VERIZON COMPLAINTS

Searching on Google with a simple query for Verizon complaints, I got "Results 1 - 10 of about 386,000 for Verizon complaints. (0.22 seconds)" Since I believe in fairness, I thought I would compare this find with another company about which I have complaints, Microsoft. The results: "Personalized Results 1 - 10 of about 645,000 for Microsoft complaints. (0.22 seconds) "

Being less annoyed at the phone part of Verizon, I just asked for Verizon FIOS complaints. "Results 1 - 10 of about 40,900 for Verizon FIOS complaints. (0.20 seconds)" The phrase that came to my mind was, "Fifty million Frenchmen can't be wrong". Why then is nothing done about such flagrant abuse of consumers and such unethical business practices?

It is ironic that AT&T, progeny of the Bells, was broken up as a monopoly only to have a few years pass to develop new monopolies. While we have been giving the opportunity for Osama bin Laden to do is exactly what he said he would do...break the American economy...people seem to have forgotten that he had threatened this. Well, he has accomplished this and people seem unaware that he has no need to kill people with weapons or bombs, he is doing it far more effectively. Meanwhile, as though the majority of American lives weren't having a bad enough time, we must try to struggle out of the hole dug for us by the Iraq war. While political energy is focused on Iraq, those of us paying for it get little back for our tax money these days.

My monthly Verizon bill lists a section for Taxes, Fees and Other Charges. For voice: Federal Excise Tax, 19 cents; MA State and local tax, 40 cents; Federal Universal Service Fee, 73 cents; Federal Universal Fee-long distance, 71 cents; 911/Disability Access Fee (though I am not disabled), 75 cents; Federal Subscriber Line Charge, $6.44. For TV: License Fee, 11 cents; State Sales Tax, $1.25; PEG (Public Education Grant Fee, $4.79. Internet : State tax, 33 cents. The total for that category is $15.70 for this month. Since this bill is paid by money after the State and Federal income taxes have taken big bites fromt, it is quite amazing how much any money the average person holds briefly is whittled down by everyone who can get their hands on it!

VERIZON MAKES LIFE MORE DIFFICULT

It is impossible for me to assume Verizon is doing what they do to make only my life difficult. There must be many out in Verizon-land who feel as misinformed and as mistreated by the company as I do. Having spent two hours which could far better have been spent at this time in my life, just trying to get the bill explained and reconcile what they did to charge me with what I had been told would happen, I was then transferred to Tech Support who must have felt as the President's Press secretary has often felt. I find that all Verizon employees must be trained to be sympathetic, listen to your complaints, and then fall back on their powerlessness to do anything for you.

The salesman had told me that I would receive 3 months of HBO free but if I did not want to continue, I must be careful to call before the three months were up, to cancel. I was warned that I would be billed monthly but when I canceled I would be credited for whatever I had paid. The last bill listed, on page 1, Adjustments -51.99 (see page 3) Since I was being given a credit I didn't immediately call to find out what it was for. Remiss as I was, I didn't even look on page 3 which only said "Miscellaneous Adjustments". Since I was assured that I would have HBO for three months without charge, I did not make the connection. However, the very kind and sympathetic Customer Service lady ( powerless to do anything but explain how I was continuing with the bait and switch, though she never called it that) was patient and explained that I had been reimbursed in advance of the three months and would therefore (since I had not canceled HBO on receipt of the money), I would have to pay for the two months I received it. I had asked to cancel it, which I doubt she would have suggested herself. So the three free months turned out to be actually not free HBO, since I canceled after having had it for only two months, both for which I had to pay.

If anyone is considering changing to Verizon FIOS from another company, be warned. On 5/17/08, Audrey from New Jersey writes her horror story on the Internet. There are others. The tag line of the company is "we never stop working for you" That is an exact statement. They never stop working to get you. It is only after they get you that they stop working for you and concentrate on how much they can bleed from your finances.

Ironically, after I finished that 2 hour phone call, 2 men in their characteristic red Verizon shirts knocked on the door to see if they could sell me on an installation date. I fear I took years off the poor boys' lives with my rant. They patiently listened and said that quite a few people had those complaints as well as others and thanked me for being pleasant about it with them! I told them it is easy to be pleasant to them because they clearly aren't in control but I thought they should know the customers' opinion and experience of the company. I added that I intended to write to the Corporate Offices with a cc to the Attorney General and proceeded to write a first draft. I will be amazed if my letters don't end up in the their circular files but I will start writing on the Internet and warning all my friends to steer clear of their tactics. Little consolation to RCN is that, had I known how I would have been treated, I would have stayed with them hwere the price was right, the service good, and the billing as described. I would go back in a heartbeat if I weren't enslaved by Verizon's two-year contract.