Review by localt 
UPDATED: 29 days ago
member for 4.1 years, 47 visits, last login: 4 days ago
 Madison,Morris,NJ
 $480 per month (12 month contract)
 about 20 days
 "FAST internet"
 "Contract, Billing issues"
 "I might stay away for my next move..."
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
|
10/22/2009
Again bill arrive over the amount with mistakes. I had written to customer service again and got confirmation about it, but I also had to call to get the charge removed from my bill. I again hope that next month I will not have to spend an hour or two to solve their issues.
09/23/2009
I had go back and forth with Verizon customer service via email this time (that way I have documentation). I now have a written documentation that:
1) Acknowledge the billing errors and bundle errors.
2) Once this balance is paid, a credit will be issued on the following bill.
3) Their billing will be in order for next billing period, including the removal of add-on packages I have already rejected in the past.
We'll see how it goes on the next billing cycle. At least now I have written documentation, whatever that worth...
09/20/2009
This is a new review, I had canceled my service at FL as I moved two years ago. Now I moved again and order them again for a NJ address.
I've ordered my service when Verizon had the 20/5 triple play bundle with a 3 for 2 price (79.99/m for 6 months, 99.99 afterward). I was also given the HBO/Movies package for free for 2 months even though I did not want it, but the sales rep push for it and said I can cancel it at any time. Installation day came and the services were installed. The technician found a phone jack where I did not want a phone and refused to activate the one I wanted to use (it was dead/shorting).
Two weeks after the install, the phone started having major statics on the line. After talking to customer services, they had dispatched a technician. The technician checked the line and said the install was not done properly and he had to re-wire a new point. This at least got me the phone jack where I wanted it...
The first bill (I actually got 2 bills) came for $600. WOW I knew it would be prorated, but I did not expected it to be that high... Apparently I did not get the bundle, they had charged me $140 for the router, about $100 activation (which should have been 0), charged me for the movies package and few other things I should not pay for.
After calling customer service few times I managed to get a rep to re-adjust the amount to properly.
Second bill came in negative... I could not figure out why, customer service told me not to worry. I asked to cancel the movie package and was told it is part of the package. I've insisted and told the rep that I did not want it from the beginning and was told I can cancel it at any time. The rep told me I can get a new bundle but it will require to setup a new contract for 12 months, which I said OK, just remove the $35/m payment for the movies!
OK, a month later, the movie package was just removed from my account. I also got the third bill... Guess what, $480!!! They had charged me for the amount I got removed on the first bill, the previous month charges (which showed up negative before) and the new bill. The base package "jumped" from $99.99 to $134.99, I was charged for the movie package and some other products I have never ordered! I'm try to fix that with their customer services again, but preparing to file a complaint with FCC and the attorney general. I'm also looking for a lawyer who want to take this case to court, I've read about other reports lately with the same problem and I think there should be a class action against this company... STAY AWAY!
FL Review from 3 years ago:
With the original pricing of FiOS TV and internet I decided it is not worth the effort to switch, I've paid $94/month for my old cable company and just to replace the service 1:1 was $25/month over what I've paid. This all changed few weeks ago when Verizon came out with a bundle deal for both services. I'm getting FiOS TV, standard definition box, HD-DVR box, movies package, FiOS internet 20/5 for $104... Now this is that I'm talking about!
First of all, installation... If you like your lawn, be prepared to recover... Yes, they have to dig it and place their cable.. They'll put it back but you still need to recover (took me 2 weeks to get to a point it is actually healing)... Other then that, on the actual installation date it takes 3-6 hours (they say 4-6, but my house is new, so he did not have to do anything in the house, just put the boxes and connect the cables outside of the house)...
They kinda screw up with the HD channels, but I've called and after 5 minutes I was promised that in 12 hours I'll get my HD channels. It took less then an hour! I was very pleased...
I've got a free wireless router. I know what people here say, it's big and chunky... So?! This is one of the best wireless routers I've used lately (and believe me, I've used quite a few)... It got high gain antenna, QoS, traffic shaping, and all the goodies you want in a router...
Internet connection on the installation date was 20/2... Got upset and call they support... Shit, why did I do that?! Don't ever call them, try to figure it out for yourself, believe me you'll end up happier and with less headache... They told me "Sorry but you will never reach 5 Mbps since technology is not there yet"... What?! You sold me something you cannot deliver?! Did not make sense... Anyway, my computer had A LOT of junk software and thinks, I've just removed them all, cleaned my registry, startup list, defrag my hard driver... Like a charm... 20/4.7 ... My wife gets 10/5.2 (her card probably don't support more the 10 Mbps).... Anyway, good enough for me...
