10/31/08 (Day 35):
No surprise updates today, another day of the same BS. I get a call back from the above person I’ve been dealing with (Barbara Bell), telling me that the main problem was the original people did not actual close the service from the previous owners. They took care of this, and literally once it propagates into the system, it will automatically put mine in and everything will start working.

Then around 3:30, I receive a call from dispatch saying they have a tech coming to the house to fix the video part of the order. I was confused, Barbara told me that everything would just start working. I felt like there were two separate stories going on, so I asked the dispatch lady to call Barbara and ensure they are on the same page before I waste my team by leaving work and potentially waste a tech’s time coming to my house.

Dispatch calls back and says that Barbara agreed to send the tech out. Ok. I go home and wait. The tech comes, goes downstairs, looks at the yellow light on the router, and turns to me saying “this won’t work”. Ahhh, of course not. He said that the order flowed through the system, but on the last step there were errors, so it didn’t actually go through all the way. He goes back and forth between the house and truck a few times, and the last time he just says “I have no idea what to do, your orders are just completely jacked up”. Of course they are, they only told me on the phone that everything had been cleared up. Apparently people had been ordering and canceling and ordering and canceling and changing names, etc that everything was just a huge mess.

So I get on the phone with the HOA Verizon group, who can’t do anything because everybody is home. Even though they are open until 8pm, they apparently can’t actually do anything. The tech was just amazed at how ridiculous the situation was. So after being on the phone for another 45 minutes of getting nowhere, I just told the rep I would call Barbara in the morning since she told me to. I call her around 9am, she’s on the line with somebody else and will call me right back as soon as she’s off. It’s over an hour later, still no call back yet.

I can’t wait to see what happens today.

David has already sent an EECB — which clearly didn't work. We wish we could tell you to cancel, David. Maybe you should consider small claims court? Or sending an EECB every week like that guy in the Shawshank Redemption?

Is The Verizon Fios IT Team Completely Incompetent? [DP]
(Photo: TeachingThomas )

Here's the EECB (Executive Email Carpet Bomb) Bill sent to Verizon:

I am trying to sign up for FIOS service and now have to place a 3rd order in a week. I am particularly furious because it was supposed to be installed today and only found out my order had been canceled when I went to www.verizon.net/whatsnext and it showed canceled. I received no phone call.

Let me reiterate. I was supposed to be installed today. I took off of work today. I took the whole day off because the only time that could be given to me was 8am to 5pm. I only found out that my order was canceled because I happened to check the website again.

As of yesterday, 10/15/08, the order was still showing on the website for an install today on 10/16/08. I am now currently holding on my 9th phone call to get service.

I originally signed up with a door to door sales person [redacted] on 10/8/08 in the evening. I had a question the next morning whether the premier package for TV, that had I originally signed for, was considered essentials or extreme in the new setup. So I tried to call to find out.

Below is my log of phone calls.

10/9/08 - 9:05am
called 888-281-1511 - given to me by verizon person on phone during original order
-can't find my order. finds out I ordered from a door to door person. gives me a new number (866-326-7937) and tries to transfer me. answered by another person on the same number i originally called
10/9/08 - 9:08am
called 866-326-7937 - given to me by the previous call
-told me i need to call my local office and gives me 410-954-6260

10/9/08 - 9:10am
called 410-954-6260
-went through 4 separate menus. eventually hung up on by the system

10/9/08 - 9:15am
called 888-553-1555 - from bottom of sales order form
-10 minutes before phone is answered. told they have to put me through to a fios representative and gives me a new number (410-265-0577) and transfers me

10/9/08 - 9:26am
-Transferred to 410-265-0577
-hung up on by system

10/9/08 - 9:26am
-called 410-265-0577
-Connie [Redacted]
-Premier = Essentials TV Plan
-10/mo extra for Extreme TV
-can't find the order in the system to make the upgrade to extreme tv package
-says the 12.99/mo for 3 boxes is only good till the end of the year when the sales person says it is 12.99/mo for 1 year and that's what's on my paper
-can't cancel the order because they can't find the order
-takes my number and promises to call me back the following morning

10/10/08 - 12:00pm
called 410-265-0577 after not receiving the promised callback
Miss [redacted]
still can't find the original order
Doing a new order
$109.99/mo
Extreme HD w/sports package
20/5 internet
verizon freedom essentials
free HM DVR for 12 months
3 STB for 12.99/mo for 12 months
hbo/cinemax free for 1 month
-read back the above to the operator to confirm pricing and package details
-hang up at 12:35 with promise to call back once she gets her supervisor to check the order because it's not going through

10/10/08 - 2:05pm
Miss [redacted] called back
-install on the 16th
-Confirmation for TV and Internet [redacted] - double bundle until phone is brought over
-will receive 4 e-mails. 1st email is bundle terms, 2nd email is security and backup bundle, 3rd games on demand, 4th starz play - THESE ARE NOT ON BY DEFAULT I HAVE TO ACCEPT IT TO BE TURNED ON
-confirmed 20/5 internet and extreme TV
-cancel free hbo/cinemax by Nov 13th
-free install - 1 time activation for internet 29.99 - broken up into 3 month payments

-Confirmation for Phone [redacted]
-transfers on the 20th
-bringing over on copper first then switching over to fiber later
-freedom essentials package
-no activation charges for phone since it's a package
-1-800-688-2880 (8am-8pm)
-1-888-553-1555 (24 hrs)

10/16/08 - 10:55am
went to verizon.net/whatsnext to look at my install time again and it says Our records indicate that your order was canceled on 10/10/2008. If you believe this order was canceled in error or want to place a new order please call 1-888-553-1555.
Called 410-265-0577
Veronica
-Order [redacted] was canceled because of 2 duplicate orders
- [redacted] was original order that nobody could find originally. We now have to cancel this order so I can place a 3RD order which will be a duplicate of the 2nd order.
-I am being promised a 16/mo credit for 1 year because of the inconvenience
-I am being told i will be able to have an install on 10/20/08 for the new order which was the date of the original order
-11:25am
-Veronica is waiting for the old order to clear out of the system.
-we go over what the 2nd order had on 10/10/08 in order to duplicate that order
-it is taking a long time to clear out of the system so Veronica promises to call me back after it happens. She expects it should clear out by 1pm
-she takes my e-mail and e-mails me so I will have a point of contact in case she doesn't call back

I don't know what the installation expectation is for verizon, but I hope this isn't it.

