Verizon DSL Consumer Reviews

MASHPEE, MASSACHUSETTS -- My Verizon Horror Story: We have long had DSL internet service through a local ISP. They used Verizon's lines and provided us with a modem with “Verizon” on the side, so when we were told they were discontinuing service in our area and we would have to find another provider, the logical choice was Verizon - after all, their lines and equipment were already in place and it seemed like it would be a simple matter to switch the account.

So on Friday morning, September 28, we called and ordered service. We had had land line phone service with Verizon since 1982, and agreed to a bundled plan with phone and internet. An installation date of October 2 between 1 and 5 was arranged. On October 2, 5:00 came and went. No sign of any service, any technician, or anything else.

So the first of several phone calls was made. “Hello, we were supposed to be getting internet service this afternoon, but nothing's on and no one has contacted us.” First we were told that it was a self-install package, which we never got. Got transferred to the sales department which looked up the account and said no, actually we weren't supposed to get a self-install package.

Over the next few people we were transferred to, some said a technician would come out and do something outside the house. Some said it would be done entirely on their end and we didn't need to do anything. We ended up with someone from the tech department who went through testing the modem to see if it was working (“Did you plug the cable into the wall jack?” was heard for the first of many times over the next week on that call.). The tech determined that the modem was working and that the internet service should be on, and advised us to wait until midnight because sometimes it took a while.

Wednesday - no service. This is when the fun starts. We start calling every day to find out what's happening. We're passed around to numerous different people and get put on hold enough. The hold music was awful and I sincerely wish I never had to hear it again, but I don't think I'll be that lucky. No one has an answer, but the surely the next person we talk to will be able to help. Over and over and over again. It gets escalated to someone who says our former provider needs to port a number over to them and they can't install service until that happens. Call the old provider, they don't know what Verizon is talking about and say there's no number they own that they can port over, but they'll email and say we're switching.

This is also the first time we get the “I'll call back later to check if everything is working” line. No call back. We call them, going through the same explanation of what our problem is again. “If your phone is working the internet should be working too.” No, it's not. “Do you have a cable plugged into the wall jack?“ “I don't understand. It should be working.”

Friday they stop answering the number we had been calling. It just rings and rings. Monday I dig up another number and try that. Start over with the explanation, go through the same routine. “If your phone is working the internet should be working too.” No, it's not. “Do you have a cable plugged into the wall jack? “ “I don't understand. It should be working.” This time they decide they need to cancel the order and rewrite it. But they can't. “I'm going to work on this offline and I'll call you back.” Sit around the house for eight hours waiting for a call back that never comes.

Finally we call back, spend half an hour explaining the problem (“Do you have a cable plugged into the wall jack? If your phone is working I don't understand why the internet isn't working. They should have come on at the same time.” Sorry, no one was offering DSL services in 1982 when we got that phone line. Another fruitless call, talking to one person, then another, then another, none of whom can figure out what's going on.

From here on, it's the “back office” that needs to fix something. We hear that over and over. “I have to have the back office work on this. I'll call you back as soon as I can.” No call back, of course. Next day - “I have to have the back office work on this. They should be able to fix it tomorrow.I'll call to make sure everything is working.” No call back. Next day - “I have to have the back office work on this and they're not there now. I'll call you back.” No call back.

It has now been a few hours short of two weeks since we initiated what should have been a simple order. Still no resolution or even a hint that a resolution might be at hand. At least on this last call no one asked if a cable was plugged into the wall jack. Be thankful for small favors, I guess. I got off the phone about half an hour ago, with another promise that someone would call back. Probably as empty as all the others.

Total time spent - roughly six hours on the phone, maybe 16 hours hanging around the house afraid to do anything else waiting for a call back. I have no idea how long this will go on. I'm starting to think they're just playing with me, jerking me around and laughing when I get off the phone about how they got me to believe another empty promise to fix things and call back. Each person I talk to seems polite, but every single one is absolutely, utterly unable to do anything even remotely useful or get us any closer to actually having internet service in the house, so maybe this is all just a sick game for them.

So, for anyone wondering which kind of internet service to go with, be advised that if you decide to go with Verizon you'll probably be without service for several weeks while they flail around trying to get their act together. Posted from the library parking lot, the nearest place to get internet.

