Verizon's service

We switched from Verizon a little over a year ago, because high speed internet was not offered in back woods Gloucester.We had over paid our last bill to Verizon. We have tried to get our refund several times. They tell us it was already sent to us. I assured them we did not get it, but it has done no good. So beware if you switch.

Just a little heads up, the newest FCC Regulation state that they are trying to get High Speed Internet to Rural Communities. I guess places like Isle of Wight, Surry, Gloucester don't even qualify as RURAL.

My husband and I both retired from the telephone company.I retired under bell atlantic and he retired under Verizon.When FIOS became available in our area we changed from cox to verizon.....HAPPY DAY! We now have land line, cell service,internet and television and I hve never been happier with my service and when I add up what I use to pay for all those things individually my bill is lower and I just write one check.AS usual it takes longer to get these things in the older or more rural areas and I truly hope it is available to you soon because it is well worth it.

A forum to post my opinions about Verizon!! Yaaay!

First of all, let me say that I will never use Verizon for ANYTHING, and I try to talk everyone that I know out of using them as well.

When I was in college, I sent them a check for $16 (my share of the household bill). They cashed my check for $160 - and when I called to have it straightened out, the woman was incredibly rude to me - refused to pay any of my bounced check fees (I was a poor college student), and told me "I did not do this to you, you should not take this out on me".

Fast forward a couple of years - I was living in an apartment complex with my husband and about $250 of "long distance" calls showed up on my bill. Turns out, they were 1-900 numbers, which were dialed one after the other...during the day while my husband and I were at work. I tried to have the calls removed, and the man at Verizon told me that I should "question my husband again, he was probably lying to me." Turns out, this had happened to other people in my apartment complex - was eventually blamed on a maintenance man. I ended up having to pay close to half of the charges so that they didn't send me to collections.

My mother has Verizon wireless for their company cell phones. They kept exceeding their minutes, so she called to up their plan....she had to call them about 5 times before they actually changed her plan. In the meantime, they kept racking up overage charges and SHUT THEIR PHONES OFF FOR NON-PAYMENT!! Her bill was almost $900! Finally, someone at Verizon admitted that they had logs of my mother calling them, but they never "processed her order".

Stupidly, I ordered Verizon phone and DSL when we moved into our new apartment. First, they started charging me before they even sent me out my modem for my DSL. Then, I was being charged for someone else's DSL on my bill. Month one - called them, wasting 1/2 hour on the phone, they said they'd take it off - month 2, a new charge, called again - they said "oops, we need to cancel this guy's DSL". By month 3 the other charges were still there, and now I was being charged his $79 early cancellation fee. Six months later, those charges were finally removed from my bill. Then my phone rate started creeping up...about 4-5 bucks a month. By the end of my 1 year contract, they were charging me nearly double for phone. I cancelled all of my services and switched everything to Cox (couldn't be happier).

Now, they still owe me money because I over paid. It is only $11, but I refuse to let Verizon keep any of my money. I have called twice to "request a check refund"...still waiting.

If you actually took the time to read my whole post, I would like to suggest that you boycott verizon. They are a horrible company with the worst business practices! I am not alone in my hatred for Verizon. Do a Google search for "Verizon customer complaints"...see what you find.

Verizon screwed us and I will never use them again.

We signed up for their DirecTV service in the hopes the FIOS would follow soon. It's still not in my area.

In the meantime, they couldn't get our service correct (we weren't getting what we paid for). Every time we would call to get it right...THEY WOULD CHANGE OUR CONTRACT!!!!

When I realized (after a year) that they were never going to get the service right, I decided to cancel and agreed to pay the cancellation fee (they originally quoted said fee as $125).

About a month later, the "final" bill arrived and the cancellation fee was now $250.

When I called they said that my contract still had over a year on it and they were "prorating" the charges. The ORIGINAL contract was for 12 months...but they changed it without my knowledge or consent EVERY TIME I CALLED.

THEY ARE CROOKS!!!

I'm back with Cox Communications now...and it's about $30 cheaper a month with phone, cable (including HD and DVR), and internet.

VERIZON SUCKS!!!!!

I left Verizon last year, because I can't stand their customer service. I stayed on the phone with Verizon last year for 3 hours going back and forth about payment on a bill. I was so disgusted I switched over to Cavalier in July.

Pooh wrote:

I left Verizon last year, because I can't stand their customer service. I stayed on the phone with Verizon last year for 3 hours going back and forth about payment on a bill. I was so disgusted I switched over to Cavalier in July.

Love Cavalier, never had a problem with them. Although, their customer service wait time is getting longer and longer as they get bigger. The nature of the beast, I suppose..

NIKI in NN wrote:

<quoted text>
Love Cavalier, never had a problem with them. Although, their customer service wait time is getting longer and longer as they get bigger. The nature of the beast, I suppose..

I would rather wait the long period for cavalier agents. At least that way I know I'll get friendly service. Verizon's service is just fast and trying to get you off the phone quick, fast, and in a hurry. Cavalier is Great! Even when I first got Cavalier and was having problems receiving a dial tone on my landline. Once the problem was fixed they called me other number to make sure everything was running ok.

I'm in Mathews County with Verizon landline and wireless service. I could not ask for any better service I've received since moving here in 1989. Verizon is an excellet company for serive IMO.