I would like for someone to please ensure that my now 3rd order is processed correctly, that I receive my installation on 10/20/08, and that my 16/mo credit actually appears on my bill when it comes.

Bill CC'd the EECB to Consumerist and followed up with his success story:

I wrote earlier on 10/16/08 about my horrible verizon installation experience and CC you in an EECB that I sent to verizon.

It worked. Fifteen minutes after I sent the e-mail I received a phone call telling me they would see to it that I was installed that day.

They followed through. Not only did they follow through they exceeded expectations in being able to get my home number ported that same day as well.

I think, perhaps unrelated, my TV service stopped working a few hours later, but they are supposed to fix that tomorrow 10/17/08. We shall see.

Hopefully i won't have to do another EECB for my billing when i get my first bill!

Bill

Congratulations, Bill. Logging your phone calls was a smart move.

For more information about launching your own EECB, click here.

(Photo: cayusa )

Jacob says:

I signed up for FIOS in March and was promised a $200 Circuit City giftcard, and have been given the runaround for months now. I thought I was an isolated case, but when the rep last week told me the promotion had never existed, that was the last straw.

Jacob pointed us to a website filled with angry Verizon customers who haven't received their gift cards. Of course, this isn't the first time Verizon has failed to deliver on a FiOS promotion. Remember the disastrous "Free LCD" giveaway earlier this year?

If you believe that you were eligible for a free gift card from Verizon and have not received it, you should contact your state's attorney general and file a formal complaint. If enough customers do this, the AG will investigate.

Rob writes (to Verizon):

Mr. Seidenberg,

I've been a loyal Verizon FiOS internet customer for more than a year, but am considering canceling my account [redacted] because of ridiculous and unacceptable billing practices.

Before I start, I'd like to point out that I don't get a bill for my account - neither paper nor electronic. The money is simply deducted from my bank account each month. During the six to eight phone calls I have made to Verizon over the last several months, I always request some kind of bill, and every time I am told I will receive a bill. I have never gotten one official piece of paperwork from Verizon about FiOS.

My current problem started in July, when I moved to a new apartment. I was told my FiOS account would be transferred to the new apartment with zero fees. I was very specific in asking about this and was assured there would be no fees. After my account was transferred, I was billed $158.32 as a cancellation fee. I was told that my account was cancelled and then re-activated. I called and was told that the account would be credited, and I wouldn't pay anything until that fee was paid off.

The next month, I was charged $21.33. I called again, and was given a complicated explanation about credits to my account. I was assured the problem would be resolved, and foolishly I believed that.

The next month, I was charged $58.00. Confused as to exactly what constitutes an account credit, I called again (this morning, in fact). Once again, I was told about various amounts being deducted from my bill, and what was being taken out up front. I once again requested a paper bill so I could review these issues. I also learned something incredibly shocking: My monthly rate had been increased.

When I got FiOS, my monthly rate was $39.99. It's suddenly $47.99, a charge I was neither notified of, nor accepted.

I asked the customer service representative to tell me why this had been raised without my consent. She responded by transferring to me a completely different department. That department sent me back to a new rep in billing, and after giving all of my information again, was given the following explanation: The increase should have been noted on my bill, even though people who only have a data plan with Verizon don't get a paper bill.

I wasn't getting electronic bills, either, because the Verizon system listed various incarnations of my e-mail address.

For July, August and September, I have been charged $237.65 for my Verizon FiOS internet. At the rate I should be paying, $39.99 a month, I would only have to pay $119.97, which means in the last three months I've been overcharged $117.68.

This is completely and totally unacceptable. I've copied The Consumerist, a consumer advocacy Web site, on this issue, so that your customers can be encouraged to double-check their bills and ensure they aren't being overcharged, as I have been.

I've also sent this e-mail to other members of the Verizon team, in the hopes of expediting this matter. I'm considering a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the New York State Attorney General for what essentially constitutes deceptive and misleading billing practices. I doubt that raising my rate with no notification, despite repeated attempts for notification, is going to bear out as appropriate.

Every time I call Verizon for help, I have to deal with an automated system that bounces between several departments before I get explanations that would spin the head of an economics expert. Your customer service representatives are, for the most part, accommodating and polite, and this is not an indictment of them. The situation, as you can imagine, is incredibly frustrating.

When I relayed this to the customer service representative this morning, the response was that I should simply accept the increase and the overall situation. That is not good enough. I would appreciate a refund of $117.68 - the money that I was overcharged - as well as a monthly paper bill so I can review my charges.

I would also like to pay the monthly rate of $39.99, the one I agreed to when I signed up. I will be more than happy to entertain an increase in my monthly rate at some point in the future, on the condition that I am notified of said change.

Regards,

Rob

We think you should go ahead with your plan to report them to the NY AG and the BBB. Why not?

(Photo: Ben Popken )

PSC staff said FiOS "may form an electrically conductive path" and could create an electrical hazard. PSC spokesman James Dean called the public safety risk "minimal - however, there is a potential risk."

Under a plan submitted to the PSC last month, Verizon would review all of its fiber-optic installations to ensure connections are properly grounded and correct violations.

The company also said it would issue credits of up to $20 to customers for installations after Aug. 18 unless it meets standards at least 95 percent of the time. The credits would "compensate such customers for the inconvenience of the inspection (and, where applicable, remediation) process," according to documents filed with the PSC.

Verizon added that they take the Public Service Commission's concerns "very seriously."

Verizon offers plan to inspect FiOS wiring [Albany Times Union]
Violations cited in LI FiOS installations [Newsday]
(Photo: Getty)

August 8th. 3pm. My Verizon cable service is disconnected. Both set top boxes are non-responsive, but my internet service is booming along. I reboot the Verizon equipment a few times over the next 3 hours, but it never comes back on. I call Verizon's "Fibre Solutions Center" and deal with some rather incompetent customer service. They blame me for rewiring my apartment. They say that they don't see any issues. They deactivate and reactive my cable boxes. They tell me there is no problem. They tell me that the cable boxes are broken. None of what they do works. Every call is ended with the representative telling me that my service "will be back within the hour". It never is. They send me 2 new cable boxes. They don't work. I called ever day from Friday to Monday. They refused to send out a technician because they didn't see the issue on their end. Finally after going up the chain I am told they can have someone out by Wednesday evening. This was not really that acceptable considering all of the Olympics I missed, but if they were sending someone out I should be happy.