ASHLEY, PA -- This is the second time I've attempted to get Verizon DSL. The first time was in my apartment. I cancelled after the first few times the tech didn't show up to install like he was supposed to. Dealing with customer service was horrible. Every time I called I got someone who could barely speak English. When I moved into my new house I didn't have many options for internet. Against my best judgment, I decided to try Verizon again. The installation process went better this time, with the tech actually showing up on the day he was scheduled to show.

Once the internet was connected, the connection was EXTREMELY slow. I'm talking old school dial up slow. I couldn't stream, and any pages that I tried to open on my phone took about 5 minutes to load. At this point, I decided to call customer service to see why it was so slow. Again, it's someone who speaks barely intelligible English. She has me download an app to test my connection speed. The speed registered at below 1 mbps. The representative tells me that's what the speed is supposed to be at with that package. I tell her I can't even stream Netflix. She says that you need at least 3 mbps to stream.

Then she proceeds to check to see if any package upgrades are available. Turns out, there are none available in my area. Mind you, I don't live in the middle of nowhere. I live about 10 minutes away from a small city. At this point, I tell her numerous times that I want to cancel my plan. She keeps insisting on having me speak to a Verizon wireless representative because she knows they have options available to me. I should've just hung up but I let her transfer me. The representative she transferred me to was clueless as to why she even transferred me. The only option he could offer me was a capped wireless data plan at about $150 per month. No thanks!

I still need to cancel my plan so I try to call customer service the following day. I'm told that there is a high volume of calls and the wait time is over an hour. Gee, I wonder why so many people are trying to call customer service. I wait a good half hour and hang up. I repeat this process twice before I finally get a representative on the line. I tell them I want to cancel my plan. They cancel it. I ask if there will be a charge since there is a 30 day money back guarantee. The representative says there won't be as long as I return my modem/router combo.

A few days later I get the return label in the mail. I box up the router and bring it to my local UPS store. I watch them scan the label and they give me the receipt. I eventually throw this out (my own stupidity) because it's weeks later and I figure everything is kosher, right? Wrong. I just received a bill last night. For 175.62! What can this possibly be for?

The bill isn't broken down where I can actually tell what the previous balance of 229.81 is for. I can't even imagine why I would have a previous balance of over $200 after cancelling my service after a week. The most I should be paying is the installation fee which was about $90 when I ordered the services. I'm currently on hold with the estimated wait time being over an hour. I'm so tired of wasting my time with these people. I will never be a Verizon customer again, internet or otherwise.

We have had difficulties with our internet for more than a year (we live in a large city so one would think we would have good service simply b/c of the density of population). First Verizon gave us a new modem--that didn't really solve the problem but we dealt with it. Then last week, we noticed that our internet was so slow we couldn't download etc.

This week we have spent hours on the phone with Verizon. Hours. They have refused to answer our questions and seem totally clueless about how to resolve this (TOTALLY CLUELESS!); they have repeatedly promised to call us back (never happens). The only thing they did do was push a change in our long distance service on us (we didn't care about our phone line and that was not what we were calling about). We do get callbacks, however, which are automated and which say things like "we are canceling your order." WTF?

Today they told us a tech would come between 8 and 12. We are at home waiting. Suddenly we get one of their usual automated calls "we are canceling your order." When we tried to call Verizon to ask where the tech is and why our order is being canceled, we get customer service reps who just says "we are very sorry." Apparently, the customer service representative has no idea what is happening, can't resolve the problem, can't answer our questions and can't call the tech to figure out where he is and whether he will, indeed, come to our house between 8 and 12 as they promised (they claim they don't have a number for himreally?! Give me a break!).

Over the last week, we have been repeatedly lied to by clueless customer reps. When we ask to speak to a supervisor, the tech support people cut us off (this has happened three times which makes me think it is a tactic they use--not an accident). We can't speak to anyone who can answer our questions. We just have people saying "we are very sorry." And the final kicker… we have been paying for internet service for two years which we have not received (they admit that we have been paying for a very high-speed service which we have not been receiving). So on top of everything else, they are thieves. Flat out.

