Verizon FIOS Consumer Reviews - Page 4

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA -- Every year we lose channels and end up paying more for the service. It is difficult to find anything to watch. We have started watching more on Netflix because we can't find anything fit to watch on Verizon.

MARYLAND -- I hate Verizon especially now that their utterly useless home page keeps coming up on our FiOS TV screens. I have repeatedly used their system to disable the page to no avail. Even turning off the promotions on the settings seems to have no impact. So very easy to hate Verizon.

I rarely complain, but wanted to alert others about this nightmare! I switched to DirecTV from my local cable company to try to save money, so I needed an Internet provider. They recommended Verizon, so I went with their service. The price was fair at 30 dollars a month. After installation--the internet crawled at such a slow pace that it was impossible to do anything on the internet. The service turned off daily, several times in a day. I called customer support on four different occasions. They were very difficult to understand because of their limited English, and each phone call lasted at least an hour because I was constantly on hold.

Finally, I called to cancel the service and was told there was no record of my calling technical support within the past few months, so I needed to pay a cancellation fee. I explained how I called several times prior and after each call the service still did not work. They would not wave the cancellation fee, saying it was my responsibility to let them know the service wasn't working, and if I let some time lapse, that must mean it was working. Obviously since I was calling to cancel, I was letting them know, again, that it wasn't working. I asked to speak to someone else, I was told there wasn't anyone else.

I am someone who hates to make waves, I hardly ever even call customer service unless there is a serious problem, and I have never, ever been treated in such a way by someone on a customer service line before. I actually had to hold the phone away from my ear as someone in the disconnect department raised her voice to me telling me there was absolutely no way they would waive the cancellation fee since I hadn't called more recently.

What a waste of my time and money! Please don't make the same mistake. Just get the Internet service from your local cable company. I haven't had a single problem with their service, and the price is exactly the same. The people in their customer service department are respectful and understanding. On a good note, Verizon's automated service called back to ask me to fill out a survey. Do you think they'll value my opinion? :)

They have been giving me ongoing issues since 03/2009. Numerous bills have had billing mistakes. Even my last bill. I have ceased both internet and phone service (bundle) and they confirm it shows ceased in their system and I am still being billed. When phoning in I am transferred to numerous departments all stating that "that" department will be able to stop a bill from coming when I no longer have service. These charges are not legitimate as I no longer have service and have already paid my final bill. All departments state they can not handle and take me to another that think can.

In turn, they can not. I pay my bills directly online to www.Verizon.Com on the date due or a day before and have been billed several late charges because their system takes a few days to update, even though when signed in on their website it shows I paid on the due date. Wait times to talk are high and then the reps that help you are rude, tell you inaccurate information and state they can not help. This should be illegal to take advantage like this.

Additionally, when I signed up for service I had written documentation that my price for bundle was locked in for 24 months. On the 17th month they increased the price and stated it does not show in their system they could not. I do not know how a company is allowed to operate this dishonestly to a good paying customer. Many times I have paid the additional fees just to avoid 1.5 hour call of employees at Verizon that prove to be untrained as these issues are never corrected. I really hope someone makes them change this illegal incorrect billing.

Even if you offered credits, it should not be done monthly incorrectly and to be told that their computer does not match the bill with the Verizon letterhead or their computer website when signed in under www.Verizon.Com. I am still trying to have them stop billing me as I ceased service with them over 7 weeks. They even sent me a box to return equipment and I have but they are still billing me for service.

I have been on a call for 2 + hours and on my 9th representative to correct this problem and still no solution. Save yourself and do not make a mistake. Their internet is no faster than any other cable internet company and at least you will not have to deal with them. They are the worst I have ever dealt with or even heard of any person ever dealing with.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA -- I never write reviews but people need to know what they are getting into with Verizon FIOS. I was told that I would pay 69.99 yr 1 & 79.99 yr 2 for internet & TV bundle. I asked about installation and additional costs and was told only taxes unless I wanted to have DVD which would be 15.99 additional per month. I am now being charged an additional 15.99 although I requested not to have it.

They said I need to come to a local service center and swap my box to only pay 5.99 instead. The install was scheduled to ensure that my daughter could have internet for classes. The install was pushed back 2 weeks. There is a large plastic box visibly in the house now that was unexpected.

The representative told me that I purchased the Spanish package, which was incorrect. I spend several hours on the phone getting this sorted out - or so I thought - good thing I kept my confirmation number. My bill came in at $140. I spoke with 3 reps (approx 2.5 more hours)over several weeks trying to get this sorted out. I was told that I was getting a credit and not to pay until I received a new bill. The next day, my services were cut off!