In speaking with comcast today I am told that I shouldn't have received a bill for the month of September since my Comcast service was physically disconnected the evening of Aug 8. The rep gives me a little background and says that until they physically sever the connection, my service with Comcast continues. At that point I was no longer receiving Comcast signals over my coax. I was 100% Verizon.

On Wednesday, August 13th a Verizon technician arrives at my apartment. He is happy to say that he already found the problem. Someone with access to the LOCKED network closet disconnected me from the Verizon lines. That someone was not from Verizon I was told. That someone severed the lines without permission. Now I find out that that somone was a Comcast technician.

Where do I stand on this? What can I do? How do I get anything from Comcast on this? What should I do with Verizon. I am still going through executive customer service within both companies but I'm not sure what the exact implications of this happen to be.

We think you should call your local government and find out which department regulates cable in your area. File an official complaint against Comcast for disconnecting your cable and continuing to bill you after you had already switched to Verizon.

As far as getting compensation from your old cable company, we're not sure that you'll have much luck since you've severed your business relationship with Comcast. We're sure they'd love for you to switch back, but we suspect that you're not going to want to do that.

We'd concentrate on asking Verizon for a credit to compensate you for the service interruption rather than get into a bunch of "he said, she said" nonsense with the cable companies.

Has this happened to any of you? How did you handle it?

(Photo: Tyler Durden's Imaginary Friend )

UPDATE: Comcast says they're sending someone out to Stephen's house to investigate.

We don't play World of Warcraft, but if we did, it looks like we'd have to cancel Time Warner Cable and install FIOS in order to guarantee a connection to Blizzard's servers. That's what some East Coast WoW players are saying—they've been suffering disconnections and game-killing lags for months now, and Time Warner Cable seems unable to solve the problem. They swear they're not doing anything to disrupt or throttle gamers, and say that "customers who are having problems on the local level should contact customer service." Based on the 24-page thread on Blizzard's forums, TWC's customer service has yet to resolve the issue.

One Wow player wrote,

Everyone here is extremely frustrated because we want to play but can't get a connection to do so. Blizzard does what they can to help but the problem is the path to the servers not the servers themselves so we are sent to TWC. I'm sure everyone that has called has been asked to check thier connection, their router, their modem and their underwear color. The "techs" are outsourced and don't listen or don't understand English very well. How many of you have told the "tech" that you have tried their suggestions 100 times only to have them send you to http://speedtest.nyc.rr.com/ and say "See .. no problem with your connection"?

Maybe you should unplug your router for a few moments to reset it. LOOKIT ME I'M A TIME WARNER CABLE CSR.

Update: An alleged Time Warner Cable employee wrote to us this morning:

Without going into detail, I am an employee of Time Warner Cable. At this time, we are not aware of any issues with this. If possible, please urge anyone having this issue to contact us immediately using an online form. If we have account information, we can investigate the issue, but we do not block packets/servers/etc. that should be causing the issue. If anything, a recent system upgrade should be delivering faster speeds. Please, if possible, direct those with the issue here:

http://www.timewarnercable.com/nynj/customer/contactus/

"TWC Blamed for Internet Interference" [New York Post]
(Photo: thms.nl)

1) When possible, Verizon buries the "drop line" (single fiber that leads to your house) - smart, right? No. Usually they're only buried 6 inches underground, and typically with no conduit or protection beyond the insulation around the fiber itself. Dig and break the fiber? Whoops, that might cost you a few thousand dollars to reconnect if the junction is too far away! Did we install your fiber connection over the top of the lid to your septic system and you can't have it pumped out? Better call us and pay out the ass (ho ho!) to have it moved.

2) We are only supposed to support setting up a wireless router if it has line of sight to your computer. That's right, within the same room. My trainer said their are exceptions you have to make, such as if your install tech stuck the thing up in a cupboard or strapped it to the optical box we install, but otherwise out of luck.

So, PRO TIP: if you want help with wireless, "yes, my router is in the same room as the computer" or "but the Verizon tech installed it that way" will be required verbiage for help from us if you're a normal person that wants to use wireless IN OTHER ROOMS!

3) If we determine you have an in-house wiring fault causing your home phone to not work (only fiber up to our optical box, you still have copper wiring in your house) our repair techs cost $90 just to show up - just to roll up to your house! and then $180 an hour. So if we talk about calling "copper repair" and you don't have a wiring service plan, hang the hell up and find a local guy.

4) One good thing is that FiOS agents have no barrier to the DRC, the people that control dispatches. In DSL, if your truck tech just up and left, or knocked and ran, you're screwed. FiOS agents can call directly and find out if your tech left to do an off-premises repair or get a tool and when he'll be back, or turn a "no access" dispatch around if a lazy tech didn't knock hard enough.

(Photo: davidbivins )

Chris writes:

We had the triple play installed back on Jan 11th, 2008 and have yet to receive any paperwork. I have called and emailed every other week since originally accepting their Terms of Service online the night it was installed and received nothing. Here are some of the things I have been told:
—-—-—-—-—
1/18/08 via email:

RESPONSE: Thank you for contacting the Verizon eCenter. I have received your email dated Jan 17, 2008 regarding the LCD TV. My name is Albert, and I will be happy to assist you.

Two to three weeks after all your bundle components are installed and working you will receive a letter in the U.S. Mail. The letter will include a username and password for a website address to redeem the promotion. A toll-free number, (866)279-0438, is available if you are unable to access the url or do not receive the information. Please allow four to ten weeks to receive your gift award after the date you go through the reward claims process.

Although additional follow-up may be needed, it has been my goal today to address your concerns. I hope I have succeeded in meeting that goal. In the meantime, if you have any other questions, please let us know. We look forward to serving you.
—-—-—-—-—
2/21/08 via email:

To Verizon: It has been almost 6 weeks to date from the installation of our FIOS bundled package and we still have NOT received any paperwork concerning the LCD tv redemption. This is really getting frustrating as we feel we have been more than patient waiting for the paperwork through the mail. Can someone not get this resolved for us, and not with the canned response of "please allow another4 - 6 weeks"? The whole reason we decided to go with Verizon's bundled package and not someone else was because of the tv offer. Can a supervisor authorize for the information to be emailed to me concerning the promotion?