I wish this were a unique story but when I spoke to a neighbor yesterday, he told us that it took 4 visits from a Verizon tech (and two missed visits--when Verizon claimed they were sending someone out and they did not do so) before Verizon finally resolved their problem. I cannot believe any company with a track record like that can stay in business but apparently they are too big to fail (how much do they get in govt subsidies? and yes, they have moved their tech support out of the US to India--gotta love these idiots).

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE -- Got Verizon DSL installed Nov 27 2017, service was slow and did not work on my second floor. I was unable to use any of my wireless devices with the enhanced services. I spent countless hours chatting online and made several phone calls with no resolution. I disconnected within two weeks since I worked remotely and needed a reliable service. Their customer service representative kept telling me I had a good connection? My advice spend a little extra and go with Xfinity which is what I did! Please do not throw your money away since I ended up having to pay $176 for nothing!!

JERSEY CITY, TENNESSEE -- I signed up for Verizon's so called high speed DSL internet. The sales representative told me over the phone that it is a dedicated line and will give me a great internet speed. This was packaged with DirecTV all for $96 + tax. The technician never arrived on the scheduled date. I setup the wireless router only to find that the speed is less than 1mbps.

I called them up many times but each time got some irrational explanation as to why I am having the problem. Even after a week, they did nothing to fix my issue or offer another alternative. For days I was trying to get in touch with the right people who could help but all in vain. I finally asked them to disconnect and got Comcast the very next day.

Verizon high speed internet sucks big time and their service is abysmal. I did not expect such pathetic customer service. I will never go with Verizon again. They are unapologetic after all this has happened. Did not even care to send me a return label and box for the router. Don't fall into a trap if they offer the DSL high speed internet. It is a scam and total waste of time, energy and money.

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA --
I have the internet from hell
It is Verizon DSL
Why do I pay when I just get
Their modem with reset, reset

Replacing modems is their game
Like they don't know it's just the same
The SLA their techsignore
Almost 3 meg and not much more

The discount lasted one short year
They won't renew say "nothing here"
No matter how you fuss and fret
4 megabits is all you'll get

The price went up by 35
Within 2 months what a surprise
No senior plan Comcast they ain't
It's not the picture that they paint

The representative says change your landline plan
As thoughI'm calling to Japan
I only call to Florida
2 times a week and not much more

It's not just in my neighborhood
Reviews all say that it's no good
And so I wait for ATT
To bring their service here to me
Cause I'm not living overseas
I live in Washington, DC

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA -- This was the most overpriced, slowest internet service I have ever had, bar none. We live on Willoughby Spit in Norfolk, Virginia and there is only Verizon DSL or Cox Cable service available in this area. We chose Verizon for service and since the service, DSL, was quite sucking at best averaging 2-3megs uploads and .7-.8 downloads. Lol. Really? And get this for a mere 85.00 a month.

Simply outrageous for such suck ass service. You call technical support, I wish you luck with that, it is generally located in India and most are clueless following a flowchart with lack of any true technical training. It's quite evident. Since I have canceled them and went with a great antenna, which gets free TV and I'm currently stuck with having to switch to Cox Cable... paying less than Verizon at 50 meg speeds.

Verizon does nothing but ** rape you with their DSL service. You have a choice. Simply refuse and disconnect. Until... I am waiting for the one company these old school providers fear. Google. Can't wait until Google rolls into town, 1000 megs up/down. At a far cheaper price. Serves these aged blood sucking leeches like Verizon right. Your days are pretty much over. Too funny.

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA -- Phone representative with Verizon's partner business, CenturyLink, said internet service with Verizon was a 14 day free trial period. The representative said after that the monthly service fee was 50.00 dollars for the service. She said it was free for a 14 day trial period. The representative never said anything about data usage, plus, she said after 14 days, if we called to cancel and turned in the equipment to a local store, we would not owe anything.

After about 10 days we received an email saying we had data overage. I called Verizon immediately to find out what this was about, and they said we owed over 300.00 dollars already. I canceled the service. We received a bill for over 500.00 for service data usage, and early termination fee. Since CenturyLink is selling Verizon Internet services, Verizon is still responsible for their partner's misrepresentation, but they refuse to stop billing us. This is fraudulent business practices, and we are filing with the North Carolina Attorney General's office.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- I have been a customer since I moved to New York City in 1972, and I have never felt so horrible about your company, your policies, and your customer service. If I could afford to, I would switch in a New York minute, but unfortunately all the alternatives are more expensive than what I've got with you: DSL and a Basic Budget line. In the last year, I have had numerous problems with my phone service. Over Christmas, I had no service. I missed many calls before I realized the problem: people getting cut off after one ring or a fraction of a ring. The problem was fixed.

