Reader Aaron writes:

I’m currently on hold with Verizon regarding a rebate for my dad’s business DSL account that he never received. While that’s not notable in itself, what is notable is that the first number I called about this, which is currently listed on Verizon’s website, led me to a phone sex line.

I called that 866 number, and there was a 15 second recording about ‘men and women chatting worldwide’ that gave an 800 number and then hung up the call automatically. If you call the 800 number that’s spoken by that recorded message, you are greeted as a ‘sexy guy’, and then the menu system proceeds to tell you about horny women that want to talk to you.

I eventually hunted down a second 800 number on Verizon’s website to call, which actually got me to Verizon support – however the rebate department, which I have been on hold for almost a half hour now to speak to, is not listed, and the tech rep whom I spoke to when the call was answered said that they do not give the number out, so they had to transfer me.

I guess if you didn’t get your rebate from Verizon, the phone sex number is listed to help you cope with the $250 you won’t be getting back?

We called the number, naturally, and were offered another number to call. So we called that number. It was a phone sex service that offered us access to “horny students, housewives and working girls.” Uhhhhh, no thanks. You can listen to a recording of our slightly NSFW call above.

UPDATE: One of our friends at Verizon writes in to let us know that the number has been corrected on their website.

“thanks to your post this morning, this issue was called to our attention. Sorry if anyone was offended. The correct number now appears at tithe link you provided. PS: the correct number is: 800-483-5000.”

Broadband Rewards [Verizon]

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