RESPONSE: Thank you for responding to my last email. You had additional questions about the TV promotion.

If you have not received the information, contact the office at (866) 279-0438 and they will check the status and make sure that the package has or will be sent.

Thank you for using Verizon. We appreciate your business.

Sincerely,
Albert
Verizon eCenter

—-—-—-—-—
2/23/08 telephone call to Verizon -
Called @ 4:45 spoke to Brian - told me to check back 1 week if no paperwork via snail mail.

—-—-—-—-—
2/29/08 telephone call to Verizon -
Called @ 3:06 pm to follow up to Verizon installation 7 weeks ago - still have received nothing concerning tv promo/$200 best buy card. 3:27 pm Spoke to ??? and she is submitting request for rebate to her supervisor.

—-—-—-—-—

3/24/08 telephone call to Verizon -
Called 4:47 pm on hold until 5:05 - requested to be transfered to supervisor - Melinda... letter never went out from installation... Referred to billing - 5:15 Melinda transferred to billing - on hold until 5:36 spoke w/jessica and transferred to FIOS...on hold until we hung up at 6:31 pm!!!!!!!!!

already talked to rebate dept multiple times. Billing records are not indicating/flagging us as eligible for 19" LCDHDTV rebate- what is keeping it from the rebate dept... Installation date was 1/11/08 and we have never received any paperwork to begin the rebate process even though I have emailed and spoke with various people. Now 10 weeks and still no info or anything else...
—-—-—-—-—
3/25/08 telephone call to Verizon

called general billing 1-800-483-3000 9:06 automated voice mail 6 min wait for next avail assoc. Frank - 9:15 - shooting email to supervisor to ask her to over ride and cause letter to be generated - does not appear to him that we accepted TOS online - but I did within 48 hours of installation - actually that evening. Informed that we are considering canceling the WHOLE verizon acct over this.

RESPONSE via email: Dear Verizon FiOS Customer,

On MAR 25, 2008 you ordered Verizon FiOS Triple Freedom (24-month option) that provides discounts off the standard monthly rates for your Verizon Freedom Essentials, FiOS Internet and FiOS TV Premier services. We are delighted to have you as a Verizon FiOS Triple Freedom customer, but in order for you to receive the discounted rates, you must go to the following website at....
—-—-—-—-—
4/24/08 telephone call to Verizon

[ed— same story as 3/25]
—-—-—-—-—
5/12/08 email to Verizon

Still trying to get resolution on 19" LCD HDTV/BestBuy gift card promotional rebate from January 2008. Installation date 1/11/2008. Am not able to follow up by phone today as my son is not feeling well. I have called MULTIPLE times trying to get this resolved with no results. I am now to the point of being very angry as this was to be my son's birthday present May 1st, 2008!!! I am about ready to contact the local television stations and let them publicly try and resolve this with Verizon as I have been MORE THAN PATIENT up to this point and time. Below are a few of the conversations I have documented and one of the original emails. Please have someone reply accordingly within the next 48 hours as to the status of our rabate. My wife, Christine [redacted], will be the cotact person via telephone calls at this time as I am at work and not able to personally resolve this over the phone.
—-—-—-—-—
5/14/08 email to Verizon
no response from Verizon. Never received " confirmation email with a tracking number shortly. " Emailing through their contacted site again with the following:

We will be contacting the Public Service Commission within the next 30 days concerning there being no resolution on 19" LCD HDTV/BestBuy gift card promotional rebate from January 2008. Our Installation date 1/11/2008; on that same day we accepted the TOS online as directed but to this day have never received the appropriate paperwork to claim our rebate. We have made MULTIPLE attempts via telephone and email regarding this with no results. Please have someone review this immediately and respond to us as we have BEEN MORE THAN PATIENT. Please note that copies of all email communications and conversations will also be released to the local tv stations to alert future customers of the hassles that might befall them. Four months is not acceptable - Verizon would not wait 4 months plus for a dispute resolution with one of their accounts.

EMAIL RESPONSE: Dear verizon.com customer,

Thank you for contacting our customer support team at the Verizon
eCenter. An account associate is reviewing your inquiry and will
respond via email within one business day. Please keep the subject
line unchanged if you wish to reply to this email.
—-—-—-—-—
5/14/08 LIVE CHAT online w/Verizon

Welcome to Verizon Live Chat. You have selected to chat about:
TN: 7273799152
Subject: None of the categories apply to my question or comment (No subcategory)
Question: We have never received ANY paperwork since our package installation 1/11/08 on the 19' LCD HDTV/BestBuy gift card promotional rebate despite MULTIPLE CALLS to the billing and rewards depts. We are seriously considering contacting the Public Service Commission about this.
16:07:12 A Verizon eCenter Representative will be with you shortly. Thank you.
...
Angela: I apologize for the delay in receiving the letter for the 19 inch TV or $200 Best Buy promo offer.
Angela: I will be glad to send an inquiry over to fulfillment to check the status.
Angela: May I get your email address for follow up? You will receive an email response within 2 business days.
Chris: The tv was to have been a birthday present for our son...whose birthday was May 1st. Not angry at you - just at the system as we have been patient and keep getting the run around. [redacted]
Angela: I have sent the inquiry over to fulfillment for the status on the TV.
Chris: Thank you
Angela: Is there anything else I can help you with?
Chris: If I do not hear back within 2 days I will attempt further contact again.
Chris: No thank you...this is my only problem with Verizon at this time.
Angela: Thank you for using Verizon's chat service. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Online Support and information for all our Verizon products and services can also be found at: http://help.verizon.com
Verizon Live Chat

It was a pleasure to assist you. Your chat session has ended. Thank You.

—-—-—-—-—
5/20/2008 As of this time I have NOT received ANY sort of response from Verizon as promised.

We've been advising readers to file complaints with their state's attorney general, and that's just what Chris did. Here's his update:

I filed a complaint with the Florida State Attorney after writing your email yesterday...funny thing...I got a call from Verizon about my "complaint" that afternoon, then another call from a rep who "investigated" my account a couple hours later. Too bad he didn't even have the right installation date. Obviously the response was not because of my emails, otherwise he would have had the correct installation date right in front of him. Supposedly things should be straightened out and rectified in 10-14 days per the 2nd rep who called yesterday afternoon! We shall see what happens!