As far as your dialup Verizon is telling you accurate information. They are a phone company not internet. All they are required to provide is a voice quality connection. With dialup my years of having to use it here is more with where the ISP is located physically. The local phone number may redirect it to anywhere and the more switches and exchanges it passes through the worse the service. I finally found an ISP in Gloucester and had no problems. It performed well for dialup.

Have you looked into mobile wireless broadband? Here in Mathews we now have Sprint and Verizon. It's not as fast as cable or Fios but generally it's 1.2 meg down and about 300 up. I use it for my desktop and have a router for my wifes laptop.

Jack wrote:

I'm in Mathews County with Verizon landline and wireless service. I could not ask for any better service I've received since moving here in 1989. Verizon is an excellet company for serive IMO.
As far as your dialup Verizon is telling you accurate information. They are a phone company not internet. All they are required to provide is a voice quality connection. With dialup my years of having to use it here is more with where the ISP is located physically. The local phone number may redirect it to anywhere and the more switches and exchanges it passes through the worse the service. I finally found an ISP in Gloucester and had no problems. It performed well for dialup.
Have you looked into mobile wireless broadband? Here in Mathews we now have Sprint and Verizon. It's not as fast as cable or Fios but generally it's 1.2 meg down and about 300 up. I use it for my desktop and have a router for my wifes laptop.

You must be one of the few lucky ones.

Verizon told me that they don't provide DSL on Roanoke Ave. in N.N. and I had DSL service in Carrollton of Isle of Wight County.

When I use to live off of JClyde Morris. They told me the same thing. I ended up going to Cox. That was about 3 years ago or so. Now Thank Goodness for Cavalier.

I was a lifetime C&P/Bell/Verizon customer and happy until I tried their online payment plan which they never got right. In a six-month ordeal, unbelievable phone calls, wait times, etc., they never got it right, just continued late notices (never sent me a bill on or offline) I got worried about my credit report and decided I'd just have to cut them loose if they couldn't send me a correct bill and book my payment. Had to go through Va state consumer office to get their attention; promised the moon, never delivered. Was the scariest, most frustrating corporate experience I've ever had and wouldn't touch their product again for anything. Cox has been better but I keep an open ear for Cavalier because we really need the competition for what I feel is all overpriced.

oops, should clarify previous; Va consumer office was extremely helpful; it was Verizon that never delivered.

I have verizon and it is getting old telling my 'network' to stop looking in my windows. lol.
Yes, I can hear them now!

I dumped Verizon and switched to Cox in October of 2000, and could not be any happier with the service.

Lee wrote:

I was a lifetime C&P/Bell/Verizon customer and happy until I tried their online payment plan which they never got right. In a six-month ordeal, unbelievable phone calls, wait times, etc., they never got it right, just continued late notices (never sent me a bill on or offline) I got worried about my credit report and decided I'd just have to cut them loose if they couldn't send me a correct bill and book my payment. Had to go through Va state consumer office to get their attention; promised the moon, never delivered. Was the scariest, most frustrating corporate experience I've ever had and wouldn't touch their product again for anything. Cox has been better but I keep an open ear for Cavalier because we really need the competition for what I feel is all overpriced.

Couldn't agree with you more. I used to struggle with the giants down here until I was able to take advantage of a bundle from Cavalier. I think I can help you out. Contact me at antnygrimm@gmail.com.

The way I see it you have two options.

One...you could complain and complain to them directly, but seeing as they pretty much have you where they want you I doubt you'd get very far.

Two...you could switch to a cell phone and satellite internet.(Which is what I currently have). The down side to it all is that you'll be paying quite a bit more than what you're paying now. I'm currently shelling out $80/mo for Wildblue's top tier internet package. When you sign on you have to sign a 1 year contract. There isn't any way to cancel your contract without paying full price for the remaining months (so you might as well stick it out if you don't like it). I also recently switched from Verizon to AT&T for cell phones. I've had enough problems with Verizon that I just said screw it and made the switch.

I know a plan for broadband in Surry is underway. I don't what radius they're planning on supporting. I hope you're in the area when it eventually does go live though!

John wrote:

The way I see it you have two options.
One...you could complain and complain to them directly, but seeing as they pretty much have you where they want you I doubt you'd get very far.
Two...you could switch to a cell phone and satellite internet.(Which is what I currently have). The down side to it all is that you'll be paying quite a bit more than what you're paying now. I'm currently shelling out $80/mo for Wildblue's top tier internet package. When you sign on you have to sign a 1 year contract. There isn't any way to cancel your contract without paying full price for the remaining months (so you might as well stick it out if you don't like it). I also recently switched from Verizon to AT&T for cell phones. I've had enough problems with Verizon that I just said screw it and made the switch.
I know a plan for broadband in Surry is underway. I don't what radius they're planning on supporting. I hope you're in the area when it eventually does go live though!

I as well as many others went with satellite internet. Bad decision. A friend here had Wildblue finally discovered the availability of wireless from Sprint and Verizon. A bunch of us changed from satellite to wireless and are very satisfied. Now all I have to do is keep paying Hughsnet Satellite until my contract runs out. Satellite internet is only an option if "ABSOLUTELY" no other is available for dialup.

Can't even get good dail-up and have been hooked up better, but they wouldn't change it. They should not advertise dsl,etc. if they don't provide.