Lately I've had extraordinarily slow DSL service. I reported the problem about two weeks into it—during your employees' strike. On August 29, a repair man called, didn't seem to know where the correct box was, asked me, and I told him "I didn't know." A little while later, he called again and said he would have to cut off my service, the problem was with the central office, and everything would be restored within two hours. When I asked if he'd call me back to verify when my service was restored and that everything was working, he complained that it was too hard to stand in an alley way (where the box was), and he couldn't, and he was sure the fix would work.

Nobody ever called me back that day, but service was restored. The next day, I received a call from Verizon checking my service. I said it was restored. However later in the day, I discovered the problem with the DSL slowness remained. To make a long story short, I have spent hours on the phone with your representatives. I was given an appointment for Sept. 7, then offered an earlier one, and when I tried to accept it—another half hour on the phone resulting in nothing—I was unable to. I was told I'd be called back and never was.

Concurrent with all this, I received a bill with a new charge for a “change in long distance service.” Last month an online customer service person removed a new charge for long distance service at my request as a “courtesy.” I never asked for long distance service. In fact, when I lost my job and downsized to Basic Budget, I specifically requested an incoming-call-only plan and was told you didn't have one. (I make all outgoing called via MagicJack.)

This month I received a bill with a charge for $2.75 to remove the service that you decided to charge me for that I had never asked for. When I called to complain and try to have that charge removed, an unhelpful customer service person, who verged on belligerence, told me that according to your records, I had been informed about long distance service when I signed up. Since I specifically had requested NOT to have it, I'm quite sure that this is incorrect.

In fact, when I changed to Basic Budget, I interrupted the Verizon representative and said I did NOT want any outgoing service. Your representative told me "that's not what your records show" and “We will not/cannot remove the charge.” The End.

I am beyond disgusted with this kind of nickel and diming to charge fees for services that are either not provided or not required. The fact that all this has escalated about a charge of $2.75 is almost funny. As I researched alternatives to Verizon, I heard from friends on Facebook that “they all suck!” Why don't you try to be better than the pack? How about trying to be polite, fair, and stopping this ridiculousness the alienates your customers? How about trying to help people who are literally counting nickels and dimes to survive? How about having some kind of awareness of the environment you are operating in?

Other complaints during my history of Verizon service: Once I was not sent an e-bill, then I was charged a fee for not paying it and told that I was responsible for paying bills whether I received them or not. The penalty was removed as a “courtesy.” I subsequently opted for paper bills. I have recently (January 2012) been told that I've automatically been switched to e-bills, because I pay online. I hope I actually receive them. Although I no longer trust Verizon to ever follow through, so if I don't, I'll check.

For years I've had intermittent problems with static or electronic noise on the line. Technicians have not been able to fix it. But the noise will disappear for stretches of time. The last time I complained after months of it, I was told there was no problem on the outside line and I'd have to pay for a technician to come to my home. I knew the problem was not my line when it miraculously disappeared, again, in January 2012.

Recently (it's now 1/15/12) I spent about two hours on the phone with techs in India after my Internet service disappeared, although the DSL line on my new modem was lit. The first time it went down, following the tech's directions restored it, but he kept me on the phone to try to get me to download web service which would be useless if I cannot get on the Internet. I finally said thanks, but we've solved the problem. I was paying for this call on my cell phone.

About an hour later the Internet service disappeared again. I spent another hour on my cell to India. The tech couldn't fix it, said a supervisor would call me back in 24 hours. Later that afternoon, Internet was restored, and shortly after that, I received a robot call from Verizon telling me there was an outage in my area that both Indian techs had assured me was not the case. I wasted hours trying to fix an unfixable problem and getting the runaround.

A couple of days after my Internet service was restored, I got a call from a Verizon survey taker to find out how I felt about the service and the company. When I responded “unreliable, uninterested in helping customers, only interested in making money any which way they can,” and gave them a score of zero for how likely I'd be to recommend them to others, I was asked if I'd be open to someone calling me to investigate my feelings more. “Yes,” I answered. … So far, no call.