Thanks!

Chris

Will Chris ever get his TV as Verizon has repeatedly promised? We hope so, but if this is happening to you, don't wait — report Verizon to your state's attorney general.

(Photo: Ben Popken )

Judging from the number of comments, I get the feeling that this will be welcome news for baseball fans that are, or are considering becoming, FiOS TV subscribers.

We are currently working with MLB Extra Innings and we’re optimistic that we’ll begin offering the package soon. It won’t be everywhere, all at once unfortunately, but we are working hard to get MLB EI on FiOS TV for as many fans as we can as soon as possible.

Though Verizon didn't actually announce anything in the post, it was picked up by a few blogs and websites and more than a few Verizon customers and potential Verizon customers took the post's headline to heart, signing up for FiOS with the belief that Extra Innings would be available by the start of the 2008 season.

The "announcement" (or lack thereof) turned out to be premature and for months a steady stream of enraged baseball fans have been leaving vicious comments on Verizon's post. Here are a few:

Thanks for getting us jacked up for nothing.

Well, since the season starts tomorrow morning, I signed up for MLB EI through Cablevision this season. By draging your heals, Fios has lost out on this willing subscriber for another 7 months. I'll check in with you again next winter - hopefully the landscape will have settled somewhat by then. I can only switch if I can be sure I will be able to get MLB EI. It seems silly to give up customers like me who will pay tons of money for extra services, but so be it.

I too have left and contacted Directv as the seasons starts tomorrow. you've lost another customer not so much becuase you didnt get the deal done but becuase you've mislead us. i would have just signed up for mlb.tv if it werent for your misleading statements.

Wow, Red Sox kicked off the season today and I'm sitting here in Portland, OR with no Extra Innings even though I was told the package would be offered when I agreed to leave Comcast.....If I knew it was going to be like this I would have never left as now I have NO Red Sox games probably for the season!

Please send information about MLB Extra Innings. My husband almost divorced me last year because I switched our TV service to you guys and then I couldn't get extra innings. If you don't get it this year, I will be forced to discontinue service with you and start up with our cable company that does offer extra innings.

Very disappointing Eric. Why would you EVER make an announcement like this and then go to ground and ignore us. I have bounced around among a number of cable companies over the years as I move from place to place and each one is more disappointing than the next. But, this takes the cake. You started this thread - you owe us an explanation IMMEDIATELY!

Why would you even announce that last month unless a deal was imminent. That was a reckless act by whoever authorized it. I'm guessing the reason why we haven't heard from Eric again, is b/c he's been fired. The only legitimate reason for announcing the potential deal that I've read on this blog, was to keep people around for at least one more month. What a terrible way to do business.

What really makes me angry is that back in January, the salesman that sold me Fios told me that Fios would be getting EI. Had I known, I would not have switched.

No salesman should ever promise something like that just to make a sale, that is just bad business...I should have known better as he also said that Fios would be getting Sunday ticket in '09. I am not holding my breath on that one either.

You'd think at some point Verizon would decide enough is enough and treat their subscriber's interests as a priority. While they're debating how they'll split up millions, the baseball season is now well under way. You guys had all winter to hammer this out and you didn't. When I signed up for Verizon I was specifically told they'd have the EI package, so I left Comcast and signed up, thinking I was sacrificing nothing. Baseball is an important part of cable for a lot of viewers, and we're willing to pay hundreds of dollars a year to watch these games. Wake up, Verizon. We're sitting here willing to give you our money. Wait much longer, and I, like a lot of others, will just walk away. This is one of the most despicable things I've ever seen a cable company do, promise their customers over and over a service is coming yet never delivering it.

This was a total scam on your part and you should be ashamed of yourself. I live in the Boston area and if you don't have EI by May, I am going back to Comcast.

The last update on Verizon's blog instructed the angry customers to order MLB.TV (Major League Baseball's internet service) in lieu of Extra Innings. FiOS customers could then "see games with the broadband speed and clarity that FiOS makes," whatever that means.

Did a Verizon CSR promise you Extra Innings when you switched to FiOS?

MLB Coming to FiOS, Mom and Apple Pie Rejoice! [Verizon Policy Blog]

So I had an issue with FIOS - my router just seemed to go bad. I called in Friday night and spoke with "Eric" who confirmed that and set up a dispatch to get me a new router. "Eric" told me someone would be there between 8 and noon on Saturday. I got an automated call from Verizon around 9am asking me to call them regarding my "cannot connect" issue. I called back and got James at the Fiber Solutions Center. He wasn't sure why that call came in, but he took a look at my ticket and suggested I wait for the tech as it was still early in the window. His first act of awesome customer service happened when I asked about ordering new services. He said that department was closed, but he would have someone give me a call in about an hour, when they opened.

An hour later, phone rings, and it's James. He greets me by name and has someone from the orders department on the phone. He introduces us and then drops off. I was already amazed by that level of personal service.

Around 12:15p I started thinking about calling Verizon back, since it was now after my scheduled window. About five minutes later, the phone rings. It's James again. Again, he greets me by name. He tells me he was looking at my ticket again and noticed that the dispatch was not set up correctly. He apologizes profusely (even though he didn't set it up) and tells me they will have someone out there that day. He asks for my cell phone because he doesn't want to inconvenience me any more than necessary and tells me that we can leave the house if we need to - he'll have the tech call when he's 20-30 minutes out.

James amazes me again! About five minutes after I hang up with James, I get a call from a cell phone. It's the repair tech. He asks if we are home and tells me that he can be at my house within 15 minutes. He shows up about 10 minutes later, switches out the power adapter for the router, and we're in business! All in all, that level of customer service was amazing! Unfortunately, it's few and far between, but James certainly went the extra mile several times. He could have easily left it as the first call, and I probably would not have thought bad about him. After all that effort though, that man deserves a raise.. or at least a cold beer!

- Jeff

Verizon spokesman Eric Rabe told Dow Jones: "The ad is the one in which they have their snarly looking homeowner and Time Warner customer responding to the overly eager Verizon salesman." Verizon has asked TWC to take the ad down, but the cable company refused and is standing by it.

