Switching From a Mobile Broadband Plan to Hi-Speed Internet Plan
profitsee
Newbie

Currently, I have the MOBILE BROADBAND 5GB/$0.25 $59.99 0308 plan with Verizon which expires 8/2010.

I would like to switch this to the $42.99 High-Speed Turbo Plan. 1 year contract.

I am aware that one is Verizon Wireless and the other is Verizon Home Phone. "2 Separate companies" as one rep. put it.

The reason I am doing this is my laptop fried, and now I use my UM175 Wireless Modem on my desktop for Broadband = A temporary fix. So, I just said, "Why don't I just sign up for the High-Speed DSL."

So,  I spent > 1 hour over 4 toll-free numbers with Verizon = no answers.

I explained I am a loyal customer = no dice.

I explained my laptop-being-fried issue = no response.

I sold myself as a loyal customer > 5 years = mute on the other end.

Does anyone have any suggestions about how I could get in contact with a name and an email/phone of a Verizon rep who would be willing to do business given my circumstances? Or is this destined to be another customer service nightmare story?

Thanks!

-Profitsee - "Profitsizing The Future"

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Re: Switching From a Mobile Broadband Plan to Hi-Speed Internet Plan
jmw1950
Specialist - Level 2

I doubt you are going to get anywhere. Verizon is revenue driven. They are only willing to waive fees if the end result is more revenue. So for example if you want to cancel DSL to go to FiOS, that's fine, they will waive the early termination fee because FiOS service is more expensive. If you wanted to go to an even more expensive mobile plan, I am sure they would be happy to do so. What you want to do however is revenue negative for Verizon, so they have no incentive.

The secondary question is are you close enough to the CO to be able to get the service you are asking for, and to be blunt, the DSL plan you are trying to get is going to be a lot faster than mobile broadband, and has no real traffic limits. At 7 million bits per second, you can blow through what used to be monthly limit on the mobile broadband plan in less than two hours. The Turbo plan requires that you be quite close to the CO, otherwise you are paying for something you cannot get.

You actually DSL speed is the lesser of the provisioned speed from Verizon, or the highest speed your DSL modem can successfully negotiate with the Central Office. That depends very much on both the distance from the CO, and the quality of the copper pair between you and the CO. If you are a long way from the CO, or the copper pair isn't very good, that negotiated speed can be a lot less than the provisioned speed.

You also haven't mentioned if you have a landine. If you don't, there is no assurance Verizon will even offer you the service.

'Dry Loop' as it is called, is not offered everywhere.

Bottom line is that Verizon might be willing to waive early termination if you were to become a FiOS customer with 'Double Play' or 'Triple Play', the revenue stream from just DSL is less than the current broadband plan, so unless you want to pay the early termination fee, you are probably out of luck.

Re: Switching From a Mobile Broadband Plan to Hi-Speed Internet Plan
profitsee
Newbie

>What you want to do however is revenue negative for Verizon, so they have no incentive.

Excellent reponse! Not what I wanted to hear. I was hoping there was a customer-friendly way to resolve the situation.

>The secondary question is are you close enough to the CO to be able to get the service you are asking for?

Yes. I'm looking at the DSL High-Speed. I don't want FIOS

Side question = I don't get how FIOS will blow me away. Even at a max 1Mbps on my mobile broadband, I'm getting decent video/audio streams under the way I configured my Windows XP V3 Dual-Core, Intel processor.  I can only assume the incremental (sustainable) speeds under DSL will be more than enough.

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