Complaint -Verizon leaves disabled elderly person without any service for 3 days-no access to 911
jsinsel
Newbie

On Wednesday my Mother's phone service went out.  She is elderly and disabled and has a Lifealert system in place for medical emergencies.  She pays extra each month for the Guardian service to ensure if something happens to her phone they send repair people to fix it immediately.  Below  is my three day ordeal with Verizon....3 days that my disabled frail Mother had no phone service, her Lifealert, or even 911 service.

Wednesday-The call center states someone will be out Monday to fix her phone.  I call back letting the call center know she has Lifealert and needs her phone due to medical emergencies.  They state someone will be out that evening or at the very latest Thursday morning.

Thursday-Informed due to the holiday no one will be coming to fix the phone.  I again tell them that this is a medical situation, stated her medical issues, the fact she pays extra for Guardian service,  and she needs phone service.  She is not even able to call 911.  They tell me they are sorry (that would be big help in a medical emergency the fact Verizon is sorry) but someone would definitely be out Friday morning.  This was not one phone call but several.

Friday-I call at 11:00 am to see what time the repair person will be here.  This is after I take a day off work to wait for the repair person.  I am told someone will now be there this afternoon.  I call back at 3:30 and I am told they checked the phone remotely and it is a Lifealert machine issue and no one would be coming.  I informed them I already checked the machine and my husband checked the lines and it is NOT a lifealert machine issue but the phone line.  No one even called to tell me that no one was coming.  I explained the situation again and was promised someone would be out that evening to fix the phone.  At 5:00pm I call back and was told no one can come until Monday.  Note: No one even called to tell me no one was coming leaving me to wait...a phone company can't call people???  I explain the situation again how this is a medical emergency and she must have phone service.  They said they would try to send someone out.  At 7:00 pm I call back to see if anyone was coming they said I would have to call back on Saturday the dispatch center was closed and I should call back in the morning.  Needless to say I was livid at this point.  To leave a elederly person with Lifealert without any phone service is unacceptable. 

Saturday-I call the call center again...explain my Mother's situation again...and they promise me someone would be there today.  FINALLY a repair person came to fix Mother's phone.  I explained the situation to him an he told me that in case of medical issues they are supposed to be dispatched immediately even in the middle of the night.  Which is why they always have repair people on call. 

The call center is ridiculous.  The fact that I had to make over 13 calls (after being transfered a bunch of times and people "dropping" my calls only for me to call back and go through the same call loop again and again is pitiful.  The fact that Verizon left a elederly disabled woman without phone service for three days there are no words for. 

The fact that I have to go through a call center who has to call the help desk who has to call the dispatch center is just stupid.  Really???  That is the best way to help people???  Only to find out at the end of this 3 day ordeal that someone could have paged a repair person and they could have fixed this way before 3 days.  I was lied to, hung up on, but that is fine I am not elderly or disabled.  The fact you left my sick Mother without even access to 911 is pitiful.  Shame on you Verizon!!!!

Three days and 13 calls later...pitiful service.  The money that I wasted explaining over and over and over and over to the call center employees detailing my Mother's medical necessity to have a phone could have paid for a repair person to come out here the first day.

I have been a wireless customer of Verizon since Primco and I have FIOS.  I will be cancelling those services and letting everyone I come into contact with how Verizon treats the elderly and disabled.

If anyone knows how to contact the CEO of Verizon I would appreciate it.  I tried to get it from the call center (1-888-553-1555) but of course I was put on hold for forever and then told to "google it".  Then I asked for the manager's email and was told they don't give that out...just like the dispatch center for repairs. 

Shame on you for treating people like that!!!!

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Re: Complaint -Verizon leaves disabled elderly person without any service for 3 days-no access to 91
pyao88
Newbie

Aside from your experience, you might want to look into cellular based service for medical emergencies in case the power goes out.   FIOS phone would only provide power up to 8 hrs.   (unless you still have your copper wires)

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