I had to pay the $140 to restore. The service was connected in Sept it is now Jan 5 and my account is still wrong. I have been passed around as blame is passed from technical, billing, etc. The internet speed is not what I expected and I prefer Comcast much better. The TV is comparable to Comcast but definitely not better. The channel navigation is more confusing and on demand is much better with Comcast.

Setting up an account online to pay or view your bill requires downloading software and going through a long series of data entry - I have not been successful yet due to technical complications with their install. I am not a huge Comcast fan, but sadly they are much, much better all around. I also have Comcast at another residence. Save yourself a ton of stress (live longer)and avoid Verizon FIOS!

I am the CFO of a large company with 25 years experience and am no stranger to technology or customer service. If you MUST, be sure to get all the specifics that make up the total bill in advance since they like to "hide" all of the true charges. Get the reps name and number. Get a confirmation number. Get a bottle of Advil 500mg.

Stay as far away from Verizon FiOS as possible! The internet itself worked fine. The problem was the customer service and the installation. First, when they came out to install my internet the installer blatantly cut my working cable line and used that line to install the FiOS.

When I called Verizon to tell them to come out and fix it, they said that since the cable line is not "theirs" they cannot touch it. (convenient) After talking to several supervisors over a period of 4 days and about 5 hours of being on hold/transferred I was finally able to get a Verizon representative out to fix it. Unfortunately, this meant more time that I had to take off of work and that I had no cable for 4 days. Also, when I asked to talk to a supervisor they said that all the supervisors were busy and that one will give me a callback within 48 hours. I never got a callback.

Second, when I signed up for the service I told the phone sales representative that I would only need service for the summer and that I wanted a month-to-month service with NO CONTRACT. The representative said okay and I signed up. When I cancelled 3 months later I found out that they assessed me a $170+ early termination fee! I just spent two hours on the phone talking to different departments and I was able to get the early termination fee waived.

I have never reviewed a company online before, but after what they put me through I felt I needed to pass this along. Please, stay away from this provider if you have another option. The tried to screw me at every possible angle and others have told me that this has happened to them also. Temple Hills, MD.

CHINO HILLS, CALIFORNIA -- As a loyal Verizon wireless customer, I was excited when they installed FiOS in our neighborhood. We have friends that are thrilled with the service. Install was on time, and installers were courteous. It was downhill from there. While our land line and TV service were fine, the internet never worked well. The wireless router they installed was iffy at best. It would connect only about 50% of the time, and even then was slower than the DSL service (also Verizon) that we had before.

After several visits from their technicians (at least 4 visits) my wife finally got a supervisor on the phone to admit that their techs don't "do" Apple computers well (evidently, they train for PCs, with their dominant market share). The techs had absolutely no idea how to remedy the situation, and during one visit, relocated the router from our family room to my son's bedroom closet, then hardwired the computer in our bedroom by routing a wire OUTSIDE of our house (which looks awful). We kept telling them they gave us the wrong router, but they insisted this was not the case (every Mac owner we knew had a different router than ours... one of only 2 models they install)

OK, so 1 out of 4 computers was then working. Having 3 teenagers fight over one working computer was NOT fun. We called over and over and got the runaround. Finally, fed up, we called the state Public Utilities Commission and found out the complaint process. After informing Verizon of our desire to file a complaint, hold them in breach of contract, and have the PUC void our contract, they finally sent someone out with the right router, who actually had a clue how to work their system with a Mac.

All solved, right? Well no. Tonight I opened my Verizon bill, to find they are trying to bill me for the "second router" which is not a second router, but rather the one that should have been installed from the start. Effective tomorrow morning, I will reduce my wireless minutes, disconnect several cell phones that are out of contract and begin the process of divorcing our relationship with this company. I was so fiercely loyal to them, but we've been treated horribly. I honestly can't see giving them any more business than I absolutely have to.

TAMPA, FLORIDA -- COMPLAINT: Repeated calls and transfers between multiple department to get problem resolved. Wasted time, poor customer service and no resolution or satisfaction. I would rather be anyone's customer than Verizon's customer!

I was an early adopter of FiOS and as soon as it was available I placed an order and recommended it to all of my neighbors. The first failure was the referral website did not work and I have yet to be able to do whatever is needed to get the widely promoted referral fees for both new customer and myself.

