It seems like Verizon is still working the bugs out of its One Bill service. Reader Vikram wrote in to warn consumers not to sign up for the service if they’d like to be able to actually pay their bills…
verizon
Verizon Limits Handset Exclusivity To 6 Months
By 7.17.09
Verizon announced it will limit handset exclusivity deals to 6 months, a bow to pleas by small wireless carriers, and in advance of possible Department of Justice action on its inquiries on the one-carrier deals for the iPhone, Pre and LG Voyager. In its announcement, Verizon noted 24 rural carriers had asked it to limit these anti-competitive deals. Yes, apparently there are that many small carriers still left.
Shortchanged By Verizon's Rebate Card
By 7.16.09
Late last year Verizon started replacing its rebate checks with Visa debit cards. You use them as you would debit cards, only without having to tap in a PIN. Long story short — after using one of these cards I’m convinced they’re part of a scam meant to let Verizon and/or Visa skim pennies off the tops of rebates owed to customers because once there’s only chump change left on your card, you can apparently no longer use it.
Reader Gets Free HBO, Cinemax And Showtime For Suffering Internet Outage
By 7.13.09
We Consumerist bloggers just love those stories of reader complaints that are generously solved by customer service before we even get around to posting the gripes.
Everyone Knows How To Handle A Stolen Checkbook Except For Verizon
By 7.3.09
Yesterday I was musing that Time Warner Cable was passing the cost of customer care off to other businesses, by requiring customers to take half-days or full days off of work just to wait for a cable repairman. Today I think I stumbled upon another hidden economic impact of bad customer service: it’s responsible for generating a lot of the “free” content online. The next time you’re reading an IMDB entry about “Damages” or “Big Love” for example, you can thank Verizon’s collection of angry, confused, and possibly insane employees, and all the idle time they create for a customer who has to deal with them.
Verizon C.E.O. Ivan Seidenberg Reveals The Telecom's Future
By 6.27.09
The future of Verizon lies in bundled apps and global domination, according to C.E.O. Ivan Seidenberg. Verizon’s head honcho appeared last week on Charlie Rose to chat about a range of things, including FiOs, the decision to build a CDMA network, and the future of your cellphone service. If nothing else, it’s nice to put a calm, seemingly rational face to the grotesque anti-consumer corporate monster that we all loathe. Hit the jump for the full interview.
Verizon's New Marketing Pitch: Squirrels Eat Old Phone Lines So Upgrade To FiOS For Guaranteed Service!
By 6.21.09
Verizon told Debbie that upgrading to FiOS was the only way to guarantee uninterrupted phone service because apparently, Verizon’s old copper lines are no match for the insatiable appetite of copper-munching squirrels. Never mind that FiOS doesn’t work during a blackout for more than a few hours, or that Debbie’s problem had nothing to do with hungry squirrels…
Man Dies Trying To Stop Verizon Van
By 6.19.09
The Washington Post says that a 79-year-old widower died after trying to stop a Verizon technician from pulling out of his drive way. The man was apparently extremely frustrated with his service, in addition to being quite lonely since his wife passed away from a stroke.
AT&T Wireless Customer? Turn Off Phone Purchasing Power To Prevent Unauthorized Charges
By 6.3.09
If you’re managing cellphones for a family or your parents, or let’s say hypothetically you have a boyfriend who says he reads Consumerist but really he doesn’t or else he would have known better, you’ll probably run into stupid subscription and content fees from time to time. You know how people are when it comes to fake “free” offers.
Update: Verizon Changes Mind, Says It Will Give Refunds To Storm Victims If They Ask For Them
By 5.29.09
Since we first posted this, Verizon has changed its mind and announced that it will provide service credits to storm victims in Southern Illinois who were without service for most of the month. The credits won’t be automatic; to qualify for them, affected residents must call 800-837-4966 (1-800-VERIZON) to tell the company that they were without service.
Verizon Willing To Let 62-Year-Old Man Die Unless Cops Pay $20 Of His Overdue Bill
By 5.22.09
Ohio police are pissed with Verizon after the company refused to help them find a missing 62-year-old man unless they paid his overdue $20 $20 of his overdue cellphone bill.
Comcast Credits Your Payment To The Wrong Account, Disconnects Your Cable
By 5.18.09
Reader Adam wrote in to let us know that he’s switching to FiOS after Comcast credited his payment to the wrong account number, accused him of not paying his bill, disconnected his cable, lied about it, then couldn’t get it back on for several days.
Verizon Loses The Broken Phone You Returned, Suspends Your Service
By 5.10.09
Luis dropped his busted LG EnV in the mail at the end of last year and tracked its progress as FedEx delivered the package to Verizon. Verizon, apparently unfamiliar with tracking numbers, doesn’t believe that Luis ever returned the phone, and insists that they’re owed a $320 replacement fee. Luis disputed the charge, but rather than investigate his claim, Verizon decided it would be easier to suspend his service. Now they want Luis—a customer of seven years who pays over $350 across six phone lines each month—to pay another $15 to reconnect the service they should never have disconnected in the first place. He writes:
Reach Executive Customer Service For Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T
By 5.4.09
Say you got a problem with your cellphone company and you want it solved, pronto. You’ve already called regular customer service and they’re either unable or unwilling to help you, or you’re just sick of waiting on hold. You’ve got things to do! That’s where executive customer service comes in handy. Just about every big company has a pack of these people who can basically walk on water within the company and get any problem solved. The key is reaching them. Naturally, you won’t find them in an overseas call center at the end of the 1-800 number. Rather, they’re attached to the corporate headquarters executive offices. Don’t worry, we did the hard part for you. Here’s up-to-date phone numbers for the executive customer service departments for Sprint, Verizon, T-mobile, and AT&T:
Here Are Some Of The Companies Behind The Car Warranty Robocalls
By 4.29.09
Verizon continues its recent campaign of turning robocallers into charitable contributions, this time by settling a lawsuit against two of the companies behind those awful car warranty calls. Last time it was for $25,000; this time it’s for $50,000, all of which is being donated to the Joyful Heart Foundation, which Wireless Week describes as “a nonprofit devoted to empowering survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.”
Got A Verizon Installation Problem? Tell Us Where It Took Place
By 4.18.09
Might I make a suggestion for further Verizon Customer Issue articles? It would be helpful to know where the incident took place. As I’m sure you know, different parts of the county have different installation teams. Here in the New England region, installations are handled by real Verizon employees. Where in other areas, they contract installations to a third party that pass themselves off as Verizon. Also most regions have a VP email address for employees to help expidite such issues.
FiOS Installer Drills Through Wife's Wedding Dress
By 4.17.09
A Verizon FiOS installer showed up yesterday to install the service in Sam’s house, but misjudged the location of the laundry room by 4 feet and drilled directly into the closet where his wife kept her wedding dress.
Teenager Tries To Bankrupt Family By Sending $4,756.25 In Text Messages
By 4.9.09
Here’s an idea, don’t use your phone to send 300 texts a day at school. Not only will your parents not get a bill for $4,756.25, you won’t go from As and Bs to Fs and you also won’t get your phone smashed with a hammer.
