This is the SECOND nightmare experience I've had with Verizon so-called "customer service." There problems are so vast and insurmountable that I can only say this: If you should ever encounter a problem with Verizon for any reason, prepare yourself for anger, frustration, and incompetency on a level you cannot even imagine. When I first got new service, their installation guy never showed up. But instead of sending one out the next day, it took a full seven more days of no telephone service or Internet. For someone who's very life depends on this, you can imagine my anger--I had to pay for their inability to show up as promised. When they finally did, they informed me that I had ordered "the wrong kind of service, " PUTTING ME BACK TO SQUARE ONE. I had no service for now, two full weeks. I was desperate. When I screamed at my rep on my cell phone for not taking care of me, the building receptionist asked, "You weren't speaking with Verizon customer service by any chance, were you??" "How did you know that?" I asked, when he replied, "Because the last time I saw anyone go ballistic with anyone over the phone like that was when I had to deal with Verizon!!!" When I told him of my dilemma, he took pity on me and suggested that I rent a little wireless device that Verizon rents what would have given me instant Internet access. "Why didn't THEY suggest that?" I inquired, learning that since Verizon land line and Verizon wireless are actually in "friendly" competition with each other, they refused to even TELL me that I could have quickly and easily solved my temporary problem with this little device. After a three-week nightmare, my service was finally installed.
That was two years ago. Since then, I had subscribed to Vonage internet phone service, enjoying both their quality and excellent customer service. i should have left them. But a rep at Verizon suggested that I switch to Verizon for my hard line telephone service to save myself a few bucks, and like a damn fool, I did.
When the Verizon installer arrived, FIVE HOURS LATE, he was in a rush. "I have only fifteen minutes, " he said. He hurriedly installed my wall jack, then left without telling me how the damn thing worked. For another seven days I had to wait, WITHOUT INTERNET OR TELEPHONE SERVICE for the loser to return. When he did, he came with a negative, surly disposition. After "finishing" the job, he left. One problem.
I COULDN'T MAKE ANY OUTGOING PHONE CALLS TO ANYWHERE BUT IN MY AREA CODE!!! I was livid. The jerk off left again without testing the line thoroughly. But remembering my last experience with Verizon, I immediately rented another wireless Internet connecting device, this time from a company named, "RovAir, " who offering the same thing, but without the expensive contract of Verizon (not to mention the fact that I didn't want to pay Verizon a penny more!). I am sitting her typing this, waiting for the same idiot to at last fix what he had failed to fix the first two times. He hasn't even returned my call. But even if Verizon does the impossible and finally fixes what they screwed-up, I've learned my lesson. I'm going back to Vonage for my telephone service. I should have never, ever left.