Around May 19th I began having problems with my Verizon DSL internet service. It was going out frequently, and I would only have a connection for brief times during the day. I tried to call their 1800 number for tech support only to begin a journey with no visible end in sight.

I attempted to call I think, about 6 times during that first week. Only I could never get a representative on the phone. I fought for HOURS trying to navigate through the insanity that is their automated service. Pushing buttons and being placed on hold, and the ever dreaded DISCONNECTED!!! At one point, the service actually asked me to verify my bank account number so it could send me a check...????

My Husband managed to get through at one point and speak with a representative who went through the whole, "shut it off, wait a few min, turn it back on, reboot, reload" then told him to download some application and hung up on him. Only we couldn't download anything because we had no service. I spent another week fiddling around, shutting off and turning on and unplugging and reconnecting and reloading and booting and reloading and so forth. Periodically trying to get a hold of a representative to no avail.

After the second week with no improvement in service, I finally got a representative on the phone. I immediately asked for a supervisor. I was placed on hold 3 times and eventually told "no supervisor was available" and that they would transfer me to 'escalation.' I finally get ** on the phone in escalation and tell him the situation and that I needed a tech to come to the house. I can hear him typing away and he assures me he can help, no problem. Oh, wait. "Sorry, I can't help you. This is the wrong department."

I think I may have had a small heart attack at that moment. He transfers me BACK to where I had been previously to someone who did not speak English, who kept telling me to "calm down and have a cup of coffee" and insisting we go through the whole shut down restart unplug non sense again. Finally, I said "NO!"

I'm not touching anything. I've been doing all this for 2 weeks. I need a tech to come to the house. He refused to send one. This went back and forth and again I asked for a supervisor. AGAIN I had to explain the situation, and asked for a tech. The supervisor told me it was too late to get one there. (By this time it was 7:30 pm) I informed him that wasn't my fault since I had already been on the phone for 3 hours with them and if they would have sent me a tech 3 hours ago like I had asked time wouldn't be an issue. He continued to refuse. Saying they would send one out on Tuesday. (It was Friday.)

I gave him a simple choice. Send me one now, or my next call was to the Better Business Bureau. Needless to say, when I hung up, I got in touch with the BBB. Then, they called me back. (How stupid) I AGAIN explained the situation and my ultimatum. They again refused to send me a tech any earlier than Tuesday. And when I hung up I contacted the Attorney General. No one ever showed up or called on Tuesday.

It took about 2 more weeks for anyone to get back to me after I filed the complaints with the BBB and the Attorney General. By this time I was out of state. My Grandmother had gone for Bypass surgery and I was taking care of her. I got a call from -someone, I don't recall who at this point-who told me a tech would be out the next day. I gave them my husband's number, (I believe it was a female) who was home. They called him and set up a time. The next day came and went. No one showed up no one called.

The following day, someone called to see if the internet was working. (** in Executive Appeals) I told them the tech never showed up. ** tells me they are going to credit my account for 60 days. And another Tech (** the Tech guy) calls and we get him set up for another day. Eventually, ** the Tech guy gets to the house. I believe the date to be June 17th. A month now since the issues started. A month that I have been being charged for services that I don't have.

So, ** the Tech guy comes over and tinkers around with this and that and the other thing, and tells my husband all fixed. He says if we have any problems in the future to just save his number and call him back. Well, I get home on the 20th and guess what? Not fixed. Not fixed, and not working. I call ** the tech guy back. ** says there really isn't anything he can do on his end so he'll call his dispatcher and get someone else to come out. (OK) He calls me back about an hour or so later and says someone will be out the following day.

Next day, no one calls, no one shows up. So I call ** back and tell him what's going on. And somewhere this other ** from some higher Verizon Office gets involved and I call him back too. (But he never returns my calls) THE FOLLOWING DAY ** calls me. We get it set up for a tech to come out on the 27th.

Unfortunately, I got mandated at work the night before. (I'm a nurse), got home fell asleep and slept right through the 3 calls from Verizon to verify the Tech guy. (My bad!) When I got up I called ** back immediately and explained the situation. He rescheduled the apt for the upcoming Monday. (This was a Friday) OK, fine, no problem. it was my fault.