Next - the phone/internet service has been unreliable and while on the phone it would shut down leaving me without phone or internet. No one could give me a straight answer and after many many calls, many hours on the phone because I was told I would have to document the outages in order to ensure credit for overages on my cell phone minutes because I would use my cell phone as an alternative to no service, I was finally told that the problem I was facing was a widespread issue and that there were three areas in Florida with unresolved area-wide problems: Edgewood, Town & Country in Tampa and New Port Richey.

I was promised I would be notified when the problem had been resolved. No call. Another 2 hours on the phone trying to find someone with an answer so I could get a credit on my phone bill for all of the outages. Had been misinformed about company agreement on credits, transferred here, there, and everywhere. The final straw today was that after 2 hours on the phone talking with the 6th person, he told me I was not authorized. That was an issue my husband and I had taken care of years ago but somewhere along the line it had gotten undone!

Perhaps it is time to get back to smaller companies with personal service and the partnership in getting problems resolved so that both parties feel as though it is a win-win situation. I feel as though I have been really been devalued as a customer of 18-year who purchases all phone services through Verizon to the tune of about $400 per month for 3 phone lines, 2 wireless phones, internet and TV and that no one has any power to do anything to alter the level of customer service and response.

I called to cancel my phone service with Verizon on 09/11/08 and was sold with Fios internet services if I were to keep my phone service and I would only have to paid $42.99 for Fios and receive $25 dollars credit on my phone bill. It sounds like a good deal, so I kept my phone service and cancel the call waiting, and signed up the Fios. The representative promised me that it would be all in the same bill for both services and there is no contract to sign for the FiOS service. No other fees involved.

When the technician came in to set things up, he said there was one year contract, and since the Fios box was installed, therefore I could not go back to DSL service I had before. When I received my Fios bill, there was activation fee for the Fios and my call waiting service was still on and the charge was on the bill after I attempted to call to cancel it twice.

I called the number on the bill. I was transferred from one department to the other at least 5 times, waiting on line for 40 minutes. The representative told me he should take off the $25 dollars I was promised to get since I was not eligible for it. He could not do anything to waive the activation fee. I asked to speak to a supervisor. He said he would have someone call me back. I never heard anything at all.

I called their phone service to take the call waiting service off the third time, I waited on line for another 20 minutes. The representative said he could not access my account because I did not have the account number. I asked to verify my account with other information since I don't have the bill in front of me. He refused to. (No one even knows there was strange 12 digit account number for the phone account).

I requested to speak to supervisor. He put me on hold for another 10 minutes and I got a horrible representative simply said she could not help me. I asked for her name and spell it. She refused instead sarcastically laughing and said "it is a common name". She simply refused to help me with anything after I stay on the phone for 40 minutes.

I decided to go online instead of talking to these ruthless reps. The phone number listed online was wrong and the web page does not function. I have the worst experiences ever with Verizon for the past 25 years. I am getting ready to file complaints on BBB. I will not be a Verizon customer when the contract is up anymore.

ODENTON, MARYLAND -- I ordered fiber upgrade services from Verizon for my TV, Internet and phone. A home install date was set for 1/6/08. I waited that day for the install crew and no one arrived. I was not notified of a change in service date. Over the next week I talked to numerous technical support personnel at Verizon. No one could provide me with any information on my order or the reasons for its postponement. Further, two operators lied saying they would follow up with information with a callback. They never called back.

Yesterday, I received an email from Verizon with no subject line or message text or informational content, but the address was from their service department. Today, 1/14/08, I received an automated phone message from Verizon stating that I was to have an installation date of 1/6/08. That date has passed. I then visited the Verizon website and looked up my order status. It stated that my order was 'on schedule' and was to have an install date of 1/6/08 for TV and Internet and 1/31/08 for the phone service.

I have been delayed in receiving my service now for over a week with the prospect of having it further delayed two weeks. No one has contacted me in any way to coordinate this install. The fiber line crew, which did lay the fiber one week prior to the home installation date of 1/6/08 has pulled up my yard and left exposed and torn wires in bundles near my home. This is unsightly, a tripping hazard and needs to be buried or removed immediately.

I am completely overwhelmed with this terrible and chronic bad treatment. I have been a Verizon customer now for several years on my non-fiber phone and Internet and would expect to be treated well when I upgrade services with my current service provider. Please let these facts be known and acted upon to make Verizon accountable for poor coordination, insensitivity when dealing with customers and shoddy and hazardous installing of their infrastructure.