"We feel the suit is without merit and we look forward to defending against it in the appropriate venue," said spokesman Alex Dudley.

The ad in question pokes fun at FiOS's NYC availability issues, such as the company's lack of a video franchise agreement with the city, says Dow Jones.

UPDATE: Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable Over Its TV Ads [CNNMoney] (Thanks, Josh!)

CSRs who work for Verizon say that they are pressured by managers to make calls as short as possible and to spend most of the time trying to sell Verizon products. CSRs who refuse to pressure customers into purchasing more services are disciplined. Even people who work at Verizon have to spend their free time calling the company to complain about their own inaccurate bills.

Dawn Livingston, a shop steward with the IBEW local union at Verizon, said she has won trips, including one to the Mall of America near Minneapolis. "It was very cool," she said. "Verizon got us a hotel room right there so we could drop off our shopping bags and rest."

"But that stuff is only for people who get great sales," not for fixing customer problems, she said. "I could have 15 customers in a row say 'She's doing a great job,' and not get a trip anywhere."

The company is also clear about disciplining workers who don't sell enough.

For example, employees said customer calls are timed and count toward an employee's average call handling time, regardless of the customer's issues. Employees said they need to average no more than 11 minutes with a customer. Managers dispatch "coaches" to stand behind poor-selling workers and issue disciplinary "Work Sheets."

Girit said managers disciplined him 13 times in 7 months for not trying to sell a long list of Verizon products.

"I once got written up for not trying to sell TV to an 80-something-year-old woman who called to change her phone number," Girit said. "And she was in a nursing home, moving from one room to another, and couldn't even get our TV. I'm not going to offer something like that."

Even more frustrating, he said, is that he can't get his own Verizon bill fixed. "I'm a FiOS customer myself, and I have to call every month because the bill is wrong. I'm on the phone with these people for an hour every time I call - and I am 'these people.'"

Frank Leonetti, an 8-month employee at Verizon, said that "even if people are calling, trying to lower their bills, I get in trouble for not trying to sell them more things and make their bill higher. People call me crying with problems they couldn't get fixed in six, seven months. ... Then managers will sit down next to you, plug into your line to listen, and say, 'Why aren't you offering them this, that?'"

Kevin Bailey, a two-year call center employee, said, "Even if people call with a $1,500 messed-up bill trying to cancel, I have to try selling them more things. If I don't, I can get fired."

Verizon Workers Caught Between Sales, Service [Tampa Tribune](Thanks, David!)
(Photo:Ben Popken)

"Verizon is not letting us do our jobs, and not letting us take care of the customer," said Doug Sellers, president of the union that represents Verizon call center and repair workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 824. "Customers are waiting up to 10 days to get their phone lines fixed ... If you have something as simple as static on your line, that could be out 10 to 15 days.

Union Protests Verizon's Neglect Of Copper: Focusing resources on FiOS comes with a cost [DSL Reports]
(Photo: Getty)

To file amongst other I hate Verizon articles. Typing and summarizing while on hold with Verizon for approximately the 8th time...

Approximately 2 months ago, our apartment building alerted us that Verizon would be installing FIOS. Hooray, I thought...I can finally access the internet at what the Japanese and Europeans consider "broadband" speed.

A month after install, FIOS finally became available in our unit. I suppose before then, the fiber optic cable in my closet didn't really exist. I scheduled an install 2 weeks out, between 8 am - 7 pm. A customer-friendly 11 hour window.

2 days before, I get robo-called and am forced to submit to a voice-prompt menu to confirm my install date.
Verizon 1 | Dignity 0

The techs arrived, and said the original techs didn't connect the fiber correctly in the garage, and that type of tech would have to come again. They would call and let us know when they would come so we could open garage.

No call.

4 days later we get buzzed by a Verizon tech who is at our door, looking for garage access. We let him in. Repairs are supposedly made to the garage. We get rescheduled for a 3/20 between 1-3 pm to install FIOS.

3/19...Verizon robo-caller forces me to listen to computer to confirm the install appointment again.
Verizon 2. Dignity 0.

3/20 Verizon doesn't show. Doesn't call.

3/21 In attempting to call home, the call won't go through. Arriving at home, I discover no dial tone. Phone is dead.

3/21-3/23 Out of town.

3/23 evening, I return home and decide to call Verizon about still dead phone. Can't get to phone service via robo-menu. Forced into FIOS tech support. I explain that I don't have FIOS (yet) and that they never showed, but bigger problem is no phone service. I am told that Verizon thought I wanted FIOS phone and switched that over. Then apparently called me at my DISCONNECTED number at 8 pm on Thursday the 20th to "reschedule." I tell support I don't want, never wanted, and will never want FIOS telephone. I need my phone turned back on immediately. He tells me I can't call tech support directly b/c system thinks I have FIOS and will only route me to FIOS support, which can't fix "copper" problems. He attempts to connect. 30 minutes later he can't get through, tells me to call billing on Monday during office hours.
Verizon 3 | Sanity 0

3/24 I call billing. They acknowledge I don't have FIOS. Still don't offer to fix telephone issue. I ask for 3 month phone credit (I have basic service- $17/month including taxes, just local service). They refuse and I ask for supervisor, who I'm holding for now still, about 16 minutes by my phone timer.

They told me my phone service was set for service by 7pm on 3/25. They refused my request for 3 months of service credit, and only offered 5 days (the time I've been disconnected to date) of credit. My phone is still off, I still have no FIOS install date, and a "supervisors" supervisor is supposed to call me back tomorrow on my cell phone.

I admit I almost lost it today, as I was on hold almost 15 minutes waiting for the supervisor to connect me to repair (which never happened, they came back and said a repair ticket was already created, which surprisingly took 15 minutes to check). As I was on hold, they repeatedly played a voice-over advertising the free HD TV redemption offer for some level of FIOS order, and I asked why they could give away tvs but not credit me for $45 worth of phone service after they cut it off themselves. Then I asked for the TV. That was also refused.

Questions:
1) Why can't someone offer to actually fix my copper line? Maybe handle that while I hold?
2) Why does the robo system refuse to connect me to copper support? Is it inconceivable that an error like mine could happen?
3) Why doesn't Verizon give their own employees access to other departments to install / correct / fix services?
4) Can someone give me some suggestions on any other high-speed service in Santa Monica California I can use to dump Verizon forever?