Monday rolls around. My phone rings at like 8:05 in the morning, I'm pretty sure I was changing my toddler's poopy diaper at the time and didn't make it to the phone in time. I checked the voice mail when it came through and sure enough it was Verizon calling about the apt and to call back the generic 800 number. Like Hell I'm calling that number back! That is how this whole mess started in the first place! So, I figured, OK. Well they called me three times on Friday, I'm sure they will call back. It's only 8 am. Nope. No call back. No one showed up.

THE NEXT DAY I call ** back, leave him a message! OH! I Almost forgot! ** In EXECUTIVE APPEALS HAS A MALFUNCTIONING VOICEMAIL!!!!!! This was the REAL Kicker! His voicemail only works about 1/2 the time. So whenever I call him, usually, I have to call him 2 or 3 times before I can leave him a message since his voicemail is broken. I TOLD him, twice that it was not functioning properly. It is STILL broken. (a month now, doesn't bode well for me, if they can't even fix the executive's voicemail!) So, the broken voicemail was enough to send me right over the edge!

It always takes him a day or so to call me back (If he calls me back at all, ** the Important Verizon guy from IDK what department never returns my calls, so I don't call him anymore.) Eventually ** calls and tells me that they fixed my internet from outside. They slowed down my speed and did this this and this (I never saw anyone out there, but OK) And now it should be working. This is around July 1st. Nope. July 2nd the internet is out.

That same day, I get a email from the BBB saying that Verizon has submitted something to them. I go in and look. Entertaining. I was good and annoyed now. It read as follows: According to company records, Verizon has reduced the DSL speed provisionally to 1.5M. The line is currently testing good, and it is stable. Verizon Tech support is monitoring this line. There is no need of a tech to be dispatched due to the circuit already testing good. The customer has already missed two dispatches. The customer has a direct contact number if any future troubles.

Nowhere in there does it mention the 62 tech guys that WERE SUPPOSED to come out and never called or showed up. How convenient. Direct number? To who? ** the tech guy? The guy who couldn't help me and told me someone would be out the next day and never called or showed Up?

So, Of course, I didn't except that. Sent my rebuttal. It's a Saturday, but I leave a voicemail for ** anyway (I had to call him twice before It would work.) Tuesday, he calls me back and sets up for a Tech guy to come out on Wed. ** called me at some point too, and leaves me a voicemail. I try to call him back, get his voicemail....I'm still waiting for him to call me back. I think he is the one who is dealing with the BBB because I got a response back that day saying he had tried to reach me that morning, and AGAIN I responded that I CALLED him back and was still awaiting his return call.. hours later....

Anyway, ** the Tech guy came on Wed the 6th. A MONTH AND A HALF (7 weeks) since all this trouble began. He spent about a half an hour outside at the pole. He said it was a MESS up there and he did a TON of stuff... and would still do MORE if this didn't fix the problem. I have had an internet connection with no breaks in service since then. However, I logged on to view my bill, and my Credit. No Credit. In fact, now my bill is overdue and there are late fees.

Got a call from ** at Executive Claims about two weeks ago on a Saturday.. (Not **) I jokingly said at one point, "Boy they are working you hard on a weekend." He responded, "No ma'am we work 7 days a week." Oh really? Why doesn't ** ever return my calls on the weekends? And why doesn't ** EVER call me back. Interesting. So, anyway, he asked how the DSL was working. And I told him I didn't want to jinx anything, but at the moment I had no complaints.

I did tell him that while ** credited me the 60 days of service a month ago, it still has yet to reflect on my bill and now I am being charged late fees. He said he'll have ** call me on Monday or Tuesday.... Well, **, thanks for calling, and all the nothing you just did for me!!!! I can't even tell you off the top of my head how long this has all been dragging on now. Over 2 months. I'll have to look at a calendar.

I waited around for another week and a half before anyone called to address my bill. It was ** again. It went to my voicemail and I didn't call him back because he never returns my calls. I'll just wait for the response from the BBB. He claims that my account HAS been credited, but it won't reflect until my July and August bills. Tell me? What sense does that make? My problems were the months of May and June! Those are the bills I haven't paid. And now they have the nerve to charge me a late fee. I don't care if I have to open ANOTHER complaint with The BBB I will be refunded that late fee!