Verizon FiOS: Issues, Problems and Trouble

Read my little rant regarding Verizon FiOS problems, issues and trouble before you decide to sign-up for the service, it could save you a big headache.

When Verizon first announced their FiOS service, I was naturally convinced that it would be the next evolutionary step in Internet and home connectivity. Being the early adopter that I am, I quickly signed up for the service, expecting faster speeds and an enhanced viewing experience. Just one problem: I’ve regretted it ever since.

Let me get this out of the way up-front: The FiOS service itself is amazing. High-speed transfers deliver as advertised, there are plenty of HD channels to choose from with amazing clarity, video-on-demand service works with an ever-increasing catalog of movies and more and more shows are becoming readily available. Granted, the DVR could use more storage and the menu system sometimes slows to a crawl, but I would take it any day over the box Comcast uses, which actually includes advertisements integrated into the channel guide. What’s more, Verizon’s phone service is nothing special, but let’s be honest – on paper, it sounds like a great deal to enjoy all three features combined.

But I was fooled, flummoxed, swindled… made a freaking patsy, even. Since the service has been installed in my home, I’ve had nothing but trouble. The below are just a few problems I have had with Verizon.

Billing

From day one, our bill has never been correct. We ordered the phone, Internet and TV service in a triple bundle that is supposed to cost around $156/mo including taxes and all the little BS line-items they tack on. Suffice it to say that they successfully bundled the TV and phone services, but not my Internet service which, for some inexplicable reason, is now being billed separately.

So, in effect, my statements are more like $220/mo, and that’s without HBO or any other premium channels. I have called twice a month for the last six months trying to get this fixed. Sadly, while my service was installed in November 2007, not once to this day has billing ever been correct. For the last two months, I have been told that the service was fixed and re-bundled, but that the ticket has not gone into effect – so just continue to pay that $220/mo and they will reimburse me the difference when they get around to it. (Remember, it’s been two months since it was ‘supposedly’ fixed.)

My main gripe here, besides the obvious financial aggravation? That the customer service reps are clueless; they apparently are placed in a service center somewhere in Antarctica because they have no idea what anyone else at Verizon is actually doing. Their hours of operation are also somewhere between 8-6 CST Monday thru Friday. The average call time (I have been keeping track) is about 30-45 minutes, and it’s near-impossible to get to an actual person. I feel stuck in the perpetual phone loop of despair.

As of this writing, I am getting disconnect notices saying that if I don’t pay the $220, our service will be terminated (I have been paying the $156/mo they told me on the phone). As I mentioned, customer service said to pay $220 and they will reimburse me later. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have an extra $60/mo lying around. And why should I trust that Verizon will pay me back? Here’s a novel though: Why not just remove the charge from the bill entirely?

TV Service

I loved my TV service with Verizon up until two weeks ago. My DVR has been recording my shows like it’s supposed to (although I have heard from readers that some DVRs are going rogue, and recording random shows), the HD quality is good, menus are easy to navigate (although slow at times) and the service works in general. Yesterday however, I noticed that a couple of new HD channels popped up in the program guide. When I went to watch them, they said I wasn’t subscribed. You see, Verizon added a ton of new HD channels, and then grouped them under a new “Extreme HD” package which costs another $10/mo to view. But wait a minute, wasn’t HD part of the original marketing campaign? I don’t know about you, but I was under the impression that Verizon was going to give me every channel in HD from the get-go, not start adding on extra packages that cost more each time there is a channel line-up change. Again, some very deceptive marketing going on here…

Internet Service

I am relatively happy with my Internet service. However, there a couple annoyances here worth mentioning. The Verizon WiFi router sucks, plain and simple. I get better reception wrapping my old Netgear router in electronically charged copper wire than I do placing my Verizon Router on a 10-foot tall bookshelf in the middle of my house. Do yourself a favor and invest in a separate WiFi router or Ethernet powerline adapter kit.

In addition, when I signed up for Internet service, I got the 15Mbps/2 Mbps service for $52.99. Now they offer 20 Mbps/5 Mbps service for the same price. Verizon was supposed to switch me to the faster service, but it has yet to happen – so I am paying more for less. Wonderful.

Misc.

My story’s not an isolated case either. Consider…
My coworker was charged for a DVR that he returned to Verizon. They claimed they never got it despite getting a tracking number and confirmation from UPS that it was delivered. After a month of calling, they finally removed the charge.

My father complained that when Verizon added the new HD channels, he was forced to manually reset his box in order for it to work properly and allow him to view the new channels. I wonder how many other people out there are not able to view all of the channels they are currently paying for?

Another friend of mine just ordered the service, but they never gave him an order number. When he called back, they had no recollection of him even placing the order, so he had to do it all over again.

Bottom Line

Listen, every service like this will have its fair share of growing pains. I ran into small issues with Dish Network and Comcast with hardware malfunctioning, being billed incorrectly, etc. But I never had problems with their customer service. You could call Dish or Comcast at 2AM on a Sunday and get through to someone in most instances. Verizon’s customer service, however, is the worst I have experienced EVER. Their people are generally clueless, and it’s very clear that the right hand doesn’t talk to the left. I do not know anyone that has enjoyed a worry-free experience with the company.

Comcast will have their new Internet and TV service coming out soon, and I might just switch back. But at the very least, I am going to wait this time until all the kinks are worked out. There will always be something technologically better tempting you with the promise of a quick upgrade. But the ability to download 10,000 B.C. on-demand in hi-def or enjoy speedier access to PerezHilton.com doesn’t matter if these features don’t work correctly or if you get charged twice what you are supposed to pay.

If you are considering upgrading to Verizon’s FiOS service, I would recommend holding off. It’s like the Apple commercial where the Apple PC tries to convince the Windows PC (representing Microsoft) to stop dumping money into their Vista operating system’s marketing efforts, and use it to fix the operating system instead. Verizon needs to fix their customer service, ordering process and get everyone on the same page.

Maybe your experience has been better, maybe worse. In either case I would love to hear about it. Assuming, that is, you write back M-F, between the hours of 1:30-1:35P PST, don’t mind holding for 3 hours and that I’ll be charging you double for it.