I saw you have the executive customer service reps email on Consumerist.com. I'll email that tomorrow if my phone is not turned on.

212-395-1060 is the number for the CEO's office.
212-719-3349 is the fax number for the CEO's office.
212-321-8700 is Verizon Executive Customer Service.
ivan.g.seidenberg@verizon.com is the CEO's email address.

Mark D. Reddick
Executive Customer Relations
140 West St.
Manhattan, NY 10007
Mark.D.Reddick@verizon.com
212-321-8457 (office)
212-321-1047 (fax)

Call 1-800-483-7988 and press 3 to reach the Verizon Customer Advocates for landlines and DSL.

Cassandra Flippin
Consumer Advocate in the Verizon Executive Offices
212-321-8458

william.barr@verizon.com, robert.e.ingalls.jr@verizon.com, thomas.j.tauke@verizon.com

(Photo: Cayusa)

Correction: Verizon-FiOS Story [AP]
(Photo: Dana Spiegel)

Interesting news for apartment dwellers everywhere: Verizon is slowly creeping into Manhattan, but the difficulties of bringing FiOS to apartments will mean that some subscribers won't get 100% fiber.

A tenant in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village who orders FiOS may find that the company doesn't pull fiber all the way to the apartment, because this entails wall-mounting a box in the apartment, and not all layouts have the space for it, Cevis said.

In those cases, Verizon will pull fiber to the basement, and use a phone line to carry Internet data the last part of the way. Coaxial cable will be used for video when that becomes available. Subscribers will be able to get the fastest current Internet plan, with downloads of 50 megabits per second, but may not be able to take advantage of future speed increases available to subscribers with fiber all the way to the home.

Verizon's first choice is to take the fiber all the way to the apartment, Cevis said.

Verizon's FiOS Takes Manhattan [AP]
(Photo:Ben Popken)

Numerous Verizon customers have reported that they were not sent the "reward letters" that they needed to redeem for the LCD TVs they were owed. We suggested that people start filing complaints with their state's attorney general.

Verizon says they stand by the promotion and that consumers who still have not received their "reward letters" should "please call your local Verizon business office; the phone number is listed on your monthly bill."

For more information about the promotion and details about when you can expect delivery of your TV, click here.

HDTV Promotion [Verizon Policy Blog]
(Photo:BILLBINNS)

Mary writes:

I am one of many people that have had this problem with Verizon—-

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.
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.

(Photo:i'm george)

Joan launched an EECB and cc'd us so we could listen in:

I am a Verizon telephone, DSL and wireless subscriber [redacted].

I have been dealing with an erroneous billing situation and its severe customer service consequences for over six months. In September 2007, the owner of a telephone number I once owned (and disconnected 15 years ago) ordered FIOS. Since then, that person's FIOS charges have been appearing on my bills, despite different account numbers. The new owner's account number shows up on my bill as [redacted]. Since discovering the error, I've contacted customer service six times - once per month, beginning on September 21st. During those calls, I spoke to [redacted] and a few others whose names I've misplaced. Each of them assured me that the problem would be corrected immediately and that my bill would be credited immediately. In each case, this proved false.

My latest bill, dated February 7th, shows an overdue balance of $149.35 for this FIOS service, as well as a new $39.95 charge for another month of another person's FIOS. In understand from the bill that I not only am I being charged for the other account's FIOS, but I am being charged interest on an overdue balance that does not belong to me. Further, I have worked hard to ensure my excellent credit standing, and I am concerned that this issue is being reported to credit bureaus. This is clearly unacceptable and should be rectified immediately.

Satisfactory resolution of this issue would include the following:

1. All erroneous charges removed from my account
2. Separation of my account from the other person's account so that the charges do not reappear in the future
3. Assurance that this mistake has not been reported to a credit bureau (and if it has, assurance that a correction has been filed with the bureau
4. A credit on my next bill for the exceptionally unreasonable amount of time and energy I've had to expend in my efforts to have these charges removed.

Given that I have been pressing this issue for six months now, I will expect appropriate resolution within 48 hours.

Sincerely,

Joan

(Photo:JohnMarino92)

Here are some of the issues with FiOS TV that I've run into over the course of the past year:

• chronic "tiling" and image degradation since Q2/Q3 2007
• audio/video "freezing" and "dropouts" * numerous canceled technician appointments
• complete loss of all three services (POTS, internet, TV) on two separate occasions - services down anywhere from 24-72 hours
• clueless, unresponsive technical support
• "tiling" on HBO video on demand

For the non-techies, "tiling" is a term used to describe when the image becomes distorted and is broken up into little blocks.

(For a detailed history of all the problems I have experienced with FiOS since March 2007, see my full review of the service at dslreports.com: according to technical support, I have 55 unique support tickets under my name, the majority of which are related to problems with FiOS TV.)

Since March 2007, I have been forced to use the "nuclear option" - contacting Verizon's "Presidential Appeals" department - on two separate occasions, as their first-level technical support was unable to resolve anything in a timely manner. So far, the appeals department is 0 for 2 - each time, the problem was not resolved.

I contacted the presidential appeals department because HBO video on demand would not function properly; signs of tiling would appear every few minutes. Numerous technicians were dispatched and were unable to resolve the situation. Several weeks passed before the representative working for the appeals department came across an internal Verizon document stating that this was a "known issue" and a fix would be implemented in August 2007. To this day, this has not yet been fixed; according to a Verizon employee who posts on the FiOS TV message board, a fix is supposedly still being tested.

Weeks later, I was forced to contact presidential appeals for a second time when the normal levels of support were unable to resolve issues with the image quality; once again, several technicians were dispatched but were ultimately unable to resolve the issue. At one point, in an act of desperation, the local group decided to replace most of the components up to and inside the home. The measures were ineffective; the problems continued. A local manager was eventually dispatched out to the home; he claimed that the sub-par image quality was a result of "electrical issues" having to do with the wiring inside the home. End of discussion, case closed. (A visit from an electrician several weeks later would show that this claim was incorrect.)

So, I doubt that contacting the presidential appeals department will help to resolve the chronic issues that I continue to experience with the service.

