Well at least they didn’t start a fire. That seems to be the only thing Verizon FiOS didn’t mess up with they did an install for reader janvir. They destroyed our reader’s new flowerbeds, mucked up the mulch, and cut several lines going into their house. Phone, alarm, TV, and internet were all cut. Despite promises to fix it, FiOS was a no-show. Oddly enough, Comcast actually had better customer service than FiOS, coming out and promptly fixing the lines FioS had cut. Here’s Janvir’s complaint letter: [More]
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Verizon's Excuse For Continuing To Bill Dead Customer: "No One Is Perfect"
By 5.31.11
Last September, a woman in California contacted Verizon to set up internet access at the home of her ill mother. It won’t surprise some of you that Big Red, despite promises to the contrary, never managed to properly set the service up. In December, the mom passed away and the daughter called Verizon to cancel all service — including phone — to the house. So of course Verizon continued to charge for internet access it was never able to provide in the first place. [More]
Verizon Wireless Mulls Over Idea Of Offering Family Data Plans
By 5.19.11
With the pending AT*T/T-Mobile merger threatening to push Verizon Wireless out of the lead in the mobile melee, the company is looking for ways to differentiate itself from its (shrinking number of) competitors. That includes the idea of offering family plans for data that would save families money on smartphone costs. [More]
Verizon Sues FCC Over New Rules For Data Roaming
By 5.19.11
Last month, the Federal Communications Commission voted to enact new rules that require national wireless broadband providers like Verizon and AT&T to provide data roaming to other carriers “on commercially reasonable terms and conditions.” Not surprisingly, Big Red is against this idea and has thus filed a lawsuit against the FCC in an attempt to have the rules reversed. [More]
AT&T, Comcast Rank Last In Customer Satisfaction Surveys
By 5.17.11
The folks at the American Customer Satisfaction Index have released their annual report on the various elements of the information sector. And it probably won’t come as a surprise to Consumerist readers that AT&T’s wireless division and Comcast each brought up the rear in their respective fields. [More]
Sorry, Joining Your Fiancé's Verizon Plan Voids Your Phone's Warranty
By 5.12.11
David and his fiancée decided that it was finally time to take their commitment to the next level: joining their mobile phone plans together. Unfortunately, they were both already Verizon customers and wanted to upgrade their phones. If can’t imagine why this would be a problem, you’ve never upgraded phones and then joined plans at Verizon. The process seems to be specifically designed to keep customers from doing this. [More]
Verizon Teases Me With FiOS Discount It Knows I'm Not Qualified For
By 5.9.11
Consumerist reader James pays a decent chunk of change every month for his Verizon FiOS service, so when he got a letter from Big Red offering to save him $4/month on his bill — “no strings attached” — by bundling his two HD receivers into one payment, he jumped at the chance, only to find out he was never entitled to the discount in the first place. [More]
Will Customers Shafted In Verizon/Alltel Deal Get Shafted Again By AT&T/T-Mobile Merger?
By 5.6.11
While most of the country wasn’t directly affected by Verizon’s purchase of Alltel, a handful of both companies’ former customers have now ended up — through no choice of their own — as AT&T subscribers. Many of these people are peeved about being stuck with a company they never signed up with. They also want to know if AT&T’s pending purchase of T-Mobile means in terms of their already slim pickings. [More]
Verizon To Warn iPhone Buyers: We're Watching You!
By 5.2.11
After consumer uproar over the fact that Apple’s iPhones can record and store users’ locations, Verizon Wireless says it’s going to warn potential customers of such acts, via a handy little sticker. Neat. [More]
It's Finally Here: White iPhone Goes On Sale Tomorrow
By 4.27.11
It’s been nearly a year since the white version of the iPhone 4 was originally supposed to go on sale. There have been numerous rumors of its impending availability, followed by news of further delays. But now Apple says that tomorrow it will finally be selling an iPhone that matches the signature white headphones. [More]
This Is Kind Of A Crappy Thank-You From Canon
By 4.27.11
“Our thanks to you!” trumpets this e-mail that Howard received from Canon after buying a printer from them. Well, that’s nice. How is Canon thanking their customers? By offering a free smartphone and Android app to customers…if they sign a two-year contract with Verizon. Isn’t that the deal you can get from Verizon if you walk in off the street? [More]
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps Talks Mergers With Consumerist
By 4.22.11
Of the commissioners on the FCC, Michael Copps is easily the most outspoken in his opinion on media consolidation. In January, he was the only commissioner to vote against the sale of NBC to Comcast, saying that the deal “grievously fails the public interest.” More recently, he’s expressed his skepticism about how smoothly the AT&T purchase of T-Mobile USA will go. And he’s also a cool enough guy to sit down for a chat with Consumerist. [More]
One E-Mail To Verizon CEO Accomplishes What 6 Calls To Customer Service Could Not
By 4.20.11
Rob has been an internet-only Verizon FiOS customer for years and recently decided, since he hadn’t really experienced any problems with that service, that he’d take the plunge had get FiOS cable TV service too. Since his house was already wired, it shouldn’t have been a big deal but the all-too-familiar happened and Rob found himself staring into the customer service abyss. [More]
AT&T, Verizon Have To Let Smaller Rivals Use Network For Data, Just Like Voice
By 4.7.11
Just like with voice traffic, AT&T and Verizon have to let smaller competitors use their network for data roaming, the FCC today ruled. This would let wireless users clean their inboxes of spam and look up the capital of Greenland in less than 5 minutes of loading, just like they would at home. [More]
Verizon Monopoly Means No Home Broadband For Me
By 3.30.11
If you ever wonder why Internet service provider monopolies are a bad thing, just ask reader Icanhas. For some mysterious and intriguing reason involving pineapples, he can’t have cable. So his only option for broadband Internet is Verizon DSL, which isn’t accepting new customers in his area. Why? Well, they’re putting all of their resources toward FiOS. When will FiOS be available in Icanhas’s area? Not anytime soon. [More]
iPad 1 Is On Clearance Sale At Verizon, But Where'd They All Go?
By 3.27.11
The debut of the iPad 2 means that you can get some sweet, sweet deals on the original iPad if you know where to look. D. knew where to look, which was a local Verizon Wireless store. Not the first place most people would go for iPads. Including, from what D. observed, the store’s own staff. When D. brought to store employees’ attention that their iPads in stock were marked down to $299, they suddenly didn’t have any more stock. Then they did. Then they didn’t. [More]
NJ Man Selling 212 Phone Number For $1 Million
By 3.25.11
212 is a coveted area code for your phone number. It says that you are in Manhattan, established, and among the set that could pop its collar if it wanted to but chooses not to. Now a New Jersey man is trying to auction off his 212 number for $1 million on eBay, hoping the proceeds will cover care for his elderly mother, who has dementia, reports New York Daily News. For those that might question whether the number really has value, consider that 6 months after he got the number, Verizon called asking if they could have it back, saying they usually reserve it for “big companies.” Sorry, Charlie, prestige has its price. [More]