BTW, you get many of the movies from the channels on your package with on demand! Sweet!!! I can see movies without worry when they are on! Plus the quality is far better then I had before...
-- Remove : Highly recommended. ------
-- ADD : NOT RECOMMENDED. ------
UPDATE (04/30/2007): Verizon has charged me well over $20 the price offered to me on the phone. When I call them, the response was "Do you really thing that you can get that for this price?!". I have recorded the called to the sales department when I've called them, so I know this is what I was offered. Since I told them that, I cannot reach them on the phone any more. I need to go through one of the other departments to connect my call. The price I've signed up for was $95.89 f(+ tax) or TV + 20/5 Internet + DVR + Movies package. Now They want me to pay $79 for TV and $50 for the internet -> $129. If I can't get it straighten up I would have to take to court for fraud.
UPDATE (05/01/2007) : OK, I've left my scores the same as my experience with most of the reps on Verizon was BAD. However, I've talked with one supervisor that was actually very helpful and was listening. I've talked with a guy named Rick, who agreed to listen to the recordings. I've even sent him a WAV copy of the recording. After few iteration and some questions he and his boss asked me, they have told me that there was an internal call routing problem which led me to a different call center on an area that had that bundle. He also told me that since this is clearly an internal problem, they are going to honor the price that was given to me. I am very happy now, I had not had any problem with my server, but if you have a problem it can take you hours to find someone like Rick to actually listen and not read from a script... I wish there would be more people like him on call centers. I am going to write a very good thank you letter to Verizon on this person! Cheers!
Followup comments:  jazzmess
join:2007-03-02
Irving, TX
1 edit | Speed on a wireless connection? Is it possible you were trying to get top speeds on a wireless connection? If so, then the tech you spoke with is correct, you'll never get the same speeds on a wireless connect as you will on a wired.
Also, if you fixed the connection by cleaning up the programs on your computer, then it was your computer's fault for the slowness, not Verizon's, thus the tech was under no obligation to help you, he/she just helped you to be nice. That's what a person gets for being nice, I guess. | |
|  | localt
join:2005-10-02
Madison, NJ
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·VOIPo
| Re: Speed on a wireless connection? 1) The PC is directly connected to the router. It's not a wireless connection. Now, even if it is, and let say I'm a little far from the wireless router and only doing 11Mbps, the up stream should still allow me 5Mbps.
2) I know that the problem is my PC, but if I'd listen to them I would have stayed on 20/2, right? In any case, if their statement was correct ( and it isn't), then they did intentionally sell a service they cannot supply and this is a fraud. That was the thing that rang the bell that made me believe the robot (CS rep) is wrong... | |
| | | jazzmess
join:2007-03-02
Irving, TX
| Re: Speed on a wireless connection? Well, I'm not sure who you got there - maybe a new hire, maybe someone in the east centers. Had it been me, I would have checked your speed, and if you were actually getting 20/2 on a speed test, then I would have advised you to remove some of that spyware/unnecessarily running programs. Come to think of it, the minute I saw any spyware I'd advise you to remove it. Of course, the problem here is that you can tell people that, but they won't necessarily listen or understand what you're talking about. However, if the problem is that something installed on your computer is slowing you down, we can't actually tell you, as Verizon employees, to uninstall it. I do tell people that it might be a good idea, though.
Now, again this is if you go me as the csa, if the speed test actually revealed that you aren't getting 20/2, then I would have had you go to speedguide.net and run some registry fixes. Uninstalling programs usually doesn't fix the problem if your speed test shows a low speed. Which is what makes me say, if you're uninstalling programs "fixed" things, then you were getting 20/2 from the start, you just didn't feel like you were because of your computer. Thus, not something the tech was actually supposed to be troubleshooting, but we usually do anyway to be nice.
Finally, as far as speed goes, all broadband providers say your promised speeds are "up to" the price your paying for, which means that you *may* be getting a little less than promised speeds. Though granted 5mpbs is too wide a margin, and there are fixes. Granted further that I don't personally think it's fair or right. But the tech can't change that, you know? They're just the messenger. | |
| | | | localt
join:2005-10-02
Madison, NJ
·Verizon FIOS
·VOIPo
| Re: Speed on a wireless connection? I have AVG anti-spyware running as well as Windows Defender. The problem was not spyware, but unnecessary software that had used 600MB of RAM when my computer rebooted. I'm also going to re-install my Windows to reduce it back to ~ 200MB... In any case, the statement that came from Verizon Rep was wrong.