The quality of the FiOS TV service since October 2007 has been at an all-time low; for the past four months, I have been forced to deal with severe tiling, audio/video "freezing"/"dropouts" and generally sub-par image quality. Verizon's technical support group insisted on dispatching more field technicians out to the home; the technicians were unable to find a cause for the problems. On several occasions, technicians did not show up at the home at all. This continued until mid-January when Verizon's network group eventually discovered a problem with their video distribution equipment in the local central office. This seemed to correct some of the problems with "tiling"; however, image quality continued to be sub-par.

So far, Verizon has wasted time and money replacing:

• 8x optical network terminals ($$$)
• 4x battery backup units
• 4x set top boxes ($$$)
• 3x coaxial cable splitters
• 1x length of fiber and conduit
• 1x length of RG6
• 1x Actiontec MI424-WR router 0x fiber distribution terminal

On January 31, a technician finally diagnosed the problem to be with the fiber distribution terminal - the only piece of equipment yet to be replaced. He informed me that somebody would be out the following day to replace it; par for the course, nobody showed up to replace it. I was eventually informed (after hounding technical support and a supervisor, daily, for any sort of update) that the piece of equipment in question would be replaced sometime next week. We'll see - I don't have high expectations at this point, given how difficult it has been to get Verizon to actually take a look at a problem or fix anything.

Dumping FiOS TV and switching back to Comcast is currently not an option as I am locked into a triple play contract with Big Red until 2009 - I have better and more important things to do with my money than to pay the early termination fee.

(Photo: Getty)

SFX: Doorbell rings 3 times.

VERIZON: Good morning! Have you heard about THE FIBER?!

HOMEOWNER: I think I'm taken care of in that department.

VERIZON: But I'm talking about Verizon's kind of fiber!

HOMEOWNER: And I'm talking Time Warner Cable. They've been using fiber optics for over a decade. Welcome to the program!

ANNOUNCER: Call 1-888 TWCABLE today and get roadrunner highspeed online and home phone service for as low as $29.95 each for the first 12 months.

HOMEOWNER: Ooh, you're looking a little bunched up. Need some help?

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

Overall rating / Company / Rating for Internet / TV / Phone
250 Verizon FiOS 84, 84, 82
222 Bright House 75, 69, 78
222 Cox 74, 69, 79
221 Verizon/DirecTV 73, 74, 74
221 Qwest/DirecTV 72, 74, 75
221 AT&T/Dish Network 72, 70, 74
214 Cablevision 72, 65, 77
208 Time Warner 71, 63, 74
199 Comcast 66 ,62, 71
188 Charter 61, 59, 68

Despite occasionally setting a house on fire, Verizon FiOS is clearly tops, while Comcast and Charter are scraping the bottom.

Internet, TV, phone [Consumer Reports]

On the plus side, the Verizon tech did not burn their house down... even once!

December 6th comes. They're scheduled to arrive between 8am and noon. They call and say they'll arrive at 10 am. They do. We are happy. They knock on the door and ask if anyone installed a fiber cable in the yard. They have not. They can't do the install because no one buried the cable. Ok. December 7th someone comes, digs up our front lawn, and buries the cable. We reschedule. Again. December 27th between 8am and 5pm. 5pm comes...and goes. No one shows up. Get back on the phone. They said they came but the cable wasn't buried. We tell them we've been home all day, no one has come, and the cable was buried on the 6th. They say they'll call us back. We call again the next day. They'll call us back in 48 hours. 48 hours comes and goes.

So I'm pissed by this point. It's been over a month, three appointments have been made. Furniture rearranged, time taken off work, etc. etc. I take a helpful tip from the Consumerist and e-mailed the CEO. That was a Friday night. Of course then customer service called and said they'd reschedule us (again) for January 10th. Monday morning came and we got a call from the executive customer service people. They rescheduled us (yeah, again) for January 3rd between 8am and 8:30am and waived our installation fee per my request. January 3rd came and went and no installer. I know, shocking.

She seemed quite sincere about this and I have no reason to disbelieve her. THAT really helps. To own up to the issue and try to make it better from here on out. Well, that and the waiving of the installation fee and the free first month of service we'll be getting after I spoke to the executive customer service guy again.

The Great FiOS Debacle -Updated [Jenn's Journal]
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Luckily you can download it the new new firmware upgrade over at Broadband Reports, after being registered (it's free) and logged in. The FiOS! It burns!

Fix For Mysteriously Rebooting FiOS Actiontec Routers [Broadband Reports]
(Photo: Magnum I.P.)

Annoyed, he declined. Since that conversation, Verizon has been systematically proceeding with his conversion to FiOS without his permission.

First they wouldn't stop calling. They they started mailing him postcards. Then, trucks showed up and starting digging under his lawn. Soon, indoor installers showed up at his door, and finally Verizon has taken control of Matt's phone number and has disconnected it.

Vonage, his previous phone company, confirmed that Verizon had transferred the number (Verizon initially denied it) and is trying to rescue it for him, but Matt's phone is still not working.

It has now been nearly 72 hours since Verizon FiOS slammed me and then Verizon disconnected my phone so its time for an update:

• Still no call investigating my Slamming claim. 2 business days down and 3 to go.
• While Vonage has helpful and I was hopeful to get my phone service working is hasn't happened yet. I still get a "Number Not in Service" message or fast busy signal every time I call home.

"Have I got a deal for you," he said.

He handed me a brochure.

On one side, it said: "Bring the Excitement Home."

On the other, it said: "TV + Internet + Phone. $99.99 a month. Plus a free 19-inch HD LCD TV."

There hadn't been much excitement at home lately, so I let him stick around for a minute.

He said that Verizon FiOS was the best, most super-duper TV, Internet and phone bundle of all time.

It will completely change your life, he said, with the fastest cable and greatest all- fiber-optic network and unlimited calling anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.

"And all for just $114 a month," he said.

OK, let me say right now that I am not a numbers guy. That's one of the reasons I got into this business, because if you throw a lot of numbers at me, it's nap time.

But even I could figure out the price had jumped in 10 seconds.

"What happened to Bring the Excitement Home for $99.99?" I asked.

"Well," the guy said, "to get all that excitement, you need converter boxes for your TVs. For three TVs, it would be $114."

Riiight.

Bundles of joy? Not from these FiOS [Baltimore Sun]
(Photo:cmorran123)