Now, regarding the 'Up To', if there is a technology limit, you cannot state the it can be reached... In that matter, if the technology limit was 2 Mbps upload, why would you state 5?! If you're claiming it's up to, why not 10? why not 10Gbps?! I mean there is a technological issue, it's not that you don't support it, the problem is technology... So that what I meant by my previous comment, the problem is not technology, the problem must rely somewhere else and that lead me to realize after testing other computers in my house the the problem is with my computer. | |
| | | | | jazzmess
join:2007-03-02
Irving, TX
| Re: Speed on a wireless connection? Sounds like you got kind of an idiot there, then, but please don't let one idiot characterize your entire experience with tech support.
Also, I have to reiterate, you were calling Verizon tech support for a non-Verizon issue. So you were being kind of an idiot yourself, there. But that's ok, everyone does something dumb every now and then. | |
| | | | | | localt
join:2005-10-02
Madison, NJ
·Verizon FIOS
·VOIPo
| Re: Speed on a wireless connection? It's all depends on your view, I could not reach the promised speed, who should do level 1 support? If 1 minute I can do the promised speed with RR, then I can't on Verizon, what should I do first?
Could I know that I have junk software on my computer? Yes, I know that. Did they ever effected my upload? No... I guess I just need a pointer saying that at that speed I should have a clean machine (I've never experience 5Mbps upload, even at work we only got 1.5)... If would have accepted an answer saying my computer does not support 5 Mbps due to card or configuration or software.
In any case, maybe it was my luck, but that one guy is my experience with Verizon Tech support... I don't say he wasn't nice, he was, but he was unhelpful, since if his answer did not light a red light on my head I would still be with a slow connection. | |
| | | | | 
vzemployee
@verizon.com
| Actually, it's not a technological issue. The speeds that are stated are achievable.... rather easily at that. What most people don't take into consideration is that fiber technology allows each home to have the speeds that are offered. The "up to" is because of the varying factors that also contribute to the speed that is actually experienced, network latency, your pc, internet congestion, as well as any routing problems. No provider will guarantee that you have the speeds advertised 24/7 but rest assured with FiOS you will have the best chance at consistently achieving the bandwidth you subscribe to. | |
|
mrsCupid
@rr.com
| FiOS availibility very frustrating... Well, last year Verizon came through with much hoopla about how they were installing services for Fios to my area, complete with destruction to my front yard. What little they didn't tear up was burnt to a crisp by exhaust from the VZ trucks left running through daily lunch breaks because the shady trees in front of my house were the preferred parking spot no matter where in the neighborhood they were actually digging. Because that area was groundcover and not sod, it was never repaired. But hey, I figured to get Fios it would be worth it.
Neighbors on both sides have FiOS for several months now and every month we get some stupid promo mailer telling us to should order it, too...yet when I try to do so online or over the phone I get the "not available to you, try back later" runaround. What the heck was buried in my front yard under manhole covers that clearly state "Verizon Fios" if not the capability for this service???
Hopefully someone like Jazz will see this and offer a suggestion how I can go about getting this problem corrected once and for all and my address added to the database.  | |
| kevin_pink
join:2006-10-15
Bronx, NY
·Verizon FIOS
 ·Optimum Online
1 edit | wow sorry to hear What a nightmare that must've been seeing those $400 Verizon bills. I just recently got FIOS & i am concerned about the billing to say the least, after reading this review.
I was previously on OOL and they jacked up my bill to $200/mo for the past **few months**. I jumped on the opportunity to switch to Verizon FIOS as soon as it came to my area. | |
| 
cameronsfx
join:2009-01-08
Pensacola, FL | They should kick you off FIOS Recording calls without permission is illegal. That is TOS violation. You can also go to jail. | |
| | 
mod_wastrel
join:2008-03-28
·magicjack.com
| Re: They should kick you off FIOS Depends on where you live: »www.callcorder.com/phone-recordi···rica.htm (interesting read, plus the links out to more "trusted" sources)--only illegal in a dozen states (yes, one of which is Florida); state and federal law would supersede any such TOS clause in the other 38 states, too. | |
| | localt
join:2005-10-02
Madison, NJ | When you call their line you hear a message "You call may be recorded". If you record the call your self you're just making a copy of their recording. They already show consent for been recorded. | |
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